TS: bob dylan vs. donovan

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i think i have to say dylan, but i am certain there will not be consensus.

― peter smith (plsmith), Saturday, 6 November 2004 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Both crap, but I'll take Donovan over Dylan every day of the week. Dylan's voice just bugs the hell outta me, and "Season of the Witch" is great. As is "Atlantis" (despite being entirely silly).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 6 November 2004 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

this is the kind of thread that makes me feel like ILM is being beamed in from some distant, hearing-impaired planet

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Saturday, 6 November 2004 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I bet Dylan voted for Kerry.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I bet Dylan voted for Kerry.

No way, what makes you say that?

Anyway, I can't believe there is even contention here, Dylan by a light year.

Dylan never did anything as vomit inducing as Universal Soldier for a start (yeah I know it's a Buffy St Marie song, but still.)

Shouldn't this have been asked on ILM?

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:05 (twenty-one years ago)

whoops - i thought this was ilm. sorry dudes.

― peter smith (plsmith), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I respect Dylan, I just don't enjoy his music (it's really all about that voice).

Donovan is a great deal sillier (not always a bad thing), and I tend not to wince as much when he's playing. I wouldn't scramble to the stereo to put records on by either, though.

I bet Dylan voted for Kerry.

No way, what makes you say that?

Well, I was just trying to ruin him for Righty Roger. Beyond that, though, just give a listen to Dylan's lyrics -- hardly the voice of imperious conservatism, he.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

donovan has stupider hair.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

moderator, delete thread?

― peter smith (plsmith), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:25 (twenty-one years ago)

fuck - no - the other one!

― peter smith (plsmith), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

aw christ. this one. delete THIS one.

― peter smith (plsmith), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Donovan is better for making out to. He wins.

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Mr. Leitch (sp?) was and is cuter than Mr. Zimmerman. He had the 'breathy voice' thing down pat. He was a much better than average guitarist when he wanted to be. None of which makes him a patch on Mr. Zimmerman's knee-breeches.

Mr. Zimmerman has a crap voice, but he can sing with that cracked kazoo he's stuck with. He can't write music, but he knows a good tune when he steals one. You can't make heads-nor-tails of the world by listening to his lyrics, but they contain oceans of poetic force.

― Aimless (Aimless), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

are you old?

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:42 (twenty-one years ago)

As old as the dust in the hills, RJG.

I once could claim to be the oldest living ILXer, but some gentle lady posted a time or two back who owned up to being 53 or thereabouts. I am a mere lad. I turn 50 on Monday.

― Aimless (Aimless), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

you don't seem it.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I am, old RJG.
40.

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

you seem, a little, more like it.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Like, what?

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

What?

― Aimless (Aimless), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

that was aimless's fault.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 6 November 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I blame Aja. I am, as ever, blameless, faultless and without the stain or spot of sin.

― Aimless (Aimless), Saturday, 6 November 2004 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)

One of the most classic scenes ever committed to film is that bit in Don't Look Back when Donovan plays his reasonably decent tune and hands the acoustic to Dylan, who nonchalantly busts out with "It's All Over Now Baby Blue." The cutaways to Donovan's face...CLASSIC.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Saturday, 6 November 2004 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, Donovan is definetely made to look like Dylan's bitch in that, but y'know what? I'd still rather listen to "Hurdy Gurdy Man" than "It's All OVer Now Baby Blue".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 6 November 2004 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

you are your own man.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 6 November 2004 22:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Um guys, if you listen closely Donovan actually asked Dylan to play that song.

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Saturday, 6 November 2004 22:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I bet Dylan voted for Kerry.

um, alex, apparently you've never heard "neighborhood bully" -- wherein bob forgets all that born-again nonsense he was talking in the late 70s and remembers that he's jewish (and a LIKUDNIK at that). the lyrics for "neighborhood bully" could've been written by ariel sharon!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 6 November 2004 23:59 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't know much about donovan, so i'll go for him.

― d.arraghmac, Sunday, 7 November 2004 00:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Probably right. I don't listen to Bob Dylan records, because I largely find them whorishly overrated and unlistenable.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 7 November 2004 00:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Surely we can reach some kind of accomodation here people?
Dylan is a genius obviously and Donovan not, but Season Of The Witch fucking JAMS!

― stew s, Sunday, 7 November 2004 02:23 (twenty-one years ago)

This question is actually very difficult for me, I love them both. As for 'Don't Look Back', I think the classic thing is when Dylan asks Alan Price about Donovan, and he says something like 'he;s a good guitarist - better than you'. In a way, I like Dylan more - his songs are sublime, especially on an itellectual level. But there is something about a few Donovan songs that means more to me than any Dylan song ever will. So I choose Donovan, even though I think Dylan is better.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Sunday, 7 November 2004 04:02 (twenty-one years ago)

i can't believe this is even being debated. And I'm really tired of the "Dylan's voice sucks" line--listen to "Nashville Skyline" or "New Morning" for examples of his "soft and mellow" voice, and "Moonshiner" from the Bootleg Series shows an incredible range.

I don't know anyone whose life has been changed by the music of Donovan, but I know dozens of people who have been deeply inspired by "Blonde on Blonde" or have listened to "Blood on the Tracks" to get through a tough breakup.

― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Sunday, 7 November 2004 05:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Donovan was an honest hippie that was all over AM in 66,67,68.
Dylan inspired hippies, of course, and then ate them for breakfast. He still churns out some unfathomable stuff.

I love both, but rarely compare them.

― jim wentworth (wench), Sunday, 7 November 2004 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Um guys, if you listen closely Donovan actually asked Dylan to play that song.

-- From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (aaronh...), November 6th, 2004.

totally! and donovan's digging it. he is genuinely in awe of dylan. dylan sort of abuses this a little bit, but i think mostly for the camera. you see him earlier making jokes about this donovan fellow who the british papers are calling the "british dylan" or whatever. anyway donovan in his wannabe-dylan socially-conscious phase is kind of embarrasing. donovan only really makes sense once the dylan comparison is tossed aside.

― amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 05:41 (twenty-one years ago)

dylan is such an ass in that movie. remember when those girls come up to him (the ones waving from the street) and ask him about his new sound. he's such a snotball. granted they asked a dumb question and dylan had probably had to answer it 100 times already (if not more), but still. they're like teenagers! give them a break. obviously dylan would not be dylan if his asshole behavior in this movie weren't part of his personal mythology, but still i say.

― amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 05:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, he is a dick in that film, which is partly why I like humble Donovan more. Like when he's being interviewed by the (Ballad of a thin man?) blonde journalist with glasses - of course, the gournalist is a dick, but humiliating him in a room full of your lackieys is terrible.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Sunday, 7 November 2004 05:49 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a couple part's where Dylan's assholism is kind of justified and genuinely makes me crack up though.
Namely: "The Science Student", and "The Interview" with the guy from Time or whatever.
x-post!

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Sunday, 7 November 2004 05:51 (twenty-one years ago)

"part's"? wtf

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Sunday, 7 November 2004 05:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't even want to think about my spelling mistakes in that post (gournalism?) so I'm going to sleep.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Sunday, 7 November 2004 05:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Sure, Dylan is acting like a arrogant little priss throughout that film, but it served as a training tape for the thousands of dickhead rockstars that have come since! He defined the "white-boy-rocker-diva"--yet another great Dylan innovation.

The only Dylan "assholism" that I felt was unjustified in that film was his treatment of Joan Baez. The pretty little dimwitted teenagers (would wouldn't have given a guy like Dylan the time of day if it wasn't the next fab chart-topper) & the pathetic attention-hungry "journalist/science student" got what they deserved.

Just out of curiosity, how many Donovan supporters here are Brits?

― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Sunday, 7 November 2004 07:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm going to say Donovan. I don't know him that well -- aside from "Season of the Witch," obv. -- but he's gotta be better than Dylan.

― jaymc (jaymc), Sunday, 7 November 2004 08:42 (twenty-one years ago)

you are your own man?

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 7 November 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Donovan was pure romance (and probably still is). I loved Don't Look Bad because Bob Dylan is ammusing, but Donovan actually wrote very pretty, poppy music and seemed more sincere.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Sunday, 7 November 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

gournalist

-- can we do something with this word? i like it.

― amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

(In other words, I'd have had a free lovin' good time with Donovan, but not Dylan, ha ha)

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Sunday, 7 November 2004 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I love Donovan - this isn't fair at all.

― k3rry (dymaxia), Sunday, 7 November 2004 18:31 (twenty-one years ago)

gournalist
-- can we do something with this word? i like it.

I guess you could say it is joining 'journalism' with the word 'gurn', as in to pull ugly faces. I don't know what that would mean though - maybe deliberately provocative articles espousing unpleasant opinions?

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Sunday, 7 November 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Everyone missed the best part of Donovan vs. Dylan in Don't Look Back - when Dylan and his entourage are have the huge blow-out about who threw the glass in the street, and the police and the security guards are there, and Dylan's yelling at everyone, and his manager is being a huge jerk - and Donovan's just like "Could everyone please calm down? Just chill out, yeah?" in his little pretty British accent.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 8 November 2004 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

But Dylan.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 8 November 2004 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I love that scene - Donovan has clearly found himself in an odd situation, and he tries hard to keep peace in his ineffectual hippy sort of way. Exactly as I would have done, though I might have started crying at some point...

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 8 November 2004 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I was really pissed that Dylan didn't bash that pansy in the face with his guitar. Donovan was a hack, but I'm sure he got a lot of crotch pie with those crappy, derrivative teenage love songs.

― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 00:18 (twenty-one years ago)

dylan never had a "hurdy gurdy man" or an "atlantis" in him. ergo, donovan wins IN A LANDSLIDE.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 02:45 (twenty-one years ago)

There was space in that hotel room for bother of them, so there's room in my heart too.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 02:49 (twenty-one years ago)

There was space in that hotel room for bother of them, so there's room in my heart too.

which is amazing in itself, since dylan's ego ALONE is big enough to suck all of the oxygen out of ANY room.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 02:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm much rather have Donovan talk me down off bad acid than Dylan.

― Kenan (kenan), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 03:00 (twenty-one years ago)

they are both old.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 03:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Dylan is better in every way, but I'll give my vote to Donovan.
It's a sympathy vote however, cos the poor bastard's daughter
is married to Shaun Ryder. I couldn't wish worse luck upon a man.

― Masked Gazza, Tuesday, 9 November 2004 03:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Really?! Wow, I didn't know that.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 03:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh whoops, looks like they might be divorced now.

― Masked Gazza, Tuesday, 9 November 2004 03:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah they are, it seems. She's called Oriele Leitch.

― Masked Gazza, Tuesday, 9 November 2004 03:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Sometimes I think Eisbar and I might be clones.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

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