The American Spectator

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The Answer, My Friend

12.13.04 @ 12:01AM

BLOWIN' WIND
Re: William Tucker's Unlike a Rolling Stone:

William Tucker's theory linking praise of Bob Dylan's work with the elite's love of radical politics is completely mistaken. Dylan fans run the political gamut. I am a conservative and a huge Dylan fan. My colleague, Marc H. Ellis, is considerably to my left, and a Dylan fan as well. Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family is a Dylan fan, but so was Allen Ginsberg, the bohemian gay poet who would not be caught dead in Colorado Springs.

"Like a Rolling Stone" is the greatest rock song of all time because it is lyrically powerful, musically intoxicating, and pure rock and roll. The fact that it never rose above #2 on the charts has no bearing on the song's quality or greatness. I'm sure that Britney Spears has had more #1 songs than the Rolling Stones, but I don't think that proves that Spears is better. After all, National Review Online receives more hits than spectator.org, but I don't think Tucker would say that that proves that NRO is superior. (For that matter, more people read Paul Krugman than William Tucker, but I would argue that Tucker is better than Krugman.)
-- Francis J. Beckwith
Associate Professor of Church-State Studies
Baylor University

I was sitting in the office when this list came out, idling, waiting for a bit of work, and so had time to glance over this list. Mostly, it sucks. Of course, like navels, everyone has an opinion. Mine? The best rock song EVER is "Rock and Roll" by Led Zep. Best album? "Sticky Fingers" by the Rolling Stones. (I still have the album with the zipper in working order!) But of course, I haven't listened to anything new in 20 years.
-- Janis Johnson
Independence, Missouri

Mr. Tucker's article on Dylan is thoughtful, articulate and unfortunately stuck within the narrow perspective of its subject like a tire stuck in mud.

Face it people, in popular culture the density (intellectual) of the music must match the density (illiteracy) of the audience. As such rock 'n roll should carry a government warning that states "Contains Only 13% Music".

In Clint Eastwood's movie "Bird" there is a scene where Charley Parker slowly walks down the aisle of a theater where his former tenor sax player is jukin' and jivin' playin a rock 'n roll blues to a screaming crowd. This very sad moment signifies the handoff of the baton of popular music from jazz to rock.

The average jazz musician's jock strap couldn't be carried by the average rock musician. Rock is about sociology, the glorification of the cult of teenage youth. Music's got nothin' to do with it.
-- Darrell Judd

William Tucker's article on Bob Dylan is way off the mark... kind of like music today.

First off, what is the need to politicize this? Rolling Stone came out with a "best of" rock list, relax. Second, Mr. Tucker's summary of Bob Dylan is much like a song from today's current bands -- WEAK.

For one thing, Bob Dylan has influenced every single worthwhile musician today, namely: Springsteen, The Beatles, U-2, Johnny Cash, Mike Ness and The Clash. Tucker's comment that Dylan's music prevents the listener from "dancing to the beat" and employs an "insulting voice" is laughable to say the least. His music isn't supposed to be danced to and some of the all-time greats had less than stellar voices: Springsteen, Johnny Lee Hooker, Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer.

As far as his albums not selling, that indicates that commercial success is all that counts. Therefore, I guess Britney Spears and Eminem would rank ahead of Bob Dylan? I wonder if those two clowns are talented enough to play folk, rock, country and the blues?

The greatness of Dylan is that his lyrics are not obvious, unlike your standard top twenty fare. His voice isn't pretty, but it is gritty. As far as not being able to "tune Elvis' guitar", Mr. Tucker is right. Elvis couldn't play one.
-- Pete Beston
New York, New York

I'm well aware that the wordsmiths at Rolling Stone are a far more intelligent species than we consumers of their works. Hence, they can choose any damn song they please for No. 1 of the top 500. Of course, we consumers speak with our wallets. As a consumer of music for the past 45 years, I can honestly say I have purchased music written by Bob Dylan but never anything sung by him. "Like a Rolling Stone?" Come on, "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" reflects a greater social cross-section of our country. Some of us who actually lived the '60s went forth and prospered. Others did a Peter Pan and went to work in the media.
-- Earl Wright
Clovis, California

And picking "Imagine," by John Lennon, as the No. 3 rock 'n roll song of all time, isn't a political statement, too? A preposterous choice, in more ways than I have the time to get into. Tucker's comments are exactly on the mark.
-- Jack A.
Olympia, Washington

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