BobDylan Modern Music "Atrocious"

[Texsox]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bob Dylan says modern recordings sound "atrocious," and even the songs on his new album sounded much better in the studio than on disc.

 

"I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past twenty years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

 

Dylan, who released eight studio albums in that time, returns with his first recording in five years, "Modern Times," next Tuesday.

 

Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."

 

 

"You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static."

Dylan said he does his best to fight technology, but it's a losing battle.

"Even these songs probably sounded ten times better in the studio when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it."

 

 

 

I guess I'll go download his new album and see if he's right

[GoRowand33]

if its dylan its gotta be good anyways

[bmags]

f***in a' right bob...

 

for one, digital recording has led to higher compression and horrible mixing, the record companies have increased the volume on everything and the subtlety of noises is gone on albums.

 

his new album leaked too so i'msa gonna download it...

[southsider2k5]

This is the second time in a couple of months that Dylan has said this... Does he have a new album or something coming out?

[SoxFanForever]

This is the second time in a couple of months that Dylan has said this... Does he have a new album or something coming out?

Someone didn't read the whole article blurb

[lightthematch]

This article was amazing. I don't want to agree with it completely because I still enjoy a lot of today's music, but one of the main differences I notice between today's music and music 20 years ago is that an entire album was good. Today it seems like only 3-5 songs on the album are good, the rest is crap.

[bmags]

This article was amazing. I don't want to agree with it completely because I still enjoy a lot of today's music, but one of the main differences I notice between today's music and music 20 years ago is that an entire album was good. Today it seems like only 3-5 songs on the album are good, the rest is crap.

 

but we can also get millions of songs free from around the world...

 

nice tradeoff in my opinion.

[Kid Gleason]

This article was amazing. I don't want to agree with it completely because I still enjoy a lot of today's music, but one of the main differences I notice between today's music and music 20 years ago is that an entire album was good. Today it seems like only 3-5 songs on the album are good, the rest is crap.

 

 

That's not exactly true. It depends on what style of music you are talking about and what labels. Major labels have always been notorious for "filler". You mention 20 years ago, which lands us smack in the middle of the 80's, probably the most "filler" full music era. But you can grab many hit albums from the 70's, and there is no shortage of filler material on them. Underground bands and small indie labels will always produce more strong material, partially because the contracts allow for it. A major band, on a major label, will always be under more pressure and will more than likely not be allowed the time to test material out.

 

It's been a looong time since I have actually bought a new album with only 3-5 good songs and a bunch of crap. The last one I did buy that was that sort though was a major label release.

 

I also don't agree with what Dylan is saying. I've heard more than my fair share of great sounding discs. It's not the media or the recordings, it's the mentality going into recording and writing. This was pointed out years ago by, I believe, Les Paul. Nobody uses "dynamics" in their writing anymore. Even when a band plays mellow, it is still the same volume as the hard hitting stuff. Listen to an old Gabriel days Genesis album, the amount of dynamics that those guys used was ridiculous, but also very cool. It's just bands don't think that was much anymore.

 

But yeah, Bobby, clarity in sounds, what a terrible thing. Give me the scratchy sound of vinyl again, please.

[bmags]

That's not exactly true. It depends on what style of music you are talking about and what labels. Major labels have always been notorious for "filler". You mention 20 years ago, which lands us smack in the middle of the 80's, probably the most "filler" full music era. But you can grab many hit albums from the 70's, and there is no shortage of filler material on them. Underground bands and small indie labels will always produce more strong material, partially because the contracts allow for it. A major band, on a major label, will always be under more pressure and will more than likely not be allowed the time to test material out.

 

It's been a looong time since I have actually bought a new album with only 3-5 good songs and a bunch of crap. The last one I did buy that was that sort though was a major label release.

 

I also don't agree with what Dylan is saying. I've heard more than my fair share of great sounding discs. It's not the media or the recordings, it's the mentality going into recording and writing. This was pointed out years ago by, I believe, Les Paul. Nobody uses "dynamics" in their writing anymore. Even when a band plays mellow, it is still the same volume as the hard hitting stuff. Listen to an old Gabriel days Genesis album, the amount of dynamics that those guys used was ridiculous, but also very cool. It's just bands don't think that was much anymore.

 

But yeah, Bobby, clarity in sounds, what a terrible thing. Give me the scratchy sound of vinyl again, please.

 

well, he has a point, for whatever reason major label digital mixing has had a terrible trend of making albums louder and louder, and losing subtlety in instruments and sounds. I enjoy the sound of vinyl more, i enjoy its distinct sound.

[Kid Gleason]

well, he has a point, for whatever reason major label digital mixing has had a terrible trend of making albums louder and louder, and losing subtlety in instruments and sounds. I enjoy the sound of vinyl more, i enjoy its distinct sound.

 

He has a point if you agree with him and dislike the sound of modern recordings. I've heard many great sounding recordings as of late. The new one from The New York Dolls sounds great, and much better than their releases from the 70's. The new release from Butch Walker sounds great. Indie band Chinatown's new album sounds amazing.

 

Certain forms of music might sound better on vinyl, but it needs to be a style that lends itself to the format. A band using distortion will possibly benefit from vinyl, but the Chicago Symphony Orchestra or many Prog Rock bands will benefit from the clarity of the digital form, if they don't compress the hell out of it. YOu can hear more within digital, and that was something people realized when the CD "revolution" began. When I hard The Sisters Of Mercy's album First and Last and Always for the first time on CD I was blown away by how many more aspects of the material presented itself to me. Things I had NOT heard before were suddenly there. It's hard to say that you lose sound on digital but on vinyl they are there. I don't understand how that could be possible. I think Dylan is just reacting like many people do as they get older. Thinking the new generations are crap and whatnot.

[hammerhead johnson]

I enjoy the sound of vinyl more, i enjoy its distinct sound.

 

Oh word? You're a vinyl head? I'm working on crate #17. I've hit a wall with hip hop, jazz fusion, and reggae, though.

 

Did you ever get that Krown Rulers album off sandbox?

 

I'm getting into a lot of obscure soul nowadays. My jam of the moment is Fantastic Johnny C's "Boogaloo Down Broadway". That track is pure FIRE. They have the full soundclip right here, if you want to hear it:

 

Fantastic Johnny C

[Texsox]

^^^^^

sweet, thanks for the link

[bmags]

Oh word? You're a vinyl head? I'm working on crate #17. I've hit a wall with hip hop, jazz fusion, and reggae, though.

 

Did you ever get that Krown Rulers album off sandbox?

 

I'm getting into a lot of obscure soul nowadays. My jam of the moment is Fantastic Johnny C's "Boogaloo Down Broadway". That track is pure FIRE. They have the full soundclip right here, if you want to hear it:

 

Fantastic Johnny C

 

crate 17 ye gods. My vinyl collection is as follows...

Velvet underground - White Light/ White Heat , Loaded, VU, VU and Nico

Lou Reed - Transformer

Slint - Spiderland

MF Doom - mmm... Food

Animal Collective - Feels

Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks (i can't find dylan vinyls at my shop its frustrating)

Beatles - White Album, Revolver, Rubber Soul

Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow

Edan - Beauty and the Beat

Yann Tierson - Rue Des Cascades

Neu! - Neu!, Neu! 2

Bowie - Low

GY!BE - Lift Yr Skinny Fists like antennas to heaven

 

and no i forgot about the sandbox one...

 

He has a point if you agree with him and dislike the sound of modern recordings. I've heard many great sounding recordings as of late. The new one from The New York Dolls sounds great, and much better than their releases from the 70's. The new release from Butch Walker sounds great. Indie band Chinatown's new album sounds amazing.

 

Certain forms of music might sound better on vinyl, but it needs to be a style that lends itself to the format. A band using distortion will possibly benefit from vinyl, but the Chicago Symphony Orchestra or many Prog Rock bands will benefit from the clarity of the digital form, if they don't compress the hell out of it. YOu can hear more within digital, and that was something people realized when the CD "revolution" began. When I hard The Sisters Of Mercy's album First and Last and Always for the first time on CD I was blown away by how many more aspects of the material presented itself to me. Things I had NOT heard before were suddenly there. It's hard to say that you lose sound on digital but on vinyl they are there. I don't understand how that could be possible. I think Dylan is just reacting like many people do as they get older. Thinking the new generations are crap and whatnot.

 

a point isn't only valid if you agree with someone. I'm not trashing cd quality, but for whatever reason, the mixing on albums digitally has started to become so compressed that its just one loud noise. There isn't a bass and drums and a guitar, its just a wall. I will say recent remasters have given me hope that the trend is disappearing, yes, people like to listen to their music loud, but there has to be a happy medium. Imagine just going to your equalizer and just putting everything up to its top level... The vinyl releases of the past 15 years have had, for whatever reason, a more meticulous mixing, truer to the studio sound i'd imagine. Also vinyl releases have come with extra songs a lot of the time. I'd say the biggest victim of digital has been jazz. Jazz needs a warmer sound, but more than that, the cd releases of sketches of spain and a love supreme were bad to the point of irresponsibility. I heard a new release of a love supreme that sounded 10x better, but a lot of those albums were rushed to just get out there and not looked back at since.

[The Critic]

See, I hated the way vinyl sounded.

Let's put it this way - I was happy to buy CASSETTES because I thought they sounded better!

I was all about STOPPING THE POPPING!

[Kid Gleason]

I don't know what this "wall" is you are talking about. I'm listening to a new EP by the band The Compulsions right now, and there is a definite distinction between everything and the bass is VERY clear through out the whole thing, so are the drums. It's not just a giant wall.

 

As for Jazz, one of my favorite "recent" releases is Ray Brown/Monty Alexander/Russell Malone, and good lord is that an amazing sounding release. Everything is distinct and warm.

 

I also understand that a point can be made even if I don't agree with the person, unfortunately I think Dylan is out of his skull and sounding like an old man on this one and his point is a joke.

 

See, I hated the way vinyl sounded.

Let's put it this way - I was happy to buy CASSETTES because I thought they sounded better!

I was all about STOPPING THE POPPING!

 

Tapes may have sounded better at times, but I bought so many faulty tapes, and they went to crud so dang fast, I was more than happy to push that medium off the ledge and watch it go "splat".

[The Critic]

Tapes may have sounded better at times, but I bought so many faulty tapes, and they went to crud so dang fast, I was more than happy to push that medium off the ledge and watch it go "splat".

Oh, I know, tapes weren't the answer as it turned out, but at the time I was glad to just have some alternative to skipping, popping and crackling vinyl.

 

Nowadays I believe the sound quality of a CD is completely up to the band, producer and label. Depends on how much time and money they want to put into the production. I've heard small-label discs that sound very "big", and a lot of crappy recordings that sound tinny or distant.