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SHANE02 · Joined: 04 Jun 2003

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10397667

Dylan says modern recordings 'atrocious'

1.00pm Wednesday August 23, 2006

LOS ANGELES - Bob Dylan says the quality of modern recordings is "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 20 years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

Dylan, who released eight studio albums in the past two decades, 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."

- REUTERS

Interesting what he says about piracy. I can't wait to hear the new cd.

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

He's just getting old and cranky.

Vinyl can sound better than CD if you have about 5000 dollars to spend on a hi-fi and you are prepared to never have kids or a party where your vinyl will get scratched.

tweeterdj · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Location: Gwangju

what utter nonsense from a technical standpoint. i am in absolute shock at the crazy rantings of someone who obviously doesn't understand things. perhaps todays music has too much in it, fine. but there's no definition, there's sound all over them? that's nonsense! in some cases that might be true, but there are albums from way back that were released on vinyl (if that is the argument) that were mixed terribly and subsequently have no 'definition'. and "CDs are small"???? what the hell is that supposed to mean? i realize bob is old and probably has done a fair amount of damage to his brain, but to actually voice your opinion that a medium sucks because it is smaller than another? yeesh, keep SOME of your dignity intact, old man... Rolling Eyes

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

I don't think he means the actual physical size of a cd.
However, cd's do suck. I miss my vinyl collection.

edgellskiuk · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Location: Seoul

It could be Dylan is not against cd technology as such, but against how it is being utilised. I think Dylan is making the point about compression of modern music taking away dynamic range. Here are some articles on the issue:

http://www.cdmasteringservices.com/dynamicrange.htm

and

http://www.cdmasteringservices.com/dynamicdeath.htm

Alternativly it could ust be he could be as eamo said "old and cranky".

All I know is I liked franz ferdinands first album on the radio but played it once through my hifi and could not listen to it again as it gave me a headache. Of course I am "old and cranky"

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

Fight technology...you go for it, Bob. Sounds like his VCR is flashing 12:00 forever to me....

He's just getting old. It's sad when once cool people turn into what they hated in their youth. He now sounds like the old guys who he was railing against in the 60's and 70's. Against change, hates the 'new', the old ways were the 'good' ways, can't see anything good in the next generations....meh. Take a rest gramps.

SHANE02 · Joined: 04 Jun 2003

The new cd is wonderfull IMHO. Go ahead, download it, Bob won't mind.

http://www.mininova.org/tor/405417

We all know he's a cryptic dude and he hardly ever does interviews. So this thing in Rolling Stone where he says he "fights technology"" while promoting a new cd named "Modern Times"" is just usual Bob.

He's still cool.

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

I really don't think of many of the best records in the last 20 years can match the best records of the previous 20 years.

But maybe I'm old and cranky too.

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

Let's be clear. Bob was talking about the quality of the recording, not the quality of the material being recorded. This is a subject that can be discussed objectively, unlike the latter, which is wholly subjective.

As I said, I dare anyone to let me do a blind test on them with vinyl and a 320bit MP3 and tell me which is which. Of course there are differences, with vinyl being the superior media, but for the majority of people, MP3 is already more than they can hear. What are we....dogs?

Wink

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

That's simply not true. Anyone who enjoys music can tell the friggin difference between a record and an MP3.

You guys have been away from the hi-fi for too long.

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

Whatever. I'm not going to argue with you. But to these ears, MP3s are a compromise technology.

And I don't listen to music when on the bus, train, or taxi. I see a lot of people doing that though.