I bet you bore each other equally, Stilly. ;-D Or at least you would claim to.

Actually, I think you're providing yourselves (and probably some other people here, like me) with much entertainment. If not, you wouldn't come back to this thread, would you? This can't all be bad.

Diane - I was afraid that book wouldn't be nearly enough to tempt you. Hmm. I'll just have to come up with something far better. Give me some time to mull it over, okay?

Don - Come on. Yeah, sure, we could consume massive amounts of bandwidth discussing it and arguing about it...and we'd probably better not...but do you honestly not see that Bob Dylan had talent worthy of his success, regardless of Albert Grossman? Without the help of Grossman, Joan Baez, and a couple of other key individuals like John Hammond and the reviewer who gave him a rave review shortly after his arrival in New York, it would have taken him longer to make it. I figure...maybe a year longer. Maybe two years at the most. But he would definitely have made it, because his songs were perfect for the time. As far as I'm concerned, that kid was simply unstoppable.

If you don't happen to like his particular style...fine. Your taste is not my business. But I don't see how you can deny his talent or his own effectiveness at getting his career rolling with a very concentrated and focused effort.

It takes more than just talent to succeed in that business. It also takes grit, determination, and a hell of a lot of hard work.

Baez's audiences booed the young Bob at first because they had come there to listen to Joan. They had expectations. He didn't sound anything like what they thought they were there for. That is what happens to many opening acts at a lot of performances, because the average person has a pretty short attention span, a large measure of ignorance, and little patience for something not fitting his expectations. Joan lectured them so they would stop...think...and actually listen. And when they did...it worked. That's all people need to do with any act that's any good. Stop. Think. Actually listen.

Sooner or later people were bound to listen to Bob Dylan. They just needed to make the decision first that they wanted to, that's all. They had to think he was "somebody" first. The water cannot flow till you open the tap in your mind, and opening the tap is your decision. Someone else whom you respect can definitely hasten your making of that decision with just a few choice words. That's what Joan did for Bob and for the audience when she took him out on her tours. She did it because she knew he was worth it.

Would not any of us do the same? I hope so.