dylan's biggest accomplishment was surviving the hearts and minds he broke. he did exactly what he wasn't supposed to (though i don't think he was guided solely by rebellion). yes, everyone knows he played rock at a folk festival and people were pissed, but the reason he played newport was because he played "his" folk music first. when dylan hit the village, people weren't writing folk songs, they were reciting them. when he wrote his own, people loved him. then he wrote songs with "no" structure. then he wrote songs with no chorus. etc. etc. and THEN he played rock. that he outlasted the alternate backlash and praise every time he broke the rules makes dylan the most powerful figure in american music. oh, and i agree, his first album is still his best.