Alex - You have to be a serious Dylan fan to understand the gut reaction that occurs when what is seen as uninformed or uncomprehending comments are made about the man. This springs partly out of the fact that Dylan has had more of an effect on his fans than merely entertaining them. He has had a huge influence on many people's philosophy of life on almost every level. This is partly due to the fact that his songs have delved into wider areas of thought than is generally true in pop music. He writes more serious stuff than most songwriters do, and it tends not to become dated, which most pop music quickly does.

His voice: The fact is, that whatever you think of his voice it is the perfect vehicle for communicating his songs...and that's immediately clear to a Dylan fan...but explaining it to someone who is not a Dylan fan is pretty much a futile endeavour. One gets tired of hearing criticism from people who are reacting to form while probably missing content...specially when the form suits the content to a "T".

People react viscerally to criticism of Bob, simply because he means so much to them and he made such an enormous difference in their lives.

If he didn't, of course, it all seems silly I suppose. But you could say that about anthing...politics, religion, philosophy, sex, money, whatever.

Take your pick. It's either meaningful to you or it isn't and there ain't a damn thing anyone else can do about it.

We defend Bob because we downright LOVE the man, and he has become in a way a part of each one of us...so it comes down to defending one's own identity which is a basic instinct in all people.

There's a lot more happening here than a mere pop idol phenomenon. The best songwriters are among the important philosophers of their time, and there's not one other alive who can match Bob Dylan in that sort of impact on society at present.

- LH

p.s. I'm not suggesting that you are either uninformed or necessarily uncomprehending...I'm just talking generally about Dylan and his fans and his detractors.