There is no doubt that these two artists --
contemporaries, as earlier posts have made clear --
had a lot to contend with in terms of
the entertainment business, and the fickle nature of popularity.
Dylan has not found it an easy road at all,
however well-rooted he appears today.

Dylan, whatever his own private demons
(which he flaunts in more than one interview,
as if to terrorize the journalist doing the job --
see the latest Rolling Stone installment),
had what was required to hold himself together.

Phil Ochs had demons of his own, as is well known,
and his own struggles with those demons are well documented.
Not that this is the entire story,
however, Phil Ochs came apart psychologically,
while Dylan somehow pulled through and kept going.