It's only been the last 10 years or so that I've become somewhat familiar with the greater body of Dylan's work. What amazes me about him is the wide-ranging themes of his songs and his ability to so clearly present the core of so many thoughts and ideas. Not to mention the sheer volume of his work.

As far as denigrating his current output- at his age I don't consider it surprising that his brilliance has dimmed in recent years. We didn't hold it against Albert Einstein.