Wow, I'm glad to see the thread has illicited some passionate responses. A pleasant surprise! I threw the thread out there because of my over-the-top admiration for Dylan. I was most impressed by Little Hawk's summation of the Dylan phenomena, particularly this passage: "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". You took the words right out of my mouth, brother!