> both clearly epitaphs). Two last things. Phil Ochs was destined to do
> what Dylan did. His last concert at Carnegie Hall is there as a self
> evident example (is what Dylan did at the Royal Albert Hall, with some
> variations).
> Phil Ochs found many "Remicks" back then, calling him a sellout and
> stuff. 'Hope we won't forget that.
Thanks for mentioning that. I sometimes see Ochs contrasted to Dylan as staying true to protest music, and it's not quite right. Ochs was a supporter of Dylan going electric in '65, and moved into more "poetic", for lack of a better word, music himself. I'm not a tremendous Ochs fan, although he wrote some good songs and from what I've heard by people who went to his concerts, and from some of the tapes floating around, he was hilarious and great fun in concert, not unlike Billy Bragg. But he's become a sort of icon for the worst aspects of lefty protest songs, which is really unfortunate. I made the mistake once of going to a Sonny Ochs-organized Phil Ochs song night, and it was really horrible. After I got home I had to play Cracker's "What the world needs now is another folksinger like I need a hole in my head" several times over. It's enough to turn someone into a Republican.
As for Dylan, he is a sort of a poseur - the guy spouted out loads of bullshit, especially in his early years. But so what. I also think he's kind of insane. But again so what. My favorite songs are Bob Dylan songs, and he is also, I think, a great singer and interpreter of traditional songs (just listen to "Delia" and "Lone Pilgrim" from 1993's World Gone Wrong). I've listened to him almost every day of my life since I was 13 and first saw/heard him on the John Hammond Tribute show in 1976. It's hard to express what it was like hearing that, when compared to the horrible stuff on the radio back then. Not unlike when I heard the Clash in 1978. And speaking of which, I recall Joe Strummer once compared playing a concert with Dylan in the audience as being like "playing for God".
As for his politics, who knows, but he did make some nice remarks about Paul Wellstone after his death, and has referred to Al Gore as his "buddy". But perhaps of more interest for some on this list, a few years ago he was listed on the Highlander annual report as having made a contribution to Highlander.