Now what about Bob? Why do Xers like him so much? Like, right now? Why do the Boomers think he betrayed them (not once, but several times)? What is the median age at Dylan concerts these days? For us Xers (even barely Xers) is it because we can't remember the 1960s (by the time we might have become aware, Bob was off the road in Woodstock). Of course, a lot of Boomers can't remember the 60's either, but for different reasons. But Bob was actually "off site" when the "60's" were actually "happening" - and so were we.Bob Dylan is 66 this year (too old for the Boom even) but we're thinking that perhaps he is actually the prefigured Classic Xer. Think about it. He was at the peak of his prophetic period when he had an unfortunate trip on his motorcycle ("I was hurt," was all Bob wrote in his autobiography, Chronicles, about the infamous crash, "but I recovered.") and stayed home for eight years and made music in his basement. Sounds classic Xer-ish. No wonder he's "time out of mind."
But then, he was so much older then, he's younger than that now. And of course, he's still trying to find himself.
1 comment:
I think some Xers like Bob Dylan, other do not. Some Xers like U2, others do not. One thing that distinguisher the generation after is a individualism of not herding.
Madison Ave. has been driven nuts since there is no "key" that gets that one generation. The "echo boom" has more herding characteristics than my generation.
One attribute that could appeal is Dylan's lack of spin. Hard truth is better received by my generation than a 'Utopian' vision. Also like Johnny Cash, he's still writing so it's not all the same stuff. I think that is important, is this another old 'rocker' who needs money, playing all his old stuff or is this an artist who is preforming his best concert right now, because that is the one that matters.
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