'Everything's Too Easy,' Says Bob Dylan About Streaming Music

Bob Dylan offers his candid thoughts on streaming and how it has made music “too smooth and easy. Everything is too simple.”

The iconic Bob Dylan recently revealed his stream-of-consciousness opinions on technology and culture in the present age, as well as the ease of access to streaming music, in a rare interview. The 81-year-old singer-songwriter and performer has a long list of accomplishments and awards, including ten Grammys, an Oscar, and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. His second book, “The Philosophy of Modern Song,” was just launched.

“I do adore the sound of old vinyl, especially on an old tube record player,” Dylan admits, adding that he also listens to music on CD, satellite radio, and streaming. “About 30 years ago, I bought three in an antique store in Oregon. The tone quality is fantastic and has a lot of depth. It always transports me back to a simpler and more unexpected time in my life.”

“Music has become far too smooth and painless as a result of streaming. Everything is far too simple. “It only takes one stroke of the ring and middle fingers, one small click,” he explains.

“We slid the penny right into the slot. “We’re pill poppers, cube heads, and day trippers, hanging in, hanging out, devouring blue devils, black mollies, anything we can get our hands on,” Dylan elaborates, drawing a picture of what he sees as if writing lyrics.

“Not to mention the ganga (sic) grass and nose candy. It’s all too simple and democratic. Just to find someone’s heart and see if they still have one requires a solar X-ray detector.”

Bob Dylan believes that when you hear a wonderful song, you have a gut reaction and an emotional response that lasts for a long time in your head. But he thinks that few contemporary pieces will last long enough to become standards.

To sing it, you don’t need to be a fantastic singer. It’s a candle, a book, and a bell. He says, “It strikes your innermost being and touches you in secret places. I’m constantly evaluating what makes a song exceptional — or not — and searching for inspiration in fragments, riffs, chords, and even words, so I can’t just listen to music passively.

“Very few modern songs will ever be considered standards. Who will draft standards today? A rap musician? Rock or hip-hop star? A pop vocalist, a sampler, or a raver? Dylan declares, “That is music for the establishment.

It is enjoyable listening. It simply mocks actual life, acts out, and goes through the motions. A standard is of a different caliber. One in a thousand songs use it as an example.

Dylan has contentious opinions about contemporary music, but his opinions on social media seem much more reasonable. While he acknowledges that social media “brings happiness to a lot of people,” he also claims that it allows users to “refashion everything, blot away memories, and modify history. Some even find their true love there. If you’re a people person, it’s great because communication is easy. But they are also capable of dividing and separating us.

‘Everything’s Too Easy,’ Says Bob Dylan About Streaming Music

Bob Dylan offers his candid thoughts on streaming and how it has made music “too smooth and easy. Everything is too simple.”

Download The Radiant App To Start Watching!