Feel Good Factor

I was thinking again today about why I tend to listen to Bob Dylan more than any other singer these days. I do listen to other things... in fact I consider myself highly eclectic. I have a collection of all sorts of music from opera, classical, blues, jazz, folk, disco, country, pop, Motown, swing... Beyond the enjoyment that music gives me, I have always believed that for myself to appreciate music as fully as possible, I wanted to understand the history, cultural influences and processes as much as I could. I am not an expert, but I like to experience as wide a variety as possible.

One thing I like about Dylan is that he makes me feel as though he is the gathering of all this history in one place. You can hear and feel the past in his music and lyrics, but you can also taste the future. His songs sometimes feel like they have always existed, and yet they still sound new and fresh more than 40 years after them having been written. Never predictable, never conventional. It is the paradox that makes his music so addictive, relevant and timeless.

Another thing I like about Bob Dylan is the way his music makes me feel. I have a reaction that burns deep inside. It calls to me on some deeper level. It means something - it makes me think and challenges me intellectually and emotionally. It also makes me feel good. When I hear some of Bob Dylan's music, I can feel his passion and enjoyment - his pure love for what he does - come pouring through every note 'like burning coals'.

Some of his songs make me burn and itch. Some make me feel like crying. Others fill me with intense happiness and a joy of life.

I reckon that is why I keep coming back. The challenge. The emotion. The thought. The music.