http://expectingrain.com/discussions.html

so this was a thread made on bob dylan forums and i wondered what you thought about it..obviously because it's a dylan forum they prefer Dylan, as a musician and a songwriter..as songwriters i can't tell whos the best i mean both of their lyrics (bob and beatles) are fantastic, with such great meaning. I mean i'd say something like Penny lane, or eleanor rigby, or even tomorow never knows would be on a par with tambourine man By Dylan, in terms of lyrics, but overall i think the beatles win for me, although i'm in a Dylan phase at the moment. so what do you think about this thread..and which is essentially 'better'? (i'm talking in terms of lyrics).

actually by the way, when you click on the link, go on the 'General discussion' bit, and then about 3/4 way through the first place, theres the thread 'why bob is better than the beatles', so click on that..


debate

no one have any thoughts on this?

I think it's a hard to compare the two.

why? because theyre both great, or because beatles are ridiculously better than BOB..?

I'm not much of a Bob fan, but I do appreciate how important his work is, but they were both in different fields of music so it's hard to compare them (for me anyway).

Plus I'd be overly biased!

yeah, i guess so..you don't like bob? wow! tambourine man is fecking brilliant, but oh well, i'd be biased too.

It's just I'm not really into guitar-only songs - it was great by the Byrds though!

This is a tough one. Both Bob Dylan and the Beatles were very successful at songwriting. It'd be hard for me to decide who was better and all that because I'm a fan of both.  

Although I'm a major Dylan fan, I'd say that John proved with "I am the Walrus" and "Across the Universe" he could write as profoundly as Bob's most psychedelic/beat-inspired stuff.  I'm not sure Bob could ever write anything as simple and direct as Plastic Ono Band.  

Melody-wise, Bob ain't even close.  He filched alot from trad tunes and even the Beatles (Fourth Time Around).  He's more of a blues guy.  I don't think Bob could ever come up with melodies as compelling as Yesterday, In My Life, Hey Jude, Something, etc., etc.

Bob: Respect him/don't like him at all.
Beatles: Love them and obviously Zimmerman was an influence. I think John was most infatuated. He was doing 'Gotta Serve...." almost to his death.
-Dylan went electric in '65, John was doing 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away' around the same time, i think their was kind of a passing of the torch sometime in 1965, the Beatles were more accessible, but no less deep than Dylan, and Dylan never really bought into the psychedelia thing as far as I know. As Dylan aptly put in one of his songs "I Don't Know".

Flip side of the same coin to me. The Beatles needed Dylan and Dylan needed The Beatles.
You want me to say one is better than the other? No chance.
Obviously I prefer The Beatles - but Dylans songwriting is just sooo good. He made some insights Lennon never could.

bob better than than beatles????ha freaking ha.....maybe b4 but not in the long haul...bob was a protester..the beats protested nothing...they won fans with music not idealogy....thats like claiming elvis inspired carl perkins to write blue suede shoes....

Quoted from kevin_b

You want me to say one is better than the other? No chance.

Here, here!

As far as influential, I would say neck and neck. But these 2 artists influenced each other. Beatles influenced Bob to go electric, and Bob influenced the Beatles to focus more deeply on their lyrics. Notice how John's songs were becoming more auto-biographical after their famous encounter with Bob.

The result of this exchange was folk-rock which the Byrds defined even further with Dylan covers along with Beatlesque 12 string electrics.

An even trade between Bob and the Four, wouldn't you say?

I think some of "Bob's songs" are more poetic, but from a body of work standpoint the "Beatles" bury him both musically and lyrically.

Bob is better with lyrics, but the Beatles are better as overall musicians. Also, while Bob is pure genius, he doesn't have as much appeal as the Beatles because his music is less accesible. Some people mights say that was a good thing, but I think it's important to reach as much people as possible with your music.

Quoted from apple_sauce

I think some of "Bob's songs" are more poetic, but from a body of work standpoint the "Beatles" bury him both musically and lyrically.

Yeah, I agree. And I know Dylan is lauded for his lyrics, but some of them sort of border on country whining. I mean that down home country blues or bluegrass tradition of venting your woes. Only he vents for others. He does tend to go on. I can't explain it. I mean, I find more beauty in a simple Beatles lyrics then I do in most of Dylans. But Dylan is definitely more of a poet.

I don't think Dylan could ever write better melodies than the beatles but I would have to say lyrically they are on par.

One vs four? ... or three or two?
Kevin said it all: two sides of the same coin ... both were realley needed in the 60s ... and so they met ...