Get ready folks, I'm getting ready to criticize an American institution. Truthfully, I wouldn't take the time to publish my thoughts on the matter, but his recent move leaves me no option.
You see, for a couple of years now, I have been trying to convince people that there may be some current artists out there that have made a bigger contribution to American culture than Bob Dylan. Just writing that seems asinine, and I know I'm probably dead wrong, but these are my thoughts, and I'm entitled to them.
Watching the PBS special on Dylan didn't help all that much. It's pretty well known that he was a music thief for some time, readily "borrowing" themes, ideas and notes from other musicians. Well, that's too political. He stole songs. Just stole them outright. But hey, if artistic theft is a crime, Picasso would be serving a life sentence, right? And what about hip-hop? I love Beck. The idea of borrowing or using artistic themes to inform your own work is perfectly acceptable to me. As long as you make it your own. But my point is that Bobby's music and ideas aren't always his own, and maybe his work is not beyond question.
With that said, Blood on the Tracks is one of the best albums of that era, and I think he does have musical genius, as well as a great mastery of the lyric. O.K.?
But when said music god decides to be featured in a Cadillac commercial where he cruises through the desert in a f*ck*ng Escalade and says some bunk sh*t about "What's life without a detour" or some equally lame tag line, I have to call him out.
WTF BOB? You need a paycheck? What's the motivation here? You want to spread the message to the world that it's okay to lay down (or go into debt) 60 grand for a tagged up Suburban? I won't even get into the obvious problems with the implications of having a backwards environmental stance. He can do what he wants to, but man, an Escalade? You had to go there? Really? Want to re-think that move?
Somehow I don't see Springsteen pulling the same move. Know what I mean? Could you see him doing donuts in a desert with a Ford Expedition, getting out with some cool shades on, and saying "What's life without a little Detour - by the way, this baby comes with a fully-boxed frame" in his gravelly voice??
At some point, Springsteen learned that along with fame, there comes a sort of responsibility–or an obligation–to give back to the public that has given you this fame. I think he realized this back in '84 when he rejected boat loads of money from Chrysler when they wanted to feature "Born in the U.S.A." in one of their car commercials. Since he wrote that song as a protest to the way Vietnam veterans (some of whom were his friends and bandmates) were being treated instead of some pro-America banner song, he must have been totally aggravated by its misuse in the first place. But my point is, he didn't take the money. How is it that more than 20 years later we have Dylan falling into this trap? Is he losing it? I think someone needs to keep this guy home for observation for a week or two, right?
But on this one subject of corporate sell-out, it seems that Springsteen has taken the higher road here. As you can tell, I am a bigger fan of Springsteen. Give me Springsteen over Dylan any day if I'm stranded on an island and I had to listen to one or the other.
I have argued my point for years that I think Springsteen has contributed more to American culture than Dylan has. Both are tremendous artists, but I think that somehow Springsteen's impact is underestimated. I really think future generations looking back will realize his impact to a fuller extent. I am so wrong writing this. Any music critic worth their weight in salt would tear me a new one for believing this. Well, they can get lost. You know what else? I also believed that The Flaming Lips peaked somewhere between Transmissions From the Satellite Heart and Clouds Taste Metallic. Yeah, that's blasphemy. I truthfully can't listen to some of their later stuff. But that's how I feel. Maybe it's just me.
Back to Springsteen's underrated impact. Here's a quick example: Without Nebraska, there would not be U2's Joshua Tree. And without the Joshua Tree....
Get what I'm saying?
Although I don't like it when artists start doing corporate adverts (that means you too, Common!! I hope your hip-hop friends grilled you for 'Peace, Love and Gap,') I hate it even more when it's senseless advertising. Seriously, what's the connection between Dylan and Cadillac, other than the obvious Boomer identity crisis angle? Is he taking marketing advice from Gene Simmons?
Ugghh. At least Prince wants you to think he smells like his cologne, right?
I shouldn't care. Middle finger to Cadillac and Bob on this one. That's about how much of my time it's worth.
From now on, when I come across an advertising piece that fits in this category, instead of writing an extended rant, I will simply write, "Middle finger to ____."
Saves me time.
