I've heard the "Dylan can't sing" thing for decades, and yeah, we can all see why. That being said, his lyrics are spectacular, and he more than does them justice when he sings his own work. It's taken me a long time to realize that there are many ways a voice can be good, and Dylan's is: it does exactly what he wants it to do. A side-by-side (so to speak) listening to "It Ain't Me, Babe" by Dylan and also the Turtles' cover of it shows this. Yes, the Turtles' version is lovely, but that kind of hinders it, imho. It's melodic and silken and lovely. Dylan's take on it is raw and aching and emotional. He does with the lyrics what a conventionally pretty voice can't.
I've heard the "Dylan can't sing" thing for decades, and yeah, we can all see why. That being said, his lyrics are spectacular, and he more than does them justice when he sings his own work. It's taken me a long time to realize that there are many ways a voice can be good, and Dylan's is: it does exactly what he wants it to do. A side-by-side (so to speak) listening to "It Ain't Me, Babe" by Dylan and also the Turtles' cover of it shows this. Yes, the Turtles' version is lovely, but that kind of hinders it, imho. It's melodic and silken and lovely. Dylan's take on it is raw and aching and emotional. He does with the lyrics what a conventionally pretty voice can't.