mike royko on bob dylan and frank sinatra. hilarious.

[Brutalis]

ON Dylan:

DYLAN THE GREAT 1/30/74

The first time I ever heard Bob Dylan sing I knew he would be a
success.
He sounded exactly like Woody Guthrie, an earlier folksinger, and I
figured that if he added a few more imitations--maybe Bette Davis and
James Cagney--he would have an even funnier routine.

Then I found out he wasn't kidding around. He wanted people to
take
his Woody Guthrie style seriously.

So I changed my mind and decided he would not be a success after
all.
People would hoot and jeer, I assumed, when they heard Dylan, the
former
Bobby Zimmerman, a middle class youth, trying to sound like Guthrie,
an
authentic, callus palmed, Depression-Era dustbowl Okie.

But I was wrong. Most of Dylan's fans had not heard of Woody
Guthrie.
They assumed that Dylan, and other suburban style guitar jockeys, had
created folk music.

Dylan became a great success and made millions, which proves that
it
is better to sing about hard work than to do it. He became so rich
that in
1966, while still a lad, he retired.

When I saw what Dylan accomplished by imitating Woody Guthrie, I
really kicked myself. I used to do a helluva imitation of Al Jolson.

Now I am filled with even more regret because I was on vacation
when
Dylan came to Chicago to launch his out-of-retirement concert tour.

For one thing I wanted to see if he still did Woody Guthrie, or
if he
had switched to someone else, like maybe Mario Lanza.
But more than that, I have learned that I missed one the greatest
cultural events in the history of the world.
At least, that's what I gather by reading the papers and
magazines.

NEWSWEEK magazine, for instance, put Dylan on the cover and
quoted a
record company executive as saying: "This event is the biggest thing
of
its kind in the history of show business."

That is a lot of history, going back to the first Stone Age man
who
juggled a few rocks to amuse his cavemates.
NEWSWEEK also quoted a young woman as saying: "I think he (Dylan)
is
the most important musician who ever lived--more important than
Beethoven."
(In fairness it should be pointed out that Beethoven lost his
hearing.
Had he not done so, he might have been as important as Dylan.)

And Ralph Gleason, the noted West Coast columnist and musical
authority, wrote: "The impact that Bob Dylan has had upon the culture
of the past
ten years in the English-speaking world...is extaordinary and
comparable, at
least in terms of concepts and additions to language, only with
Shakespeare and the Bible."

It is hard to argue with that, especially when you consider such
Dylan
lyrics as:

It's never been my duty
To remake the world at large,
Nor is it my intention
To sound the battle charge.
I love you more than all of that
With a love that doesn't bend
And if there is eternity
I'll love you there again.

Now admit it. You've never read anything like THAT in
Shakespeare or
the Bible.
Most of the Dylan admirers also offer the ticket sales as
evidence of
his his historic return from Malibu.
They expect more than 650,000 people to attend his concert tour.
They
say another 5 million pleas have been turned down.
As one critic raved: "There may not be another performance in the
world can draw like that!"

At this point I must offer a mild disagreement. While Dylan may
be in
the same class as Shakespeare and the Bible, there are other popular
performers around.
Take Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus. About 9 million
people
saw it last year.
The Illinois State Fair drew 662,895 people, and most of the farm
creatures didn't sound as good as Dylan.
Billy Graham, without levis and boots, preached to 1,046,750
people.

But figures aren't important. What's important is that Dylan has
returned, which means that those who missed seeing Beethoven can now
see
the very best.

I was interested in reading one of Dylan's reasons for coming out
of
retirement. (I knew it couldn't be money, because great artists
don't
give a damn about such things.) Dylan said, "Saturn has been an
obstacle in my
planetary system. It's been there for the last few ages and just
removbed
itself from my system. I feel free and unburdened."

I'll bet. And it must have hurt.

As for the future, Dylan said: "I am not looking to be that new
messiah. That's not in the cards for me."

I don't know if that is modesty or just a lack of ambition.

---------------

on Sinatra:

http://books.google.com/books?id=VeqzGzHA714C&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=%22mike+royko%22+%22frank+sinatra%22&source=web&ots=QyXFI1KZtW&sig=4rMHmXyjN18LHQK5i9nGYu_iJqw#PPA95,M1

Scroll down or up to "Mr. Sinatra sends a Letter"

[oh mercy]

What an ass.
I guess he missed it.
Either you get it or you don't, And it ain't about hero worship.

DYLANTHE GREAT 1/30/74
The first time I ever heardBobDylansing I knew he would be a
success.
He sounded exactly like Woody Guthrie, an earlier folksinger, and I
figured that if he added a few more imitations--maybe Bette Davis and
James Cagney--he would have an even funnier routine.
Then I found out he wasn't kidding around. He wanted people to
take
his Woody Guthrie style seriously.
So I changed my mind and decided he would not be a success after
all.
People would hoot and jeer, I assumed, when they heardDylan, the
former
Bobby Zimmerman, a middle class youth, trying to sound like Guthrie,
an
authentic, callus palmed, Depression-Era dustbowl Okie.
But I was wrong. Most ofDylan'sfans had not heard of Woody
Guthrie.
They assumed thatDylan, and other suburban style guitar jockeys, had
created folk music.
Dylanbecame a great success and made millions, which proves that
it
is better to sing about hard work than to do it. He became so rich
that in
1966, while still a lad, he retired.
When I saw whatDylanaccomplished by imitating Woody Guthrie, I
really kicked myself. I used to do a helluva imitation of Al Jolson.
Now I am filled with even more regret because I was on vacation
when
Dylancame to Chicago to launch his out-of-retirement concert tour.
For one thing I wanted to see if he still did Woody Guthrie, or
if he
had switched to someone else, like maybe Mario Lanza.
But more than that, I have learned that I missed one the greatest
cultural events in the history of the world.
At least, that's what I gather by reading the papers and
magazines.
NEWSWEEK magazine, for instance, putDylanon the cover and
quoted a
record company executive as saying: "This event is the biggest thing
of
its kind in the history of show business."
That is a lot of history, going back to the first Stone Age man
who
juggled a few rocks to amuse his cavemates.
NEWSWEEK also quoted a young woman as saying: "I think he (Dylan)
is
the most important musician who ever lived--more important than
Beethoven."
(In fairness it should be pointed out that Beethoven lost his
hearing.
Had he not done so, he might have been as important asDylan.)
And Ralph Gleason, the noted West Coast columnist and musicalauthority, wrote: "The impact thatBobDylanhas had upon the culture
of the past
ten years in the English-speaking world...is extaordinary and
comparable, at
least in terms of concepts and additions to language, only with
Shakespeare and the Bible."
It is hard to argue with that, especially when you consider suchDylan
It's never been my duty
To remake the world at large,
Nor is it my intention
To sound the battle charge.
I love you more than all of that
With a love that doesn't bend
And if there is eternity
I'll love you there again.
Now admit it. You've never read anything like THAT in
Shakespeare or
the Bible.
Most of theDylanadmirers also offer the ticket sales as
evidence of
his his historic return from Malibu.
They expect more than 650,000 people to attend his concert tour.
They
say another 5 million pleas have been turned down.
As one critic raved: "There may not be another performance in the
world can draw like that!"
At this point I must offer a mild disagreement. WhileDylanmay
be in
the same class as Shakespeare and the Bible, there are other popular
performers around.
Take Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus. About 9 million
people
saw it last year.
The Illinois State Fair drew 662,895 people, and most of the farm
creatures didn't sound as good asDylan.
Billy Graham, without levis and boots, preached to 1,046,750
people.
But figures aren't important. What's important is thatDylanhas
returned, which means that those who missed seeing Beethoven can now
see
the very best.
I was interested in reading one ofDylan'sreasons for coming out
of
retirement. (I knew it couldn't be money, because great artists
don't
give a damn about such things.) Dylansaid, "Saturn has been an
obstacle in my
planetary system. It's been there for the last few ages and just
removbed
itself from my system. I feel free and unburdened."
I'll bet. And it must have hurt.
As for the future,Dylansaid: "I am not looking to be that new
messiah. That's not in the cards for me."
I don't know if that is modesty or just a lack of ambition.
---------------
http://books.google.com/books?id=VeqzGzHA714C&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=%22...
Scroll down or up to "Mr. Sinatra sends a Letter"

[byrdsfan]

Post by oh mercy
What an ass.
I guess he missed it.
Either you get it or you don't, And it ain't about hero worship.

DYLANTHE GREAT 1/30/74
The first time I ever heardBobDylansing I knew he would be a
success.
He sounded exactly like Woody Guthrie, an earlier folksinger, and I
figured that if he added a few more imitations--maybe Bette Davis and
James Cagney--he would have an even funnier routine.
Then I found out he wasn't kidding around. He wanted people to
take
his Woody Guthrie style seriously.
So I changed my mind and decided he would not be a success after
all.
People would hoot and jeer, I assumed, when they heardDylan, the
former
Bobby Zimmerman, a middle class youth, trying to sound like Guthrie,
an
authentic, callus palmed, Depression-Era dustbowl Okie.
But I was wrong. Most ofDylan'sfans had not heard of Woody
Guthrie.
They assumed thatDylan, and other suburban style guitar jockeys, had
created folk music.
Dylanbecame a great success and made millions, which proves that
it
is better to sing about hard work than to do it. He became so rich
that in
1966, while still a lad, he retired.
When I saw whatDylanaccomplished by imitating Woody Guthrie, I
really kicked myself. I used to do a helluva imitation of Al Jolson.
Now I am filled with even more regret because I was on vacation
when
Dylancame to Chicago to launch his out-of-retirement concert tour.
For one thing I wanted to see if he still did Woody Guthrie, or
if he
had switched to someone else, like maybe Mario Lanza.
But more than that, I have learned that I missed one the greatest
cultural events in the history of the world.
At least, that's what I gather by reading the papers and
magazines.
NEWSWEEK magazine, for instance, putDylanon the cover and
quoted a
record company executive as saying: "This event is the biggest thing
of
its kind in the history of show business."
That is a lot of history, going back to the first Stone Age man
who
juggled a few rocks to amuse his cavemates.
NEWSWEEK also quoted a young woman as saying: "I think he (Dylan)
is
the most important musician who ever lived--more important than
Beethoven."
(In fairness it should be pointed out that Beethoven lost his
hearing.
Had he not done so, he might have been as important asDylan.)
And Ralph Gleason, the noted West Coast columnist and musicalauthority, wrote: "The impact thatBobDylanhas had upon the culture
of the past
ten years in the English-speaking world...is extaordinary and
comparable, at
least in terms of concepts and additions to language, only with
Shakespeare and the Bible."
It is hard to argue with that, especially when you consider suchDylan
It's never been my duty
To remake the world at large,
Nor is it my intention
To sound the battle charge.
I love you more than all of that
With a love that doesn't bend
And if there is eternity
I'll love you there again.
Now admit it. You've never read anything like THAT in
Shakespeare or
the Bible.
Most of theDylanadmirers also offer the ticket sales as
evidence of
his his historic return from Malibu.
They expect more than 650,000 people to attend his concert tour.
They
say another 5 million pleas have been turned down.
As one critic raved: "There may not be another performance in the
world can draw like that!"
At this point I must offer a mild disagreement. WhileDylanmay
be in
the same class as Shakespeare and the Bible, there are other popular
performers around.
Take Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus. About 9 million
people
saw it last year.
The Illinois State Fair drew 662,895 people, and most of the farm
creatures didn't sound as good asDylan.
Billy Graham, without levis and boots, preached to 1,046,750
people.
But figures aren't important. What's important is thatDylanhas
returned, which means that those who missed seeing Beethoven can now
see
the very best.
I was interested in reading one ofDylan'sreasons for coming out
of
retirement. (I knew it couldn't be money, because great artists
don't
give a damn about such things.) Dylansaid, "Saturn has been an
obstacle in my
planetary system. It's been there for the last few ages and just
removbed
itself from my system. I feel free and unburdened."
I'll bet. And it must have hurt.
As for the future,Dylansaid: "I am not looking to be that new
messiah. That's not in the cards for me."
I don't know if that is modesty or just a lack of ambition.
---------------
http://books.google.com/books?id=VeqzGzHA714C&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=%22...
Scroll down or up to "Mr. Sinatra sends a Letter"- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The lede is good.

[Will Dockery]

April 1966, Bob Dylan was revolutionizing music, and Frank Sinatra... had a cold.

Frank Sinatra Has a Cold
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra_Has_a_Cold

"Frank Sinatra Has a Cold" is a profile of Frank Sinatra written by Gay Talese for the April 1966 issue of Esquire.[1] The article is one of the most famous pieces of magazine journalism ever written and is often considered not only the greatest profile of Frank Sinatra[2] but one of the greatest celebrity profiles ever written.[3][4][5] The profile is one of the seminal works of New Journalism and is still widely read, discussed and studied.



Fifty years after it was first published, "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold" remains the most influential and talked about magazine story of all time. Author Gay Talese joins host David Brancaccio to discuss how the groundbreaking work of New Journalism came about, the evolution of celebrity, and why his story remains as resonant today as the day it was first published.

https://soundcloud.com/esquireclassics/esquire-classic-frank-sinatra-has-a-cold-by-gay-talese



In the winter of 1965, writer Gay Talese arrived in Los Angeles with an assignment from Esquire to profile Frank Sinatra. The legendary singer was approaching fifty, under the weather, out of sorts, and unwilling to be interviewed. So Talese remained in L.A., hoping Sinatra might recover and reconsider, and he began talking to many of the people around Sinatra -- his friends, his associates, his family, his countless hangers-on -- and observing the man himself wherever he could. The result, "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold," ran in April 1966 and became one of the most celebrated magazine stories ever published, a pioneering example of what came to be called New Journalism -- a work of rigorously faithful fact enlivened with the kind of vivid storytelling that had previously been reserved for fiction. The piece conjures a deeply rich portrait of one of the era's most guarded figures and tells a larger story about entertainment, celebrity, and America itself.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a638/esq1003-oct-sinatra-rev/

[Treadleson]

Post by Brutalis
DYLAN THE GREAT 1/30/74
The first time I ever heard Bob Dylan sing I knew he would be a
success.
He sounded exactly like Woody Guthrie, an earlier folksinger, and I
figured that if he added a few more imitations--maybe Bette Davis and
James Cagney--he would have an even funnier routine.
Then I found out he wasn't kidding around. He wanted people to
take
his Woody Guthrie style seriously.
So I changed my mind and decided he would not be a success after
all.
People would hoot and jeer, I assumed, when they heard Dylan, the
former
Bobby Zimmerman, a middle class youth, trying to sound like Guthrie,
an
authentic, callus palmed, Depression-Era dustbowl Okie.
But I was wrong. Most of Dylan's fans had not heard of Woody
Guthrie.
They assumed that Dylan, and other suburban style guitar jockeys, had
created folk music.
Dylan became a great success and made millions, which proves that
it
is better to sing about hard work than to do it. He became so rich
that in
1966, while still a lad, he retired.
When I saw what Dylan accomplished by imitating Woody Guthrie, I
really kicked myself. I used to do a helluva imitation of Al Jolson.
Now I am filled with even more regret because I was on vacation
when
Dylan came to Chicago to launch his out-of-retirement concert tour.
For one thing I wanted to see if he still did Woody Guthrie, or
if he
had switched to someone else, like maybe Mario Lanza.
But more than that, I have learned that I missed one the greatest
cultural events in the history of the world.
At least, that's what I gather by reading the papers and
magazines.
NEWSWEEK magazine, for instance, put Dylan on the cover and
quoted a
record company executive as saying: "This event is the biggest thing
of
its kind in the history of show business."
That is a lot of history, going back to the first Stone Age man
who
juggled a few rocks to amuse his cavemates.
NEWSWEEK also quoted a young woman as saying: "I think he (Dylan)
is
the most important musician who ever lived--more important than
Beethoven."
(In fairness it should be pointed out that Beethoven lost his
hearing.
Had he not done so, he might have been as important as Dylan.)
And Ralph Gleason, the noted West Coast columnist and musicalauthority, wrote: "The impact that Bob Dylan has had upon the culture
of the past
ten years in the English-speaking world...is extaordinary and
comparable, at
least in terms of concepts and additions to language, only with
Shakespeare and the Bible."
It is hard to argue with that, especially when you consider such
Dylan
It's never been my duty
To remake the world at large,
Nor is it my intention
To sound the battle charge.
I love you more than all of that
With a love that doesn't bend
And if there is eternity
I'll love you there again.
Now admit it. You've never read anything like THAT in
Shakespeare or
the Bible.
Most of the Dylan admirers also offer the ticket sales as
evidence of
his his historic return from Malibu.
They expect more than 650,000 people to attend his concert tour.
They
say another 5 million pleas have been turned down.
As one critic raved: "There may not be another performance in the
world can draw like that!"
At this point I must offer a mild disagreement. While Dylan may
be in
the same class as Shakespeare and the Bible, there are other popular
performers around.
Take Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus. About 9 million
people
saw it last year.
The Illinois State Fair drew 662,895 people, and most of the farm
creatures didn't sound as good as Dylan.
Billy Graham, without levis and boots, preached to 1,046,750
people.
But figures aren't important. What's important is that Dylan has
returned, which means that those who missed seeing Beethoven can now
see
the very best.
I was interested in reading one of Dylan's reasons for coming out
of
retirement. (I knew it couldn't be money, because great artists
don't
give a damn about such things.) Dylan said, "Saturn has been an
obstacle in my
planetary system. It's been there for the last few ages and just
removbed
itself from my system. I feel free and unburdened."
I'll bet. And it must have hurt.
As for the future, Dylan said: "I am not looking to be that new
messiah. That's not in the cards for me."
I don't know if that is modesty or just a lack of ambition.

Really good even so many years later. What idiots Ralph Gleason and
Newsweek be.

Post by Brutalis
---------------
http://books.google.com/books?id=VeqzGzHA714C&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=%22...
Scroll down or up to "Mr. Sinatra sends a Letter"

[Will Dockery]

Post by Brutalis
DYLAN THE GREAT 1/30/74
The first time I ever heard Bob Dylan sing I knew he would be a
success.
He sounded exactly like Woody Guthrie, an earlier folksinger, and I
figured that if he added a few more imitations--maybe Bette Davis and
James Cagney--he would have an even funnier routine.
Then I found out he wasn't kidding around. He wanted people to
take
his Woody Guthrie style seriously.
So I changed my mind and decided he would not be a success after
all.
People would hoot and jeer, I assumed, when they heard Dylan, the
former
Bobby Zimmerman, a middle class youth, trying to sound like Guthrie,
an
authentic, callus palmed, Depression-Era dustbowl Okie.
But I was wrong. Most of Dylan's fans had not heard of Woody
Guthrie.
They assumed that Dylan, and other suburban style guitar jockeys, had
created folk music.
Dylan became a great success and made millions, which proves that
it
is better to sing about hard work than to do it. He became so rich
that in
1966, while still a lad, he retired.
When I saw what Dylan accomplished by imitating Woody Guthrie, I
really kicked myself. I used to do a helluva imitation of Al Jolson.
Now I am filled with even more regret because I was on vacation
when
Dylan came to Chicago to launch his out-of-retirement concert tour.
For one thing I wanted to see if he still did Woody Guthrie, or
if he
had switched to someone else, like maybe Mario Lanza.
But more than that, I have learned that I missed one the greatest
cultural events in the history of the world.
At least, that's what I gather by reading the papers and
magazines.
NEWSWEEK magazine, for instance, put Dylan on the cover and
quoted a
record company executive as saying: "This event is the biggest thing
of
its kind in the history of show business."
That is a lot of history, going back to the first Stone Age man
who
juggled a few rocks to amuse his cavemates.
NEWSWEEK also quoted a young woman as saying: "I think he (Dylan)
is
the most important musician who ever lived--more important than
Beethoven."
(In fairness it should be pointed out that Beethoven lost his
hearing.
Had he not done so, he might have been as important as Dylan.)
And Ralph Gleason, the noted West Coast columnist and musical
authority, wrote: "The impact that Bob Dylan has had upon the culture
of the past
ten years in the English-speaking world...is extaordinary and
comparable, at
least in terms of concepts and additions to language, only with
Shakespeare and the Bible."
It is hard to argue with that, especially when you consider such
Dylan
It's never been my duty
To remake the world at large,
Nor is it my intention
To sound the battle charge.
I love you more than all of that
With a love that doesn't bend
And if there is eternity
I'll love you there again.
Now admit it. You've never read anything like THAT in
Shakespeare or
the Bible.
Most of the Dylan admirers also offer the ticket sales as
evidence of
his his historic return from Malibu.
They expect more than 650,000 people to attend his concert tour.
They
say another 5 million pleas have been turned down.
As one critic raved: "There may not be another performance in the
world can draw like that!"
At this point I must offer a mild disagreement. While Dylan may
be in
the same class as Shakespeare and the Bible, there are other popular
performers around.
Take Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus. About 9 million
people
saw it last year.
The Illinois State Fair drew 662,895 people, and most of the farm
creatures didn't sound as good as Dylan.
Billy Graham, without levis and boots, preached to 1,046,750
people.
But figures aren't important. What's important is that Dylan has
returned, which means that those who missed seeing Beethoven can now
see
the very best.
I was interested in reading one of Dylan's reasons for coming out
of
retirement. (I knew it couldn't be money, because great artists
don't
give a damn about such things.) Dylan said, "Saturn has been an
obstacle in my
planetary system. It's been there for the last few ages and just
removbed
itself from my system. I feel free and unburdened."
I'll bet. And it must have hurt.
As for the future, Dylan said: "I am not looking to be that new
messiah. That's not in the cards for me."
I don't know if that is modesty or just a lack of ambition.

Remarkably clueless, yet interesting, piece of work.