I The Behrend Beacon
Past to Present: The 2nd edition of the battle for modern day supremacy
Past to Present is a monthly series where we take musical artists from previous decades and compare them to the modern day artists
that come closest to representing them. E-mail any opinions or ideas for next month's section to rpgsoo4@psu.edu.
Bob Dylan
The Band
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Nick Drake
Billboard Top Ten
1. Soulja Boy - "Crank That" 6. J. Holiday - "Bet"
2. Kanye West - "Stronger" 7. Colbie Caillat - "Bubbly"
3. Britney Spears - "Gimmie More" 8. Alicia Keys - "No One"
4. Timbaland featuring Oneßepublic - "Apologize" 9. Fergie - "Big Girls Don't Cry"
5. Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson - "The Way I Are" 10. Kanye West featuring T-Pain - "Good Life"
46 Top Five Beers
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4. Samuel Adams
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The comparison of Bob Dylan and Ryan Adams begins
way before either musician laid a finger on a guitar or put
their lips on a harmonica. Dylan and Adams are journeymen
in every sense of the word. Dylan can be traced back to deep
Minnesota where he attended three semesters of college
before dropping out to pursue his potential musical destiny.
Likewise, Adams dropped out of high school in rural
Jacksonville, North Carolina and moved to the same location
where Dylan seized the coffee-shop scene- New York City.
Musically, the two are destined to draw comparisons.
Although Dylan's career has changed drastically, his basic
folk/country style as in "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright"
and "1 Shall Be Released" can be directly linked to Adams'
songs "Two" off of his new album Easy Tiger and "La
Cienega Just Smiled" off of his Grammy-nominated Gold.
The image of an overwhelmed, twenty-something lost soul
Whether it's playing deep, intellectual and poetic
anthems to kicking back and playing the garage-band jam
style; both of these bands have similar music style and
comparable on-stage performances.
The Band was first noted as the background posse for
Bob Dylan. Formerly The Hawks, The Band has made
many records spanning four decades and including such
monumental hits as "The Weight" and the cover of Dylan's
"I Shall Be Released." Their video documentary called
"The Last Waltz" is one of the best selling music documen
taries to date and includes such acts as Dylan, Neil Young,
Dr. John, and The Band themselves.
Dr. Dog hit the scene opening for such bands as The
Strokes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and My Morning
Jacket. Lead singer and songwriter Scott McMicken's
It's always tragic when such young, talented musicians
take their own lives. In the case of Nick Drake, his career
had failed to reach its potential when he committed sui
cide. Much of his posthumous success came with his
release Pink Moon. The depression and inner-struggle is
highly evident in his soft, weak voice and tender strum on
his sad acoustic guitar. His music has become a success
long after he died. Recently, the song "Pink Moon" was
featured in a Volkswagen car commercial.
Elliott Smith became the voice of the depressed young
adults with such sad releases as XO and From a Basement
on the Hill. Like Drake's Pink Moon, From a Basement
saw commercial success after Smith passed away. Smith's
vocal style compares directly with that of Drake's. The
soft, desperate whisper heard through Smith and Drake's
By Chris LaFuria
cslsoos@psu.edu
traveling his way across the country with his guitar in hand,
harmonica around his neck and a pocket full of hopes and
dreams is the symbol for the iconic Dylan and his modern
day counterpart Adams. With songs written about lost loves
to the city that possessed their souls (New York, New York),
the poetry of each singer can be linked to such poets and
writers as Dylan Thomas (which supposedly Bob Dylan
derives his last name), Sylvia Plath and Ernest Hemingway.
Not only did Dylan's lyrics pertain to the remarkable 60s,
but also his words and lyrics chime on to present times.
Likewise, Adams lyrics and poetry will last decades past the
current generation of easily filterable music.
style and vocal uniqueness can be directly related to that of
The Band's Robbie Robertson. While on no scale are the
performance themselves directly related, Dr. Dog's set at
Bonnaroo this past summer reflects the on-stage talent of
Robertson and The Band on The Last Waltz and at
Woodstock.
voice is a shrill reminder of the troubles that each artist
endured on their road to musical and commercial success.
Whether the artist is alive or dead, the music will live on
forever as insights into the sorrowful life of two people
whose musical ability was way before the times.
Key Songs
Dylan's "Just Like a Woman vs
Adams' "Goodnight Rose"
Key Songs
The Band's "The Weight" vs
Dr. Dog's "My Old Ways"
Key Songs
Drake's "Pink Moon" vs
Smith's "Angeles"
So you think you can write?? Have an inter
est in culture and student life?? We're always
looking for young writers to add to the
Beacon staff. E-mail rpgsoo4@psu.edu.
Friday, October, 12 2007
Ryan Adams
CONTRIBUTLD PllOlO
Dr. Dog
CONTRIBUTED PllOlO
Elliott Smith