I like and respect all three as musicians and songwriters. And I’ll even admit that Dylan probably has the edge when it comes to lyrics, but Tom Waits is a demi-god. A true original who’s managed to stay relevant and consistently produce quality music throughout almost 4 decades. The other two have also released excellent music throughout this period as well but, AFAIC, Waits has been more consistent and put out far fewer duds. He also has an entertaining sense of theatricality that Young and Dylan are missing.
As an aside, I just looked through my CD collection and, while I have the complete Waits catalogue, I only have about a half-dozen discs from each of Young and Dylan. Maybe I should fill in some gaps just for completeness’ sake.
Dylan is the iconic figure and his words have impacted society, not just the music world. But in my opinion, he stopped developing musically once he found Christ.
I know Neil Young is Important; I just haven’t gotten onboard that train yet. Sorry about the ignorance.
Tom Waits is a personal favorite and I think is still aggressively experimental with both music and lyrics.
Personally though, I think Elvis Costello should be appearing in this list.
Sorry, have to disagree with this. Yes, he’s put out some undeniable crap (most of it in the 80s) but to say that Dylan is coasting on a decades-old reputation is to ignore his last three studio albums, which are excellent. In fact 1997’s Time Out of Mind (which won the Grammy that year) is the album that introduced me to Dylan at the ripe old age of 19. It’s still one of my favorites.
But I will agree with you that he is a terrible live performer. I’ve only seen him once and really haven’t the desire to see him again. I’m just a lyrics whore and there’s nobody else who even comes close, IMO.
Very true, although of the three Dylan is the only one to release any crap. Waits and Young vear from good to fucking amazing.
This didn’t used to be true, but it is absolutly true now. Track down some of the Bootleg series for Dylan. The Rolling Thunder Review tapes from the 70s are particularly awesome. (I want to say it is Bootleg Series volume VI, but I could be wrong.)
This is what I’d have said if I were more familiar with Dylan’s work. Sure, I can name or recognize a couple dozen of his tunes, but what is the big deal?
I LOVE Neil Young, much more than Dylan, and as much as Waits. But c’mon? Landing on Water? It’s been 20 years since I heard it, but damn, I recall it stinking!
Hmmm, good point. I guess everyone releases a bomb every now and then (though seemingly not Waits, I wasn’t a huge fan of Real Gone, but it is the first album of his that I haven’t absolutley loved), Neil Young has just released so much it’s harder to keep up.
Still, Dylan’s bad was…bad. Horribly awefully bad.
Lyrically, Tom Waits. Abolutely and without question, although Neil’s pretty damned good too.
Neil is probably the best musician of the three, all around.
Bob Dylan doesn’t even enter the picture. Personally I cannot abide the man’s work (with exceptions made for a few specific pieces, and they’ve mostly been done better by other musicians than BD ever did with them himself), and consider him one of the most ridiculously over-rated perfoming artists of recent times.
