“Sand and glue”: the song that proves Bob Dylan is a great singer
Bob Dylan is afforded the kind of legendary reputation that few musical artists could ever dream of experiencing. From his rise to prominence as a folk singer during the 1960s, Dylan has consistently proven himself to be one of the finest lyricists and songwriters of the past century, amassing a dedicated global audience for his defiant stylings. For the most part, however, the praise that is heaped onto the singer lies solely within his writing; his vocal performances, on the other hand, are regularly insulted.
Admittedly, upon listening to the most popular compositions by Dylan, it is fairly obvious to say that he is not the most technically gifted singer out there. Particularly within the music scene of the 1960s, which was storied by incredible soul singers like Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, and Dusty Springfield, it is easy to see why Dylan’s vocals have often been the butt of the joke. If all singing was judged entirely on its technical ability and range, however, the world of popular music would be an incredibly dull place.
Singing should not be judged on the vocal range of a performer or their ability to hit a certain note but instead on their ability to convey complex emotions. There are plenty of performers out there with better voices than Billie Holiday, for instance, but there are very few people who can communicate deep and complex emotions quite as effectively as Lady Day. She always sang directly from the soul, and that is partly why she is heralded as such a great singer. However, the same cannot be said for Dylan, and the reasons for this are largely unclear.
Aside from the fact that there are multiple instances of Dylan taking on an impressive, soulful vocal style, the folk star has always had one of the most emotionally affecting voices in the game. Dylan himself once spoke out on this issue, saying, “Critics say I can’t sing. I croak. Sound like a frog. Why don’t critics say that same thing about Tom Waits? Critics say my voice is shot. That I have no voice. What don’t they say those things about Leonard Cohen? Why do I get special treatment?”
“What have I done to deserve this special attention?” Dylan continued, speaking at the Los Angeles Convention Centre in 2015, “No vocal range? When’s the last time you heard Dr. John? Why don’t you say that about him? Slur my words. Got no diction. Have you people ever listened to Charley Patton or Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters? Talk about slurred words and no diction.” Dylan is not downplaying the importance of the artists in these quotes, which is far from it, but instead questioning why his voice is lamented for its lack of technical skill while others are seemingly given a free pass.
David Bowie once described Dylan’s voice as being like “sand and glue” within the lyrics of the imaginatively titled ‘Song for Bob Dylan’. While this is hardly a ringing endorsement from the Brixton performer, the Dylan track which first inspired that composition, ‘Song To Woody’, features some of the best vocal performances of the folk star’s early career.
In his love letter to Woody Guthrie, Dylan’s voice is refreshingly intimate, tender, and capable of hitting more than a few notes – a far cry from the “sand and glue” style he would later become known for.
Tracks like ‘Song To Woody’, along with other early efforts—the studio outtake ‘Moonshiner’ immediately springs to mind—prove definitively that Bob Dylan is a great singer from a technical standpoint. Aside from that, though, Dylan’s constant ability to express love, heartbreak, and outrage in his performance should be a testament enough to the songwriter’s vocal quality. Lots of people can sing well, but few people can sing like Bob Dylan.
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