My respect for Dylan's artistry and genius has only continued to flourish in recent years, as I have acquired a deeper and broader understanding of his music, its reach and its effects. I would go so far as to say that Dylan's impact on Western culture is comparable to such figures as William Shakespeare and Johann Sebastian Bach.
He gave rock, and by extension pop, music a literate, poetic voice, and practically invented the modern concept of the 'singer-songwriter', an idea which still plays a major role in today's music, albeit in diluted and shallower form. Many 21st century artists owe a major debt to Dylan's pioneering efforts, even if they don't appreciate it themselves.
In his influence on his contemporaries, notably The Beatles, Dylan helped to shape the creation of modern rock music as a credible art form which was deemed worthy of respect, study and analysis in intellectual and high-brow cultural circles.
Although critical favour tends to focus primarily on his mid-1960s work, and his mid-70s resurgence, I think that a wider exploration of his oeuvre is desirable when appraising his talent and scope. There was the outbreak of prolific song-writing in 1967/68, and his role in shifting the musical focus away from psychedelia and back towards simpler modes of expression and storytelling.
Of course, there was also his courage in 1965/66 in 'going electric' and fusing folk, blues and rock music to create something genuinely intoxicating and vibrant. Those three albums, 'Bringing It All Back Home', 'Highway 61 Revisited' and 'Blonde on Blonde', represent one of the most dazzling and assured outbursts of brilliance and expressiveness ever essayed by a recording artist.
Dylan was often unpredictable, sometimes downright contrary, but he is a symbol of something extraordinary, a world in which humanity can rise above the mediocre and see in itself something progressive and adventurous. All people who call themselves music lovers should immerse themselves in the work of Bob Dylan.
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