Bright Eyes?

I've never posted in this forum before so I don't know if this subject has been covered or even if it is "on topic" for this forum but has anyone heard Bright Eyes and do you think he is a brilliant songwriter of the caliber of Bob Dylan?

I mean I have been moved by his work. This guy is amazing!

Yes, and no. I'm not particularly a fan of Dylan's writing style, as I think my own attempts at songwriting show, but the man hit a national nerve. "Like a Rolling Stone" came out over a decade before I was born, but I can sing it word for word (and those are some crazy words). I think that Conor Oberst is the latest in a long line of "New Dylan"s who don't measure up. Some of those New Dylans grew up (Bruce Springsteen) into their own thing, but that overblown, "literary" approach to songwriting is an old horse that needs to schedule it's visit to the glue factory.

Having said that, I'm glad it does something for you. It's a lot harder to like something than it is to hate it.

Springsteen never came close to what Dylan was. Where did you get that idea? I also have never heard of Bruce being compared to Dylan. That's a stretch. I may be wrong.

The reference of Bright Eyes to Dylan was entirely my own. I don't read the gossip stuff.

Like a Rolling Stone are not "crazy words". It's easy to understand with a bit of imagination on the listeners part.

His first two albums (Greetings From Asbury Park and The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle) have Dylan written all over them:

"Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat,

In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat."

"I hit b-52 and bombed 'em with the blues with my gears stuck stubborn on standing,

I took monthlong vacations in the stratosphere, and never once gave thought to landing."

Springsteen, along with John Prine, Loudon Wainright, Steve Fogelberg, and countless others, were called New Dylans, but he eventually came up with an individual sound. From what I've heard of Bright Eyes, he hasn't made this transition yet.

I was really harsh is my last post, and I hope it didn't seem like a personal attack. How about you post a few bits of lyrics so we know what you're talking about?

I think Mr. Oberst has his charm, but he's nothing like/nowhere near Dylan.

They're both very literary acoustic singer-singwriters... that's about the extent of the comparison. Their influences are very different, their approach is very different, their appeal is very different, and lyrically they're almost exact opposites in many ways.

Connor's a decent songwriter, albeit kinda whiny... but Dylan is a mystic.