In the early 1960's, in an America rocked by the assassination of JFK and unsettled by the ongoing war in Vietnam, a young singer named Bob Dylan was writing songs whose poetic storylines and prophetic warnings sent a shudder through the political establishment, and spoke for a disillusioned generation which had lost direction since the immasculation of rock & roll. Influenced by the great Hank Williams and inspired by a dying Woody Guthrie, Dylan revolutionised the musical landscape for countless aspiring singer-songwriters to follow, leading both the protest movement with folk singer Joan Baez and beginning a move towards greater introspection and reflection in songwriting.

As a political songwriter Dylan is almost beyond comparison, but a couple of other names from that era stand out, one being Dylan's friend and 'rival' Phil Ochs, who was equally committed to the cause but perhaps lacked the poetic gift. The other, Buffy Sainte-Marie, a Cree indian, had a cause of her own - the mistreatment and marginalising of the indigenous American people - an issue which is as relevent today as it ever was.

As a poet Dylan has an equal in Leonard Cohen, and as a confessional songwriter he's been surpassed by a host of followers, perhaps the most acclaimed of which is Joni Mitchell, a writer whose insight and versatility broke new ground as she ventured into the margins of jazz.
The list of singer-songwriters following in Dylan's wake is extensive. The likes of Paul Simon, Carole King, Neil Diamond and Dolly Parton are rightfully household names, but many unique voices, amongst them Randy Newman, Laura Nyro, John Prine and Judee Sill are little more than cult figures today, largely overlooked by the mainstream media and public in general.

{back}      {next}