Essay Example on The revival of American folk music was at an all time High

The revival of American folk music was at an all time high in the 1960s The traditional sound of acoustic instruments combined with vivid lyrics provides an array of musical tones and styles that many people listen to today Although many folk artists do not have an adequate presence in the modern musical society several artists in the modern era use folk music in their albums The British band Mumford and Sons has expanded folk music to a wider audience Many folk artists such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie heavily influenced the work of Mumford and Sons An especially vital influencer to the band was Bob Dylan Marcus Mumford has even said We wouldn't be playing music at all if it wasn t for Dylan The Freewheelin Bob Dylan is viewed as one of folk music s finest works because it highlights the influence Dylan brings to the world of folk and popular music From a young age Dylan had an interest in music and was driven by several entertainment icons such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis This led him to dropout of college to focus full time on what he loved to do most creating music As Dylan reached his 20s he started to produce a wide collection of songs at a very fast pace In fact many of these songs written during this time are presented in the album The Freewheelin Bob Dylan Through the use of traditional music and meaningful lyrics Dylan creates an album that exemplifies both protest and sorrow 

The height of political activism portrayed in The Freewheelin Bob Dylan is substantial He emphasizes the struggles of the American people as he mentions the Civil Rights movement in his songs Blowin in the Wind and Oxford Town Especially in Blowin in the Wind Dylan references the political climate of the 1960s as he says How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man The roads a man walks references back to the marches and protests in the South during the 1960s Again Dylan mentions the instability and angst of the country as he sings How many times must the cannonballs fly Before they're forever banned Here Dylan is highlighting the importance of peace as he states that the country can not take any more violence than it has already had Not only do the song lyrics of the album exemplify the Civil Rights era they also explain his romances which allows the audience to envision Dylan s life In Don't Think Twice It's Alright Dylan explains his past relationship and acceptance with an unnamed individual As he sings Look out your window and I ll be gone You re the reason I'm traveling on Dylan explains his sorrowful ended relationship however at the end of each stanza in the song Dylan recites Don t think twice it s all right 

The ending to each stanza exemplifies Dylan's acceptance with the situation and urges himself and the unnamed individual to continue on with their lives Additionally Dylan incorporates lyrics about his home and his life before he became a folk singer In Girl from the North Country Dylan says If you're traveling in the north country fair The north country is referring to Dylan s home state Minnesota Reinforcing this Dylan mentions the border between Minnesota and Canada as he sings Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline These songs among others in the album tap into the personal experiences of Dylan s life The meaningful lyrics display the life that Dylan lived and the values he incorporates in his music today Despite the overwhelming connectedness The Freewheelin Bob Dylan has to the political climate of the 1960s and Dylan's life through its meaningful lyrics there is an inadequate amount of musicality which makes the album sound bland and incomplete Dylan s voice remains monotonous throughout the album He attempts to vary his voice in each song but it ultimately does not coincide with the lyrics Simple and elementary melodies are sprinkled throughout the album ordinary guitar music and a harmonica These instrumentals do not bring any depth to the overall music in the album Modern folk and popular music today incorporate several layers to songs the quick notes from a bass guitar a steady beat from the drums and complicated guitar instrumentals The vocals in today's music vary exponentially in tones throughout a single song and unfortunately Dylan fails to do this in his entire album Overall The Freewheelin Bob Dylan is viewed as one of Dylan's finest works because it highlights the success of the amount of influence Dylan brings to the world of folk and popular music The song lyrics provide meaningful hints to the Civil Rights Movement and political realizations in the midst of the 1960s and there is evident symbolism that involves Dylan s life Unfortunately this ultimately does not make for a good album It may have been a success during the 1960s however it is not timeless The musicality of The Freewheelin Bob Dylan fails to provide a variation in the tone and rhythms of each piece which will disappoint new and modern audiences