In his newly released book “The Philosophy of Modern Song,” Bob Dylan had a lot to say about some of his fellow musicians, and some didn’t take it well.
A passage from his book stated:
“Elvis Costello And The Attractions were a better band than any of their contemporaries. Light years better.”
Chris Frantz, drummer for Talking Heads, was reportedly taken aback by Dylan’s statement and called him out on Facebook. He wrote:
“I love Bob Dylan’s new book ‘The Philosophy Of Modern Song.’ But I have one little bone to pick with the author when he writes ‘Elvis Costello And The Attractions were a better band than any of their contemporaries. Light years better.’ With all due respect to the Attractions and to drummer Pete Thomas in particular, I’d like to say to Bob something he once said to a buddy of mine. ‘Suck a dick.'”
According to Exclaim, Frantz’s friend chased down the 81-year-old to compliment him, but he replied:
“Do I know you? No, I don’t know you. Suck a d**k.”
Frantz continued:
“There were so many good bands then, and I spent many nights at CBGB and saw a lot of superior performances. But I would say to Bob, ‘How are you [making] such a sweeping generalization?’ I think it’s a very good book – despite that one chapter.”
According to Rolling Stone, Dylan’s “The Philosophy Of Modern Song” addresses a variety of topics, including music, songwriting, touring, and non-musical topics such as marriage, polygamy, and others.
According to Stereogum, Dylan may have been a fan of Talking Heads because he saw them perform at a show in Minnesota in the 1980s.
Frantz recalled Dylan inviting them to an afterparty at his house, but they were turned down.
“We knocked and this woman came to the door and said, ‘Hello?’ We said, “Bob invited us to come. We’re Talking Heads.’ And she said, ‘Oh, Bob’s already gone to bed.'”
Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
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