Shelton was in an ideal position to see Dylan’s emergence, both the bold artistic leaps and the tension that frequently accompanied those advances-as Dylan battled against cries of betrayal from folk purists when he rejected the notion that “protest” was the only legitimate theme and when he adopted a hard-biting, electric rock style. Where Presley defined the rebellion and celebration of rock for a teen-age audience in the ‘50s, Dylan brought an intelligence and range to the music in the ‘60s that enabled rock to appeal to an older audience-one that was seeking ways to express its outrage over social issues, ranging from segregation to nuclear arms. Dylan, just 20, was still playing clubs around the Village, honing the folk-edged, socially conscious style that would soon establish him as second only to Elvis Presley as the most important figure ever in rock ‘n’ roll. Twenty-five years ago this week, critic Robert Shelton, in a widely quoted New York Times review, called Bob Dylan a bright new voice in folk music.
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