This Rockstar Once Called Bob Dylan’s Musical Ability “Limited,” Adding That It Proved One Thing About Songwriting

Navigating the rock ‘n’ roll world all but requires a healthy bit of peacocking. Even humble musicians need to show off their talents to get noticed, which inevitably leads to comparisons among peers. But for Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, the most impressive rock ‘n’ roll musician he ever worked with was someone whom he could objectively qualify as less musically adept than others.

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The musician Knopfler was talking about during a 1984 interview with Guitar Player was folk-rock legend Bob Dylan. And while putting “Bob Dylan” and “musically limited” in the same sentence might seem like a condescending gig, Knopfler backed up his argument with praise.

“Bob’s musical ability is limited, in terms of being able to play a guitar or piano,” Knopfler said. “It’s rudimentary. But it doesn’t affect his variety, his sense of melody, his singing. It’s all there. In fact, some of the things he plays on piano while he’s singing are lovely, even though they’re rudimentary. That all demonstrates the fact that you don’t have to be a great technician.”

Mark Knopfler Said Bob Dylan Proved One Important Thing About Songwriting

Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has written some of the best straightforward rock ‘n’ roll songs of the late 1970s and 80s. But he’s also an incredibly proficient instrumentalist. (You don’t do a collaborative album called Neck And Neck with the great Chet Atkins if you’re just an okay rock guitarist.) So, Knopfler has a strong sense of what constitutes studied musical ability. But then again, he also has a strong understanding of why that’s not important.

“It’s the same old story,” Knopfler told Guitar Player. “If something is played with soul, that’s what’s important. My favorite records, by and large, aren’t wonderful technical achievements, with the exception perhaps of people like Chet Atkins. But generally speaking, all you’ve got to do is listen to a Howlin’ Wolf album. That’s just soul.”

Knopfler worked with Dylan as a producer on the singer-songwriter’s 22nd studio album, Infidels. The 1983 release is regarded as the official end of his Christian music era. Knopfler and Dylan had very different approaches to the studio, which occasionally led to some tension. Through it all, though, Knopfler maintained a strong admiration for Dylan’s creative process, no matter how different.

“I’d say I was more disciplined [in the studio]. But I think Bob is much more disciplined as a writer of lyrics, as a poet. He’s an absolute genius.”

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