I love Bob and Joni. It’s personal. I don’t need to compare and contrast. Both gifted, mysterious and special. Thanks, both of you. It’s been an absolute pleasure!! X

I don't care what character Bob Dylan is playing. All I know is he made a lot of really great songs!

There are entertainers, performers, musicians and rock stars. Dylan is a poet, a social commentator, an artist. His genius is not in his guitar or his voice but in his words. He's a song writer. In my opinion, one of the best.

As everyone knows, talent isn’t just about how technically proficient the artist is. One thing that amazes me is the writers ability to pull an original song, words and melody etc from thin air and to make it exist for the rest of us to enjoy!

Dylan brings me to dark, swampy, muddy places; Joni brings me to snowflakes sparkling and swirling and dancing in the sun, the joy of existence, the magic of being alive. I don't care how "good" anyone is at anything. I care where they bring me.

She's brilliant, authentic and sharp And original. And bares her soul. God bless you, Joni, and thank you.

As great and lovable as Joni is, she still doesn't get Bob. He is as elusive to her has his lyrics are to the rest of us. Its not Bob's voice and guitar playing that matter so much, or we would be looking for a hybrid cross of Tommy Emmanuel and Mario Lanza. And he is not trapped in the 60s with his hobo attire and Woody Guthrie voice. He is a cinematic experience, shifting form from one reel to the next, a perceptive living organism who invented a name and hit the highway like one one of those minstrel players he sings about.

I love the way she exposes the stupidity of many so called "intellectuals", especially when they work for the media. Someone who states that Joni is "unauthentic" is indeed someone who doesn't know the meaning of the word "authentic" and doesn't know anything about Joni's life work. She has the right to call him an a.....e.

Joni Mitchell has written some of the greatest Jazz lyrics in her album Mingus, and brought an incredible jazz vocalist interpretation to those great Charlie Mingus songs. She and Tom Scott were an incredible jazz team on several albums, most notably Miles of Aisles. She had many albums that most casual listeners have never listened to that are incredibly original and thoroughly enjoyable. Most people think of her early folkie stuff and have no clue what a great original artist she has been since then. Listen to Hejira or The Hissing of Summer Lawns, with the great bassist Jaco Pastorius, and then come back when you know who you're talking about.

Joni speaks honestly and she is a free spirit and an immensely gifted artist

BOB IS A GREAT GUITARIST , I'VE SEEN IT FIRST HAND

I have loved Bob Dylan since I was 14 years old and he covered a lot of artists’ work and Woodie Guthrie songs. Guthrie was Dylan’s hero. He sat at his bedside practically daily while he was an older man in the hospital. Dylan lived with lots and lots of people because he was young and broke. These people had large record collections and huge amounts of books. Dylan had all day to read and he has told this to us. He listened to the oldest recorded music ever put on vinyl and took all that in. He had a definite affinity toward the early folk music and came out as one. Did his singing anywhere they’d have him. He became an original based on prior work. They booed and booed when he went to the electrical guitar and he didn’t care. Every Dylan concert I’ve been to has been vastly different. He followed his own path. Now Joni Mitchell is VERY original!!!! I had her albums when I was young too. I do not sense any copying of anyone. She taught herself guitar in a rural setting. You are going to be original when you do that. Dylan admits to imitating his idol and singing Guthrie songs. Mitchell admits nothing like that. She was rare. We had other female folk singers but Joni is her own thing, person. A true original. Most musicians admit to who they were copying; for example The Rolling Stones. David Bowie claims to have nicked (stolen) his inspiration and has said he can copy any voice. But I love Bowie and I give him more credit than he gives himself. The different personas he developed were extremely individual and had not been done before, not ever. Because he studied as a mime and wanted to be an artist he was trained in “expression” and admits it a lot. Joni wasn’t trained and mimicked no one. She broke a mold. It is not often that anyone has an original thought. It’s rare. She is rare. She is lovely. And she is that great combination of artist and musician. Respect originality.

Lol I read her interview and wondered why she hated Bob so much and now I'm watching this and I absolutely love her and how much she hates interviewers cause they really do misconstrue to get headlines

People can debate on who's the best songwriter till they become blue in the face. I had grerat admiration for both Bob & Joni and these songwriter have given the world the best music they wrote to high aclaim no matter what folks say. Joni was born a artist and her body of work will forever be timeless along with Dylan as well. Their music will forever last and live eternally.

one of the few people who's critique of Dylan is worthy of being heard - I love it "sometimes I wish I could have had that character" a la Bob - cool

2:17 "That's journalistic bull****" God I love Joni!

She uses the word "musically" before she lists Dylan's weaknesses. She's not criticizing his art, but his technical skills, ie, guitar playing and voice. And Dylan HAS created this character that he hides behind. Joni criticizes everyone. Would you rather have her be dishonest? I think she comes out with things like this because she is incapable of lying. You don't want her to talk about Dylan, then don't ask her. I like both Dylan and Joni. It IS possible to like both, you know.

She's brilliant. She even imitated Dylan's voice. But he started as a gifted poet who put his poetry to music.

04mscentrum: Tragic that this interviewer lost his way, his job, and yet-HERE had the gift of a Mitchell interview--in her home, so rare.Human beings, flawed, here a TALENT, thrown away. God Bless Joni.....so candid here, eccentricities and all.

I’m glad to get the Dylan thing cleared up

Joni is so cool. Great artist - in paint and sound.

Great artists steal. Dylan is one of the greatest artists of the 20thc. I don't give a shit whose voice he borrowed or how he moved from Elvis and Little Richard to Leadbelly and Guthrie and back and forward. He wrote Mr Tambourine Man and Love Minus Zero and Blind Willie. His work speaks for itself.

Look. Im an artist. A writer. Been doing it for over 20 years .If you are just a lover of music, thgen Joni will come across as harsh. But, if you've been on the road and toured extensively , you will understand the truck driver slang . Joni is an Artists artist. So real and true , pure. If you haven't lived that life style , then you might not understand the ghetto musician street wars .

What a treat, didn't know Joni was alive, jazzed to hear her take on things. This was the era.

Joni is like Miles, Coltrane, Sinatra, etc She can get away with being an over opinionated blowhard, that's one of the reason I love her! Her songwriting and musical talent is WAY off the charts! She's in the top 1 percent of all time great poets and songwriters period!

I have often thought that Dylan's voice was perfect accompaniment for his lyrics. If he had a sweet melodic voice or a " danceable beat" like on AB then the poetry wouldn't have the same impact or power. There are plenty of acts that are covered in gold and thousand dollar suits singing " I who have nothing". And he has written the greatest love songs ever.Tangled up in blue, Baby blue, It ain't me babe, Desolation row, Lay lay lady lay, Queen Jane Approx., It takes a lot to laugh....,Girl from the north country,I want you, Sad eyed lady of the lowlands, Just like a woman etc brilliant simply brilliant A GENIUS.!!

She's right that Bob turned to craft to re-invigorate himself, 1987 he had a crisis whereby he almost quit. Had to turn back to advice he got from Lonnie Johnson about musical theory to re-start the engines. Thank god he did!

Frankly, she said:'' I like a lot of Bob Dylan's songs''.

Two geniuses. I love the both. But Joni is sort of oddly becoming my personal hero. She's one of the truest music artists there ever was or is.

She has a right to be pissed about being misrepresented in the newspaper article. Yet another example of how you can't trust a reporter to just give you the facts.

funny how her telling the truth makes some people so defensive. the comments here show exactly what she says about being misunderstood. she's famously verbal and that is courageous.

LovdDylans voice and guitar playing

It's funny she would question his musical ability. I mean as the story goes Mitchell's 'Blue' was what instigated Dylan to fiddle with open tunings, and it just so happened that he ended up recording an entire album in open E. and that record: Blood on the Tracks, is perhaps the most genuinely moving/heartrending collection of songs ever committed to tape... And his voice, I must add, is what carries all the emotional force and evokes the poignancy or whatever it is. because... ''Any fool can think, and most can write; delivering those thoughts intact to another mind, another consciousness, is the extraordinary talent'' and that there is the reason why Dylan is a genius and a class apart.

I respect her more now than ever, her intelligence, integrity, and personality shine through.

If I was so unfamiliar with famed singers' discographies, I'd keep quieter. She has two album of the year Grammys and many others that have been best-sellers.

I absolutely respect this fearless woman and everything she has to say. She doesn't hate Bob at all in fact she probably respects him more than anyone else but she's also not going to jive the interviewer with cheap sentiment and fake praise.She nails Dylan down exactly.Bob DOES take on a character to write and basically concocted a whole fake history to build a mystique around himself. He admits as much. It's who he is and how he creates the amazing work that he does. It's part of his whole PROCESS. Look it up.

Literally, she is one of the greatest creative minds alive on the planet right now.

A complete folk Goddess,saying it ,as it,.is!..An honest reaction to the questions asked....Bow low to this lady..she will never be replaced..but will leave her legacy of fantastic songs for the future generations of folk to look up too, and admire..:)

I have two things on my bucket list: 1. Die sober. 2. Meet Joni Mitchell and spend just five minutes expressing how important she was for me during my teen years, how much I connect to her music and brilliant lyrics, her timeless relevance and that she saved my young life many times. I own every single recording of her work. Magdalene Laundries, Turbulent Indigo, Sire of Sorrow, I Had a King, Song to a Seagull to name a few.

Good old Joni. Best thing about us ordinary homely folks is when we git old it don't matter.

The ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face

It's a shame that her negative comments about Bob were taken out of context. She's right that he may not be a great guitar player, but compared to her, who is? And yes, he invented a character to sing his songs for him, I agree with that 100%. IMO, they are two of the finest lyricists in rock history.

Not jealousy. Annoyance at being compared to anyone. Affirmative on Crosby. One of our national treasures. My favorite rhythm guitarist. Wind on the Waters. He and Nash nailed that one in the opening choral section. Stunning.

She's misquoted and misunderstood, and mostly because she's honest. Whatever you make of her, you can't deny she's an artist, in the core sense of that word, and also a great performer. I have a huge problem with her hippy politics, but I love the lady's extraordinary abilities. A genius, actually, though she'd deny it.

I've been noticing that interviewers and journalists liv under the expectation to create a tension, a controversy, something that is supposedly worth checking out because it is contentious. If I was around a Joni or Dylan I'd think that they would do well (better) in the absence of me directing the conversation with a list of questions or an agenda. I'd rather hear a Joni or a Dylan respond to an open ended question like "what are a few of your favourite things" ? or whatever... maybe no question ... just engage, person to person and wait for the words to flow. It's not important to breakdown artists to their list of qualities, original, virtuoso, great lyricist. Joni touching on her internal process about a painting influenced approach is indeed interesting... but it's her inner workings... I'd argue that what is more important is her final work - the expression that she in the end projects in the final product. And comparing it to Dylan or anybody is to break it down analyze it... but, great music is always more than the sum of its components, and while I love hearing the artists talk freely I like hearing their songs with my eyes and ears not through a consrtucted portal

Bob dylan kicked the door open for the entire singer songwriter movement

Joni Mitchell is wonderful

Joni is the 🐐.

Dylan is a much better guitarist than given credit for, watch him perform with Clapton in that 1999 show, and his voice is the thing that attracted me to him when I was like 14, Im 17 now and went to see him recently and its still ace to me, in terms of technicalaly good voices listen to the 1967-1973 time, but I love any voice he's had

I saw them both on the same bill in 1998. As a huge fan of both of these artists, their shows couldn't have been more different. Joni opened with an an amazing, reflective. guitar-as-synthesizer, almost quiet (albeit ear-bleeding level) set, an Bob came out rocking as if his life depended on it. It's disappointing reading the comments here, yes she is full of herself, but so is Bob, and they both have earned the right to be that way. It's an artist thing, we mere mortals couldn't understand.

I enjoyed this interview immensely.

Bob is the greatest songwriter ever. Joni has a handfull of great songs. You won’t catch Bob doing interviews passing negative judgement on Joni (or any other great songwriter). He does’nt need to - He knows where he stands in the pack !

Anyone offended by what she said isn't getting what she's saying. She said she liked a lot of his songs, but he wasn't a good musician and his persona was borrowed. That's not an insult; not being a good musician wasn't a limitation for him, and his use of a different public persona doesn't invalidate his effect.

Listen to "It's Alright Ma I'm Only Bleeding" and tell me Dylan isn't a very good guitar player.

I will always love that woman!

Wherever would you get the idea that things didn't work out for Joni Mitchell?? 8 Grammys, 7 more nominations, inducted into Rock & Rol Hall of Fame; her music enthusiastically covered by other famed singers, Rolling Stone ranked "Both Sides, Now" #171 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.etc. etc. Not to mention acclaim for painting and poetry, beatiful homes in Bel Air and Half Moon Bay, BC. Ya, things really have gone bad for her!

Joni is great, but Bob is a genius. The only man who invented a culture. As Jerry García said: " Dylan has written songs that touch the mind to places that nobody had come."

Joni has nothing to defend. Her body of work is an ample defence against the "pedestrian quality" of much of the music that came after her. Musicians and music fans alike realize what a phenomenal talent she is! Man..this guy is a jerk!

One important aspect of artistic "genius" is the ability and willingness to adapt, evolve, develop. Joni has that in spades. Based on her folk-hippie songs (can't think of a better term) of the late 60s, all beautiful, who would have anticipated the amazing, jazzy essays of the 90's and beyond? Those are complex, subtle, tender hymns. Dylan benefited from timing and his own NYC coffee house ambition, but that's not to minimize the genius of songs that endure and cover so well. I like both.

Total hero. She's a wonderful and unique artist. Respect!

Mozart didn't copy Bach nor could he escape him.

Gorgeous when she mimics him "Sometimes I wish I could have that character". Two greats.

Dunno why she's insecure, her talents were immense. Maybe it's still hard to accept that it's over. She was great for a decade or so, and that's a LONG time for a songwriter. The thing about Mitchell is, she had the whole package: fantastic lyrics, original guitar style, beguiling melodies, BRILLIANT voice, good looks...none of the other great singer-writers of her (or any other) era were so completely gifted. So she can poke a hole in just about anybody else, if she wants to...

She is wonderful🙂

Here's my thoughts on this for what it's worth and for any that care. Even if Bob Dylan 'stole' material or ideas or a persona or whatever, his abilities and insight at reading the times still outweigh much of the criticism levied against him. He was a lightning rod for the times and changed everything after him. Had he not been that, there would be no Joni Mitchell. Bob Dylan has said many times that he just wanted to do his thing and people ended up taking him too seriously for his own liking. He resonated a bit too much. He enjoyed the attention but found it also absurd. Dylan also said that he can't write the way he did back when. May be true but his songwriting still isn't bad. His singing voice, today, well that's another story altogether. Joni Mitchell, talented as she is, came from a lack of experience which gave her the originality she enjoyed. It was in not knowing how to do it but having the will to express her eccentric self that made her really stand out as an artist. She's original but flaky too. Those things often go together with artists. For the most part I enjoy her take on things artistically but she takes her own originality too seriously as well and often ends up making a creative mess out of it. Joni is being a little dishonest when she talks about persona. She is after all in show business and all performance has a bit of theater. All performers are actors, even street performers, waiters, customer service people, sales people and politicians. There's a lot of opportunities to 'act' a part. Many great musicians have used a persona or a mask to deliver their work. Elton John, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, etc. She's being a little underhanded here whether she knows it or not. She hasn't remained as popular over the decades while Dylan's legend grows larger than, in her eyes, maybe it should. I don't think either idea sits well with her. I think that's evident.

The first time I heard Joni was "Court and Spark" and I felt her melodies and chords were otherworldly. Bob Dylan was influenced by Joni's "Blue"...."Tangled Up in Blue" and the whole of Blood On the Tracks. She has it right when she depicts most musicians imitating their heroes. All the comments here seek to express that Dylan is better but miss the point. He gets loads of credit. Joni is a worthy equal and doesn't really get much credit. She really had to fight to stay in the business

Brutal honesty about Dylan. Joni was an original.

Joni is just giving her honest opinion on certain facets of Dylan's style.I appreciate that honesty. I think they are both brilliant song writers but I wouldn't hesitate to give Bob the edge as far as that goes.Conversely Joni is a brilliant guitarist whose open tuning technique is highly regarded in the guitar world.Bob on the other hand has a rather simplistic technique and so in this regard Joni definitely has the edge.Having said all of this-it really doesn't matter.They're both genius'.

The reasons that Dylan is careful, even secretive about himself, his music, his thoughts, his life is showcased here with JM. Dylan protects himself by being evasive and mysterious, because he knows the price of fame is too a high a cost for anyone. JM, because she does not have Dylan's 60+ years of being mysterious and hard to figure out, seems a bit confused and bitter. JM is a huge talent, but she needs more of Dylan's control of her media image to protect her image and herself. Dylan learned that early in his career.

Joni wasn't all that original when she started, just another folkie with a lovely voice. But 1970 onward her music was quite original to the point you could hear it and say "That's a Joni Mitchell song." Her unique guitar tunings and chord phrasings on piano are integral to that. Bob's still genius IMO. He takes the past and reinvents it better than anyone else ever has. And like Joni says puts on a character. He's the ultimate interpreter of old Americana. A gifted shape shifter of old styles.

Tempest is the thirty-fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 10, 2012 by Columbia Records. The album was recorded at Jackson Browne's Groove Masters Studios in Santa Monica, California. Tempest was very well received by contemporary music critics, who praised its traditional music influences and Dylan's dark lyrics.

Bob stills has that poetry in him. Like his song I’ve made up my mind to give myself to you that reminded me a bit of his bringing it all back home album. Bob himself said in an interview with 60 minutes that his early songs were magically written and he knew he couldn’t write like that anymore. He used the lyrics of it’s alright ma as an example and challenged somebody sit down and write something like that. Bob even said it didn’t entirely disappoint him that he couldn’t write that way anymore because you can’t do something forever.

I read the comments here, many of which are, frankly, bizarre and ridiculous and all I can think of is of some of the finest albums of the 70s like Blood On The Tracks, For The Roses, Desire, Court And Spark etc. We'd all be better off listening to wonderful songs like Simple Twist Of Fate, Woman Of Heart And Mind, Shelter From The Storm, Electricity, Hurricane, Song For Sharon, Sarah. It's a long list. Do yourselves a favour and listen!

Starting @ 04:14, Sounds like a Dylan dig to me. Whatever Joni, Dylan's music will be remembered more than yours will be to future generations.

Thanks Norman I'm glad you read this and hopefully these debates of good songwriters shpuld end all of them gave us good music that will cherish our lives forever.

wow I am so glad J cleared this up about Bob Dylan I was just floored when I read what they wrote about Bob D I like Dylan s songs he is so cute as an older man and so timid I think the Fragile part makes him more enduring now and better looking something gentle

God, I lover her lol. She's got so much class.

Love Joni. Love Bob. If anyone has a right to express their opinion about Bob, Joni does. Love and respect to both of them.

Glad I watched this on this fine morning

Joni could do anything Bob could do on any level.....his work ethic and drive for fame and recognition is stronger than hers....the interviewer took the emphasis off of HER..TO TALK ABOUT BOB....she fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book...the few comments I have read reflects the level people are on...I thought she was going to discuss their personal relationship instead of a discussion of her opinion about his undeniable talent ....JONI...is a unique being...truly....her art is undeniable....

I would just love to spend an evening talking with Joni and Bob.. when I say talking with.. i mean shutting up and listening.

Joni paints pictures with words ... that's the difference to me !

I'm glad she go the chance to explain her previously attributed comments about Bob. I never thought she'd say something so harsh and degrading about him,and I can absolutely believe she was misquoted and/or taken out of context by a journalist trying to create controversy and notoriety. She basically says what Bob has said before: that he borrows from his influences in the folk tradition and adds to it, whether that be his voice, his writing style, and the words he uses so magically.

You don't have to have remarkable voice ,if you have things to say,people listen. Singing has nothing to do with popularity. It's the persona that shines through,that is what people see and appreciate.

Joni's singing voice is a sweet tonic for the ears. Dylan's is sandpaper.

At 50 years and counting, we have Van, Bruce, Neil, Leonard and had Cash and Ray Charles.

Thanks Joni, you are a true musical star:)

That cleared up a few things! She's a real muse

It's pretty laughable how vigorously Dylan's fans will defend him, even against the most tepid of criticisms. Does it ever occur to you that Joni knows him personally and therefore has opinions of him that go beyond what you know of him as fans? Most of these legends from the 60s/70s knew each other and probably like/dislike each other for reasons that, as fans, we'll never be privy to.

Also while Joni is responsible for her comments about others, I'd prefer for a forum which encourages her to focus on HERSELF, and not steer a now woman into a mental sparing dialogue with herself.. she was always very welll spoken and directed the conversation to things that mattered to her (which is always a good thing for the one who is being interviewed to aim for). Hearing her scoff at a great fellow artist like Paul Simon was not the well thought out Joni I love... more a rambling moment when she let herself (at an older age) get steered intowhat I think is not her most meaningful moment

Great interview, I was never a great fan but there's no doubt she's a genius.

Joni Mitchell was working with different tunings and with Jazz musicians. Her music had a sophistication that Dylan's heartfelt backwoods music did not. Neil Young and Tom Petty are sort of cut from the same cloth. Basic chords and an accessible sound that we ordinary folks can relate to and play with minor proficency. Joni Mitchell is indeed high art and learned musicians will concur.

"Good artists borrow, great artists steal", - Pablo Picasso.

listen to a dylan interview then listen to this one who is a humble human being and who is so full of themselves

Joni is wonderfully gifted and original. And so is Dylan. Both with different perspectives on life and music many times.

sorry, does not diminish the fact that she is an incredible song writer, musician and singer and may be the second greatest poet if the 20th century

Wow! I think Joni and Dylan are both brilliant, despite what she says about Dylan at the end of the video

The interviewer lacks sensitivity and finesse.

What a bright wonderful lady.

Nyah, forget all the Dylan haters and Ms Joni's comment about Bob that he's made a character and that his talent is limited. Hell to the No. Bob is and was a great musician and can sing and play guitar at a great high level. Made great classics and decided to not sell out or appear in the media late in his career.