Bob Dylan finally makes sense....

That was like being savaged by a dead sheep........
:-)

If benifiting monetarily for working is crass, then I guess everyone of us that work for a living instead of being a trust fund baby must be crass.
I know that wasn't what was meant but, I don't know why people think that people with special talents shouldn't benifit from their jobs. In the case of musicians, music is their job.
Everybody who would turn down a couple of hundred thousand to endorse i-tunes or Victorias Secret raise their hands now. I guess Tiger Woods is crass also, he accepts endorsement money from sports clothing companies.
I doubt that Mr. Dylan is broke anymore than Tom Cruise is, doesn't mean his agent isn't always looking out for new ways to increase his income.

The Who, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash and so many artists with audience-perceived integrity have sold their music for use in TV commercials. The 60's were over 40 years ago and the people slamming groups for doing this aren't dropping acid and protesting the Viet Nam war any more. These musicians have bills to pay and families to feed. What's more annoying is bands that are aged cartoonish caricatures of their former selves who refuse to hang it up. I'll buy your remastered rehashed cd with the bonus tracks but please stay off the touring circuit.

Jsonic makes a good point. For whatever reasons, many musicians and their work are looked upon as something sacred. Wasn't one of the original intents of the music to make money? Yeah I know, artists don't care about money. BS!! The title of the third Mothers of Invention album says it all.

Regarding the tour circuit I agree. Keith, Mick, Roger, Pete, et.al., do the Metamucil commercials, dye your hair, go for the Botox shots, but stay home. I know you sell a lot of tickets but PT Barnum had it right.

So at what point is an artist deemed irrelevant, and when should they stop doing what they love?

Because an artist is no longer handsome, or writing songs about teenage lust, underage drinking, or fighting with their mom and dad, they should just die! Maybe Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Nick Drake et al had the right idea albeit unconcious.

It verges on the hieghts of stupidity to expect someone like Bob Dylan, Pete Townsend, B.B. King, or Carole King to quit because someone who has never done anything relevant decided that they are no longer relevant.

If Bob Dylan loves to play concerts and fans continue to show their love for his concerts by buying tickets, good for Bobbie! When people dumber than the geniuses here decide Bob et al are no longer relevant they will discontinue the purchase of tickets and these gross offenders will stay in the old folks home where they belong. Until then, fans like me can continue to enjoy the shows and the new music.

FWIW my wife and I are going to see Gordon Lightfoot in the UP in a couple of weeks. No he can't hit the high notes he used to hit with ease, but we still enjoy the show, and he does too.