The Guardian view on musical tastes: beware the algorithm comfort zone | Editorial

Human creativity is more powerful than any machine but it still needs analogue nurturing in the digital age

In the six decades since the release of The Times They Are a-Changin’, Bob Dylan’s success has turned out to be one thing that doesn’t change much. Each generation has rediscovered and loved his work, much to the gratification (or sometimes dismay) of their baby-boomer parents and grandparents.

The cycle will be perpetuated by A Complete Unknown, James Mangold’s acclaimed cinematic retelling of the early chapters in the singer’s career – the transition from penniless minstrel to counter-cultural icon by way of the New York folk scene of the early 1960s. As is normal for biopics, the movie takes liberties with the historical record, but the thrust of the narrative is not disputed. And while the music itself might be timeless, the analogue mechanism that conveyed Dylan to stardom looks very dated.