Mismatched Icons

As Robert Hilburn strains to find some mythic connection between the legacies of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to justify their joint shows (“They Are a Rock,” June 20), he completely sidesteps the obvious that these two boomer icons stand to sell more tickets touring together than separately.

He also indulges in some loopy revisionist pop culture history along the way. For instance, I’d love to hear Joni Mitchell’s response (or Van Morrison’s, for that matter) to his assertion that of all Dylan’s touring partners, only Simon’s oeuvre is of equal stature.

Dylan’s output from the mid-’60s redefined popular music and forever changed our perception of what a songwriter--and a singer--could be. Simon’s work, while interesting at times over the years, has never achieved anywhere near the same depth or impact.

I think it’s a shame that in today’s pop climate, two artists as mismatched as Dylan and Simon need share the stage for commercial reasons. I just hope next year when Dylan’s handlers deem it advantageous for him to tour with Sheryl Crow, Hilburn won’t be comparing “The Globe Sessions” with “Blonde on Blonde.”

DAN SEARLE

Los Angeles

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I enjoyed Hilburn’s commentary, but Simon & Garfunkel’s hit was called “The Sound of Silence,” not “The Sounds of Silence.” The single appeared on the album “Sounds of Silence.”

LES OGILBY

Long Beach