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ORIGINAL: Biggus

The only album of his that I currently own is Highway 61 Revisited which I really like. I'm adding the new 3CD compilation to my Xmas list as I'd like to hear more of his stuff and this seems like a good place to start.

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ORIGINAL: Larry of Arabia

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ORIGINAL: Biggus

The only album of his that I currently own is Highway 61 Revisited which I really like. I'm adding the new 3CD compilation to my Xmas list as I'd like to hear more of his stuff and this seems like a good place to start.

I've heard that it's not the usual hits collection, so I don't think you can go wrong there - but don't wait till Christmas, you're denying yourself a treat!

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ORIGINAL: straight2dvd

I've never been a fan of Bob Dylan. He's always been in the same bracket as Neil Young to me - boring music, great lyrics. 

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ORIGINAL: Monkey Wrench

- Bob Dylan's 115th Dream. This song is like some Mark Twain novel and references Moby Dick at the beginning. Not only is there the brilliant fluff up intro that does actually make me smile and wish I were there when it happened each time I listen to it, but the story just evokes these brilliant and intriguing images of modern America and its evolution/revolution. It sounds like they really had some fun making this record, especially this song. I would try and give you a line to show you how good this song is, but you'd just have to listen yourself because I'll end up quoting the whole thing.

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ORIGINAL: Monkey Wrench

I think "Bringing It All Back Home" is one of my most treasured records in my collection. A glorious piece of work, combining the potent musical history of Americana and some of the most forward thinking and insightful and beautiful lyrics about love, war, labour and employment, friendship, travel and discovery. I've listened to it since I was 14 years old, and every time I do I listen in AWE. I could talk about this record for hours. But I won't because I know I'd bore the fuck out of all of you.

And just because of this, Dylan will always be one of the greatest things to ever happen to modern music.

Fantastic moments:

- The way he sings the "oh!" before going into "get sick, get well, hang around an ink well..." on Subterranean Homesick Blues, like he's about to spill over into an emotive fit of joy like he knows how good this song is.

- Every single line in Love Minus Zero/No Limit, but especially the "Some speak of the future / My love she speaks softly / She knows there's no success like failure / And that failure's no success at all" stanza. I remember watching Scorsese's "No Direction Home" film about Dylan, and in one scene he's playing his acoustic in a room full of drinkers and smokers in a lounge, and there's this one fellow who's laughing and talking to someone offscreen as Dylan is playing this song. And as soon as Dylan sings the "She knows there's no success like failure..." line, the guy's smile drops from his face and he just stares at Dylan in shock like he's just heard something so fucking potent and brilliant and enlightening, as though he has just heard some kind of prophecy or a new way of looking at life. It gives me shivers just thinking about this line.

- Bob Dylan's 115th Dream. This song is like some Mark Twain novel and references Moby Dick at the beginning. Not only is there the brilliant fluff up intro that does actually make me smile and wish I were there when it happened each time I listen to it, but the story just evokes these brilliant and intriguing images of modern America and its evolution/revolution. It sounds like they really had some fun making this record, especially this song. I would try and give you a line to show you how good this song is, but you'd just have to listen yourself because I'll end up quoting the whole thing.

- Mr. Tambourine - I need not explain. This album is just full of wonderful moments, plateaus and climaxes that will take you on such wonderful journeys. This is one of the more understated and folky tales that Dylan just can't help but make to make us feel like we're in the hands of someone quite brilliant. He is someone worthy of admiration solely for this track, let alone the clarity and delivery of this whole record.

I'll stop now.

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ORIGINAL: Venkman

Bob Dylan is a legend and the quality of his back catalogue should be the motivation for new artists to not rest on their laurels once they have had one hit album.

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ORIGINAL: Larry of Arabia

Apparently, Bob thinks of his newest resurgence as part of a trilogy that started with "Love & Theft" instead of Time Out Of Mind, so hopefully one more great album coming up next.

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ORIGINAL: Biggus

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ORIGINAL: straight2dvd

I've never been a fan of Bob Dylan. He's always been in the same bracket as Neil Young to me - boring music, great lyrics. 

Now I'm definitely a big Neil Young fan! How dare you sir!

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ORIGINAL: straight2dvd

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ORIGINAL: Biggus

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ORIGINAL: straight2dvd

I've never been a fan of Bob Dylan. He's always been in the same bracket as Neil Young to me - boring music, great lyrics.

Now I'm definitely a big Neil Young fan! How dare you sir!

I just can't find anything in Dylans vocals that makes me think the music is great. I do own " Free Wheelin'" however. I guess I am much more at home with actual singers.

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ORIGINAL: chauncey

Dylan is an absolute genius; anyone that disagrees is either deaf or stupid.

The new compilation is depressing as hell for real fans, we have all that stuff. Release Supper Club 93 officially!

The following are essential: Bringing it all Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blone, Blood on the Tracks, Desire, Oh Mercy, Time Out of Mind and Love & Theft.
Not forgetting Live 66, Live 75.
 
Tom Waits said discovering Dylan is like discovering a new planet. A whole universe.

Looking forward to the Haynes movie, he's a real Dylan enthusiast.

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ORIGINAL: Monkey Wrench

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ORIGINAL: straight2dvd

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ORIGINAL: Biggus

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ORIGINAL: straight2dvd

I've never been a fan of Bob Dylan. He's always been in the same bracket as Neil Young to me - boring music, great lyrics.

Now I'm definitely a big Neil Young fan! How dare you sir!

I just can't find anything in Dylans vocals that makes me think the music is great. I do own " Free Wheelin'" however. I guess I am much more at home with actual singers.

How can his vocal delivery detract in any sense to how great he is? Does it dilute what he plays and what he might necessarily say? I'm intrigued! His nasally tones can't affect your perception on his clarity and articulation that much, can they? I'm not having a go, I'm just asking.

Edit: I have taken into account that fact that you're "more at home with actual singers", I'm just wondering whether other aspects such as what singers might say and the subtleties of their deliveries might be less impactive to you than just how beautiful they might sing it. And I'm also wondering why you might categorise Dylan as "not an actual singer", given his obvious prominence as a "singer/songwriter". Like I said, I'm not having a go. I really am just intrigued.

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ORIGINAL: Venkman

I would add Modern Times to that list, the more you listen to it, the more you realise how good it is and I would personally place it higher than Love and Theft

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ORIGINAL: straight2dvd

Ok, I should have been more acute in my original reply as obviously you've taken some offense to what I have said. I've listened to an awful lot of Dylans work and I happen to think as a general lyricist, he is a genius and I love how autobiographical his work is. I, however, can't get to grips with his voice as I think he doesn't have a good singing voice and it definately detracts from the music for me as some of his albums, musically, are fantastic. I am not at home with singers who sound very nasal in their delivery. I know this isn't a strong enough argument for not liking someones music but I respect a persons singing as much as the music and with Dylan, for me, it is a case of one without the other. However, not all his music is unkind to my ears. I like Blonde on Blonde, Bringing It All Back Home, Blood On The Tracks, The Basement Tapes, etc. I'm not overally qualified to give a perfect opinion on him as his discography is way too vast for me. I don't see "Legend" when I think of Dylan. I grew up on punk, rock, soul and Jazz so my idea of traditional singers can be torn apart too.

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ORIGINAL: Monkey Wrench

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ORIGINAL: straight2dvd

Ok, I should have been more acute in my original reply as obviously you've taken some offense to what I have said. I've listened to an awful lot of Dylans work and I happen to think as a general lyricist, he is a genius and I love how autobiographical his work is. I, however, can't get to grips with his voice as I think he doesn't have a good singing voice and it definately detracts from the music for me as some of his albums, musically, are fantastic. I am not at home with singers who sound very nasal in their delivery. I know this isn't a strong enough argument for not liking someones music but I respect a persons singing as much as the music and with Dylan, for me, it is a case of one without the other. However, not all his music is unkind to my ears. I like Blonde on Blonde, Bringing It All Back Home, Blood On The Tracks, The Basement Tapes, etc. I'm not overally qualified to give a perfect opinion on him as his discography is way too vast for me. I don't see "Legend" when I think of Dylan. I grew up on punk, rock, soul and Jazz so my idea of traditional singers can be torn apart too.

Okay I can understand more of where you're coming from now. And I can also understand (to a degree) why people might find Dylan's nasally tones affecting their level of investment in his music. I mean, there's really only him and the guitar most of the time and to some people it might be quite difficult appreciating most of the music if they like only 50% of the integral ingredients. No matter what people say, there's always a reason whether you like something or not and it's so important that people understand why. And please don't think I took offense because I didn't! I know how attacking I can sound when really all I want to do is find out more about people's reasons and the whys and wherefores.

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ORIGINAL: Larry of Arabia

Ah, this argument is as old as the hills. May I direct the curious towards his duet with Johnny Cash on Girl From The North Country from Nashville Skyline or Sheter From The Storm from Blood On The Tracks. Tell me that's not a good voice! I think someone's voice shouldn't be a barrier anyway, as long as he communicated the general feeling he's going for. I'd take his croak over Enya's whale sounds anyday.

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ORIGINAL: Larry of Arabia

Damn it! You can't download Brownsville Girl as a standalone track... bugger. I'm enjoying Blood In My Eyes from the early '90's, though, nice little acoustic ditty. Anybody else have a favourite obscure Dylan track?