top 10 dylan albums

[bunnyben]

(in no particular order)

highway 61
times they are a changing
blood on the tracks
bringing back home
o mercy
time out of mind
modern times
nashville skyline
infidels
john wesley harding

[TheWarmth]

I have never heard Infidels or O Mercy. I suppose I should check those two out.

[jadams501]

Good list Bunnyben -- we agree on almost everything. My list is:

Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61
Basement Tapes (if applicable)
John Wesley Harding
New Morning
Blood On The Tracks
Slow Train Coming
Infidels
World Gone Wrong
Modern Times

TheWarmth, if you are a fan of Time Out of Mind then you will probably love Oh Mercy -- it's the other album that Dylan recorded with Daniel Lanois. It's not quite as consistent (it's a shorter album with more filler than TOOM, so it didn't make my top ten), but there are 4-5 stone cold classics on it.

Infidels is even better. Reggae-infused rock recorded with Mark Knopfler that's somewhere between the fire & brimstone of the Born Again years and the fevered mysticism of Street Legal.

[angelsighs]

erm... this is in a vague order from best downwards...

Time Out of Mind
Another Side of Bob Dylan
Highway 61 Revisited
Desire
Bootleg Series: 1966
Blonde on Blonde
Bootleg Series: Rolling Thunder
Street Legal
Blood on The Tracks
Freewheelin'

I must disagree by saying that I love Time Out Of Mind but Oh Mercy doesn't really do much for me at all....

[bunnyben]

and the tracklist of the last dylan comp i made this morning

if you gotta go, go now
mr tamborine man (live)
gates of eden
tell me moma (live)
she belongs to me
baby let me follow you down (live)
shelter from the storm (live)
mozambique
lay lady lay
i dont belive you (live)
when the ship comes in
tombstone blues
gotta serve somebody
down along the cove
lily of the west
i threw it all away
leopard skin pillbox hat
things have changed
jet pilot
shooting star

[jadams501]

lily of the west

YES. I love Self-Portrait, and it almost made my list, and I love the "Dylan" album (rejected outtakes from the same time period) nearly as much.

Lily of the West and Bob's take on Can't Help Falling In Love are both fantastic!

[bunnyben]

Oh Mercy -- it's the other album that Dylan recorded with Daniel Lanois. It's not quite as consistent (it's a shorter album with more filler than TOOM, so it didn't make my top ten), but there are 4-5 stone cold classics on it.

how would you rate it track by track?

[jadams501]

- Political World - Great kickoff to the album, classic Dylan apocalyptic lyrics and it rocks
- Where Teardrops Fall - I guess this is Dylan's attempt to be jazzy, it's ok but not a favorite of mine
- Everything Is Broken - Kind of a goofy track, but fun. I like it.
- Ring Them Bells - Beautiful religious song that I bet resonates even with atheists
- Man In The Long Black Coat - Eerie and atmospheric, with some of my favorite lines on the album
- Most of the Time - Incredible song, maybe my favorite on the album. I've converted many people to post-Blood On The Tracks Bob with this one.
- What Good Am I - A little murmuring for my taste. I feel like this one is a little more autobiographical and emotionally raw than a lot of Dylan's stuff. Good track but not one of my favorites.
- Disease of Conceit - There's something about Bob's phrasing in this song that I like, it sounds like Dylan is talking right to you. Solid.
- What Was It You Wanted - Another very good album track, if not one of the album highlights. Better than the Willie Nelson version.
- Shooting Star - Great conclusion to the album, one of my favorite Dylan closers. The lyrics speak to a universal sense of longing regret that I'd bet anyone can identify with.

[Kurious Oranj]

im curious if anyone would be interested in making a "best of dylan in the 80s" playlist? ive always found this era of dylan harder to penetrate

you guys are usually good at that kind of thing

*note just a list is fine i dont mean having to upload it or anything

[jadams501]

I'm happy to take a crack at the 80s playlist. I should say that I usually consider Dylan's 80s to start with Street Legal in '78, but I'll start with Slow Train Coming for the sake of brevity and limit myself to 3 from each album.

Slow Train Coming:
Gotta Serve Somebody
Precious Angel
Slow Train

Saved:
Saved
What Can I Do For You?
Solid Rock

Shot of Love:
Property of Jesus
Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar
Every Grain of Sand

Infidels
Jokerman
Sweetheart Like You
I And I

Empire Burlesque:
Tight Connection To My Heart
Trust Yourself
Dark Eyes

Knocked Out Loaded:
Brownsville Girl

Down In The Groove:
Silvio
Rank Strangers To Me

Oh Mercy:
Ring Them Bells
Most of The Time
Shooting Star

Assorted Bootleg Series
Blind Willie McTell
Born In Time (Original Version)
Series of Dreams

[bunnyben]

- Political World - Great kickoff to the album, classic Dylan apocalyptic lyrics and it rocks
- Where Teardrops Fall - I guess this is Dylan's attempt to be jazzy, it's ok but not a favorite of mine
- Everything Is Broken - Kind of a goofy track, but fun. I like it.
- Ring Them Bells - Beautiful religious song that I bet resonates even with atheists
- Man In The Long Black Coat - Eerie and atmospheric, with some of my favorite lines on the album
- Most of the Time - Incredible song, maybe my favorite on the album. I've converted many people to post-Blood On The Tracks Bob with this one.
- What Good Am I - A little murmuring for my taste. I feel like this one is a little more autobiographical and emotionally raw than a lot of Dylan's stuff. Good track but not one of my favorites.
- Disease of Conceit - There's something about Bob's phrasing in this song that I like, it sounds like Dylan is talking right to you. Solid.
- What Was It You Wanted - Another very good album track, if not one of the album highlights. Better than the Willie Nelson version.
- Shooting Star - Great conclusion to the album, one of my favorite Dylan closers. The lyrics speak to a universal sense of longing regret that I'd bet anyone can identify with.

pretty much agree with you- man in the long black coat is one of my all time fav dylan tracks and i like the story behind that song. so with you list in mind why would you say it doesn't reach the heights of his better work?

[bunnyben]

im curious if anyone would be interested in making a "best of dylan in the 80s" playlist? ive always found this era of dylan harder to penetrate

you guys are usually good at that kind of thing

*note just a list is fine i dont mean having to upload it or anything

give me a day or two and i'll try to uplaod a comp for you

[jadams501]

pretty much agree with you- man in the long black coat is one of my all time fav dylan tracks and i like the story behind that song. so with you list in mind why would you say it doesn't reach the heights of his better work?

Oh Mercy is a great album for sure. It's just that Dylan has so many great albums that a lot of things were squeezed out of the top ten. I couldn't fit Freewheelin' or Blonde on Blonde!

[bunnyben]

pretty much agree with you- man in the long black coat is one of my all time fav dylan tracks and i like the story behind that song. so with you list in mind why would you say it doesn't reach the heights of his better work?

Oh Mercy is a great album for sure. It's just that Dylan has so many great albums that a lot of things were squeezed out of the top ten. I couldn't fit Freewheelin' or Blonde on Blonde!

mine too! it's lucky i didn't include live albums also

[Gruff]

Not sure on top albums (though I have to say I think I seem to be in a minority of one in liking 'Patt Garrat and Billy the Kid' soundtrack as highly as I do).

My favorite track is 'Last thoughts on Woody Guthrie'...

[jadams501]

I love the Pat Garrett soundtrack, and would put several tracks up there among my favorite Dylan stuff. I just couldn't justify putting it on the list with the incidental music like Turkey Chase and so forth. The closing theme is sublime.

[bunnyben]

dylan 80's

http://hotfile.com/dl/144803886/8b63aec ... s.rar.html

[BzaInSpace]

Can never have too much of Dylan (arguably), however... did we not have the top Dylan albums thread not so long ago?
Indeed, it was in fact less than a year ago. Obviously all this listening to Bob has dampened the short term memory *cough*

http://ideensynthese.de/spiritualized/v ... =1&t=10327

My 'top' albums are in there... and an early vote for Pat Garret & Billy The Kid as well.

[bunnyben]

Can never have too much of Dylan (arguably), however... did we not have the top Dylan albums thread not so long ago?
Indeed, it was in fact less than a year ago. Obviously all this listening to Bob has dampened the short term memory *cough*

http://ideensynthese.de/spiritualized/v ... =1&t=10327

My 'top' albums are in there... and an early vote for Pat Garret & Billy The Kid as well.

o i didn't forget- just enjoy talking about dylan

[angelsighs]

maybe the threads could be merged?

there are some good songs on Oh Mercy (Man In The Long Black Coat, Most Of The Time) but on the whole it leaves me cold. Everything Is Broken is just too goofy for me and I find Political World quite an annoying song too

I included live albums in my top 10, as I think they are essential and I listen to them a lot.
although it's not on my list, I love the acoustic Halloween show too- pristinely recorded snapshot of Dylan in acoustic mode.

Last Thoughts For Woody Guthrie.... I second that too!

[jadams501]

dylan 80's

http://hotfile.com/dl/144803886/8b63aec ... s.rar.html

What tracks are on your comp? Don't want to download stuff I probably already have...

[bunnyben]

i reckon you have it all already. there's only been one download thus far so seems pointless adding a list- the only song you may not have is 'god knows' an o mercy outtake (i think) know it?

[JakeCardigan]

i reckon you have it all already. there's only been one download thus far so seems pointless adding a list- the only song you may not have is 'god knows' an o mercy outtake (i think) know it?

I have added one more to that, thanks, this is a whole period of music I know nothing about so looking forward to an introduction, also like the idea of going in with no track listing

[jack white]

any word on Chronicles 2??


anyone listen to Together Through Life anymore?

[angelsighs]

anyone listen to Together Through Life anymore?

listened to it the other night funnily enough- it's okay. the band have a good sound on it.
cant see it being played that much in the distant future. to be honest, if it wasnt Dylan not sure i'd be bothered about it at all.

but still, not bad for someone of his vintage

[jadams501]

I still listen to Together Through Life a fair amount, though it's usually that the better songs come up on shuffle rather than choosing to listen to the album as a whole.

It's a solid album -- something fun for a BBQ or something like that. Not a masterpiece but something doesn't have to be.

Like Under the Red Sky following Oh Mercy, the album really suffers from comparison to its weightier predecessor. But Beyond Here Lies Nothing, Jolene, I Feel A Change Comin' On, and It's All Good are all good and there are some others I like as well.

[jadams501]

I've listened to Shot of Love, his underrated 1982 classic, a couple of times these last few days. Really passionate and immediate. Almost every song is a highlight.

[The Dr]

proabably not the right place for this but didn't want to make a new dylan thread. just complired an 80 mins cd of dylan that i am digging at this moment in time. thoughts on it?

• one more night
  let me die in my footsteps
  lily of the west
  you're a big girl now
  mozambique
  she belongs to me
  as i went out one morning
  red river shore
  tell me that it isn't true
  song to woody
  oxford town
  one more cup of coffee
  positively 4th street
  woogie boogie
  only a pawn in their game
  the ballad of frankie lee
  every grain of sand
  i want you
  jokerman
  blowin' in the wind
  boots of spanish leather

never really got on with one more cup and haven't heard blowin' for years but they made their way on their- seems to have an acoustic feel to the cd which just seemed to fit. anyway i'm sure there are some experts here to add their two pence worth!

[The Dr]

and if anyone has as i went out live or the isle of wight boot- of a good quality- or knows where to get it- that would be swell!

[angelsighs]

wow quite a random selection of tracks there! lots to enjoy- I am very partial to Let Me Die In My Footsteps too.

I really like One Cup Of Coffee! but then I really like all of Desire

[The Dr]

wow quite a random selection of tracks there! lots to enjoy- I am very partial to Let Me Die In My Footsteps too.

I really like One Cup Of Coffee! but then I really like all of Desire

thank you do you know the songs? one more cup is starting to win me over,a s is the most of desire. black diamond bay is a killer. at first i only really got on with isis and sara now i'm ont about 5 tracks (considering there's only 9 that's enough to be president )

[angelsighs]

I just love the whole sound of Desire- the violin mixed with the superb rhythm section and Dylan's mesmerising singing. aside from the songs you've listed, there is also the fantastic Oh Sister and the epic Joey, with one of Dylan's biggest and best choruses!

[jadams501]

I find that Hurricane is the song I listen to least from Desire. It feels like the single, but not of quite the same vibe. I usually start with Isis, which is certainly one of his best songs, but a lot of the album is incredible. Joey and Black Diamond Bay are probably my two other favorites. I was underwhelmed by Desire at first but have come to see it as one of his most expressive and lushly literary albums. It's a unique outlier in his discography, and a one of a kind album in general.

I like a lot of things on your list. I'm not sure it all hangs together for me -- I tend to make CD-length Dylan playlists chronological to capture his increasing weatheredness, but I'd be pretty pleased if that came up on my shuffle.

Probably my two favorite Dylan songs that are never mentioned as one of the greats are Where Are You Tonight (Journey Through Dark Heat) and I & I.