Dylan

[Sir Calumn]

Jesus Christ on a tuk-tuk I have only just noticed this forum existed! How long has it been here for? My SG posting is becoming worryingly automated...

Anyway, it seems to have been here long enough that it's already almost dead, so let's try and reinvigorate it with some Bob Dylan discussion.

What's your favourite Bob Dylan album?

What's your favourite Bob Dylan song?

Anyone seen him live? What was it like?

I'm a bit controversial in my Dylan views in that my favourite album is Desire, it's just full of epic and powerful tracks. I am also really coming to like Blonde on Blonde, though I wasnt so keen at first, and of course Bringing It All Back Home is incredible. Highway 61 Revisted has a lot more awesome stuff than you realise, too. Such a high volume of great work.

Having said that, I recently purchased an album called "Dylan and the Dead" which was him performing with the Grateful Dead, a fav band of mine, but it was absolutely obissmal. Really bad song selection, with less good tracks like Joey and Queen Jane Approximately, and even the masterworks like All Along the Watchtower were badly performed by both Dylan and the band. It really was a let down. Was also disappointed by the supposedly outrageous 1966 live performance bootleg CD - other than when he gets called Judas, there is very little audible reaction from the crowd at all, and his electric covers are not nearly as good, or bad, as I expected them to be, they are just really rather meh.

Favourite track is a really hard one, but it's got to be Mister Tambourine Man, in its original form as on Bringing it all back home, closely followed by Subterranean Homesick Blues on the same album. I also love Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, and I think Hurricane is just phenominal. And of course Like a Rolling Stone, I Shall Be Released and All Along the Watchtower are absolute classics. Isis and One More Cup of Coffee are another couple of great little gems on the Desire album, and if you can find it check out the duet of the latter he did with Emmylou Harris. Freewheelin' is also a really great album, though you have to be in the right frame of mind to listen to it. Personally I think A Hard Rain Is Gonna Fall is even better than Blowin in the Wind.

Anyway, enough from me, over to you....

 

[smoove]

Really depends on the mood, for me. Sometimes I love Dylan and sometimes I can't stand his croaky voice for 2 minutes.

My favourite songs would be All Along the Watchtower, Tangled up in Blue, Masters of War, Hurricane, One more Cup of Coffee and Tambourine Man. I see Blonde on Blonde as his best record, was the first I purchased,too.

 

[The Don't]

One More Cup of Coffee is a fantastic song, brought to my attention by that famous white striped duo. Subterranean Homesick Blues is great as well, I just can't bear to sit through tracks like Maggie's Farm.

 

[Yossarian]

Any of youse check out his latest album Modern Times by any chance? I purchased it about a couple of months or so ago, but I somehow totally forgot about it (honestly), and it's been sitting on a shelf in my room all this time until now.

So far I've given it too good listens and let me tell yah, man, it's ******* awesome. It's a really calming and soothing output from beginning to end with some very charming and poignant lyrics. It's a miracle that at this stage in his life and career, that he's capable of putting out material this good and relevant.


worth the purchase...

 

[Yossarian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcbDJi0Egok

 

[NottsSupporter]

Ahhh crap, I had written a long post and it all dissapeard somehow...(:/)

Summarize: Fav. album; Blood on the tracks (both New York and Minneapolis versions)(3 contenders: Blonde on blonde, Freewheelin', Time out of mind)

Fav. song: Like a rolling stone (3 contenders: Visions of johanna, blind wille mctell, tangled up in blue)

Seen hime live twice, 2005 and 2006. He sucked in 2005, really enjoyed the 2006 concert.

 

[Yossarian]

^^hurhur....yeah, bro. Dylan is very inconsistent as a live performer. One night he'll be magical, the best of the best, and then the next he'll be utter dog****!


Do you guys think that he would've been a bigger legend than he is now if He'd succumbed to his injuries from that motorcycle accident?

 

[NottsSupporter]

For sure, the first time I saw him it was like listening to someone strangling a cat, couldn't make out a single word. And then next year he delivers a stunning "it ain't me babe" that rivals the original...mind boggling

He might have been considered more of a legend had he died, but we would've missed out on so many great songs. And I suppose some of his legend-status comes from the fact that he's been writing good stuff for 5 decades.

 

[Yossarian]

^^well put. That's the beauty of Dylan. For the most part, when he sets out to make a proper album, there's hardly any fillers, you know? He's one of few artists who's capable of making a record where the last couple of tracks are as good, if not better than the tracks that are slotted in the beginning because they're perceived to be the stronger ones by the artist or producer, you know?


That's why I can never pick a favorite Dylan track from a particular album or whatever. For example, I've had Planet Waves on heavy rotation in my car for the past few days and I honestly couldn't choose a favorite song, not because I'm an indecisive, wavering Cocksucker or nothing. It's because they're all so beautiful. Popular opinion would dictate that I choose Forever Young, Dirge, or even Tough Mama, but the Wedding Song is just as good as those that I've mentioned, man.....hmmm