top 5 tracks by dylan

girl out of time · Post by **girl out of time** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 11:20 pm

-it ain´t me babe
-i´ll keep it with mine
-like a rolling stone
-dirge
-if you see her say hello

senior_service · Post by **senior_service** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 11:40 pm

-It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding
- High Water (For Charley Patton)
-I Believe In You
- A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall
-Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You (Live 75 version)

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 9:18 am

An almost impossibe task. I'll have to get back to you on this one. Careful consideration is in order.....

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 2:53 pm

Awww shizzle!

1. I'm Not There
2. Not Dark Yet
3. Blind Willie McTell
4. Idiot Wind
5. High Water (For Charlie Patton)

Post by **BlueChair** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 5:22 pm

1. Tangled Up In Blue
2. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
3. Just Like A Woman
4. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
5. If Not For You (Bootleg Series version)

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 5:47 am

Tangled Up In Blue
MR.Tambourine man
Idiot Wind
Just Like A woman
Hurricane

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 7:15 am

It's just too hard.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 5:05 pm

Some Dylanheads were telling me to forget Idiot Wind from BOTT and check out the Bootleg version, that it was inifinitely better. Do y'all agree?

I have BOTT, BonB, Time Out of Mind, Desire and Highway 61. Give me three more recommendations for essential Dylan. Early? Mid-period? Later?

Post by **BlueChair** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 6:32 pm

I personally prefer the "Idiot Wind" from Blood On The Tracks. He sings with a lot more feeling.

Three essential Dylan albums you do not have, Otis:

1. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
2. Bringing It All Back Home
3. The Basement Tapes

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 3:36 am

For more essential Dylan, check out:

Early Period:
If you want cutting and lucid narrative-style songwriting, John Wesley Harding and The Times They're A-Changin' (that one, obviously more folk). Brilliant songwriting, where not a breath is wasted. They're all great, except you'd probably enjoy "Bob Dylan" (his debut) the least from this period.

If you want some surreal imagery and existential angst, Another Side Of Bob Dylan reveals the transition between folkie and that best. You can feel the excitement as he's stretching himself creatively finding new ground, and he just has to get it out. It was all recorded within a couple of days and sounds very fresh and live. Bringing It All Back Home is kind of between Blonde On Blonde and Highway 61 Revisited, in style, and is definitely essential.

Middle Period: I love New Morning ('71. Well, post motorcycle accident and the initial burst.), it sounds particularly carefree and spontaneous. The Basement Tapes were released in '75 (recorded '67, with The Band) -- I've got it on vinyl and after a few listens it still hasn't grabbed me they way it grabs a lot of Dylan fans... I'll have to pull it out again. You might consider getting the recently released Bootleg Series Rolling Thunder Review CD set, which I haven't yet got, but lots of rave reviews (I do have other live albums from this period -- Real Live, Hard Rain, Down In The Flood -- but apparently they're not as good). You're pretty well covered with BOTT and Desire. I also like Planet Waves (73) and Street Legal (78.) but these don't really compare with those.

Later Middle Period: Slow Train Coming (79) is the best of the so-called 'Christian period', if you're inclined to check it out. Many of the 80's ones suffer from dodgy production and unevenness. The best of them are Infidels (83) and particularly, Oh Mercy (89, produced with Daniel Lanois, noted for his work with U2... and a shit-hot guitarist in his own right I might add.)

Other than these, get Love and Theft. Bob Dylan Unplugged (95), I would also highly recommend and, and once you've rounded out your collection, you might also consider The Bootleg Series Vol 1-3 ('91. 3cd box).

Mike Boom · Post by **Mike Boom** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 5:42 am

Postively Fourth Street
Vsions of Johanna
Shelter from the Storm
Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Live 1966 Versh)
I Want You

Yes thats six, watcha gonna do about it?

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 8:50 am

Mr. Boom! Will wonders never cease... Just seeing your name conjurs an image of 3-D glasses.

I am more or less an ignoramus when it comes to Dylan, I mean, I know bits and pieces and all the obvious stuff, but I feel like I need a sabbatical to catch up. Same with Tom Waits. So all this is terribly helpful. Now, if only someone could give me a paid month off to immerse myself... preferably in a New York hotel or a cabin in southern Utah, or a villa in Spain or something...

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 2:41 pm

Bambi wrote -

Bob Dylan Unplugged (95), I would also highly recommend

Agree with most of what you said B, but imo BDU is dreadful.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 6:24 pm

Thanks for the recos! Will keep that to hand and continue with raids on the £5 CD selection at Fopp or the HMV extended sale.

I heard Oh Mercy once. That was enough.

I've got to play Time Out Of Mind more to get into things other than Not Dark Yet.

Post by **BlueChair** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 8:09 pm

Before scraping up the Dylan CD's, you may want to wait for the remasters in Aug/Sept...

There's no bonuses though, so the incentive is better sound.. if it makes no difference to you, then go for it.

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 9:36 pm

I'm really looking forward to the "Desire" remaster. The sound on the release I have is horrible. Without bonus tracks, it's going to be hard to justify replacing all of my Dylan discs. "Desire" for some reason, is particularly poor, especially "Joey". They're remastering all of his Columbia lps, correct?

Columbia did an awful job with all the catalogs - compare the sound on the initial cd releases of EC to the latter Ryko and Rhino.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 6:04 am

So Lacklustre wrote:
Bob Dylan Unplugged (95), I would also highly recommend
Agree with most of what you said B, but imo BDU is dreadful.

Otis Westinghouse wrote:I heard Oh Mercy only once. That was enough.

SoL, was it the sound of that slide guitar, or what?

Otis, may I ask, why?

Just curious to see what you have to say... I really like both (albums).

Btw Otis, do you mean the Idiot Wind from The Bootleg Series Vol 1-3? Listened to it last night, and it's a slower version -- it's bittersweet, more resigned, and has classic Dylan harmonica towards the end. But I, also, much prefer the one on Blood On The Tracks. It'd be hard to beat it.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/masked/home.html -- All about Masked And Anonymous, in which Bob will appear.

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:14 pm

I couldn't decide on a top 5, so here's what's on my list for a comp tape I'm planning:

1. When I Paint My Masterpiece (from Renaldo & Clara)
2. Isis (live '75, Rob Stoner's wild bass a big contributor)
3. Visions Of Johanna (Blonde On Blonde)
4. Shelter From The Storm (Hard Rain)
5. Girl From The North Country (Freewheeling and nowhere else! It's the sound and intimacy of that version that does it)
6. Tangled Up In Blue (Blood On The Tracks)
7. As I Went Out One Morning (John Wesley Harding)
8. Blind Willie McTell (Bootleg Series)
9. High Water (Love & Theft)
10. Not Dark Yet (Time Out Of Mind)
11. Jokerman (Infidels)
12. What Was It You Wanted? (Oh Mercy, and Willie's version on Across The Borderline is great too)
13. Tombstone Blues (Highway 61 Revisited)
14. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (live '66)
15. Idiot Wind (Hard Rain again)
16. Sign On The Window (New Morning)
17. Country Pie (Nashville Skyline)
18. I'm Not There (Basement Tapes outtake)
19. Can't Wait (my tape from Gothenburg 2000)
20. The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar (Shot Of Love CD)
21. New Pony (Street Legal)
22. Brownsville Girl (Knocked Out Loaded...because someone stole my copy of New Danville Girl before I could decide for sure that one's better...but I think it is)
23. If You See Her Say Hello (Lakeland ´76 bootleg, a rewrite)
24. Blood In My Eyes (World Gone Wrong)

wardo68 · Post by **wardo68** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:26 pm

All excellent choices. I'd add:

Boots Of Spanish Leather
It Ain't Me Babe (unless I could get away with Ballad In Plain D)
Love Minus Zero (Live 1975 version)
You're A Big Girl Now (original BOTT, on Biograph)
Abandoned Love (also Biograph)

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:36 pm

Forgetting You're A Big Girl Now was criminal. It's now on my comp list too.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 4:10 pm

That's a tough one. Here are my faves, and a few that narrowly miss the cut...

1. Simple Twist of Fate
2. Masters of War
3. Girl from the North Country
4. Idiot Wind
5. Ballad of a Thin Man

Missing the cut...

Visions of Johanna
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Tangled Up in Blue
Desolation Row

This is a nearly impossible exercise. I could have picked another 50 or so tracks that are absolutely essential.

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:04 pm

My number one is Desolation Row, which is 11 minutes of sheer brilliance.
Also :
- Like A Rolling Stone
- My Back Pages (though I prefer The Byrds' version)
- I Want You
- It Ain't Me Babe
- Tangled Up In Blue
- Idiot Wind
- Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts
- Just Like A Woman
- Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
- Not Dark Yet
The list could go on and on ....

VonOfterdingen · Post by **VonOfterdingen** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 6:41 am

Otis Westinghouse wrote: I have BOTT, BonB, Time Out of Mind, Desire and Highway 61. Give me three more recommendations for essential Dylan. Early? Mid-period? Later?

Street Legal
Not known as a good Dylan album but i think it's one of the best.

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 6:36 pm

It's absolutely crucial that you buy the remastered Street Legal if you go for that one. The sound of the analog to digital CD is awfully muddled. And I hear the best improvement on the later batch of remasters (none of which I've bought) is Another Side of Bob Dylan, which is another great record, of course.

Street Legal ranked:

*****
1. Changing Of The Guards
2. Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat)
3. Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
4. New Pony (I bought SL remastered because they played this over and over in the store for at least half an hour)

****
5. Is Your Love In Vain?
6. Baby Stop Crying (almost sounds like he's trying to write a Van song here)

*** (these two, though not great, are REALLY FUNNY despite the subject matter)
7. We Better Talk This Over
8. True Love Tends To Forget

**
9. No Time To Think (some good lines, especially the one about killing the traitor later, but three of the ten or so verses would have sufficed, and the tune wouldn't have been as tiresome)

strangerinthehouse · Post by **strangerinthehouse** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 10:45 am

The songs that immediately come to mind as my favorites:

Don't think twice it's all right
To make you feel my love
It ain't me babe
Like a Rolling Stone
Tom Thumb Blues

but if i go back and look through all my dylan albums, i'm sure i'll reconsider

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top 5 tracks by dylan

top 5 tracks by dylan

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