Dylan

[Kevin Davis]

Well, this year has been the year of Dylan for me. I've accumulated his entire catalogue on vinyl over the course of the year and listened to most of them inside out. Not since hearing Pearl Jam for the first time in 2002 have I been so overwhelmed/challenged/enthralled by an artist's output. The volume of stuff this guy has put out there is staggering, it'll keep me busy for years and years.

I picked up Side Tracks on vinyl the other day, and I was floored. I know a lot of the songs are on other compilations but there's just something about the flow of this one that knocks my socks off. The last two sides with Abandoned Love, Series of Dreams, Things Have Changed etc is unbelievable. What a run of songs.

I took the plunge this morning and bought tickets to see him in Liverpool. I don't care what people say about his shows these days, I can't wait.

Excellent! "Abandoned Love" is tremendous. Any other sleeper favorites in the catalog?

If you haven't seen it, check out this dude's blog:
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/?m=1
Personally (very-well) curated compilations of unreleased Dylan material -- a great place to dive into the Dylan underworld, if the official releases aren't keeping you busy enough

[Kalevi]

I saw him a couple of months ago (in a concert hall) and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Much better than the previous time I saw him outside.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

Box set of the entire 1966 tour soundboard tape collection is only $100. If Pearl Jam did that, people would be jizzing all over the place in here.

[BootsToAsses]

Well, this year has been the year of Dylan for me. I've accumulated his entire catalogue on vinyl over the course of the year and listened to most of them inside out. Not since hearing Pearl Jam for the first time in 2002 have I been so overwhelmed/challenged/enthralled by an artist's output. The volume of stuff this guy has put out there is staggering, it'll keep me busy for years and years.

I picked up Side Tracks on vinyl the other day, and I was floored. I know a lot of the songs are on other compilations but there's just something about the flow of this one that knocks my socks off. The last two sides with Abandoned Love, Series of Dreams, Things Have Changed etc is unbelievable. What a run of songs.

I took the plunge this morning and bought tickets to see him in Liverpool. I don't care what people say about his shows these days, I can't wait.

Excellent! "Abandoned Love" is tremendous. Any other sleeper favorites in the catalog?

If you haven't seen it, check out this dude's blog:
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/?m=1
Personally (very-well) curated compilations of unreleased Dylan material -- a great place to dive into the Dylan underworld, if the official releases aren't keeping you busy enough

I'll check out that link, thanks

In terms of his actual albums, I find myself constantly going back to Freewheelin', Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding, Blood on the Tracks, Desire, Street Legal, Shot of Love (for reasons I don't fully understand),Oh Mercy, Time Out Of Mind, Love and Theft and Together Through Life. I know the 'religious' trilogy generally aren't well-regarded outside of perhaps Slow Train Comin' but Shot of Love has songs like Heart Of Mine and Every Grain of Sand so I can't ignore it.

Songs I find myself listening to over and over:

Hard Rain
Abandoned Love
As I Went Out One Morning- This has an eerie quality to me that I can't quite explain.
Beyond Here Lies Nothing - My best friend who is a girl thinks I'm weird because I keep telling her I find this song to be super sexy
Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?
Changing Of The Guards
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright
Girl From The North Country - mainly the duet version with Johnny Cashon on Nashville Skyline.
Heart Of Mine
High Water (for Charley Patton)
Honest With Me
Huck's Tune - This is easily a top 5 for me
Isis
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
It's Alright, Ma
Jokerman
Lonesome Day Blues
Love Minus Zero, No Limit - mainly the Budokan version. It's a bit sickly sweet but Bob sounds wonderful.
Million Dollar Bash
Mississippi
Most Of The Time
My Wife's Home Town
Nettie Moore
Not Dark Yet
Oh, Sister
Pay In Blood
Percy's Song
Precious Angel
Quinn The Eskimo
Senor
Series of Dreams
Shelter From The Storm - I feel so lucky that we live in a world with TWO different but equally perfect versions of the song - Blood on the Tracks and Hard Rain. I can go back to either and be completely moved in different ways.
Shenandoah
Shooting Star
Shot Of Love
Standing In The Doorway
Tangled Up In Blue
The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest - Again, something a bit eerie and 'off' about this one. The whole album, really.
Things Have Changed
What Good Am I?
Where Are You Tonight?
You Angel You

Apologies for the long list. I'm currently walking a fine line because I want to dig deeper and analyse every little note/lyric but I don't want to taint the feelings a lot of these songs give me. They make me feel things even though sometimes I have no idea what he's talking about. If I try and figure them out I'm worried I might ruin that. They're like R.E.M. in that respect - I don't always get what Stipe is singing about but it moves me, regardless.

Old man Bob absolutely floors me. Oh Mercy onwards, I just adore his deep and broken voice. It lends so much gravitas to the proceedings.

[Kevin Davis]

Awesome! I agree with many things on your list, particularly the splendor of the "Hard Rain" version of "Shelter From the Storm," "Huck's Tune," and the general aura of mystery surrounding "John Wesley Harding." And "Shot of Love" ain't bad at all -- I'd strongly recommend checking out the outtake version of "Caribbean Wind" from those sessions, in my opinion one of his greatest unreleased recordings, available here: http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... d.html?m=1
(Note: this is different from the version which appears on "Biograph" -- and likely on "Side Tracks" -- which is heavily polished and contains far different lyrics)

Also, many Dylan scholars (provided that's what you call these people), including some of his biographers, believe the Christian period to be Dylan's peak as a vocalist (though not as a songwriter). Pretty hard to disagree when you listen to some of the live recordings from that era, especially (in my opinion) the '81 gigs when he started working some of the non-religious material back into the setlist. This period is also going to be the focus of the next Bootleg Series release, which I'm excited about.

[BootsToAsses]

Awesome! I agree with many things on your list, particularly the splendor of the "Hard Rain" version of "Shelter From the Storm," "Huck's Tune," and the general aura of mystery surrounding "John Wesley Harding." And "Shot of Love" ain't bad at all -- I'd strongly recommend checking out the outtake version of "Caribbean Wind" from those sessions, in my opinion one of his greatest unreleased recordings, available here: http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... d.html?m=1
(Note: this is different from the version which appears on "Biograph" -- and likely on "Side Tracks" -- which is heavily polished and contains far different lyrics)

Also, many Dylan scholars (provided that's what you call these people), including some of his biographers, believe the Christian period to be Dylan's peak as a vocalist (though not as a songwriter). Pretty hard to disagree when you listen to some of the live recordings from that era, especially (in my opinion) the '81 gigs when he started working some of the non-religious material back into the setlist. This period is also going to be the focus of the next Bootleg Series release, which I'm excited about.

Oh really? I didn't know this, but I'm excited! I haven't listened to ANY live stuff from '81 so I need to find some stuff. Any recommendations? That website you suggested looks like an absolute goldmine.

Is there a way you can recommend one or two essential downloads from the different decades represented on that website? If I download everything, it'll take me forever to get through it.

[Kevin Davis]

For sure. It's tough with Dylan since he has so many eras and so much of it comes down to personal preference, but factoring that in, here are a few favorites:

1961: "The Ghost of Woody Guthrie"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... d.html?m=1
I've always thought Dylan's debut album was about the worst possible document of his early days in NYC, and this comp does a nice job culling from the circulating tapes of that "finding his voice" period. I don't think this is knock-your-socks-off stuff necessarily, but it's a great snapshot of its time.

Most of the other major '60's stuff has all been officially released in some form or another, so I'll skip to the '70's:

"Outside the Law: 1973-75"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... 5.html?m=1
Studio outtakes from the '73-'75 period -- contains the "Blood on the Tracks" NYC sessions (some of which appear in alternate form on the first Bootleg Series) and a snippet called "Rock Me Mama" (from the "Pat Garrett" sessions), which enjoyed some unlikely success when Old Crow Medicine Show co-opted it for their song "Wagon Wheel," among other stuff.

"The Valley Below: 1975-76"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... 6.html?m=1
I strongly recommend any and all material from this period, but this collection of live odds and ends, despite some dodgy sound on a few tracks, is the most unique. Particularly knowing your fondness for "Abandoned Love," I think the live version here (the only known performance) will especially tickle your fancy.

"Still the Same Man, Vol. 2: 1981"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... d.html?m=1
Great roundup of tracks from the '81 tour, somewhat mimicking the sequence of the standard set list from the full concerts. Many of these shows are well worth seeking out in full (11/10/81 is my favorite), but this is a fantastic appetizer platter.

"Series of Dreams: 1989-1993"
Vol 1: http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... s.html?m=1
Vol 2: http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... 3.html?m=1
One of my very favorites -- a combination of studio outtakes from "Oh Mercy," "Under the Red Sky," and an aborted 1992 album with David Bromberg, as well as some live traditional material from early in the Never-Ending Tour (check out "Female Rambling Sailor," one of his best-ever covers).

"Keep Humming: 1999-2002"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... s.html?m=1
A compilation of gospel/folk/bluegrass covers, which were recurring components of the setlist around this time. Marvelous singing from Bob, at a time when his voice was crystal clear and silky smooth, with spot-on harmonies from his backing band -- just all in all some of the best music of the Never-Ending Tour, all in pristine audio quality.

Hope that gives you something to go on. Bob's official discography is enough of a rabbit hole, throw in the bootlegs and it's basically an endless ether of material. But if his music resonates with you, there's almost always more treasure to be found by digging further.

[Kalevi]

Awesome! I agree with many things on your list, particularly the splendor of the "Hard Rain" version of "Shelter From the Storm," "Huck's Tune," and the general aura of mystery surrounding "John Wesley Harding." And "Shot of Love" ain't bad at all -- I'd strongly recommend checking out the outtake version of "Caribbean Wind" from those sessions, in my opinion one of his greatest unreleased recordings, available here: http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... d.html?m=1
(Note: this is different from the version which appears on "Biograph" -- and likely on "Side Tracks" -- which is heavily polished and contains far different lyrics)

Also, many Dylan scholars (provided that's what you call these people), including some of his biographers, believe the Christian period to be Dylan's peak as a vocalist (though not as a songwriter). Pretty hard to disagree when you listen to some of the live recordings from that era, especially (in my opinion) the '81 gigs when he started working some of the non-religious material back into the setlist. This period is also going to be the focus of the next Bootleg Series release, which I'm excited about.

Really enjoying this comp. I had never heard Shot of Love before. Caribbean wind is a great song.

[BootsToAsses]

For sure. It's tough with Dylan since he has so many eras and so much of it comes down to personal preference, but factoring that in, here are a few favorites:

1961: "The Ghost of Woody Guthrie"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... d.html?m=1
I've always thought Dylan's debut album was about the worst possible document of his early days in NYC, and this comp does a nice job culling from the circulating tapes of that "finding his voice" period. I don't think this is knock-your-socks-off stuff necessarily, but it's a great snapshot of its time.

Most of the other major '60's stuff has all been officially released in some form or another, so I'll skip to the '70's:

"Outside the Law: 1973-75"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... 5.html?m=1
Studio outtakes from the '73-'75 period -- contains the "Blood on the Tracks" NYC sessions (some of which appear in alternate form on the first Bootleg Series) and a snippet called "Rock Me Mama" (from the "Pat Garrett" sessions), which enjoyed some unlikely success when Old Crow Medicine Show co-opted it for their song "Wagon Wheel," among other stuff.

"The Valley Below: 1975-76"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... 6.html?m=1
I strongly recommend any and all material from this period, but this collection of live odds and ends, despite some dodgy sound on a few tracks, is the most unique. Particularly knowing your fondness for "Abandoned Love," I think the live version here (the only known performance) will especially tickle your fancy.

"Still the Same Man, Vol. 2: 1981"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... d.html?m=1
Great roundup of tracks from the '81 tour, somewhat mimicking the sequence of the standard set list from the full concerts. Many of these shows are well worth seeking out in full (11/10/81 is my favorite), but this is a fantastic appetizer platter.

"Series of Dreams: 1989-1993"
Vol 1: http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... s.html?m=1
Vol 2: http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... 3.html?m=1
One of my very favorites -- a combination of studio outtakes from "Oh Mercy," "Under the Red Sky," and an aborted 1992 album with David Bromberg, as well as some live traditional material from early in the Never-Ending Tour (check out "Female Rambling Sailor," one of his best-ever covers).

"Keep Humming: 1999-2002"
http://thousandhighways.blogspot.com/20 ... s.html?m=1
A compilation of gospel/folk/bluegrass covers, which were recurring components of the setlist around this time. Marvelous singing from Bob, at a time when his voice was crystal clear and silky smooth, with spot-on harmonies from his backing band -- just all in all some of the best music of the Never-Ending Tour, all in pristine audio quality.

Hope that gives you something to go on. Bob's official discography is enough of a rabbit hole, throw in the bootlegs and it's basically an endless ether of material. But if his music resonates with you, there's almost always more treasure to be found by digging further.

That's certainly enough to get me started, thanks! I think I'm a little burnt out on his 60s output to be honest. Not that it isn't spectacular, but early last year I just went nuts on his 60s albums so I need a break from it. I seem to be finding his 1969 - 1983 period the most fertile for my tastes. It fascinates me how radically his voice changes between Nashville Skyline and Infidels. Such a strange transformation, but endlessly interesting.

[guestT]

i liked shadows and fallen angels fine, but 5 discs of this stuff is a bit much, isn't it? i will still purchase triplicate because i'm a completist.

[rick malone]

i liked shadows and fallen angels fine, but 5 discs of this stuff is a bit much, isn't it? i will still purchase triplicate because i'm a completist.

Could be he just enjoys releasing things. And seeing the reaction. This is from the Expecting Rain forum:

This is Adult music. These are not cheap or commercial or sentimental fly-by-night pop songs. These are among the loneliest, darkest, bleakest invocations of the American soul ever written or recorded. And Bob is performing them in an utterly powerful way which is timeless and devastating. There is nothing sentimental about it.
Most Thursday nights after a steak dinner I take my shower, put on the silk monogrammed bathrobe my wife gave me for my birthday, and retire to my Den, where I light a Chesterfield and settle in to listen to one or all of these amazing disks. I find them devastating. I'm left slumped in my BarcaLounger with the ice cubes still rattling in my glass. The arrangements are like shadows, almost colorless and motionless, so that all you hear is the ache in the Bob's voice. Song after song is so exquisitely moving that at the end of three minutes you feel like you've just heard a lifetime of loneliness. My only regret - and it's a big one - is that these flawless collections of masterpieces don't include Over the Rainbow and When You Wish Upon A Star which would truly belong. But I live in hope. And their absence only adds to the pang of loss I feel listening to the others.
Bob, at 75, already has a demanding touring schedule that would fatigue a young performer. So where he finds the time to perfect these classics I do not know. It is a miracle and these songs are perfection. Now there is a new collection. Triplicate. I had my secretary order me two copies - one for the home and one for the office - immediately my broker Frank rang from Chicago to confirm the rumors of its release. Great news for Bob fans. Drink It Up!

[Strat]

i liked shadows and fallen angels fine, but 5 discs of this stuff is a bit much, isn't it? i will still purchase triplicate because i'm a completist.

Could be he just enjoys releasing things. And seeing the reaction. This is from the Expecting Rain forum:

This is Adult music. These are not cheap or commercial or sentimental fly-by-night pop songs. These are among the loneliest, darkest, bleakest invocations of the American soul ever written or recorded. And Bob is performing them in an utterly powerful way which is timeless and devastating. There is nothing sentimental about it.
Most Thursday nights after a steak dinner I take my shower, put on the silk monogrammed bathrobe my wife gave me for my birthday, and retire to my Den, where I light a Chesterfield and settle in to listen to one or all of these amazing disks. I find them devastating. I'm left slumped in my BarcaLounger with the ice cubes still rattling in my glass. The arrangements are like shadows, almost colorless and motionless, so that all you hear is the ache in the Bob's voice. Song after song is so exquisitely moving that at the end of three minutes you feel like you've just heard a lifetime of loneliness. My only regret - and it's a big one - is that these flawless collections of masterpieces don't include Over the Rainbow and When You Wish Upon A Star which would truly belong. But I live in hope. And their absence only adds to the pang of loss I feel listening to the others.
Bob, at 75, already has a demanding touring schedule that would fatigue a young performer. So where he finds the time to perfect these classics I do not know. It is a miracle and these songs are perfection. Now there is a new collection. Triplicate. I had my secretary order me two copies - one for the home and one for the office - immediately my broker Frank rang from Chicago to confirm the rumors of its release. Great news for Bob fans. Drink It Up!

Damn. That makes me want to actually sit with them and give them a proper listen.

[LetMeSleep]

Almost.

[Higgs]

Almost.

Yeah, I'm here too. I think I'm happy enough with the lashings of Bob that I already have that I love, I find I don't absolutely have to go out and grab this stuff just yet. Covers are nice and all but...

Although yes, that above post does somehow tempt me.

[Kevin Davis]

Minus the vaguely erotic undercurrents running through his (quite possibly facetious) post, that guy comes close to describing my experience with "Shadows in the Night," which bar "Time Out of Mind" and "Love and Theft" is probably more singularly satisfying to me than any of Dylan's albums of original material going back to the '70's (had to qualify so as not to inadvertently lump the incredible "World Gone Wrong" in there). "Fallen Angels" is more in the B+ range, but still very enjoyable. If "Triplicate" follows suit, I say bring it on; hell, I'll take three more after that. Dylan's catalog is so massive and covers so much ground that new albums feel pretty much like lagniappe at this point, especially as the archival stuff is coming faster and in more generous quantities than ever before.

[BootsToAsses]

I have Shadows in the Night and Fallen Angels, and I still haven't listened to them

I'm enjoying his crooning voice, and the new song from Triplicate currently released sounds lovely and warm, but my pulse just doesn't quicken for entire albums of covers.

Seeing him in May for the first time, and now I'm worried it's going to be 95% covers.

[Higgs]

I edited my post above as I realised I had worded ambiguously.

Love and Theft and Time Out of Mind would be my 2 fave Bob albums. On that coincidence alone it would seem I need to check out Shadows in the Night.

*pours self a Glayva on rocks, grabs laptop and headphones *

[Higgs]

OK, so I've listenned. As a whole this is a satisfying album. But the openner I'm a Fool to Want You is just something else. Here's a song that is absolutely going to appear on many a Higg's mixtape in the years to follow.

Glorious.

[washing machine]

Minus the vaguely erotic undercurrents running through his (quite possibly facetious) post, that guy comes close to describing my experience with "Shadows in the Night," which bar "Time Out of Mind" and "Love and Theft" is probably more singularly satisfying to me than any of Dylan's albums of original material going back to the '70's (had to qualify so as not to inadvertently lump the incredible "World Gone Wrong" in there). "Fallen Angels" is more in the B+ range, but still very enjoyable. If "Triplicate" follows suit, I say bring it on; hell, I'll take three more after that. Dylan's catalog is so massive and covers so much ground that new albums feel pretty much like lagniappe at this point, especially as the archival stuff is coming faster and in more generous quantities than ever before.

I love this post in no small part thanks to the usage of "lagniappe."

[BootsToAsses]

MusicStack.com is just awesome. They have so many cheap records.

I was looking though my collection and realised I don't in fact have every Dylan release! I quickly remedied this and picked up New Morning, Slow Train Coming, and Before The Flood for £3 each