The Smiley Smile Message Board

I am in the midst of a Dylan phase. I already have all of what most people consider the classics, but my collection stops after Blood on the Tracks, picking up again at Time Out of Mind. I am also missing a couple from the early 70s, like Planet Waves, Billy the Kid, etc.

So, if I were to go buy one, two or three (at most...let's not break the bank on what might not be such great albums) Dylan discs today, what do you recommend, and why?

I must warn you, I don't like dated, 80s production. I've heard some of his work from then (Empire Burlesque) sounds pretty bad in that way. But I'm pretty open otherwise. Subject matter doesn't put me off, so things like Slow Train Coming and Saved won't bother me if they are any good.

Wise music fans: help.
(Dumb ones: shhh.)

Well Planet Waves is good. From 75-97 I like both of The Willburys, Under The Red Sky, Oh Mercy, Street Legal, Desire, Hard Rain. Bootleg Series vol 1-3 is good if you want to hear good 80s stuff. The Rolling Thunder Bootleg Series and the Live 66 are great too. If you like records www.simplyvinyl.com has some of the best pressings as does www.classicrecords.com

I should clarify, I have Willburys (both), Desire and the Live 66 discs out of those you mentioned.

I'm keeping quiet!!!!!!

(you could try my pal Naz though (who's probably in MPLS right now)  a big fan!!

Pat Garrett, Planet Waves, Hard Rain, Slow Train, Oh Mercy, Good As I Been To You, World Gone Wrong.

Ian--in that order of preference? Any reasons why? Sorry to be a pest, but I don't want to get half a dozen or more discs at once, maybe just one or two...three, tops.

That's in chronological order.  I doubt that is order of preference.  Of those, MY favs are Slow Train and Oh Mercy.  I prefer the former as a Christian, so YMMV, but Oh Mercy is almost as good as his last two IMO.  So let that be the very first one you get.

Thanks, Jeff. That just might happen. If I get two, maybe Slow Train.. will be the other, because I just read his book of "best of" interviews, and found him interesting during that period. And a good (non-Christian) friend of mine swears that is an underrated album anyway.

If only two, Mercy and Train, if theree, add Planet Waves.

You won't be dissapointed with Slow Train...gorgious music and production, great vocals.   

As a production and performance, Saved is not as successful (the live versions of those songs are fantastic and celebratory) but the songs on Saved are good. 

Mercy is wonderful.  Just can't go wrong for your money. 

Well, here's what happened.

I dug through every single Dylan disc they had at the Uptown branch of Cheapo Records. I almost bought used copies of Oh Mercy and Street Legal. Then various combinations of those two plus Slow Train, Planet Waves and the Bootleg series of the Rolling Thunder Revue discs.

Then I had the original two used ones plus the Rolling Thunder disc. Then I added in the "Greatest Albums" DVD of "The Band." (I'm a sucker for music documentaries and shows re productions of albums.) Then I grabbed an early Half-Handed Cloud disc, whom I love. Then I saw an album by former E6 band Marshmallow Coast. Then I realized things had gotten out of hand.

I purchased the Rolling Thunder Revue discs, the HHC and the Marshmallow Coast.  So I still have a lot of Dylan to get, eventually.

The Revue discs were a great choice.

I have just been exposed to Dylan. Better late than never, right? Only album I got is Times are A-Changin...where should I go from there? Or shall I follow Luther's path?

My five favorites are, in a not-quite-exact (but close) order of preference, are:

Blonde on Blonde
Bringin' it all Back Home
Love & Theft
Blood on the Tracks
Highway 61 Revisited

Call the cops.

Thanks Luther!

Ian, can't find that album. :shrug

Lord, how did those shows languish in the vaults for almost 30 years or however long?  Those are some of the best rock live performances I have heard.  Absolutely essential.  I would have recommended those before any of the original albums you listed had I known that you needed them.

Joe,
    Do you think you're going to get hooked on Dylan and eventually buy pretty much the entire catalogue? This is just a suggestion...

Why don't you buy a compilation like Biograph or The Essential Bob Dylan and enjoy the heck out of it for the rest of the summer. Then start with Bob Dylan (1962) and work your way through the albums chronologically, experiencing all the glorious changes along the way. You can pick up most Dylan CD's at budget prices, or join a CD club that carries a lot of 'em.

Ill check out Essential Bob Dylan first...sounds...essential!

Thanks SJS.

Desire and Oh Mercy are essential purchases, I feel....

Oh Mercy and Planet Waves are must have's.  I also really like New Morning and Street Legal, but people are generally divided on those two so purchase at your own risk.  Since you bought the Rolling Thunder Reveiw bootleg series, I also think the 1964 Halloween show, I can't remember which vol. it is, is essential.  That show is unbelievable! 

Just go buy them all.  It is well worth it!  You'll thank me later!

No problem. Can I borrow a few hundred dollars?

LOL, sure thing!  I'll wire it right to you!

If I had to say faves of Dylan Pre 75 (since I already said what I like post. Blood, Planey, New, Nashville, Basement, Blonde, 61, Bringing, and Freewhelin

Beware of the original mix of "Street Legal". The mix released on vinyl in '78 was terrible and nearly ruined an intriguing album (the third in Dylan's trilogy of work that showed a return to the dense, emotionally surreal lyrics of the mid-60s before he changed direction again with the Christian albums - "Blood On The Tracks" & "Desire" being the first two). The first CD came from that original mix, but the album was remixed and remastered in '97 and redeemed the project in my eyes.

For me, "Desire" and "Street Legal" are very enjoyable follow-ups to a masterwork ("Blood..."), but "Slow Train Coming" is weakened by Dylan's Old Testament intolerance despite superb production (Dylan's take on Christianity was more of the fundamentalist variety). The same is true of "Saved", but the production and songs are weaker. "Shot Of Love" has a lighter, more forgiving tone and a wilder range of subject matter, but horrible production. From here, Dylan converts back to Judaism (!) for what should be a great album ("Infidels"), but isn't because he unreasonably left off the best tracks ("Blind Willie McTell", etc.), most of which can be found on "Bootleg Series Vol 1-3". "Empire Burlesque" suffers from 80s production and mediocre material save for the instant classic "Dark Eyes", performed acoustic and perhaps Dylan's single best song of that decade. Which leads us to...

"Oh Mercy" which I consider Dylan's best overall album since "Blood On The Tracks" - fantastic production by Daniel Lanois and some really high-grade material ("The Man In The Long Black Coat", "Most Of The Time") and excellent vocals. Again, Dylan left off a couple good tracks he recorded for it, but...

Ignore "Under The Red Sky" as it's all-round horrible.

The solo acoustic albums "Good As I've Been To You" and "World Gone Wrong" are decent, but not great, which makes "Time Out Of Mind" and "Love & Theft" his real comeback classics.

Then, there's the new "Modern Times" coming out in August. I hope Dylan continues a winning streak.


EDIT - I realized I missed "Knocked Out Loaded" and "Down In The Groove", both of which can be safely ignored as well.

Agree! Love the SOUND that Lanois and Dylan came up with for Oh Mercy. "Man In The Long Black Coat" is haunting...

Great point. There is indeed, a big difference in the sound. Does the even newer hybrid disk contain the same mastering as the remastered 1997 version or was it remastered once again?   Steve Douglas performs on SL and is also prominent on the "Live At Budakon" album.  This was an excellent band.