Alright I have Blonde On Blonde and a friend of mine made me mix of his most popular songs but I want to dig deeper into his music. I know his many great albums but which is the next best album to get of his?

BillieSparks said:

I'd say the best thing to do is remain with the prime sixties stuff. Highway 61 Revisited is generally regarded as his second-best album (after Blonde on Blonde). However, both Bringing It All Back Home and John Wesley Harding are essential as well - you really couldn't go wrong with any one of these three albums.


Then I'd recommend picking up Desire and Blood on the Tracks - the two post-sixties albums that stand up to the albums named above.
[Edited 4/10/05 17:02pm]

This is a question that has come up regularly on the board, but go backwards to
Highway 61 revisited and Subterreanean Homesick Blues/Bringing it all Back Home.

You could really choose just about any of his releases and find something worthwhile on there, but i truly think Biograph or Bootleg Series vol 1 - 3 are great because they give a great overview of his career. From there you basically branch off to whatever road you want to discover (Woody Guthrie folk Dylan, Christian Dylan, Rock Dylan, live Dylan, beat poet Dylan, Protest Dylan). They, of course, don't cover his most recent revival since Time Out of Mind or Love and Theft both of which are worthwhile exploring.

Check out his book Chronicles vol 1 as well. It's a little like his music, all over the place and can be a bit longwinded but illuminatng .

BillieSparks said:

Blood On The Tracks
Time Out Of Mind
Highway 61 Revisted
Bringing It All Back Home
Oh Mercy
Nashville Skyline

Shapeshifter said:

You've pretty much got all my recommendations down there. I quite enjoy Desire too, mainly for Hurricane though. Have been listening to Oh Mercy a lot lately. Most of The Time has to be one of my favourite Dylan tracks right now.

Also, you've gotta love his weird country vocals on Nashville Skyline, sounds like a completely different artist.

DESIRE will always be one fo the most important and faourite albums to my life,

SARA is the best love song I've heard.. soo real.

I was thinking of getting his Bootleg Series Vol 1-3 set, I definately know I should get Highway 61 Revisted

I'd go with "blood on the tracks" and "oh mercy" too.

Shapeshifter said:

I agree with these suggestions 100%. I would also add Love & Theft to the list. Blood on the Tracks is my all time favourite album by anyone. It's pure genius and so heartbreaking.

kisscamille said:

also be sure to pick up anything from the bootleg series,...MTV unplugged is also worth having, the performance of 'all along the watchtower' on this one rocks! Other than that...I agree with the above. Nashville skyline is very easy to listen to and has a great duet with Johnny Cash on it. Just add the freewheelin...' to the list above, it has quite a few essentials on it

grtz
Kev1n

damosuzuki said:

Agreed 1000%


For the earlier pre-electric Dylan...




tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

Blood on the Tracks is my favorite, and represents the complete mature Dylan.

Bringing it all Back Home is maybe the most classic (& controversial, though it's hard to imagine why listening to it now. If you can listen to his voice, certainly you can handle an electric guitar!).

For some rocking stuff, Live 75 The Rolling Thunder Tour is great.

andyman91 said:[quote]Blood on the Tracks is my favorite, and represents the complete mature Dylan.

Sometimes when I listen to Blood on the Tracks I get choked up and teary eyed. The lyrics are so beautiful. This is definitely one of his best and the songs/lyrics are so profound. I got his lyric book for christmas and I study it often. Bob is not easy to get into and appreciate, but once you do, it's for life. He continues to amaze and delight me with his music.

BillieSparks said:

It's what really got me into Dylan. I remember listening to Idiot Wind for the first time with my mouth wide open. It's got my favourite version of 'If you see her say hello" as well. His voice is heartbreaking on it. Lots of wonderful performances on there (and remember these are his throwaways)
[Edited 4/13/05 15:37pm]

Believe it or not I like some Dylan. Today I was jamming to "things have changed" and "its not dark yet" (I know from 2 completely different albums)

Those 2 above are my fav songs of his.

U know he co-wrote an honestly good pop/rock song called "steel bars" with Michael Bolton. The verses remind me of the traveling wilbury's. The middle 8 (which is something Dylan often does so well) is pure Dylan in phrasing.

"what does all this living mean, when life itself is so obscene....". Go ahead and laugh. It is a good song.