I just watched his bio and am fascinated by the man and his music. I have no knowledge of what makes up his best works or ones I should avoid, but am interested in picking some of his stuff up.

Where do I start?

Blood On The Tracks is generally regarded as his best album, with good reason. I'd say start there.

Blood on the Tracks is a great album, and it’s probably Dylan’s most instantly and easily loveable record, so I’d agree it’s a good starting point.

However, his three rock albums from the mid-sixties – Bringing it All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde – are all masterpieces as well and three of the greatest rock albums ever released. Blonde on Blonde has a little touch of fat on it, but otherwise these are flawless albums and I'd say there would be no going wrong by starting with any of them.

damosuzuki said:

Agree with all these above ^ - and for the hell of it - pick up the No Direction Home soundtrack which gives you a compilation of some acoustic and live performances as well as alternate takes of some famous songs.

midnightmover said:

No. The honor often goes to either Highway 61 Revisited or Blonde on Blonde. But you can't go wrong with any of them really. In my opinion Highway 61 Revisited and Bringing It All Back Home are the most representative of his ouevre.

They are profoundly different in countless ways, but Dylan owned the 60s like Prince did the 80s.

It was just a different kind of "revolution", from cultural upheaval ("The Times They Are A-Changin’") to "Look out all you hippies, you ain't as sharp as me / It ain't about the trippin', but the sexuality -- turn it up".

Which means from an album perspective you can’t really go wrong with the 60s -- plus, as many have already suggested, "Blood on the Tracks".

That’s nine albums. But far from the whole story of one of the legends of the legends.

That’s why I think people starting off on this incredible journey are far better served by the 51-track "Dylan". This brilliantly even-handed 44-year anthology (1962-2006) shows Dylan as a great songwriter throughout his career, not just when he was ruling a decade.

*** ANTHOLOGY PATH ***
[One of the greatest collections ever assembled -- nothing but classics.]

2007 - Dylan [3-Disc Set]


*** ALBUM PATH ***

*** DECADE 1: UNEQUALED MAGNIFICENCE ***

1963 - The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan / 1964 - The Times They Are A-Changin’ / 1964 - Another Side of Bob Dylan
1965 - Bringing It All Back Home / 1965 - Highway 61 Revisited / 1966 - Blonde on Blonde
1967 - John Wesley Harding / 1969 - Nashville Skyline / The Basement Tapes [Bootleg from the 60s, not released until ‘75]


[The 1960s]

[1st Set of 3 Albums] Unwilling Voice of a Folk Generation
[2nd Set of 3 Albums] Goes Electric / Rock ’n’ Roll
[3rd Set of 3 Albums] Roots / Modern Country-Rock / Fusion of Above 6 Albums

*** DECADE 2 ***
[Still great, just not the king of the world except for when "Blood" reigned.]

1970 - New Morning / 1974 - Before The Flood [Live] / 1975 - Blood on the Tracks
1976 - Desire



*** OVERTLY RELIGIOUS PERIOD ***
[Not quite "The Rainbow Children", but damn good.]

1979 - Slow Train Coming


*** DECADE 3: WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS WITH STILL MORE ANSWERS THAN MOST ***

1985 - Empire Burlesque / 1989 - Oh Mercy


*** DECADE 4: THE DYLAN REVIVAL BEGINS ***

1991 - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1-3 [Rare & Unreleased] / 1997 - Time Out of Mind


*** DECADE 5: BEST MUSICAL PERIOD SINCE MID SEVENTIES ***

2001 - Love and Theft / 2006 - Modern Times


*** CINEMA EXPLAINS ***

2005 - No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (Martin Scorsese) / 2007 - I'm Not There (Todd Haynes)

[Edited 10/31/09 19:54pm]

forkupine said:

That period is regarded as his peak, but in recent years Blood On The Tracks has increasingly come to be seen as his most potent single album, even if that period wasn't as heady and intense as the mid '60s. That's my observation anyway, and like damosuzuki said, it's clearly his "most instantly and easily loveable record."

At the risk of courting controversy I have to say I've never really loved Blonde On Blonde. I love the sound, the attitude, the vibe, but many of the songs just seem like a wind-up to me. Like Dylan didn't care about anything, and was just coming up with wild stuff because he could. And songs that do seem genuine like "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" or "One of us Must Know" just bore me to tears. Whilst I also love much of Highway 61 Revisited (particularly "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" and "Like A Rolling Stone") I really can't stand tracks like "Tombstone Blues". That one seems like a wind-up to me too. Still, great album overall though.
[Edited 3/31/08 7:18am]

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

Avoid nothing. Buy 'em all.

I noticed that Brendan singled out Time Out Of Mind in the "still searching" category.

That was the album where Dylan found his muse again. It's a masterpiece, one of his five greatest albums. Get that after you've bought Blood On The Tracks, Highway 61, Blonde on Blonde and Bringing It All Back Home.


And Slow Train Coming is miles better than Rainbow Children.
[Edited 3/31/08 7:19am]

Shapeshifter said:

"Time Out Of Mind" is great. Every album I've listed I consider an essential piece of his oeuvre.

I only mean "still searching" in terms of his overall releases in the 80s and 90s.

Shapeshifter said:

yes, it is.

Brendan said:

Well, Oh Mercy (1989) was a masterpiece, and both Good As I Been To You and World Gone Wrong were excellent.

I'd actually start with Greatest Hits Vol II, which has his best singles on it and covers a variety of sounds. You can then dig in to the albums based on what version of Dylan you like best.

I recommend any of the Bootleg Series volumes as well,









and I thought the Biograph box set from 1985 (the first by a living artist) was an excellent career overview with some great outtakes as well. They're more expensive but worthwhile and definitely worth considering.



But the easiest way to get into Bob would be to pick up those great 60s albums for very cheap now. Freewheelin' is especially essential for folk/acoustic Bob, some of the greatest songs ever written are on there. He's mind-bendingly great.

damosuzuki said:

Regarding his 60s output, i'd throw in...



...Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits

Reason being it's the only place to get (outside of the single and subsequent comps) the amazing Positively 4th Street.


To me, that song alone makes the record worth the purchase.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Brendan said:

Nice job.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

No doubt.

theAudience said:[quote]

damosuzuki said:

Positively 4th Street is my favorite Dylan song!

You all are a great help!

I was never into him at all, but something about his personality and themes to his music just clicked with me this weekend when I saw the A&E Biography.

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

Rent Martin Scorsese's "No Direction Home" - you'll love it!

I'm starting with the "Dylan" comp that came out late last year.


I've listened to his 3 GH volumes in the past, plus the Essential set that came out a few years ago, but it never really clicked for me.

I'm hoping this more recent comp. will do it for me. I've always been very interested, but never quite got around to really getting into him. The Borders here has a TON of his albums in stock at the moment, for some reason (they never have a TON of ANYTHING in stock at the Kauai Borders), so I'm taking the plunge.

Raze said:

I’ve felt that way about a lot of musical artists.

I'm intrigued and I know myself well enough that I'll probably go wild if I ever really start down that road, but it’s easy to put off the trip, especially with those that are so prolific with such long careers.

Right now I’m slowly (sometimes very slowly) learning Miles Davis and The Rolling Stones. It’s great stuff that I could have been hip to when I was a kid. But there’s so much greatness and so little time.

The thing about that 3-disc “Dylan” collection is that it’s the new place to start.

It used to be that you'd begin with the 3 sets of greatest hits or the amazing “Biograph”, but they’re dated now. Even “Biograph” is 23 years old. And Dylan has written many great songs since, even some great albums that people should be made aware of.

But some hardcore people say, “Yeah, but what does this 3-disc anthology do for me?”.

Nothing, really. Other than offering marvelous insight into one of a handful of the greatest musical artist of the century.

And this collection will speak for Bob Dylan over the next century far better than my or anyone else's "Idiot Wind".

Blood on the Tracks is pretty much all about mooning over someone who's moved on, so - unless that's something you're interested in - you might not relate.

The Bringing It/Highway/Blonde era features a lot of surreal lyrics, so caveat emptor (if that's not your cup o' tea).

My fave's Time Out of Mind. Despite a lot of focus on BOTT-like obsession, I really love "Tryin' to Get to Heaven", "Not Dark Yet" and "Highlands". The last one, in particular, is a masterpiece (IMHO).

Start with Blood on the Tracks - it will give you some insight on great songs about lost love.

Blonde on Blonde is amazing too as are Highway 61, Time Out of Mind, Biograph is an excellent compilation and Live in 1966 is awesome.

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

Ear Plugs.

Graycap23 said:

Now it's your turn to show us how low the quality of your taste can go Gray. Expand your mind and embrace Bob. Real music, for real music lovers!! Bob is the real modern day Mozart!

Empress said:

This man CANNOT sing. Period.

Graycap23 said:

It's not about singing Gray. It's about emotion and lyrics that make one weep, think, feel, love and hate. I've stopped trying to convert people, but those that I have convinced have told me that they are so glad that they know Dylans work now.

Empress said:

I understand that.....but I have 2 feel the music or it's a no go.

Graycap23 said:

Yes, I can completely understand that. I'm the same. I either feel it or I don't. Try Blood on the Tracks and just sit back and listen. You just might change your mind.

Empress said:

I'll give it a shot.