Oooh it's a hard choice but I have to go for Higway 61. It was the first Dylan album I ever listened to and it just blew me away. I remember when i was a kid Bob's outfit on the cover always confused me. It contains the immortal track Like a Rolling Stone, and even though it's a bit of a cliche I still think it's probably his finest piece of song wrinting. Uncut put that song as the single most important in the last century, of course all the other tracks on the album are incredible

"John Wesley Harding". Dylan's return to his acoustic roots after a number of more electric dominated albums, and for my money, features his finest song "All Along The Watchtower". Marvellous.

Ahh i opted not to include that although it is a fine album, that's the problem he's dones so may it's hard to whittle them down. You can see i went for his early period, the transition between acoustic and electric. Blood on the tracks was the only late album I included

Definitely hard to break down such a substantial list and I can imagine 'other' getting a few more votes, but the ones you've included are fairly high on my list. Also, as albums that you can just play through and enjoy I would say there are arguably more superior ones to my choice... but I can't ignore "AATW".

I'll just move this to its natural home in the Music dept.

i like this poll - best dylan studio album? blonde on blonde. but only just. highway 61 was a shocking, exciting adrenaline rush of an album, and 'rolling stone' is possibly the greatest song of all time, but with blonde on blonde dylan took it a step further. more obtuse lyrics, more depth to the music, this was his creative high point.

best dylan album? the bootleg series vol 4 - live 1966 the 'royal albert hall'. punk before punk was punk, this was the sound of dylan taking his music to audiences who didn't want to hear it. first a forty five minute set of acoustic 'protest songs', played to a hushed audience hanging on every word. 'tambourine man' stretched out for nine whirling, spinning minutes, dylan showing just what power a performer can have over an audience.

then forty five minutes of pure energy, anger and attitude. this is the music that dylan wants to play, ripping up the stage, shaking the walls with volume. the crowd boos, slow handclaps, shouts abuse. one lone voice shouts out 'judas!'. there is a pause as if dylan is considering this. 'i don't believe you' he drawls into the microphone. he steps back, thinks again - this has struck a nerve with him, nine months of jeers and catcalls, nine months of being called a sell out, nine months of abuse has lead to this one night. 'you're a liar!' he shouts at the man, at the whole crowd. he turns to the band and we can just hear his shouted instruction - 'play fuckin' loud!' - a stamp of a cuban heel and then the gunshot-rimshot explosion of 'like a rolling stone'. eight minutes later, the lights come up, the national anthem plays and bob is off - off to greenwich, to ride his bike, to disappear.

one of the greatest albums ever.

I bought my Dad that bootleg for christmas and he adores it. Blonde on blonde is exceptional, my favourites on there have to be "Just like a women" and "Visions of Johanna". I love the lyrics in "leopard skin pill box hat" though, thats the thing with Dylan, it's not like he's hung up on women it's more like "I can't believe I used to fancy you", ace. A friend also recomennded the 1964 bootleg, he said Dylan just sounded alot happier on it

happier / stoned / pissed on red wine, its all the same i guess.

yeah, its a great album, but he's playing to a crowd that love him and his songs. in '66 there were people who had just come to boo him - and its that sense of conflict, the artist literally fighting with the crowd, playing music that he believes in, that makes it a stone cold bona fide classic.

Tough choice but I'd have to go for Blood on the Tracks, it was the first album I listened to in full, apart from a Best Of that my dad had accidentally bougt two copies of, and it is a staggeringly brilliant album. Great songwriting and, for me, the strongest music he produced in his electric period.

Although it really is difficult to choose between some of his geatest works, on another day I'd probably say Highway 61 or Blonde on Blonde or Desire.

And I'm glad you did. Fan-fucking-tastic.



I really need to get hold of that. I have The Bootleg Series 1-3 boxset thingy, and that's fab, but the '66 concert was an iconic event and I'd very much like to hear it.

I went for Blood On The Tracks also. It' just such a flawlessly good album. It features two of my favourite songs of all time - You're Gonna Make me Lonesome When you Go and Tangled Up In Blue, and there is just not a bad song there. Between the modest, tender tones of Shelter From The Storm and the sprawling, lyrically amazing story of Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, this is Dylan at the peak of his songwriting resurgence after having lost some of that 'touch' over the electronic period. Here, we see him go back to his folk roots; he writes songs about average Joes going through tough times and couples in turmoil:

And he was standing on the side of the road,
rain falling on his shoes.
Heading out for the old East coast
Lord knows he's paid some dues

It really is a testament to Dylan's talent that almost everyone will have a different track to be their chosen favourite form this album. Personally, I find it hard to choose between Tangled Up In Blue and You're Gonna Make me Lonesome When you Go. Whereas the former showcases the romantic side of Dylan's powerful songwriting skill, the latter is one of the all time greats. It is a quicker, perkier track and carries the same Dylanesque flair, but I don't feel it shows the raw emotion that Tangled Up In Blue does; it is one of the greatest songs every written, never mind just by Bob, and it's use of overlapping lines and pronounciation is akin to folklore. They are both, however, exquisite songs.

I think that Blood on the Tracks is just one of those albums everyone needs to own - I must admit to not owning a hard copy, but it'll be the next thing I buy (aswell as these other albums) - it is as ingenious as it is meaningful, and just elevates you to a state of euphoria when it is at its best. Brilliance.

ED: Just got it off Play. £7.99 for the best written album ever? Bargain.

There are too many classic albums to own, everyone should own the entire beatles back catalogue but its just too much cash

nice review, hobbesey.



yup, and i'd go for buckets of rain.

Thanks, your Bootleg series 4 review was fabbo aswell. It's a great album and I wanted to do it some justice. Plus this topic could potentially up my ranking in the Spaced Out Cool Index, so I thought I'd make the effort and do a long post, which is pretty rare for me if I'm honest.

There's something so comfortingly macho about this thread.

Boys discussing Dylan, there's just something about it. It would be improved if you were all sat around drinking, smoking and occasionally stroking your chins.

*strokes chin*

I have a soft spot for Dylan's Love & Theft. I know it's not really looked as one of his all-time classics, I loved it - and loved the fact that he could release such a kick-ass album so late in his career. It's an impeccable album - and his voice had improved immeasurably from three albums ago.

*sips Southern Comfort*

This is impossible for me. I'm gonna have to have to relisten to all the albums first. I'm pretty sure it will be between Freewheelin and Blood on the Tracks though.

My fav tracks are Boots of Spanish Leather and Maggie's Farm.

I like everything else but these 2 get me good.

-m0r

inspired by my gran's current run of ill health, i have been listening through mr dylan's catalogue, having never really dipped in to it in a serious way before...

as for me gran, she's 102, but an ardent dylan fan, whose mates took the piss out of her when she declared her appreciation of a young bob when she was in her fifties, pouring scorn on their mocking and declaring that "one day this man's words will be taught in schools as poetry"... bless her, she's a wonderful woman.

any how, i've been listening to them in order, giving each one a couple of listens and i'm up to 'john wesley harding'...

so far, the only downside has been 'blonde on blonde', which is almost all dreadful, over-blown guff... a real shame...

anyhow, i shall continue my foray... bring on 'nashville skyline'...

Not even 'Leopard-Skin Pill-box Hat'? I love that track. I can't say I'm a big fan of 'Nashville', it's just a bit too country for my liking.