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Post by B.E. on Jan 20, 2021 2:33:08 GMT
Album of the month? Shot of Love. No question. I love the energy. I love the attitude. And, it ROCKS! "In The Summertime" and "Every Grain of Sand" are touching ballads, but it's the rockers that keep me coming back for more. Dylan was in rare form. And, fortunately, the production ain't bad. (A few years later, the album could have been ruined.) Anyway, "Shot Of Love" is a helluva opener. It's really grown on me. Then there's "The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar", "Dead Man Dead Man", "Trouble", and "Property Of Jesus". I like the attitude of the latter probably more than I should, but I dig all those tracks. "Heart Of Mine" and "Watered-Down Love" are more pop, but just as lively. The only "miss" for me is "Lenny Bruce". I very rarely skip tracks, but I skip that one nearly every time. It's not what I want out of the album, and it's just not a very good song (nor am I interested in Lenny Bruce). Overall, the performances and lyrics are good-to-great. It's a fun, ass-kicking album. And Dylan, despite his deteriorating voice, really sings well.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 25, 2021 20:59:04 GMT
I've got Blonde on Blonde playing, and I need to mention (especially since I don't recall mentioning it while I was going through every album), but the piano on "One of Us Must Know" is FANTASTIC. And if I didn't mention it before--which, as I said, I don't recall doing, and so I assume I didn't--shame on me.
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Post by B.E. on Feb 28, 2021 17:01:05 GMT
I've got Blonde on Blonde playing, and I need to mention (especially since I don't recall mentioning it while I was going through every album), but the piano on "One of Us Must Know" is FANTASTIC. And if I didn't mention it before--which, as I said, I don't recall doing, and so I assume I didn't--shame on me. Ya know, when I think of Dylan's influence on Bruce Springsteen, the first thing I think of is his first two albums, but that piano build-up reminds me very strongly of Born To Run-era Bruce.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 28, 2021 17:02:41 GMT
That makes sense: it's very dramatic, an epic feeling that of course the E Street Band (and Roy Bittan, I suppose specifically) excelled with.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 12, 2021 18:19:25 GMT
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 12, 2021 19:06:22 GMT
Actually not!
"To determine the best Bob Dylan albums of all time, Stacker analyzed data from Best Ever Albums (last updated March 2021), where overall rank is determined by calculating the aggregate position of each album from more than 38,000 different top albums charts. The 38,000 charts referenced are a blend of publications' charts (e.g. Rolling Stone, New Music Express, Stereogum, The Quietus) and people's personal charts."
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Post by Kapitan on May 18, 2021 16:12:04 GMT
Music critic Steven Hyden did a ranking of all of Bob Dylan's albums. There are some really surprising placements, in my opinion. Street Legal #10 is surprising to me, as is John Wesley Harding above the likes of Highway 61 Revisited and Bringing It All Back Home.
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Post by Kapitan on May 18, 2021 18:51:59 GMT
Having initially just scanned that list for the rankings, now I've been reading it. Really cool thoughts here, written in the Self Portrait description. I suspect many of us can relate to these ideas, whether with Dylan, Beach Boys/Brian Wilson, or other acts.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 19, 2021 11:26:17 GMT
Music critic Steven Hyden did a ranking of all of Bob Dylan's albums. There are some really surprising placements, in my opinion. Street Legal #10 is surprising to me, as is John Wesley Harding above the likes of Highway 61 Revisited and Bringing It All Back Home.
I started out agreeing mostly with the rankings, but I think Under The Red Sky should be higher than #34. Then I was going along, mostly agreeing again, but I thought Empire Burlesque should be higher than #26. Modern Times has grown on me and I would rank it higher than #22. Not a fan of Planet Waves at #19. I think Rough And Rowdy Ways at #17 is vastly overrated. Slow Train Coming at #16? I don't think Street Legal should be in the Top Ten. And, finally, John Wesley Harding at #3 is the biggest one that I disagree with. It's probably just me because I know this album is loved by Dylan fans, but I don't hear its greatness. I can live with Blonde On Blonde at #1 though I would not have placed it there. Top 5, yes. #1, no.
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Post by Kapitan on May 19, 2021 12:17:40 GMT
There is a lot I'd disagree with if I really got into it. But several you mentioned, I agree with your takes. (But not Under the Red Sky or Empire Burlesque, neither of which do I like.)
Then again it's hard to imagine any two lists would be all that similar: there is so much to consider, so many different ways to approach it, and with all the varieties of music so many possibilities for individual taste. But Street Legal at 10 baffles me. It would be closer to the worst 10 than the best 10 in my list.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 19, 2021 19:48:37 GMT
Dylan surfaces in California:
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Post by Kapitan on May 19, 2021 19:52:35 GMT
Dylan surfaces in California:
How miserable a culture do we live in, though, that there are people who stalk and photograph people just for doing what people do. "Bob Dylan runs errands! He's got a ring on! He's wearing a SHIRT!"
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Post by Kapitan on May 20, 2021 12:26:03 GMT
A writer/producer for the Daily Show shared a collage he did of Dylan album covers, best to worst. (Pre-Rough & Rowdy Ways) Thoughts?
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 20, 2021 17:20:48 GMT
As I look at that Dylan album cover collage, I think Bob's covers have been pretty good overall. There's a few doozies sprinkled in there, I guess when he was trying to be too cute.
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Post by Kapitan on May 20, 2021 19:58:31 GMT
He has had better album covers than most people with such a big catalogue, hasn't he? Only a few real clunkers.
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