Poll--The Weakest Link: Bob Dylan TIME OUT OF MIND, Round 1

Bob Dylan's 1997 Grammy winning album gets the Weakest Link treatment. Choose two of these songs as weak links.

Discussion question: When did you first hear TOOM? What did you think of it then?

JcS

 

Dirt Road Blues, Can't Wait. 1997, masterpiece

 

Dirt Road
Highlands

Bought it day of release. Not the biggest Bob fan but adore this album. Its my favorite Dylan album.

 

DQ: I think this is the first Dylan album I bought within a year of its release. I wasn't a fan until the mid-90's. My initial impression was that it was a fantastic album that was worthy of every accolade I read about it.

JcS

 

"Dirt Road Blues" and "Make You Feel My Love"

DQ: 1997 as a new release. I loved it from 1st listen. Thought easily his best since Oh Mercy, and still one of my favorite Dylan album. (I guess I answered tomorrow's DQ).

 

Dirt Road Blues and Make You Feel My Love.

Bought it the day of release and loved it right away.

 

bought it in 2000 after hearing the song from "wonderboys" (which unfortunately isn't included) ... rate it as his best since "desire"... and i don't understand the hype for "love and theft"

 

Dirt Road and Make You Feel My Love.

First heard Trying to Get to Heaven and It's Not Dark Yet down the phone on John Bauldie's Dylan hotline--he was the editor of the famous fanzine, The Telegraph.

I thought it was okay and still think it is okay--but always felt like it was trying too hard to sound like what Dylan might be expected to sound like, without the lyrical depth.

 

I bought this at a Caldor's going out of business sale in 1998... I had only heard the 60s dylan at this point, and wow what a shock. It never left the steady rotation though.

Voted Dirt Road Blues, just because.

 

Well maybe Dirt road is the relatively weak track. Make you feel my love has become a modern standard and-imo-is a brilliant song containing one of Bobs more memorable melodies. The general mood of that song might not fit the overall vibes on the album but still a great tune.
All in all I consider Time out of mind a masterpiece. First time I heard it-in a record store-I was completely mezmerised. Trying to get to heaven, It s not dark yet and Love Sick are vintage stuff. Just a few weeks ago I witnessed Dylan doin killer versions of Love sick and not least Trying to get to heaven live.So these songs certanely lives on.
When one thinks of some left outs like The girl from the red river shore and Mississippi this period certanely was one of Dylan's creative highs.
Great stuff

 

This is going to be a tough one. Make You Feel My Love and Trying To Get To Heaven. Still not sure.

DQ: When in came out in 1997. Thought it was great, still do.

 

I picked it up sometime shortly after it came out, must have been 97 or early 98.

I remember hearing 'Cold Irons Bound' and 'Love Sick,' maybe on the radio, before or just about the time it was released, and picked it up on that basis.

I think its reminiscent of his best work, but not in that echelon.

Until tonight, I hadn't played it all the way through in about 18 years.

I voted for Not Dark Yet and Dirt Road Blues.

 

I could only pick Dirt Road Blues... This album is such a masterpiece, it hit me deep back then.

 

The day it came out in Germany just before a trip back home to the UK which is where I heard it at a friend's house. Skipped the first track after thirty seconds and then really loved 'Dirt Road Blues', it's still my favourite on the album. I haven't played any Dylan in about 9 months, but that track I wouldn't skip.
The truly shallow tracks apart from Lovesick are Till I fell and Make me feel at least he's spent more than five minutes writing the others

 

Till I can't wait

 

Dirt Road Blues to be vanquished to the Highlands.

First heard it in 98, loved it.

Just adore Standing In The Doorway, Not Dark Yet, Tryin' To Get To Heaven and Love Sick. Really enjoyed various live performances of Till I Fell In Love With Yoy, Cold Irons Bound, Can't Wait and Make You Feel My Love. The latter was given its, arguably, best rendition ever here in Sydney 17 February 2003.

 

On week of release when I bought it. I thought it was outstanding, a real return to form.

 

Make You Feel My Love is probably the best known song now, because of Adele's lovely cover on "21". I wonder how many of her millions of fans realise it's a Dylan song ?

 

I don't have go write my own responses, since this is pretty much exactly what I'd say.

 

I noticed what you said and when I looked at the results, there wasn't a vote for "Not Dark Yet" recorded.

JcS

 

'Dirt Road Blues' and 'Highlands'

Bought this on the day of release here in the UK. Love this album.

I think it contains some of Dylan's finest work. The latter stages of this poll will be very difficult.

Best Wishes,
David

 

"Dirt Road Blues" and "Make You Feel My Love"

I find the first to be a bit too generic when compared to other (terrific) material on the album. The second, to me, sounds like a song that 10,000 different songwriters could have written. That gets you voted off the island when you're competing against songs like "Not Dark Yet" that maybe 5 people on the planet could have written (Leonard could have, if he was still here).

I first heard this album in the wee morning hours of August 18, 1997. At Dylan's Jones Beach concert on Sunday the 17th, a friend said "I've got something for you" and slipped a DAT into my palm. The album was still 6 weeks from release. I was never more anxious for a Dylan concert to end so I could get home and listen to the tape that was burning a hole in my pocket. We were 7 years removed from the last album of Dylan originals, and less than 3 months removed from Dylan canceling a European NET leg after he almost went to see Elvis with a lung infection. For both of those reasons, we thought we might never get another album of original Dylan songs. For the next 6 months, I don't think I listened to much else, except for the live show tapes that kept pouring through the mail slot, loaded with "TOOM" songs. So yeah, I kind of liked it.

 

IIRC, a friend got a low-fi advance copy a week or two before release. Liked it a LOT (well, everything except "Make You Feel My Love"), but wondered what the hell was wrong with Bob's voice. Figured it would sound better on the official CD. Wrong!

 

Among my top 3 Dylan albums ever

 

This.