Dylan’s “bad” albums: worth getting?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by beatlesfan9091, Jun 14, 2019.

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  1. GubGub

    GubGub Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sussex
    You will get a million different opinions on this as with everything about Dylan. My own view is:
    Dylan - I have always liked this. Yes it is outtakes and cover versions but some of them are splendid, Lily of the West in particular.
    Shot of Love is mostly great
    Empire Burlesque's problem is the production and arrangements. Several of the songs are terrific but undermined by those factors
    Saved rocks and is performed with passion. It all depends on your tolerance for the subject matter.
    World Gone Wrong is a collection of trad folk songs played with sincerity. It is a very good album if that is what you like. Once again it is all about personal taste.
    Knocked, Down & Sky are all pretty shoddy for the most part but they all have at least two songs that are worth owning.
    Nothing wrong with Pat Garrett but it is mostly an album of incidental music for the film not not an especially satisfying listen as an album. Buy the movie instead and hear it all in context.
    I am not fond of the Sinatra albums
     
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  2. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    I actually think Shot of Love is 90% religious. In some ways the whole album taking it's jumping off point 1 Corinthians 13, ("Watered-Down Love" is basically a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 or so). It's an album about love in the religious and biblical sense, its an album out trying to hold on to one's faith in moments of temptation and disappointment. It's an album about clinging to the moments of direct revelation ("In the Summertime") and finding peace in faith ("onward in my journey I come to understand that every hair is numbered like every grain of sand"). The album's secular moments are relatively few. "Lenny Bruce," principally. Maybe "Heart of Mine," though I'm not sure there's not a religious meaning in that in the context of the theme that overarches the whole album. "Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar" -- honestly, has exciting as that song is, and I love listening to it -- I'm not exactly sure what it's about!
     
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  3. GubGub

    GubGub Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sussex
    I think that is true but I also think what the album does cleverly (in response to reactions to the previous two records?) is express its religious themes mostly in language that is more comfortable for a secular audience. There is greater ambiguity in the writing which allows secular audiences to interpret some of the songs to their own satisfaction. In The Summertime (which is a song I love) for example can easily be heard as a love song if that is what the listener wants but it is clearly a song about being in the presence of God.
     
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  4. Minstrel Boy

    Minstrel Boy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    Actually, really good:
    Saved
    Shot of Love
    World Gone Wrong

    Not great, but I love listening to them anyway:
    Dylan (1973)
    Down in the Groove

    Not bad, don't listen to it much anymore:
    Under the Red Sky

    Best left to the '80s:
    Empire Burlesque
    Knocked Out Loaded

    Could do without:
    Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
    Shadows in the Night
    Fallen Angels
     
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  5. arthurprecarious

    arthurprecarious Forum Resident

    Location:
    North East England
    Undoubtedly the worst self written song Dylan ever recorded.
     
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  6. coniferouspine

    coniferouspine Forum Resident

    "World Gone Wrong" is fantastic, and it took my appreciation of Dylan to new places. But reading his liner notes about the songs, are what make it really tick. You will learn a lot about him and his entire career/life, simply by listening to the songs and reading his descriptions of the songs in the booklet. The same way that the liner notes are essential to the listener "getting" Bringing It All Back Home.
     
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  7. steviej

    steviej Forum Resident

    Location:
    Calgary, AB
    I was once in a similar situation. Having such a huge discography, it's tough to figure out where to go next after getting the classics when diving into Bob Dylan.

    This is where the Complete Albums Collection boxset from a few years ago comes in. Considering how much music is in there, it's not expensive by any means. It's a much cheaper option than picking up each album individually, even used.

    With that said, I did find the early '70s stretch of the collection tough to get through when I was listening chronologically. The mid 80s albums were almost unbearable.

    But I'm sure as this thread goes on, people will convince you that every album is a masterpiece.
     
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  8. Musicisthebest

    Musicisthebest Exiled Yorkshireman

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    I really like Saved & Shot Of Love. For me the entry point for enjoying these albums was hearing Bob sing gospel live ie The Trouble No More box set.

    I'll have to listen to Empire Burlesque again seeing how so many here rate it but I've always been put off by the 80s production.
     
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  9. Sear

    Sear Dad rocker

    Location:
    Tarragona (Spain)
    You guys are too generous with your favorite artists
     
  10. MPLRecords

    MPLRecords Owner of eleven copies of Tug of War

    Location:
    Lake Ontario
    Do any Dylan albums in full feature the quality of his voice on "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"? Start there.
     
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  11. danielkov86

    danielkov86 Playing Devil's Avocado Since 1986

    *Unpopular opinion alert*

    Other than Blood On The Tracks, I think every post-60s Dylan album blows.
     
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  12. beatlesfan9091

    beatlesfan9091 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle
    I do love Trouble No More and Slow Train Coming, so I imagine I’ll find stuff in enjoy on his other two Christian albums.
     
  13. beatlesfan9091

    beatlesfan9091 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle
    I’ve got some time today to kill so I’ll use that time to stream some of these on Apple Music. Usually I prefer buying music “blind” but given the poor reputation of these albums I think I’ll make an exception.
     
  14. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
    Yes, slight but fun. Knocking on Heavens Door, Billy and some decent instrumentals.

    Dylan (1973)
    Yes. Very listenable covers! Several highlights and some real oddities, like Big Yellow Taxi.

    Saved
    Yes. Passionate gospel, and you don't have to be a believer to enjoy Dylan's own conviction.

    Shot of Love
    Yes. Every Grain Of Sand is a big notch better than the rest, but very enjoyable aside from Trouble and a few other dirges.

    Empire Burlesque
    Yes. Good songs, absolutely awful 80s synth production.

    Knocked Out Loaded
    Maybe. There's a fun track with Tom Petty, and Under Your Spell is excellent. Brownsville Girl is an OK song badly produced.

    Down in the Groove
    Yes. Solid covers, very enjoyable.

    Under the Red Sky
    Yes. Really good and great production. If you're not OCD about Dylan lyrics having to be serious.

    World Gone Wrong
    Yes. Not essential but enjoyable.

    Shadows in the Night
    No!

    Fallen Angels
    No......!

    Triplicate
    NO. Stop it with the Sinatra mania.
     
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  15. ranasakawa

    ranasakawa Forum Resident

    Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is one of my favorite Bob Dylan albums. The acoustic guitar playing is superb.
     
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  16. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I enjoy the wordplay. Night After Night is far worse.
     
  17. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    I think its a little less about convincing each album is a masterpiece, than convincing that there is value in each of Dylan's albums (except the "Murder Sinatra" series) and simply don't take general opinion as gospel that its unlikable.
     
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  18. willwin

    willwin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - 6/10
    Dylan (1973) - 5.5/10
    Saved - 6/10
    Shot of Love - 7.5/10
    Empire Burlesque - 7.5/10
    Knocked Out Loaded - 7/10
    Down in the Groove - 6.5/10
    Under the Red Sky - 8/10
    World Gone Wrong - 8.5/10
    Shadows in the Night - 7/10
    Fallen Angels - 7/10

    You could safely avoid Billy, Dylan, Saved, Groove, but there are pleasant surprises on all the other albums
     
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  19. MRamble

    MRamble Forum Resident


    That is strange, yes.

    Albums as a whole aside, there isn't even one song you enjoy from anything post Blood On The Tracks?
     
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  20. ALAN SICHERMAN

    ALAN SICHERMAN Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH
    Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid.
     
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  21. willwin

    willwin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    I've always liked it. Actually, I have a soft spot for that horrible album: a poor man's Self Portrait
     
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  22. willwin

    willwin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    But it swept the nation as a dance craze in 1990 :)
     
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  23. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    Streaming albums with questionable reputations has saved me a lot of money!
     
  24. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Personally I think Dylan became real good with John Wesley Harding and onwards, I think that's more unpopular.
     
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  25. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Add Self Portrait to your list.
     
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