Let’s have an AW poll – your best Dylan songs. Usual rules apply – choose five, ranked so that number one gets five points down to last which gets one. The bar drops Sunday night so I’ll do the five bar gates on Monday and publish the too songs, albums etc. Then “Like a Rolling Stone” wins. Or will it…..
Your best Dylan songs?
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Probably the same as everyone else’s.
1. Bunkhouse Theme
2. Jokerman
3. Lay Lady Lay
4. Love Sick
5. Dark Eyes
This will be completely different tomorrow (probably in an hour) but as I sit here it’s;
1 Mississippi
2 You’re a Big Girl Now
3 One of Us Must Know
4 Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
5 Oh Sister
“This will be completely different tomorrow (probably in an hour)”
Why do people [i]always[/i] make this disclaimer when asked to list their favourite tracks?
Have the courage of your convictions.
Roy Plomley would be turning in his makeshift shallow grave of sand.
1. Something obscure
2. Something really obvious off one the the first three electric albums
3. Something post Time Out of Mind
4. Something off one of the Christian albums which will leave people thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding”
5. Must Be Santa
Must Be Santa is a BIG tune.
BIG tune indeed. Here’s the version Dylan borrowed the arrangement from.
The fact he simply lifted the classic arrangement wholesale is what makes MBS.
It’s as if he’s had one sherry too many on Christmas Day and been harassed by his grandchildren into an ill-advised (and slightly over-enthusiastic, as it turns out) round of karaoke.
Love it.
I cannot WAIT to get to the Christmas album, I hear (apart from MBS) it’s TERRIBLE. Brilliant.
Apart from MBS it is truly awful. I force the family to listen to it several times over every Christmas, but to be honest, my heart isn’t really in it.
(Although I do like Here Comes Santa Claus. Oh, and Christmas Island. It may well get an airing again this year after all).
Love Minus Zero
Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
I Want You
Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
Not Dark Yet
Tangled up in blue
Hurricane
Subterranean homesick blues
Lay lady Lay
Like a rolling stone
1. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
2. It’s All Over Now Baby Blue
3. Brownsville Girl
4. Desolation Row
5. Tangled Up In Blue
I thought this would be impossibly difficult, but it really wasn’t. Bearing in mind I’m only up to 1979:
1. Visions of Johanna.
2. Stuck Inside of Mobile……
3. You’re a Big Girl Now.
4. Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat).
5. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below).
Bonus ball: Just Like a Woman (Budokan version).
1. Tangled Up In Blue
2. Isis
3. Ballad Of A Thin Man
4. Like A Rolling Stone
5. Boots Of Spanish Leather
[1] Sara
[2] One Of Us Must Know
[3] To Ramona
[4] Visions Of Johanna
[5] It Ain’t Me, Babe
1) Tangled Up In Blue
2) Desolation Row
3) Like A Rolling Stone
4) Not Dark Yet
5) Idiot Wind
1. Girl From The North Country
2. Percy’s Song
3. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
4. Farewell Angelina
5. Ballad In Plain D
Optional 6th – Masters Of War
Apart from “Wiggle Wiggle” and “Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum”, it’s:
1. ‘Cross The Green Mountain
2. Red River Shore
3. Workingman’s Blues No.2
4. This Dream Of You
5. Desolation Row
Nice list Fatima
1. Visions of Johanna
2. Ballad in Plain D
3. Mr Tambourine Man
4. Stuck inside of Mobile
5. When the Ship Comes In
1. Idiot Wind
2. Absolutely Sweet Marie
3. Senor
4. I Threw It All Away
5. Queen Jane Approximately
1. Like A Rolling Stone
2. Hard Rain
3. Tangled Up in Blue
4. Mr Tambourine Man
5. Up to Me
1. Like A Rolling Stone
2. It’s Alright Ma
3. Desolation Row
4. Visions Of Johanna
5. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
Hardcore, huh?
1 I Want You
2 Like A Rolling Stone
3 Just Like A Woman
4 Sara
5 Desolation Row
I’m with Frank Zappa on No 1
1. Subterranean Homesick Blues
then for me
2. Mr Tambo Man
3. Won’t you Please Crawl Out Your Window
4. It Ain’t Me Babe
5. Beyond The Horizon
That’s OTTOMH and in 5 minutes it will be different but that’s it for now
1. Subterranean Homesick Blues
2. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
3. I Threw It All Away
4. Bob’s 115th Dream
5. It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
1 – Like a Rolling Stone
2 – I Want You
3 – Subterranean Homesick Blues
4 – Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
5 – Things Have Changed
That was really difficult, as I have around 20 that could be in my top 5.
1 Visions of Joanna
2 Blind Willie McTell
3 Tangled Up In Blue
4 Changing Of The Guard
5 Positively 4th Street
Not his best necessarily, or greatest, or most significant, just my favourites. The ones I play most often.
1. She Belongs To Me
2. Sweetheart Like You
3. SimpleTwist Of Fate
4. Absolutely Sweet Marie
5. Queen Jane Approximately
Boring and predictable plastic fan’s choice:
1. Tangled Up in Blue
2. Mr. Tambourine Man
3. Like a Rolling Stone
4. Just Like a Woman
4. Lay Lady Lay
and…Subterranean Homesick Blues.
1. Like a Rolling Stone (What can I say – its wondrous so its going to win).
2. Im not There
3. Simple Twist of Fate
4. Ballad of a thin man
5. I dont believe you (1966 bootleg series version)
I’d be different tomorrow natch
1. Like A Rolling Stone
2. One Of Us Must Know
3. Visions Of Johanna
4. It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding
5. Love Minus Zero
Only 5? Heartless!
Sorry just can’t do it.
Re the Xmas albums Ian Bell notes that polka was very popular in Hibbing when he was a lad and he has been basking in music of his earlier years for some time now ,so those songs,like the overtly religious stuff is , upon reflection , not that weird after all.
Changed my mind
Top of the head
Love minus zero
I pity the poor immigrant
Pressing On
Jokerman
Where Are You Tonight
Now can I have another 50?
1. Like A Rolling Stone
2. Positively 4th Street
3. Blind Willie McTell
4. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
5. Just Like A Woman
1. Queen Jane Approximately
2. You’re A Big Girl Now
3, I Threw It All Away (Hard Rain version)
4. As I Walked Out One Morning
5.Mr. Tambourine Man
hard rain version – oh yes
possibly isis and shelter also
1. Visions Of Johanna
2. It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding
3. Mississippi
4. Blind Willie McTell
5. Wicked Messenger
5 when it could easily be 50, how many other artists could you say that about.
1. Absolutely Sweet Marie
2. Positively 4th Street
3. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
4. Tangled Up In Blue
5. Romance In Durango
Like A Rolling Stone
Tangled Up In Blue
Positively 4th Street
Knockin’ On Heavens Door
Most Of The Time
Number 1 is Like A Rolling Stone (surely no right thinking person would argue?) – this poll is merely to discover the runners-up positions
This hour it’s;
Like a Rolling Stone
Don’t think twice it’s alright
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol
Only a pawn in their game
Idiot Wind
Positively Fourth Street
Tangled Up In Blue
Blind Willie McTell
Simple Twist of Fate
Black Diamond Bay
Can I have Rainy day women#12&35 as well as Knocking on heavens door.
That’s 7 in total – Sue me.
Hoping nobody notices this is my second (different) entry…
Blind Willie McTell
Hezekiah Jones
Fourth Time Around
Absolutely Sweet Marie
All Along The Watchtower
1. Tangled up in Blue
2. Every Grain of Sand
3. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
4. Tombstone Blues
5. Forever Young
I’m Not There (1956)
Red River Shore
Caribbean Wind
Tangled Up In Blue
Nobody ‘Cept You (live version – Chicago 1974)
I used to play I’m Not There every night before I went to bed. My desert island disc.
for me at this moment
Seven Curses
Dusty Old Fairgrounds
Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
When I Paint my Masterpiece
Angelina
1. Tangled up in blue
2. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
3. I threw it all away
4. High Water
5 Positively 4th Street
possibly
(Like a) Rolling Stone
Not Dark Yet
Lily, Rosemary & theJack of Hearts
Spirit on the Water
Is Your Love in Vain?
1. Desolation Row
2. Hurricane
3. Not Dark Yet
4. Knocking on Heavens Door
5. Blind Willie McTell
Bit obvious I suppose
1. Subterranean Homesick Blues
2. Blind Willie McTell
3. All Along the Watchtower
4. Maggie’s Farm
5. Highway 61 Revisited
I did a quick ‘short’ list and had 30 I could genuinely choose. its impossible, but here goes
1. Visions of Johanna
2. Idiot Wind
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4 Hard Rain’s a-going to Fall
5. If You See Her Say Hello
1. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
2. Mr Tambourine Man
3. It’s Alright Ma (I’m only Bleeding)
4. Shelter from the Storm
5. When the Ship Comes In (live from No Direction Home sound track)
Not one single other vote for my number 1 (‘Bunkhouse Theme’ from Pat Garrett)? Peeps, go back and listen. It’s one of the finest ‘stoned-at-a-stunning-beach’ songs, like, evah. Dylan’s a bit shite, for sure, but that is one gorgeous choon.
I said on some other thread, it reminds me of the film Big Wednesday a lot, for some reason. The Mexico scenes, iirc.
‘Main Theme’ is pretty sumptuous too.
Can we talk about Big Wednesday?
Now THAT’s a movie. I have the poster hanging in my office and it makes me happy every time I lay eyes on it.
Bob Dylan was always crap at surfing, mind.
Yes, Bingy! Finally we agree big on a fillum!
Surfin’, friendship and aging – three themes close to my heart. Apart from surfin’. Heartbreaking to see what has become of Jan Michael Vincent in real life.
One of the greatest movies ever made. John Milius really knew what he was doing.
You should look into surfing. It’s the source, man. Can change your life. Swear to god.
At the risk of sounding silly, when I swim (which is a lot) I kinda identify with surfers (maybe cos I’m often equally as stoned) and coming back in I sort of ‘catch the wave’ much as they do going out. It’s a wonderful feeling. But, no, I don’t feel the need to put a board between me and the sea.
That doesn’t sound silly at all: catching a wave is catching a wave, it’s all just different levels of the same buzz.
It’s waaaay better on a board though.
1. Eve Of Destruction
2. I Got You Babe
3. If I Had A Hammer
4. Norwegian Wood
5. Catch The Wind
Oh alright
1. Desolation Row
2. Ballad Of A Thin Man
3. Lily, Rosemary & The Jack Of Hearts
4. Highway 61 Revisited
5. Thunder On The Mountain
My son asked me to post his top 5 Zimmie toons;
1) When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky
2) Lily, Rosemary and the Jack Of Hearts
3) Blind Willie McTell
4) Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
5) Queen Jane Approximately
The wife and my nephew are still working on their`s.
1. She Belongs to Me
2. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
3. Like a Rolling Stone
4. Desolation Row
5. Sara
1 Like A Rolling Stone
2 I Want You
3 If Not For You
4 Lay Lady Lay
5 All Along The Watchtower
spotify:user:1230933556:playlist:5hAOY4XxzWUOkhHr4dtsRz
Does this work? My first spotify list.
There seems to be a few missing on Spotify (no “tree with roots” basement tapes. No greatest hits so no No Positively 4th Street or Crawl out your window.)
Also shows an unexpected love for Desire.
1. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
2. Visions Of Johanna
3. As I Walked Out One Morning
4. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
5. Tangled Up In Blue
That’s a lot of blue, right there
My dog, Spot, wants to join in
It Isn’t me Babe
Oxford Town
Hezekiah Jones
Spanish Harlem
Ballad in Plain D
As you can see Spot is an Early Dylan dog
My play count says:
1. The Man In Me
2. Shelter from the Storm
3. Buckets of Rain
4. It ain’t me ‘Babe
5. You’re going to make me lonesome when you go
The Man in Me – oh, good call.
As you can also see the lack of an edit function coupled with auto-correct shite really pisses Spot off
I just assumed he was a stickler for grammar. Always good to see in a dog
Another 5 (for a friend……..)*
1 – Moonshiner
2 – It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
3 – If Not For You
4 – Shelter From The Storm
5 – Duquesne Whistle
*ok, not really, but this could quite easily be 50!
My best of Bob Dylan playlist is 57 tracks and I whittled that down a lot!!
I’m going to say most of Blood On The Tracks. I prefer the stuff that sounds personal, even if it is a trick (hence Low, Young Americans and Hunky Dory being my top three Bowie). I’m a sucker for a melody and Blood On The Tracks is stuffed with them. I exclude Lily, Rosemary ect because I don’t understand it and it isn’t the best tune. Replace it with the outtake on Biograph, Up To Me, and I’m happy.
My biggest disappointments of the year so far have been the absence of 40th anniversary reissues of Blood On The Tracks and Young Americans. An official release of the New York ecetates would be marvellous. I prefer the intimacy of those versions, where Dylan is backed by acoustic guitars, his harmonica and Tony Brown’s warm, chocolatey bass. Idiot Wind is the best example. It is slower and Dylan takes the sting out of his voice. He almost sounds as though he is having a gentle conversation whilst strumming a guitar, rather than heaping approprium on all and sundry (or someone in particular).
A missed opportunity, I feel.
1. Simple Twist Of Fate
2. If You See Her, Say Hello
3. Tangled Up In Blue
4. You’re A Big Girl Now
5. Up To Me
6. Idiot Wind
7. Shelter From The Storm
8. You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
9. Buckets Of Rain
10. Meet Me In The Morning
Now. Come on Bowie/Visconti and a comprehensive Young Americans overflowing with outtakes!
I love Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts – it is different from the rest of the album both in sound and lyrics, as a third person narrative, but I think its one of his very best story-telling songs. Can’t imagine the album without it.
I absolutely agree. It is a great, great story song.
I’ve tried putting together a New York version both legally and otherwise. Bootleg Series 1-3 (available extremely cheaply, @minibreakfast) & Biograph are the best sources. I find the New York versions mesmerising. The other one that doesn’t fit is Meet Me In The Morning, which was recorded very early in New York with a full band, drums and all. He soon abandoned the band except for Tony Price. My New York Blood On The Tracks excludes both those songs but includes Up To Me, one of his greatest outtakes in my view, a paen to a lost friend that fits perfectly.
Paean.
Paean in the bum to spell.
@tiggerlion I put a few of the series on my amazon wishlist earlier in the year, hoping to get perhaps a couple for my birthday in the autumn. I’ve already caved and bought Live ’75 myself, and my mum sneakily got me Another Self Portrait a few weeks ago. Half an hour ago the postman brought me Live ’66 – she’s been on my wishlist again!
I agree with almost everything you say Tigs re Blood on the Tracks but I still disapprove of you messing around with albums – no idea why I disapprove but I do.
I understand your viewpoint, hen. However, after forty plus years, I have an urge to ‘freshen’ things up. I’m sure Bob (or David or Marc or The Beatles or The Stones) don’t mind because it keeps me listening.
Absolutely agree with you but I still “disapprove”. My therapy is going well…
You absolutely should get series 1-3; utterly essential listening all the way. I’d go so far as to say its one of my favourite Dylan albums. Can’t think of another artist about whose rejects and outtakes I’d say that (though Springsteen’s Tracks is pretty good).
The real biggee for you will be The Complete Basement Tapes. It’s very expensive but my Holy Grail. I’ve been searching for it since I bought my first Dylan album. Yes, 1975, The Basement Tapes.
Me and Mini have talked about this elsewhere . The Complete Basement Tapes is, taps on calculator, fifty seven tracks too long. The biggest disappointment in the entire Bob catalogue so far
Oh no. The more the merrier. The more shambolic and rubbish the better. It’s the humanity of it that is fantastic. Those talented musicians, breathing the same air, eating the same meals, stroking the same dog, supporting each other, listening to each other and generally messing about and having fun. It’s the very essence of life distilled in a box. Magnificent.
Or… let’s do it one more time and pass me some more of them there drugs cos I’m a goddam genius and it don’t matter cos it’s only rehearsals and nobody will ever listen to this : sorry what did you say, Bob?
Magnificent? Pah!!
The drugs do lend a certain charm. To be fair, they didn’t do many takes but, you are quite right, they never intended for those recordings to be released. All part of the beauty. Hidden secrets only meant for personal consumption. The genius shines through despite everything.
Nothing particularly modern.
1. just like tom thumb’s blues
2. Blackdiamond bay
3. Things have changed
4. Tangled up in blue
5. I shall be released
Good to see Duquesne Whistle appear in a list, along with a perhaps surprising number of recent tunes from others.
Maybe next would/should/could be the list of top 5 Dylan covers?
1. Hurricane
2. desolation Row
3. Positively 4th Street
4. Like a Rolling Stone
5. Things Have Changed
can I vote again tomorrow?
Get your dog to vote, he has a mind if his own doesn’t he?
1. Simple twist of fate
2. Tangled up in blue
3. Every grain of sand
4. The man in me
5. Forever young
oops I missed out Blind Willie McTell
1. Like a Rolling Stone (live ‘Judas’ version)
2. Love minus Zero
3. Tell me that it isn’t true
4. It takes a lot to laugh
5. I pity the poor immigrant
Agree with tigger above that the NY version of ‘Idiot Wind’ is a much improved version, being more in sorrow than in anger and beautiful instrumentation.
“It takes a lot to laugh…” gives us “Highway 61” Bingo not surprisingly I suppose.
After much deliberation:
1. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
2. Meet Me in the Morning
3. Desolation Row
4. Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again
5. Dreamin’ of You
And an honorable mention for Corrina, Corrina – possibly my very favourite Dylan recording, but since he didn’t write it I won’t include it in this list, not being an actual “Dylan song”…
… and with “Meet me in the morning” we have BOTT Bingo.
My list:
1. Dusquene Whistle
2. Desolation Row
3. Lily, Rosemary and The Jack of Hearts
4. Visions of Johanna
5. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
My wife’s list (honest!):
1. Summer Days
2. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
3. Spirit On The Water
4. Girl From The North Country
5. Gotta Serve Somebody
It’s all over now Blue Blue
A Hard Rains Gonna Fall
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Nettie Moore
Must Be Santa
1. I Don’t Believe You
2. To Ramona
3. Lay Lady Lay
4. I Threw It All Away
5. Oxford Town
1. One of us must know (sooner or later)
2. Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again
3. You’re a big girl’s blouse now
4. She belongs to me
5. Desolation row
Blonde on Blonde better tunes than Highway 61 I think and the sound and music unsurpassed among his recordings. You’re a big girl now, what singing! Always such clear phrasing with Dylan but this song is so emotional and sad. She belongs to me, perfect lyrics. Desolation row, a tour de force. The words make me think of Game of Thrones. Bleak, grim scenes set to such pretty guitar.
Stuck inside of Mobile……
Positively 4th St
Hurricane
Things have Changed
Not Dark Yet
This list is already out of date……
Visions of Johanna
Positively 4th Street
Blind Willie McTell
Sad eyed lady of the lowlands
It takes a lot to laugh a train to cry
I’ve finally decided..
Hoops is yer man – spot on!!
Sorry all I’m a bit backed up….will do the scoring soon as…..
Check your e-mail, @twang
Sorry last minute submission:
Blind Willie McTell
Most of the Time (Bootleg 8 version)
Love Minus Zero
Changing of the Guards
If You See Her, Say Hello
Probably too late but somehow missed this. Anyway for what its worth (do Stills songs count ?)
Rolling Stone
She Belongs to Me
You’re a Big Girl Now
Sara
Thunder on the Mountain
This is ridiculous I’ve changed my mind already !