Saturday 22 July 2017

Bob Dylan album by album

 

"Play it fucking loud"

I’m gonna let you pass
Yes, and I’ll go last
Then time will tell who has fell
And who’s been left behind
When you go your way and I go mine


Dylan has gone his way all his life, and is the most important song-writer not just of his generation, not even just of the 20th century, but of all time.  His influence is almost incalculable.  

I have seen him live twice. First time was in the Seventies at Blackbushe Airport in front of an immense crowd when he was riding on the crest of his second wave of popularity and creative energy. He was probably at his peak of popularity then, because he was able to command much greater audiences than when he toured the UK in the Sixties.  But the Sixties was his main creative period, and the point at which he commanded the attention of the world, and changed the face of music forever. That would have been the time to see him. I saw him again recently, at Bournemouth, on his Never Ending Tour. A low key event. He tours now, turning up at odd venues all over the world, and people don't even notice. We spent the day in Bournemouth, and would occasionally get chatting to people - "And what are you doing in Bournemouth today?" - "We're hear to see Bob Dylan" - "Oh, he's playing here today? I didn't know."  He played a set of his own songs mixed in with a lot of covers of old crooner songs. He was dressed like a crooner. And he didn't say a single word to the audience. Not even hello or goodbye! 

Having listened chronologically to all the music  his creative periods fall into three periods - the Sixties is his main period, and is the essential Dylan; from The  Freewheelin' Dylan in 1963 through to Blonde on Blonde in 1966 he produced a body of work that stands as among the greatest artistic work of mankind. After the strains of his 1966 tour of England, he withdrew both physically and creatively, using a mysterious motorbike accident as his excuse.  He then released a series of  somewhat off the cuff, weird, or highly individual albums - he appears in this period to be rejecting his image and status, experiencing huge personal issues with how has been perceived by the public, the press, and the music industry.  The first of these, John Wesley Harding in 1967, was thrown together quickly by a scratch band Dylan pulled together at the last minute. I like it - it's odd, light, quirky, and quite gently rejects his image: "Nothing is revealed".  During this period Dylan was also (initially) trying to record a proper Dylan album with The Band, but it appears that he didn't feel comfortable revealing his serious work to the critics, and it was only during his resurgence in the mid Seventies that he felt confident to have some of the recordings released as The Basement Tapes. The mid Seventies resurgence  began in 1974 when he changed record labels and got together again with The Band to tour for the first time since 1966. The album of that tour, Before The Flood, was well received, though also gained the criticism and complaints that Dylan seems to have experienced too much during his career. The first attempt at a serious album, Planet Waves, with The Band, didn't quite work, but returning to old record label, and pulling together new musicians, Dylan released the extraordinary Blood On The Tracks, again railing against the critics and the image created around him, but this time in very confident and assured manner. The follow up album, Desire, was a lesser album but was also solid, but he began to trail off with Street Legal in 1978, and then again entered a troubled period with the first of his Christian albums, 1979's Slow Train Coming.  The Eighties is Dylan's worse period, and after a series of patchy albums, in which his own contributions were becoming fewer and fewer, his creativity completely dried up and by 1992 he had withdrawn into releasing comforting albums of covers, and it's not until 1997 that he recovers his confidence enough to return to song-writing. He now enters his third creative period - his mature period, starting with 1992's Time Out of Mind.


Wikipedia:


Bob Dylan (/ˈdɪlən/; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American poetic songwriter, singer, painter, writer, and Nobel Prize laureate. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when he became a reluctant "voice of a generation" with songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'", which became anthems for the Civil Rights Movement and anti-war movement. Leaving behind his initial base in the American folk music revival, his six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone", recorded in 1965, enlarged the range of popular music.
Dylan's lyrics incorporate a wide range of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the performances of Little Richard and the songwriting of Woody GuthrieRobert Johnson, and Hank Williams, Dylan has amplified and personalized musical genres. His recording career, spanning more than 50 years, has explored the traditions in American song—from folkblues, and country to gospelrock and roll, and rockabilly to EnglishScottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and the Great American Songbook. Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing lineup of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his songwriting is considered his greatest contribution. Since 1994, Dylan has also published seven books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries.
As a musician, Dylan has sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of FameMinnesota Music Hall of FameNashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." In May 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. In 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".

A Spotify account is needed to play the music in the links. Selected "Bootleg series" and other relevant albums are inserted where appropriate in the order they were recorded rather than released, as valuable background information. The Basement Tapes, however, is placed at the date of release, as that release was in itself significant.   

The albums



Bob Dylan (March 1962)

Dylan's debut at 20 years old is unremarkable. It consists of covers of traditional folk songs plus two original Dylan songs. There's an appealing sardonic energy about the delivery, and "Talkin' New York" indicates the promise of the young man. Culturally interesting as his debut, and showing where he was coming from, but also attractive in its own right as a strong and vibrant folk album during the important folk revival period in America. The delivery of the opening song, "You're No Good", is full of energy, and characteristic chuckling, off hand, sardonic spite. The album was largely ignored or disregarded at the time, though looking back, while not a great album, is certainly something that stands up with it's crackling life and fire.  

  
Back cover


Debut albums released the same year: Francoise HardySurfin' Safari; Stormy Monday;  SherryPresentingPeter, Paul And MaryMeet The SupremesKinda FolksyGreen Onions

Relevant albums released same year: Folksinger by Dave Van Ronk;  I'm The Man That Built The Bridges by Tom Paxton; Sings Folk Songs by Woody Guthrie; In Concert by Joan Baez; Sing Out by Pete Seegar; At Carnegie Hall Vol 2 by The Weavers

ReleasedMarch 19, 1962
RecordedNovember 20 and 22, 1961
StudioColumbia 7th Ave, New York City
Genre
Length36:54
LabelColumbia
ProducerJohn H. Hammond


Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You're No Good"Jesse Fuller1:40
2."Talkin' New York"Bob Dylan3:20
3."In My Time of Dyin'"Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan2:40
4."Man of Constant Sorrow"Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan3:10
5."Fixin' to Die"Bukka White2:22
6."Pretty Peggy-O"Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan3:23
7."Highway 51 Blues"Curtis Jones2:52
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Gospel Plow"Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan1:47
2."Baby, Let Me Follow You Down"Traditional arranged by Eric Von Schmidt2:37
3."House of the Risin' Sun"Traditional arranged by Dave Van Ronk5:20
4."Freight Train Blues"John Lair, arranged by Dylan[19][20]2:18
5."Song to Woody"Bob Dylan2:42
6."See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"Blind Lemon Jefferson2:43

Rolling Stone
Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 5
   

The Witmark Demos (2010)  

This a collection of 47 song demos for the music publisher Witmark & Sons recorded mainly in 1962 and 1963 when Dylan was around 21 years old. The demos were never intended for public release, but simply to sell Dylan's songs to other artists. The collection was officially released in 2010 as The Bootleg Series Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964. The songs are mainly of historical curiosity. The best songs, like "Blowin' In The Wind", were released on Freewheelin', and hearing them here in a crude and casual format (Dylan coughs part way through "Blowin'") is again just a historical curiosity. This is mainly of academic interest, but I get a chill listening so intimately to the earliest recording of "It's A Hard Rain"..... this is history being made. 

There is a power to this album, and the delivery is in line with early clips of Dylan performing at festivals with just his guitar, harmonica, and that voice. The more I listen, the more I like and admire and am moved. This is so much a greater album than the bulk of his albums post Blonde On Blonde. I originally felt this was mainly of historical interest, but I'm now thinking this is an essential album. 

ReleasedOctober 19, 2010
Recorded1962–1964
GenreFolk
Length138:28
LabelColumbia
ProducerStan Berkowitz and Jeff Rosen

All songs were written by Bob Dylan, except where noted.

Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Man on the Street" (fragment)1:07
2."Hard Times in New York Town"1:57
3."Poor Boy Blues"3:01
4."Ballad for a Friend"2:23
5."Rambling, Gambling Willie"3:38
6."Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues"3:42
7."Standing on the Highway"2:32
8."Man on the Street"1:30
9."Blowin' in the Wind"2:38
10."Long Ago, Far Away"2:29
11."A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"6:49
12."Tomorrow Is a Long Time"3:46
13."The Death of Emmett Till"4:32
No.TitleLength
14."Let Me Die in My Footsteps"1:37
15."Ballad of Hollis Brown"4:08
16."Quit Your Low Down Ways"2:50
17."Baby, I'm in the Mood for You"1:36
18."Bound to Lose, Bound to Win"1:19
19."All Over You"3:52
20."I'd Hate to Be You on That Dreadful Day"2:00
21."Long Time Gone"3:46
22."Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues"3:17
23."Masters of War"4:23
24."Oxford Town"2:33
25."Farewell"3:58
Total length:75:23
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (previously issued on The Bootleg Series Volume 7)3:38
2."Walkin' Down the Line" (previously issued on The Bootleg Series Volume 1)3:23
3."I Shall Be Free"4:30
4."Bob Dylan's Blues"1:58
5."Bob Dylan's Dream"3:53
6."Boots of Spanish Leather"5:49
7."Girl from the North Country"3:09
8."Seven Curses"3:13
9."Hero Blues"1:36
10."Whatcha Gonna Do?"3:36
11."Gypsy Lou"3:45
No.TitleLength
12."Ain't Gonna Grieve"1:28
13."John Brown"4:19
14."Only a Hobo"2:25
15."When the Ship Comes In" (previously issued on The Bootleg Series Volume 1)2:56
16."The Times They Are a-Changin'" (previously issued on The Bootleg Series Volume 1)3:03
17."Paths of Victory"4:11
18."Guess I'm Doing Fine"4:08
19."Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" (Eric Von SchmidtReverend Gary DavisDave Van Ronk)1:56
20."Mama, You Been on My Mind"2:14
21."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:55
22."I'll Keep It with Mine"3:34
Total length:74:39


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9
Score: 7

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (May 1963) 

Wow! What a leap forward in one year. Even the cover is a leap forward - a picture that is so iconic compared to one that is so cheap and geeky.  All the songs here are Dylan's, and include "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Blowin' in the Wind".  Phew. He was 20 and 21 years old when the songs were recorded, and three days before his 22nd birthday when the album was released. 

"
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"  is a new type of song. It is grounded in a folk tradition, and there is a sense of it being timeless - which is always what Dylan wanted. He never wanted any of his work to be pinned down to any one instance. This song could be hundreds of years old - it borrows an ancient tradition of folk songs as its frame, and this song initially appears as though it could be from any place, any time. It sounds familiar. - it could be any folk song or love song: "Where have you been my darling young one?" This is a familiar folk song refrain which uses question and answer, as used for example on the nursery rhyme Billy Boy:
Oh, where have you been,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where have you been,
Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife....
Dylan takes the opening refrain and the question and answer structure most closely from "Lord Randall", which he probably heard from Martin Carthy when he visited England in December 1962:

‘O where ha’ you been, Lord Randal, my son?
And where ha’ you been, my handsome young man?’
‘I ha’ been at the greenwood; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m wearied wi’ hunting, and fain wad lie down.
 
‘An wha met ye there, Lord Randal, my son?
An wha met you there, my handsome young man?’
‘O I met wi my true-love; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m wearied wi’ hunting, and fain wad lie down.’
 
‘And what did she give you, Lord Randal, my son?
And what did she give you, my handsome young man?’
‘Eels fried in a pan; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m wearied wi’ hunting, and fain wad lie down.’
 

Yet the images that follow are remarkable. Quite stunning. And this is where the poetry comes in. He is using symbolism - the poetry used by Baudelaire: " eye brimming with involuntary tears / He dreams of gallows while smoking his hookah" to construct a series of images and symbols that paint a bleak picture:
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
Just a single one of those images gives pause for thought and speculation - "a highway of diamonds with nobody on it". It's a remarkable image that captures the imagination - we want to know why nobody is on that highway of diamonds, let alone why there is such a highway, but already we have moved on to the next image: " black branch with blood that kept drippin". It's breathless and dazzling. We catch glimpses of ideas - the black branch with blood reminds us of the poem "Bitter Fruit" which was famously set to music as "Strange Fruit" and sung by Billie Holiday.
Southern trees bear a strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.

And with the lines
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder that roared out a warnin'
He is echoing the 1949 Pete Seager protect song, "If I Had A Hammer":
If I had a hammer,
I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening,
All over this land
I'd hammer out danger,
I'd hammer out a warning
So Dylan is aware of, and bringing together all these separate elements - literature, folk song, protest song, symbolism, poetry, politics, and weaving them into a new structure.

Because he wants it to be timeless, he never pins it down to one thing, though in 1963 it was the height of CND and the protests against nuclear weapons. The refrain "It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall" while allowing for today's concern about climate change, at that time seemed well suited to fears of a nuclear fall out. People took up Dylan's song and sung it on the Aldermaston march. In August of that year the Test Ban Treaty came into force. Was the song responsible for bringing about the ban? Of course not. But it was timely. And it remains timely now because Dylan keeps it open and possible. Some people dislike that open symbolism - they want more certainty. But Dylan has never been about certainty. Has always stepped away from it because "the executioner's face is always well hidden."



How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must the white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
How many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind 



"Girl from the North Country" was written after a visit to England at the end of 1962, where he met Martin Carthy who introduced him to English folk songs, including "Scarborough Fair". Dylan's song is a gentle reworking of Carthy's version of the song.

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
For once she was a true love of mine 
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Without no seam nor needlework
And then she'll be a true love of mine 

 Martin Carthy - short documentary  Carthy on Dylan's visit to England in 1962.

ReleasedMay 27, 1963
RecordedApril 24–25, July 9, October 16, November 1 and 15, December 6, 1962, and April 24, 1963
StudioColumbia 7th Ave, New York City[1][2]
Genre
Length44:14 (1st pressing)
50:26 (later pressings)
LabelColumbia
Producer


Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Blowin' in the Wind"July 9, 19622:48
2."Girl from the North Country"April 24, 19633:22
3."Masters of War"April 24, 19634:34
4."Down the Highway"July 9, 19623:27
5."Bob Dylan's Blues"July 9, 19622:23
6."A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"December 6, 19626:55
Total length:23:29
Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"November 14, 19623:40
2."Bob Dylan's Dream"April 24, 19635:03
3."Oxford Town"December 6, 19621:50
4."Talkin' World War III Blues"April 24, 19636:28
5."Corrina, Corrina" (traditional)October 26, 19622:44
6."Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance" (Dylan, Henry Thomas)July 9, 19622:01
7."I Shall Be Free"December 6, 19624:49
Total length:26:35

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10 
Score: 10
This album is the remaining six songs unpublished (officially) from an acclaimed concert in which he performed 20 songs, mainly from Freewheelin. He was 22 years old.  It's short, but good. I guess I'd like to hear the whole concert. Nine more songs appear on The 50th Anniversary Collection 1963


ReleasedNovember 15, 2005
RecordedOctober 26, 1963
VenueCarnegie Hall, New York City
GenreFolk
Length31:53
LabelColumbia


This is Dylan starting to be self-aware and self-reflective, and moving his song-writing away from folk into a broader literary feel. As a result the songs here are a little ponderous, a little lacking in humour, and a bit too self-consciously "weighty". But these are quibbles, as this is again a movement forward. It's not as immediate, poppy, likeable and stunning as Freewheelin', but is dourly impressive and worthy.  Most folks would put this album in a Dylan Top Ten, but not in a Dylan Top Five.

ReleasedFebruary 10, 1964[1][2]
RecordedAugust 6 – October 31, 1963
StudioColumbia 7th Ave (New York City)
GenreFolk[3]
Length45:36
LabelColumbia
ProducerTom Wilson

Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."The Times They Are a-Changin'"October 24, 19633:15
2."Ballad of Hollis Brown"August 7, 19635:06
3."With God on Our Side"August 7, 19637:08
4."One Too Many Mornings"October 24, 19632:41
5."North Country Blues"August 6, 19634:35
Total length:22:45

Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Only a Pawn in Their Game"August 7, 19633:33
2."Boots of Spanish Leather"August 7, 19634:40
3."When the Ship Comes In"October 23, 19633:18
4."The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll"October 23, 19635:48
5."Restless Farewell"October 31, 19635:32
Total length:22:51

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9
Score: 7 

This is more recognisably Dylan than The Times - there's flashing images, sardonic humour, self-reflection, critical jibes at those who have expectations of Dylan, and a lighter, more poppy feel. Critical reception has been mixed, with a general feeling that this was a transitional album. Though, oddly, most of his albums are transitional. The one constant with Dylan is that he changes - he seems to be in an almost constant state of transition, and critics seem to be in an almost constant state of trying to catch up. 

ReleasedAugust 8, 1964
RecordedJune 9, 1964
StudioColumbia 7th Ave, New York City
GenreFolk
Length50:37
LabelColumbia
ProducerTom Wilson

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."All I Really Want to Do"4:04
2."Black Crow Blues"3:14
3."Spanish Harlem Incident"2:24
4."Chimes of Freedom"7:10
5."I Shall Be Free No. 10"4:47
6."To Ramona"3:52
Total length:25:31

Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Motorpsycho Nitemare"4:33
2."My Back Pages"4:22
3."I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)"4:22
4."Ballad in Plain D"8:16
5."It Ain't Me Babe"3:33
Total length:25:06

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10 
Score: 8 


A full concert, well recorded, of acoustic Dylan in 1964, released as part of the Bootleg Series in 2004. In his early career he often performed with Joan Baez, and she is present on several tracks on the album. This is a good example of the late acoustic Dylan live in concert shortly before he went electric and the world changed. 

ReleasedMarch 30, 2004
RecordedOctober 31, 1964
VenuePhilharmonic Hall in Manhattan
Genre
Length104:12
LabelColumbia
ProducerSteve Berkowitz and Jeff Rosen

All songs written by Bob Dylan, except where noted



Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8 
Score: 5


Bringing It All Back Home (March 1965)

Dylan's first electric album - side one is electric, side two is mainly acoustic. This is recognisably the Dylan most folks know. This album is in the top five of most Dylan lists. This is an iconic moment. And it's the first Dylan album to have musicians other than just Dylan. It's a mature and incisive album, bringing folk into the modern arena and popularising folk-rock in all its formats. One of the greatest and most significant albums ever made. A rich collection of songs that would become Dylan standards, though with the occasional weak song such as "Outlaw Blues", the album was recorded over two days in January 1965 and released in March of that year when Dylan was still 23. 

ReleasedMarch 22, 1965
RecordedJanuary 13–15, 1965
StudioColumbia 7th Ave & Studio B, New York City
Genre
Length47:21
LabelColumbia
ProducerTom Wilson

Side one (Electric Side)
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Subterranean Homesick Blues"January 14, 19652:21
2."She Belongs to Me"January 14, 19652:47
3."Maggie's Farm"January 15, 19653:54
4."Love Minus Zero/No Limit"January 14, 19652:51
5."Outlaw Blues"January 14, 19653:05
6."On the Road Again"January 15, 19652:35
7."Bob Dylan's 115th Dream"January 13 (intro) and January 14, 19656:30
Side two (Acoustic Side)
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Mr. Tambourine Man"January 15, 19655:30
2."Gates of Eden"January 15, 19655:40
3."It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"January 15, 19657:29
4."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"January 15, 19654:12


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10
Score: 10 
O my fucking gawd! What a stunning album this is. It kicks off with "Like A Rolling Stone", and a new world has just opened up. He combines folk, soul, pop and rock music, he takes protest songs and personal songs and stream of consciousness songs, and several literary styles and devices and mixes them together in a way never done before, and that nobody had thought of. Yes, of course, there were protests. But, yes, of course, this album is amongst his most acclaimed, and amongst the most acclaimed of any artist. This is human achievement at its greatest.  "Voice of a Generation" and "Nobel Prize Laureate" both. 

ReleasedAugust 30, 1965
RecordedJune–August 1965
StudioColumbia Studio A
New York
Genre
Length51:26
LabelColumbia
Producer


Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Like a Rolling Stone"June 16, 19656:13
2."Tombstone Blues"July 29, 19655:56
3."It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"July 29, 19654:09
4."From a Buick 6"July 30, 19653:19
5."Ballad of a Thin Man"August 2, 19655:58

Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Queen Jane Approximately"August 2, 19655:31
2."Highway 61 Revisited"August 2, 19653:30
3."Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"August 2, 19655:32
4."Desolation Row"August 4, 196511:21



Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10
Score: 10

 

Blonde on Blonde (July 1966)

This is "my" Dylan album. The first Dylan album I owned, and the first I really got into. I have loved it over the years, and I am reluctant to concede its number one spot in my heart to any other Dylan album, though Blood On The TracksHighway 61, and Freewheelin' are all contenders these days. However, for many reasons, this is the best Dylan album. It is the pinnacle of his first, most sustained, most important, and most significant creative period. After recording this (with some difficulty, until switching studios to Nashville, and mostly using Nashville session musicians plus a few trusted musicians such as Al Kooper and Robbie Robertson ) Dylan went on the infamous 1966 tour where he was subjected to abuse from his audiences, particularly in the UK, the country where he has been most respected, and never again would he work and produce with such free and inspired creativity. He entered a long and lean period, notwithstanding the occasional charming release such as John Wesley Harding, until the brief creative surge in the mid Seventies starting with Blood On The Tracks

ReleasedJune 20, 1966[1]
RecordedJanuary 25 – June 1966
Studio
Genre
Length72:57
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Johnston


Side one
  1. "Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35" – 4:36
  2. "Pledging My Time" – 3:50
  3. "Visions of Johanna" – 7:33
  4. "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)" – 4:54
Side two
  1. "I Want You" – 3:07
  2. "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" – 7:05
  3. "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" – 3:58
  4. "Just Like a Woman" – 4:52
Side three
  1. "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" – 3:30
  2. "Temporary Like Achilles" – 5:02
  3. "Absolutely Sweet Marie" – 4:57
  4. "4th Time Around" – 4:35
  5. "Obviously 5 Believers" – 3:35
Side four
  1. "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" – 11:23

The personnel involved in making Blonde on Blonde is subject to some discrepancy:


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10
Score: 10 

The Cutting Edge 1965-1966 (2015)

Bootleg Series 12 released in 2015. Alternative takes and a few unreleased songs from 1965-1966, the end of Dylan's core creative period. Of interest to Dylan students, fans and critics, but others can safely by-pass this as the essential material is on the albums that were released at the time.

ReleasedNovember 6, 2015
RecordedJanuary 13, 1965 – May 13, 1966
GenreFolk rock
Length2:25:04 (standard)
6:58:27 (deluxe)
19:04:55 (Collector's Edition)
LabelColumbia

Disc one
No.TitleVersionLength
1."Love Minus Zero/No Limit"Take 1, Breakdown1:34
2."Love Minus Zero/No Limit" (included on standard edition)Take 2, Acoustic3:11
3."Love Minus Zero/No Limit"Take 3 Remake, Complete3:42
4."Love Minus Zero/No Limit"Take 1 Remake, Complete2:43
5."I'll Keep it With Mine" (included on standard edition; previously released on Biograph)Take 1, Piano Demo4:12
6."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" (previously released on The Bootleg Series Volume 7)Take 13:34
7."Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" (included on standard edition; previously released on Bringing It All Back Home)Take 1, Fragment0:26
8."Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" (included on standard edition)Take 2, Complete5:50
9."She Belongs to Me" (included on standard edition)Take 1, Solo Acoustic2:59
10."She Belongs to Me" (previously released on The Bootleg Series Volume 7)Take 2 Remake, Complete3:21
11."She Belongs to Me"Take 1 Remake, Complete2:39
12."Subterranean Homesick Blues" (previously released on The Bootleg Series Volume 2)Take 13:07
13."Subterranean Homesick Blues" (included on standard edition)Take 1, Alternate Take2:39
14."Outlaw Blues"Take 1, Complete2:17
15."Outlaw Blues" (included on standard edition)Take 2, Alternate Version3:30
16."On the Road Again"Take 1, Complete3:21
17."On the Road Again" (included on standard edition)Take 4, Alternate Take2:31
18."On the Road Again"Take 1 Remake, Complete2:31
19."On the Road Again"Take 7 Remake, Complete2:48
20."Farewell, Angelina" (included on standard edition; previously released on The Bootleg Series Volume 2)Take 1, Solo Acoustic5:28
21."If You Gotta Go, Go Now"Take 1, Complete2:54
22."If You Gotta Go, Go Now" (included on standard edition)Take 2, Alternate Take2:50
23."You Don't Have to Do That" (included on standard edition)Take 1, Solo Acoustic0:48
Total length:69:09
Disc two
No.TitleVersionLength
1."California" (included on standard edition)Take 1, Solo Acoustic3:06
2."It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"Take 1, False Start1:10
3."Mr. Tambourine Man"Takes 1 and 2, False Starts1:52
4."Mr. Tambourine Man" (included on standard edition)Take 3 with Band, Incomplete3:23
5."It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"Take 1, Complete2:40
6."It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" (included on standard edition)Take 8, Alternate Version3:29
7."It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"Take 3, Incomplete3:13
8."It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"Take 3 Remake, Complete3:42
9."Sitting on a Barbed Wire Fence" (included on standard edition)Take 24:00
10."Tombstone Blues" (included on standard edition)Take 1, Alternate Take7:29
11."Tombstone Blues" (previously released on The Bootleg Series Volume 7)Take 93:27
12."Positively 4th Street"Takes 1, 2 and 3, False Starts0:56
13."Positively 4th Street"Take 4, Complete4:24
14."Positively 4th Street" (included on standard edition)Take 5, Alternate Take4:24
15."Desolation Row" (included on standard edition)Take 1, Alternate Take11:17
16."Desolation Row" (included on standard edition)Take 2, Piano Demo2:01
17."Desolation Row"Take 5, Remake, Complete10:51
18."From a Buick 6"Take 1, False Start0:23
19."From a Buick 6" (accidentally released on the first pressing of Highway 61 Revisited)Take 43:10
Total length:75:07
Disc three
No.TitleVersionLength
1."Like a Rolling Stone"Takes 1, 2 and 3, Rehearsal5:48
2."Like a Rolling Stone" (previously released on The Bootleg Series Volume 2)Take 4, Rehearsal1:39
3."Like a Rolling Stone" (edited version included on standard edition)Take 5, Rehearsal2:17
4."Like a Rolling Stone"Rehearsal Remake2:33
5."Like a Rolling Stone"Take 1 Remake, Rehearsal1:57
6."Like a Rolling Stone"Takes 2 and 3 Remakes, Rehearsal0:35
7."Like a Rolling Stone" (previously released as Columbia single 43346)Take 4 Remake6:28
8."Like a Rolling Stone"Take 5 Remake, Rehearsal1:54
9."Like a Rolling Stone"Take 6 Remake, False Start0:21
10."Like a Rolling Stone"Take 8 Remake, Breakdown4:18
11."Like a Rolling Stone"Takes 9 and 10 Remake, False Starts0:35
12."Like a Rolling Stone" (included on standard edition)Take 11, Alternate Take5:57
13."Like a Rolling Stone"Take 12 Remake, False Start0:10
14."Like a Rolling Stone"Take 13 Remake, Breakdown1:36
15."Like a Rolling Stone"Take 14 Remake, False Start0:23
16."Like a Rolling Stone"Take 15 Remake, Breakdown3:08
17."Like a Rolling Stone"Master Take, guitar (Bloomfield)6:25
18."Like a Rolling Stone"Master Take, vocals and guitar (Dylan)6:25
19."Like a Rolling Stone"Master Take, piano and bass6:25
20."Like a Rolling Stone"Master Take, drums, organ and tambourine6:27
Total length:65:21
Disc four
No.TitleVersionLength
1."Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" (edted version included on standard edition)Take 1, Alternate Take4:39
2."Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" (accidentally released as b-side to first pressing of "Positively 4th Street" single)Take 174:01
3."Highway 61 Revisited" (included on standard edition)Take 3, Alternate Take3:30
4."Highway 61 Revisited"Take 5, Complete3:40
5."Highway 61 Revisited" (included on standard edition)Take 7, False Start0:33
6."Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"Take 1, Breakdown1:09
7."Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (included on standard edition)Take 3, Rehearsal5:39
8."Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"Take 13, Complete5:29
9."Queen Jane Approximately"Take 2, Complete5:19
10."Queen Jane Approximately" (included on standard edition)Take 5, Alternate Take6:02
11."Ballad of a Thin Man"Take 2, Breakdown3:53
12."Medicine Sunday" (included on standard edition)Take 11:02
13."Jet Pilot" (previously released on Biograph)Take 11:27
14."I Wanna Be Your Lover"Take 1, Fragment1:07
15."I Wanna Be Your Lover"Take 6, Complete3:30
16."Instrumental"Take 2, Complete4:03
17."Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window"Take 6, Complete3:48
18."Visions of Johanna"Take 1, Rehearsal1:43
19."Visions of Johanna" (included on standard edition)Take 5, Rehearsal7:38
Total length:68:12
Disc five
No.TitleVersionLength
1."Visions of Johanna"Take 7, Complete9:08
2."Visions of Johanna" (previously released on The Bootleg Series Volume 7)Take 87:05
3."Visions of Johanna"Take 14, Complete7:32
4."She's Your Lover Now"Take 1, Breakdown3:02
5."She's Your Lover Now" (included on standard edition)Take 6, Rehearsal4:59
6."She's Your Lover Now" (previously released on The Bootleg Series Volume 2)Take 156:24
7."She's Your Lover Now"Take 16, Complete8:27
8."One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)"Take 2, Rehearsal2:16
9."One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)"Take 4, Rehearsal1:54
10."One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)" (included on standard edition)Take 19, Alternate Take5:11
11."Lunatic Princess" (included on standard edition)Take 11:20
12."4th Time Around"Take 11, Complete4:26
13."Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat"Take 3, Complete4:27
14."Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" (included on standard edition)Take 8, Alternate Take3:26
15."Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" (edit without rehearsal previously released as Columbia single 43592)Take 1, Rehearsal and Finished Track6:17
Total length:75:54
Disc six
No.TitleVersionLength
1."Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again"Take 1, Rehearsal3:23
2."Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again"Rehearsal4:54
3."Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" (previously released on The Bootleg Series Volume 7)Take 55:52
4."Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" (included on standard edition)Take 13, Alternate Take4:09
5."Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again"Take 14, Complete7:04
6."Absolutely Sweet Marie" (included on standard edition)Take 1, Alternate Take5:02
7."Just Like a Woman"Take 1, Complete4:32
8."Just Like a Woman" (included on standard edition)Take 4, Alternate Take5:20
9."Just Like a Woman"Take 8, Complete5:22
10."Pledging My Time" (included on standard edition)Take 1, Alternate Take3:26
11."Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine"Take 1, Complete3:38
12."Temporary Like Achilles"Take 3, Complete5:43
13."Obviously Five Believers"Take 3, Complete3:47
14."I Want You" (included on standard edition)Take 4, Alternate Take2:52
15."Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"Take 1, Complete10:06
Total length:75:09 418:27

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10
Score:

Live 1966 (1998)
(All the audience comments have been removed from 
this Spotify version - here's a film of the incident) YouTube version

Dylan going electric was a controversial issue that created  a negative reaction from some folks, who heckled Dylan during his Feb/May 1966 world tour, which he went on after recording Blonde on Blonde, which had not yet been released, though Dylan was playing some of the songs that would appear on that album. The most famous incident occurred during a concert at Manchester, that had wrongly (or deliberately) been ascribed to the Royal Albert Hall on the famous bootleg of the concert. Just before the last song, someone shouted "Judas". Dylan was disturbed by this. He paused then shouted "I don't believe you." Thought about it a good while longer then adds: "You're a liar." Turning to his band he then says the best rock and roll sentence ever: "Play it fucking loud" and the band go into a searing version of "Like A Rolling Stone". It is probably the most famous and compelling moment in rock history. This album is that concert.  The first half is acoustic, the second is electric. Both sides are sublime.  

ReleasedOctober 13, 1998
RecordedMay 17, 1966
VenueManchester Free Trade Hall
GenreRockfolk rockblues rock
Length95:18
LabelColumbia
ProducerJeff Rosen

All songs written by Bob Dylan except "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" by Eric von Schmidt and arranged by Dylan.

Disc one (solo acoustic)
No.TitleLength
1."She Belongs to Me"3:27
2."4th Time Around"4:37
3."Visions of Johanna"8:08
4."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"5:45
5."Desolation Row"11:31
6."Just Like a Woman"5:52
7."Mr. Tambourine Man"8:52
Total length:48:12


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10 
Score: 10 



Greatest Hits (March 1967)


A good, tight selection of some of Dylan's most popular and accessible songs from his peak period. An essential introduction. 



Side one
No.TitleSingle releaseLength
1."Rainy Day Women ♯12 & 35" (Blonde on Blonde, 1966)March 1966; chart peak #24:40
2."Blowin' in the Wind" (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, 1963)August 1963; did not chart2:51
3."The Times They Are a-Changin'" (The Times They Are A-Changin', 1964)March 1965; chart peak #93:16
4."It Ain't Me Babe" (Another Side of Bob Dylan, 1964)not released by Dylan as a single3:38
5."Like a Rolling Stone" ( Highway 61 Revisited, 1965)June 1965; chart peak #26:12
Side two
No.TitleSingle releaseLength
1."Mr. Tambourine Man" (Bringing It All Back Home, 1965)not released by Dylan as a single5:31
2."Subterranean Homesick Blues" (Bringing It All Back Home, 1965)March 1965; chart peak #392:22
3."I Want You" (Blonde on Blonde, 1966)June 1966; chart peak #203:09
4."Positively 4th Street" (non album single)September 1965; chart peak #74:12
5."Just Like a Woman" ( Blonde on Blonde, 1966)August 1966; chart peak #334:53

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:


John Wesley Harding (Dec 1967)

I love this album. This was for years my second favourite Dylan album. It is kinda special in a sparse, quiet, poetic way..... This was Dylan's first release after his mysterious motorcycle accident which saw him withdraw from the public for nearly 18 months. There is speculation that he withdrew more because he was stressed and unhappy after the 1966 tour in which he had been booed and heckled, than because of any accident. Much of what he recorded with The Band during this withdrawal period would be officially released in 1974 as The Basement Tapes. But this album was not part of what he recorded with The Band. This was a spontaneous moment when he took himself off to Nashville, quickly wrote some songs, and in a few days had recorded this semi-acoustic album. It sounds fresh and light and spontaneous. This isn't stuff he's worked over and pondered - this is magic fairy music. Stuff that dreams are made of. 


This material stands one foot in the pre-fall (Judas incident/bike accident) recordings and one foot in the post-fall recordings. Dylan said "Right through the time of Blonde on Blonde I was doing it unconsciously. Then one day I was half-stepping, and the lights went out. And since that point, I more or less had amnesia… It took me a long time to get to do consciously what I used to be able to do unconsciously."  None of it has the power or significance of his pre-fall material, nor the assured confidence of his pre-fall delivery or performance. This is more conventional material, presented almost like any other country folk musician. Indeed, Dylan would go more into that territory with his next two albums. But this does still hold some of his original Sixties magic. Enough to catch and hold attention. How much of that original magic and original confidence he had lost in the fall, and how much he was deliberately turning away from, is difficult to tell. But, clearly, by Self Portrait he had gone too far in the wrong direction, and it was time to come back. Here is the start of that journey in the wrong direction home, and the start of that journey still holds promise for Dylan and for us. 

ReleasedDecember 17, 1967
RecordedOct 17, Nov 6 and 29, 1967
Genre
Length38:24
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Johnston

All songs are written by Bob Dylan.

Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."John Wesley Harding"November 6, 19672:58
2."As I Went Out One Morning"November 6, 19672:49
3."I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine"October 17, 19673:53
4."All Along the Watchtower"November 6, 19672:31
5."The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest"October 17, 19675:35
6."Drifter's Escape"October 17, 19672:52
Total length:20:38
Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Dear Landlord"November 29, 19673:16
2."I Am a Lonesome Hobo"November 6, 19673:19
3."I Pity the Poor Immigrant"November 6, 19674:12
4."The Wicked Messenger"November 29, 19672:02
5."Down Along the Cove"November 29, 19672:23
6."I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"November 29, 19672:34
Total length:17:46

  • Bob Dylan – acoustic guitar, harmonica, piano

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10 
Score: 
 8


Nashville Skyline (April 1969)

Dylan's country album. This is probably his oddest album - it doesn't sound like Dylan at all. Not in the voice, the music, the lyrics, or the attitude.  It's a pleasant album with some pleasant songs, but - hey - just about anyone could have made this, and it sounds like just another soft country rock album. This is really the start of Dylan's fallow period which would last until Blood On The Tracks. He wasn't the voice of a generation nor did he win the Nobel Prize for pleasant trivia like this.  The closest he comes to being Dylan is a couple of lines in the pleasant "Lay Lady Lay": "His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean / And you’re the best thing that he’s ever seen". 

Despite the trivial nature of the album (and it's not known if Dylan was intending some social commentary about trivial but pleasant country music at a time of significant social events such as the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F Kennedy, or if he wanted to relax into some harmless songs - I suspect the latter), it's a charming and likeable album, and is one of his best sellers. 

ReleasedApril 9, 1969
RecordedFebruary 12–21, 1969
StudioColumbia Studio ANashville
Genre
Length26:46
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Johnston "Is it rolling, Bob?"

All songs written by Bob Dylan.

Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Girl from the North Country" (duet with Johnny Cash)February 18, 19693:41
2."Nashville Skyline Rag"February 17, 19693:12
3."To Be Alone with You"February 13, 19692:07
4."I Threw It All Away"February 13, 19692:23
5."Peggy Day"February 14, 19692:01
Total length:13:24
Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Lay Lady Lay"February 14, 19693:18
2."One More Night"February 13, 19692:23
3."Tell Me That It Isn't True"February 14, 19692:41
4."Country Pie"February 14, 19691:37
5."Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You"February 17, 19693:23
Total length:13:22


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 10 
Score: 6


 
Great White Wonder (July 1969)


The world's most famous and sought after bootleg. It was originally released without title, and acquired the nickname "Great White Wonder" because it was a plain white gatefold double album. Later releases were stamped with that name.  It is widely known that it contained early undubbed versions of songs recorded in 1967 that would later be released on The Basement Tapes, but it also contains ten songs from the  "Minnesota hotel tape", a recording of Dylan solo in December 1961 in Bonnie Beecher’s apartment in Minnesota , plus some studio outtakes. All previously unreleased. 


ReleasedJuly 1969
Recorded1961–1969, Various locales
GenreFolkfolk rockrockblues
LabelTrademark of Quality

Track listing as per original July 1969 release. All tracks written by Bob Dylan, except when noted.

Side one
  1. "Baby Please Don't Go" (Big Joe Williams) Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
  2. Interview by Pete Seeger WBAI-FM NYC 5-62
  3. "Dink's Song" (Traditional) Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
  4. "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" (Blind Lemon Jefferson) Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
  5. "East Orange New Jersey" Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
  6. "Man of Constant Sorrow" (Traditional) Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
Side two
  1. "I Shall Be Released Basement Tapes 10-67"
  2. "Open the Door, Homer" (take 1) Basement Tapes 10-67
  3. "Too Much of Nothing" (take 2) Basement Tapes 10-67
  4. "Nothing Was Delivered"[1] (take 1) Basement Tapes 10-67
  5. "Tears of Rage" (take 2) Basement Tapes 10-67
  6. "Living the Blues" (Live, The Johnny Cash Show) The Johnny Cash TV Show 5-1-69
Side three
  1. "Candy Man" Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
  2. "(As I Go) Ramblin' 'Round" (Woody Guthrie) Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
  3. "Black Cross" (Joseph S. Newman / Lord Buckley) Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
  4. "I Ain't Got No Home" (Woody Guthrie) Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
  5. "The Death of Emmett Till" WBAI-FM NYC 5-62
  6. "Poor Lazarus" (Traditional) Bonnie Beecher's apartment 12-22-61
Side four
  1. "Bob Dylan's New Orleans Rag" Studio Outtake
  2. "If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Or Else You Got to Stay All Night)" Studio Outtake
  3. "Only a Hobo" Studio Outtake
  4. "Sitting On a Barbed Wire Fence" Studio Outtake
  5. "Mighty Quinn"[1] (take 1) Basement Tapes 10-67
  6. "This Wheel's on Fire" (Bob Dylan and Rick Danko) Basement Tapes 10-67


AllMusic: 
Score: 


Isle of Wight Festival (Aug 1969) 


Dylan's first live appearance since the 1966 tour. The full concert appears on Side Three of the Deluxe Edition of  Another Self Portrait


Wikipedia 



Self Portrait (June 1970)

Is it a joke or is it shit? As weird and throwaway as it is, it's kinda more interesting than Nashville Skyline.  At least its a talking point, and people can debate exactly what the hell he thought he was doing.  In discussions with friends we would often compare it witAn Evening with Wild Man Fischer

It's a mix of new songs, old songs live at the Isle of Wight, but mostly various covers. I usually come round to liking and/or respecting Dylan albums that I found off-putting at first. But somehow I can't imagine I'll ever get around to liking or respecting this oddity. 

Dylan has said that it was released as a deliberately bad album in order to get people to stop idolising him. Yeah, sure.  So why did he put his heart into singing "Copper Kettle"?  The signs are that he was doing then what he has done more recently, and that this was simply an extension of what he was doing with Nashville Skyline. Yes, he was uncomfortable with being the spokesman of a generation, and was still suffering the British reaction to his 1966 tour, but he was getting himself together, and was finding space for himself as a singer rather than a writer/spokesman. And mainly a middle of the road country crooner. As he said, if this was a release by Elvis would the reaction have been so hostile?  

I don't think this is an album to really think about. If he released it today folks would like it. It would fit in today with what he has been releasing for the past couple of decades. Just an entertainment album. Nothing serious. It was the timing that got people. Folks were still hoping that Dylan would recover from whatever was ailing him, and get back to making the great albums he had done before THAT tour. Despite the evidence before them, folks still thought that Dylan was the Great White Wonder, and that this was some kind of joke or statement. People still held out hope for the next great album. They'd have to wait a few years..... 

Anyway, are there good songs on here? Other than "The Mighty Quin", none of the new Dylan songs amount to much - the opener, "All The Tired Horses", which consists of three female singers repeating the lines "All the tired horses in the sun / How'm I s'posed to get any ridin' done? Hmm", appears to be a harmless, amusing, throwaway ditty.  "Woogie Boogie" is a simple boogie instrumental - a piece of filler. "Living The Blues" is an attractive, but again rather throwaway, country blues shuffle. "Wigwam" was released as a single, and has a pleasant throwaway tune, but no lyrics, just variations on "la da da de".  He includes four songs from his appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival - two previously released - "Like a Rolling Stone" and "She Belongs To Me", and two officially unreleased (by Dylan - Manfred Mann released their own version of "Quinn" in 1968) songs from the Basement Tapes recordings - "Quinn" and "Minstrel Boy".  "Minstrel Boy" is closest to a "Dylan" song, though is a little dreary. "Quinn" is the best of the new Dylan songs, and "She Belongs To Me" is a decent version of an older Dylan song, and is a tempting impression of what that concert was like. 

The covers are a mix of  traditional and modern folk songs and ballads. Dylan does two slightly different versions of the traditional folk songs "Alberta" and "Little Sadie", and covers, badly, a Gordon Lightfoor song, "Early Moring' Rain", and, appallingly, a Paul Simon song, "The Boxer". Most of the covers are acceptable rather than impressive, leaning to fairly straightforward country-tinged interpretations. Some are fairly pleasant, such as "Belle Isle" and "Gotta Travel On". The best is "Copper Kettle", with a vocal style reminiscent of the John Wesley Harding album. It is fairly compelling, and is possibly the best performance on Self Portrait, though nothing on the album is really essential. The album is a curiosity rather a considered work of art, and is better skipped than listened to, though is not quite as appalling or wacky as we all first thought. 


ReleasedJune 8, 1970
RecordedApril 24, 1969 – March 30, 1970
Genre
Length73:15
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Johnston

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All the Tired Horses"Bob Dylan3:12
2."Alberta #1"Traditional2:57
3."I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know"Cecil A. Null2:23
4."Days of 49"LomaxLomaxWarner5:27
5."Early Mornin' Rain"Gordon Lightfoot3:34
6."In Search of Little Sadie"Traditional2:28
Total length:20:01
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let It Be Me"Bécaud, Curtis, Delanoë3:00
2."Little Sadie"Traditional2:00
3."Woogie Boogie"Bob Dylan2:06
4."Belle Isle"Traditional2:30
5."Living the Blues"Bob Dylan2:42
6."Like a Rolling Stone" (Recorded live at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 31, 1969)Bob Dylan5:18
Total length:17:36
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Copper Kettle"Albert Frank Beddoe3:34
2."Gotta Travel On"Clayton, Ehrlich, Lazar, Tom Six3:08
3."Blue Moon"Lorenz HartRichard Rodgers2:29
4."The Boxer"Paul Simon2:48
5."The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)" (Isle of Wight Festival 1969)Bob Dylan2:48
6."Take Me as I Am (Or Let Me Go)"Boudleaux Bryant3:03
Total length:17:50
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Take a Message to Mary"Felice BryantBoudleaux Bryant2:46
2."It Hurts Me Too"Traditional3:15
3."Minstrel Boy" (Isle of Wight Festival 1969)Bob Dylan3:33
4."She Belongs to Me" (Isle of Wight Festival 1969)Bob Dylan2:44
5."Wigwam"Bob Dylan3:09
6."Alberta #2"Traditional3:12
Total length:18:39

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 4 
Score: 3 


Previously unreleased material from Dylan's dubious 1969/1970 period dug out in 2013 as part of the Bootleg Series. Just what we needed. Ha! Though, to be fair there's some listenable stuff here. Nothing important or essential, but moderately interesting. This is not for the general public, but is of interest to Dylan fans and critics (of which there are many!). I like it. I like it more than Self Portrait as there is more here, combining the most interesting aspects of Self Portrait and New Morning, plus the complete IOW concert. 


ReleasedAugust 27, 2013
Recorded1967, February 13, 1969 – March 19, 1971
StudioColumbia, New York City
Genre
Length113:27
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Johnston


All songs written by Bob Dylan except where noted; traditional songs arranged by Bob Dylan.

Disc 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Went to See the Gypsy" (demo, New Morning, 3/3/70) 3:01
2."Little Sadie" (without overdubs, Self Portrait, 3/3/70)Traditional2:02
3."Pretty Saro" (unreleased, Self Portrait, 3/3/70)Traditional2:16
4."Alberta #3" (alternate version, Self Portrait, 3/5/70)Traditional2:37
5."Spanish is the Loving Tongue" (unreleased, New Morning, 6/2/70)Charles Badger Clark3:51
6."Annie's Going to Sing Her Song" (unreleased, Self Portrait, 3/4/70)Tom Paxton2:22
7."Time Passes Slowly #1" (alternate version, New Morning, 5/1/70) 2:18
8."Only a Hobo" (unreleased, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, 9/1/71) 3:25
9."Minstrel Boy" (unreleased, The Basement Tapes, c. 1967) 1:39
10."I Threw It All Away" (alternate version, Nashville Skyline, 2/16/69) 2:25
11."Railroad Bill" (unreleased, Self Portrait, 3/4/70)Traditional2:44
12."Thirsty Boots" (unreleased, Self Portrait, 3/4/70)Eric Andersen4:06
13."This Evening So Soon" (unreleased, Self Portrait, 3/4/70)Traditional4:49
14."These Hands" (unreleased, Self Portrait, 3/3/70)Eddie Noack3:43
15."In Search of Little Sadie" (without overdubs, Self Portrait, 3/3/70)Traditional2:26
16."House Carpenter" (unreleased, Self Portrait, 3/4/70)Traditional5:59
17."All the Tired Horses" (without overdubs, Self Portrait, 3/5/70) 1:15
Total length:51:15
Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."If Not for You" (alternate version, New Morning, 6/2/70) 2:29
2."Wallflower" (alternate version, 11/4/71) 2:18
3."Wigwam" (without overdubs, Self Portrait, 3/4/70) 3:10
4."Days of '49" (without overdubs, Self Portrait, 3/4/70)Traditional5:13
5."Working on a Guru" (unreleased, New Morning, 5/1/70) 3:43
6."Country Pie" (alternate version, Nashville Skyline, 2/14/69) 1:27
7."I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, 8/31/69) 3:31
8."Highway 61 Revisited" (Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, 8/31/69) 3:39
9."Copper Kettle" (without overdubs, Self Portrait, 3/3/70)Albert Frank Beddoe3:35
10."Bring Me a Little Water" (unreleased, New Morning, 6/4/70)Traditional3:58
11."Sign on the Window" (with orchestral overdubs, New Morning, 6/5/70) 3:51
12."Tattle O'Day" (unreleased, Self Portrait, 3/4/70)Traditional3:49
13."If Dogs Run Free" (alternate version, New Morning, 6/5/70) 4:10
14."New Morning" (with horn section overdubs, New Morning, 6/4/70) 4:04
15."Went to See the Gypsy" (alternate version, New Morning, 6/5/70) 3:33
16."Belle Isle" (without overdubs, Self Portrait, 3/3/70)Traditional2:35
17."Time Passes Slowly #2" (alternate version #2, New Morning, 6/2/70) 3:02
18."When I Paint My Masterpiece" (demo version, 3/19/71) 3:53
Total length:62:12

Deluxe Edition[edit]

Deluxe Edition: Disc 3 (Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, 31/08/1969)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro" 0:40
2."She Belongs to Me" 3:01
3."I Threw It All Away" 3:07
4."Maggie's Farm" 4:00
5."Wild Mountain Thyme"Traditional2:51
6."It Ain't Me Babe" 3:09
7."To Ramona" 2:25
8."Mr. Tambourine Man" 3:08
9."I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" 3:32
10."Lay Lady Lay" 3:54
11."Highway 61 Revisited" 3:47
12."One Too Many Mornings" 2:38
13."I Pity the Poor Immigrant" 3:47
14."Like a Rolling Stone" 5:25
15."I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" 3:30
16."Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" 2:49
17."Minstrel Boy" 3:48
18."Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" 3:17
Total length:60:41
Deluxe Edition: Disc 4 (Self Portrait Remastered)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All the Tired Horses" 3:12
2."Alberta #1"Traditional2:57
3."I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know"Cecil Allen Null2:23
4."Days of '49"Alan LomaxJohn LomaxFrank Warner5:27
5."Early Mornin' Rain"Gordon Lightfoot3:34
6."In Search of Little Sadie"Traditional2:28
7."Let It Be Me"Gilbert BécaudMann CurtisPierre Delanoë3:00
8."Little Sadie"Traditional2:00
9."Woogie Boogie" 2:06
10."Belle Isle"Traditional2:30
11."Living the Blues" 2:42
12."Like a Rolling Stone" (Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, 8/31/69) 5:18
13."Copper Kettle"Albert Frank Beddoe3:34
14."Gotta Travel On"Paul Clayton, Larry Ehrlich, David Lazar, Tom Six3:08
15."Blue Moon"Richard RodgersLorenz Hart2:29
16."The Boxer"Paul Simon2:48
17."The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)" (Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, 8/31/69) 2:48
18."Take Me as I Am (Or Let Me Go)"Boudleaux Bryant3:03
19."Take a Message to Mary"Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant2:46
20."It Hurts Me Too"Traditional3:15
21."Minstrel Boy" (Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, 8/31/69) 3:33
22."She Belongs to Me" (Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, 8/31/69) 2:44
23."Wigwam" 3:09
24."Alberta #2"Traditional3:12
Total length:73:15


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 5 


New Morning (Oct 1970)

A poor album, but as it sounded like Dylan - nasal delivery, "Dylan" style songs all self-penned, a shuffling semi country, semi folk, semi rock approach similar to Blonde on Blonde, there was sense of relief and welcome at the time.  That sense of relief and welcome hasn't lasted, and most people now recognise it for the collection of weak songs indifferently performed that it is. 

It was recorded fairly quickly with seasoned country sessions musicians including Dylan's favourite Al Kooper on keyboards, mainly during five consecutive days in early June 1970 in New York, though there were five other days, including two for overdubs, scattered from May to August 1970.   

The opening track "If Not For You" is attractive with an engaging melody, and sweet, direct, simple lyrics.  George Harrison did a heartfelt cover on his All Things Must Pass album. Olivia Newton John took Harrison's arrangement with slide guitar and had an international hit with it.  A sweet song. Not at all essential, and possibly the best song on the album. He has played it live 89 times.  

"If Dogs Run Free" is a tongue-in-cheek/sardonic talking blues number with a jazz inflection, the sort of thing that Tom Waits would pick up on.  Dylan has played it109 times live.  Are we being mocked here?  

"New Morning", the title track, is another harmless, throwaway "nice" song containing a handful of romantic images of a country morning "with you".  Played 81 times live.  

"The Man In Me" is Dylan's favourite track on the album - he's played it live 157 times since 1978. It looks like a genuine (if superficial) paean to his wife for helping him through the difficult times of his fall.  

None of the other songs has he played live at all. 


ReleasedOctober 21, 1970
RecordedJune–August 1970
StudioColumbia 52nd Street 
New York
GenreCountry rock
Length35:21
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Johnston

All songs are written by Bob Dylan.

Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."If Not for You"August 12, 19702:39
2."Day of the Locusts"August 12, 19703:57
3."Time Passes Slowly"August 12, 19702:33
4."Went to See the Gypsy"June 5, 19702:49
5."Winterlude"June 5, 19702:21
6."If Dogs Run Free"June 5, 19703:37
Total length:17:56
Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."New Morning"June 4, 19703:56
2."Sign on the Window"June 5, 19703:39
3."One More Weekend"June 3, 19703:09
4."The Man in Me"June 5, 19703:07
5."Three Angels"June 4, 19702:07
6."Father of Night"June 5, 19701:27
Total length:17:25



Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9 
Score: 4 




A double greatest hits album with five previously unreleased songs, and many of the tracks not released as singles, so the title is a little misleading.  It's a weighty selection that starts well, but starts to outstay its welcome. Probably best not played all in one go!  Doubtful if there are many people who will agree that the selections really are the best, and most people could put forward a more interesting/entertaining/essential collection than this. Really, most of the best songs are on the 1967 Greatest Hits album. Notwithstanding that, this album sells well. 


ReleasedNovember 17, 1971
Recorded1962–1971
Genre
Length77:31
LabelColumbia
Producer

Side four
No.TitleSourceLength
1."If Not for You"New Morning (1970)2:38
2."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"Bringing It All Back Home4:13
3."Tomorrow Is a Long Time"Previously unreleased (live at Town HallNew York City, April 12, 1963)3:01
4."When I Paint My Masterpiece"Previously unreleased (1971)3:22
5."I Shall Be Released"Previously unreleased (1971)3:01
6."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"Previously unreleased (1971)2:41
7."Down in the Flood"Previously unreleased (1971)2:46


AllMusic: 10
Score: 5



Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (July 1973)

A rather sparse album (as - to be fair - a lot of soundtracks are); mostly acoustic instrumental mood music, though does contain "Knocking At Heaven's Door".  It was poorly regarded at the time, especially as it came during Dylan's lean and difficult period when people were looking more negatively at whatever he released, and people struggle to be generous about it even now, though people do regard it more favourably these days. There was an interest in the mythology of America's Western outlaws in the late Sixties and early Seventies both in film and music. Also in 1973 The Eagles released Desperado, which has a similar feel to this album in places - though I have a much higher regard for the Eagles' album.. 

Reached 16 in US and 29 in UK.

ReleasedJuly 13, 1973
RecordedJanuary–February 1973
Genre
Length35:23
LabelColumbia
ProducerGordon Carroll

All tracks written by Bob Dylan.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Main Title Theme (Billy)" (instrumental)6:07
2."Cantina Theme (Workin' for the Law)" (instrumental)2:57
3."Billy 1"3:57
4."Bunkhouse Theme" (instrumental)2:17
5."River Theme"1:30
Total length:16:48
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Turkey Chase" (instrumental)3:34
2."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:32
3."Final Theme" (instrumental)5:23
4."Billy 4"5:04
5."Billy 7"2:10
Total length:18:43


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 7 
Score: 4 


Dylan (1973)

Dylan changed labels to Asylum in 1973 as he was not comfortable with Columbia. To compound the problems of the low esteem everyone was now holding of Dylan, Columbia released this album of covers that had been rejected from the albums that were already regarded as failures. It could hardly get worse, could it? 

Of course, nearly 50 years later, Dylan is touring the world on his Never Ending Tour, doing covers of songs such as these. Some of it is mediocre, some of it is pleasant, none of it is essential. Yeah, he's a better singer than he's usually given credit for, though he's not one of the world's best, unless he's singing his own songs, when he's able to give them a delivery and a twist that no one else can, and bring in new meanings with a new intonation whenever he wishes. This is not a bad album, and does demonstrate that he is a versatile and attentive if not always successful singer. 

Reached 17 in US. 

ReleasedNovember 16, 1973
Recorded
  • April 24 & 26, 1969
  • June 1–4, 1970
Genre
Length33:22
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Johnston

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)RecordedLength
1."Lily of the West"traditionalJune 3, 19703:44
2."Can't Help Falling in Love"George WeissHugo PerettiLuigi CreatoreJune 3, 19704:17
3."Sarah Jane"traditionalJune 1, 19702:43
4."The Ballad of Ira Hayes"Peter LaFargeJune 1, 19705:08
Total length:15:52
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)RecordedLength
1."Mr. Bojangles"Jerry Jeff WalkerJune 2, 19705:31
2."Mary Ann"traditionalJune 2, 19702:40
3."Big Yellow Taxi"Joni MitchellJune 4, 19702:12
4."A Fool Such as I"Bill TraderApril 26, 19692:41
5."Spanish Is the Loving Tongue"Billy Simon, Charles Badger ClarkApril 24, 19694:13
Total length:17:17


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 2 
Score: 4

Planet Waves (1974)

With a new record label (Asylum) Dylan became energised, and reformed The Band to record a new "proper" album, Planet Waves, and to go out on tour for the first time since the stressful 1966 tour.  The tour was hugely successful and would be recorded for Before The Flood. The album was less successful. People wanted it to be, and advance orders were big. But as people got to hear the songs, sales dropped off. The songs from the album were also gradually dropped from the tour, leaving only "Forever Young", and the tour ended up being a nostalgia tour of Dylan playing the old songs. 

The album is partly in the style of Dylan's mid Seventies albums and partly in the style of The Basement Tapes, and is decent and accomplished, but not top level Dylan. It certainly doesn't deserve to be ignored, but is not essential listening. The best song, "Forever Young", is done better on the live Budokan album. The opening track, "On A Night Like This", is possibly the next best song, and has been included on two compilation albums, though Dylan has not performed it live.  

On the whole a relaxed, low key, reasonably pleasant, non-essential album. It reached no 1 in the US charts, and no 7 in the UK charts.

ReleasedJanuary 17, 1974
RecordedNovember 2, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 14, 1973
StudioVillage Recorder, West Los Angeles, California
GenreRoots rock
Length42:12
LabelAsylum
ProducerRob Fraboni

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan.[16]

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."On a Night Like This"2:57
2."Going, Going, Gone"3:27
3."Tough Mama"4:17
4."Hazel"2:50
5."Something There Is About You"4:45
6."Forever Young"4:57
Total length:23:13
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Forever Young"2:49
2."Dirge"5:36
3."You Angel You"2:54
4."Never Say Goodbye"2:56
5."Wedding Song"4:42
Total length:18:57
Score: 5 




Before The Flood (June 1974)

This album marks the change in Dylan's creative energy. Since the tour in 1966 and his "motorbike accident", he had withdrawn from the public, had not toured, and his recorded work had been sporadic and often bizarre.  There were occasional songs that worked, but on the whole what he produced was not the material that had made him the voice of a generation, nor the stuff that would later gain him the Nobel Prize for Literature.  With a change in record companies, Dylan seemed invigorated. He got together with the Band who had toured with him in 1966, and who had worked with him on the recordings that would soon emerge as The Basement Tapes. They made an album, Planet Waves, and then toured to promote it. The album was weak, and as the tour progressed, apart from "Forever Young", Dylan and The Band concentrated on their older material. 
This is a very strong recording. The tour was a huge success, and this album shows why. Dylan is clearly energised and in command. And The Band are playing at their peak. When it was released there was some discussion and disappointment that one and a half sides were just The Band doing their own material, but they are a great band, and their own songs are classics, so there's no complaints from me. 

As with most things Dylan, there were and still are divided opinions on the album. My own view is that this is the first official release of Dylan live, the first album in which The Band are not just acknowledged, but given their own space,  a key album which marks a change in Dylan's attitude and energy, has some great songs well played, and is amongst the strongest and most resonant of Dylan's electric rock performances, so as well as being an important historical record, it is a damn great listening experience. 
The album reached no 3 in the US charts, and no 8 in the UK charts. 

ReleasedJune 20, 1974
RecordedFebruary 13–14, 1974, in Los Angeles, except track 4: January 30, 1974, in New York
GenreRock
Length92:38
LabelAsylum
ProducerBob Dylan and The Band

Sides one and four are performances by Bob Dylan backed by the Band; side two and tracks four through six on side three are by the Band; tracks one through three on side three by Dylan alone. "Blowin' in the Wind" is a splice of two separate performances.

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan except where noted; all dates from Los Angeles except where noted

Side one
No.TitleRecording dateLength
1."Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine"02-14 (evening)4:15
2."Lay Lady Lay"02-133:14
3."Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"02-133:27
4."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"01-30 New York City3:51
5."It Ain't Me Babe"02-14 (evening)3:40
6."Ballad of a Thin Man"02-14 (afternoon)3:41
Total length:22:08
Side two
No.TitleRecording dateLength
1."Up on Cripple Creek" (Robbie Robertson)02-14 (evening)5:25
2."I Shall Be Released"02-14 (afternoon)3:50
3."Endless Highway" (Robertson)02-14 (evening)5:10
4."The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (Robertson)02-14 (evening)4:24
5."Stage Fright" (Robertson)02-14 (evening)4:45
Total length:23:34
Side three
No.TitleRecording dateLength
1."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"02-14 (evening)4:36
2."Just Like a Woman"02-14 (evening)5:06
3."It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"02-14 (evening)5:48
4."The Shape I'm In" (Robertson)02-14 (afternoon)4:01
5."When You Awake" (Richard Manuel, Robertson)02-14 (evening)3:13
6."The Weight" (Robertson)02-134:47
Total length:27:31
Side four
No.TitleRecording dateLength
1."All Along the Watchtower"02-14 (afternoon)3:07
2."Highway 61 Revisited"02-14 (evening)4:27
3."Like a Rolling Stone"02-137:09
4."Blowin' in the Wind"02-13 + 02-14 (afternoon)4:30
Total length:19:13

Score: 8


Blood On The Tracks (Jan 1975) 

While Blonde On Blonde was the first Dylan album I got into and fell in love with, it was an album I heard a few years after it had been released, so I wasn't there at the moment of release. But for Blood On The Tracks I was there. And I remember everything about it. After years of listening to crap by Dylan, to put on this album and from the first moment hear something quite wonderful.... Man, that was a beautiful moment. And so exciting. There were people who were still uncertain about the album's worth, and were hedging their bets. But I can tell you, in my house, and in my circle of friends, we were fit to burst with the excitement. We discussed this album over and over: long nights of listening to the album, and talking endlessly about what he meant there, and there. And often not talking at all, just taking a drag, closing our eyes, and listening. Dylan was the voice of a generation; but it was the previous generation - our parents or elder brothers. But here, now, and for the first time in our generation, he was speaking live to us. To US, man. This was OUR Dylan album. We knew it was brilliant. And we loved him, and we loved the album. 
This is one of Dylan's greatest albums, and one of the greatest albums ever made.  It reached no 1 in the US, and no 4 in the UK. 

Rolling Stone

ReleasedJanuary 20, 1975
RecordedSeptember 16–19 and December 27–30, 1974
Studio
GenreFolk rock
Length51:46
LabelColumbia
Producer
  • Phil Ramone (New York)
  • Bob Dylan (Minneapolis)
    Both uncredited

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan

Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Tangled Up in Blue"December 30, 1974, in Minneapolis5:42
2."Simple Twist of Fate"September 19, 1974, in New York City4:19
3."You're a Big Girl Now"December 27, 1974, in Minneapolis4:36
4."Idiot Wind"December 27, 1974, in Minneapolis7:48
5."You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go"September 17, 1974, in New York City2:55


Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Meet Me in the Morning"September 16, 1974, in New York City4:22
2."Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts"December 30, 1974, in Minneapolis8:51
3."If You See Her, Say Hello"December 30, 1974, in Minneapolis4:49
4."Shelter from the Storm"September 17, 1974, in New York City5:02
5."Buckets of Rain"September 19, 1974, in New York City3:22



Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 10 
Score: 10


The Basement Tapes (June 1975) 

Hot on the heels of the success of the reformed relationship with the Band, the tour, and the Blood On The Tracks album, Dylan agreed to a release of some of the songs he had recorded with the Band back in 1967, and which had been leaked over the years in bootlegs, most notably the Great White Wonder bootleg in 1969. Robbie Robertson took charge, selected the songs, including those which involved him but not Dylan, did some overdubs, and even recorded new songs with the Band. There was immense interest in the album in 1975, but some doubts and uncertainties on hearing it. This was old music. It was not where Dylan was at today, and none of the songs were comparable in quality to either Blood or to Dylan's classic Sixties songs.  True, they were not weird and throwaway as was most of the stuff during Dylan's lean period, but they were neither quite the stuff we were somehow hoping for.  They sounded, well, more like songs by the Band than songs by Dylan.  However, among the OK stuff, there were little gems, such as "Goin' to Acapulco" and "Tears of Rage", and perhaps if the album had been a single inside of a double, there would have been more focus and energy.  The jury is still out on this album, but - despite petty controversy over exactly when some of the songs were recorded and which have been overdubbed - it is generally regarded more highly now than when it was released because some of the disconnect between what Dylan was doing in 1975 and this recording from his past appearing at that time, along with the disappointment that the songs were not as great in reality as the rumours would have them, is no longer present. At this distance people see the album as what Dylan was doing in 1967 rather than what he was doing in 1975, and there is no confusion. 
There are some decent enough albeit lower importance Dylan songs that make the album a pleasant listen. The decision (presumably by Robertson) to insert a number of very trivial Band tracks in between the Dylan songs is unhelpful and indeed a little irritating.  I like the Band, and I like the blend of Band and Dylan material on the live album. But not here. It's not bad album, but it's not essential, and is more interesting because of its story than because of its contents. 

ReleasedJune 26, 1975
RecordedJune–September 1967
(Dylan and the Band)
  • 1967–1968 (The Band)
  • 1975 (overdubs)
Genre
Length76:41
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Dylan, The Band

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan, except where noted. Tracks marked # have no involvement by Dylan.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Odds and Ends" 1:47
2."Orange Juice Blues (Blues for Breakfast)" #Richard Manuel3:39
3."Million Dollar Bash" 2:32
4."Yazoo Street Scandal" #Robbie Robertson3:29
5."Goin' to Acapulco" 5:27
6."Katie's Been Gone" #Manuel, Robertson2:46
Total length:19:40
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lo and Behold!" 2:46
2."Bessie Smith" #Rick Danko, Robertson4:18
3."Clothes Line Saga" 2:58
4."Apple Suckling Tree" 2:48
5."Please, Mrs. Henry" 2:33
6."Tears of Rage"Dylan, Manuel4:15
Total length:19:38
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Too Much of Nothing" 3:04
2."Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread" 2:15
3."Ain't No More Cane" #Traditional3:58
4."Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood)" 2:04
5."Ruben Remus" #Manuel, Robertson3:16
6."Tiny Montgomery" 2:47
Total length:17:24
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" 2:42
2."Don't Ya Tell Henry" # 3:13
3."Nothing Was Delivered" 4:23
4."Open the Door, Homer" 2:49
5."Long Distance Operator" # 3:39
6."This Wheel's on Fire"Danko, Dylan3:52
Total length:20:38

Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 10 
Score: 5


It is as it says on the lid - all the recordings that were made with the Band during Dylan's dubious period. There are nearly 150 tracks, and, as to be expected, and as it typical of  most of the Official Bootleg series, there is a lot of rubbish included.  There's way too much material here for anyone but the most obsessed Dylan fan or academic to wade through. Also released was a two CD version called Basement Tapes Raw, and a one CD version called Basement Tapes Sampler

ReleasedNovember 4, 2014
RecordedJune–October 1967
Studio"Big Pink," West Saugerties, New York
Genre
Length6:33:49
LabelColumbia

All songs written by Bob Dylan except where noted; traditional songs arranged by Dylan.

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Edge of the Ocean" 2:21
2."My Bucket's Got a Hole in It"Clarence Williams1:35
3."Roll on Train" 2:00
4."Mr. Blue"DeWayne Blackwell1:52
5."Belshazzar"Johnny Cash3:22
6."I Forgot to Remember to Forget"Charlie Feathers, Stanley Kesler3:19
7."You Win Again"Hank Williams2:43
8."Still in Town"Hank CochranHarlan Howard3:04
9."Waltzing with Sin"Sonny Burns, Red Hayes2:49
10."Big River" (Take 1)Cash0:43
11."Big River" (Take 2)Cash2:23
12."Folsom Prison Blues" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw)Cash2:46
13."Bells of Rhymney"Idris DaviesPeter Seeger3:16
14."Spanish is the Loving Tongue"Charles Badger Clark3:53
15."Under Control" 2:50
16."Ol' Roison the Beau"Traditional4:55
17."I'm Guilty of Loving You"Jerry ButlerBilly Butler (misattributed to Dylan)1:09
18."Cool Water"Bob Nolan3:04
19."The Auld Triangle"Dick Shannon (misattributed to Brendan Behan)5:47
20."Po' Lazarus"Traditional1:00
21."I'm a Fool for You" (Take 1) 1:06
22."I'm a Fool for You" (Take 2) 2:34
Total length:58:31
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Johnny Todd" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw)Traditional2:05
2."Tupelo"John Lee Hooker2:22
3."Kickin' My Dog Around"Traditional2:43
4."See You Later Allen Ginsberg" (Take 1) 0:30
5."See You Later Allen Ginsberg" (Take 2) 0:51
6."Tiny Montgomery" (Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:57
7."Big Dog" 0:24
8."I'm Your Teenage Prayer" 3:52
9."Four Strong Winds"Ian Tyson3:42
10."The French Girl" (Take 1)Tyson, Sylvia Tyson2:12
11."The French Girl" (Take 2)Tyson, Tyson3:00
12."Joshua Gone Barbados"Eric Von Schmidt2:46
13."I'm in the Mood"Bernard Besman, Hooker1:58
14."Baby Ain't That Fine"Dallas Frazier2:11
15."Rock, Salt and Nails"Bruce Phillips4:37
16."A Fool Such As I" (a 1969 re-recorded version was released in 1973 on Dylan)William Marvin Trader2:57
17."Song for Canada"Peter Gzowski, Tyson4:31
18."People Get Ready"Curtis Mayfield3:15
19."I Don't Hurt Anymore" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw)Donald RobertsonWalter Rollins2:15
20."Be Careful of Stones That You Throw"Benjamin Lee Blankenship[a 3]3:04
21."One Man's Loss" 3:52
22."Lock Your Door" 0:23
23."Baby, Won't You Be My Baby" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:53
24."Try Me Little Girl" 1:38
25."I Can't Make It Alone" 3:34
26."Don't You Try Me Now" 3:12
Total length:67:44
Disc three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Young But Daily Growing"Traditional5:40
2."Bonnie Ship the Diamond"Traditional3:21
3."The Hills of Mexico"Traditional3:05
4."Down on Me"Traditional0:43
5."One for the Road" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 4:50
6."I'm Alright" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 1:46
7."Million Dollar Bash" (Take 1; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:52
8."Million Dollar Bash" (Take 2 – Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes) 2:35
9."Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread" (Take 1) 1:50
10."Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread" (Take 2 – Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:16
11."I'm Not There" (Originally released in 2007 on I'm Not There; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 5:13
12."Please Mrs. Henry" (Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:34
13."Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood)" (Take 1) 2:11
14."Crash on the Levee" (Take 2 – Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:06
15."Lo and Behold!" (Take 1; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:54
16."Lo and Behold!" (Take 2 – Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes) 2:50
17."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" (Take 1; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:48
18."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" (Take 2 – Originally released with overdubs in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:46
19."I Shall Be Released" (Take 1) 4:04
20."I Shall Be Released" (Take 2 – Originally released in 1991 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 1–3; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 3:58
21."This Wheel's on Fire" (Originally released with overdubs in 1975 on The Basement Tapes)Dylan, Rick Danko3:54
22."Too Much of Nothing" (Take 1 – Originally released with overdubs in 1975 on The Basement Tapes) 3:03
23."Too Much of Nothing" (Take 2; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:51
Total length:70:10
Disc four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tears of Rage" (Take 1)Dylan, Richard Manuel4:04
2."Tears of Rage" (Take 2)Dylan, Manuel2:31
3."Tears of Rage" (Take 3 – Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw)Dylan, Manuel4:15
4."Quinn the Eskimo" (Take 1) 2:03
5."Quinn the Eskimo" (Take 2 – Originally released in 1985 on Biograph; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:16
6."Open the Door Homer" (Take 1 – Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:53
7."Open the Door Homer" (Take 2) 0:58
8."Open the Door Homer" (Take 3) 3:14
9."Nothing Was Delivered" (Take 1 – Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 4:26
10."Nothing Was Delivered" (Take 2) 3:44
11."Nothing Was Delivered" (Take 3) 0:33
12."All American Boy"Bobby Bare3:59
13."Sign on the Cross" (Take 3; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 7:21
14."Odds and Ends" (Take 1; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 1:48
15."Odds and Ends" (Take 2 – Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes) 1:49
16."Get Your Rocks Off" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 3:46
17."Clothes Line Saga (Answer to Ode)" (Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:59
18."Apple Suckling Tree" (Take 1) 2:41
19."Apple Suckling Tree" (Take 2 – Originally released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:50
20."Don't Ya Tell Henry" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:31
21."Bourbon Street" 5:05
Total length:65:46
Disc five
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Blowin' in the Wind" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 6:36
2."One Too Many Mornings" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 3:23
3."A Satisfied Mind"Red HayesJack Rhodes2:01
4."It Ain't Me, Babe" 3:32
5."Ain't No More Cane" (Take 1)Traditional2:41
6."Ain't No More Cane" (Take 2; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw)Traditional1:58
7."My Woman She's A-Leavin'" 2:30
8."Santa-Fe" (Originally released in 1991 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 1–3; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:08
9."Mary Lou, I Love You Too" 2:30
10."Dress it Up, Better Have it All" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 2:53
11."Minstrel Boy" (Originally released in 2013 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 10; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 1:40
12."Silent Weekend" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 3:01
13."What's it Gonna Be When it Comes Up" 3:04
14."900 Miles from My Home" (Included on The Basement Tapes Raw)Traditional2:14
15."Wildwood Flower"A. P. Carter2:11
16."One Kind Favor" (Often credited elsewhere as See That My Grave Is Kept Clean)Traditional3:33
17."She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain"Traditional1:39
18."It's the Flight of the Bumblebee" 2:09
19."Wild Wolf" 3:35
20."Goin' to Acapulco" (Originally released with overdubs in 1975 on The Basement Tapes; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 5:37
21."Gonna Get You Now" 1:31
22."If I Were a Carpenter"James Timothy Hardin2:23
23."Confidential"Dorina Morgan1:37
24."All You Have to Do Is Dream" (Take 1) 3:56
25."All You Have to Do Is Dream" (Take 2; Included on The Basement Tapes Raw) 3:20
Total length:71:42
Disc six
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."2 Dollars and 99 Cents" 2:35
2."Jelly Bean" 2:58
3."Any Time" 3:17
4."Down by the Station" 1:29
5."Hallelujah, I've Just Been Moved"Traditional3:04
6."That's the Breaks" 4:18
7."Pretty Mary" 3:12
8."Will the Circle Be Unbroken?"Carter2:09
9."King of France" 3:53
10."She's On My Mind Again" 4:18
11."Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad"Traditional3:21
12."On a Rainy Afternoon" 2:53
13."I Can't Come in with a Broken Heart" 2:42
14."Next Time on the Highway" 2:20
15."Northern Claim" 2:05
16."Love Is Only Mine" 1:50
17."Silhouettes"Bob Crewe, Frank Slay Jr.1:52
18."Bring it on Home" 3:07
19."Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies"Traditional2:09
20."The Spanish Song" (Take 1) 2:47
21."The Spanish Song" (Take 2) 2:16
22."900 Miles from My Home/Confidential" (Hidden track)Traditional/Dorina Morgan2:27
Total length:61:02

Wikipedia 
Score: 4


Desire (Jan 1976)

After the confusion and (relative) disappointment of The Basement Tapes it was a huge relief to get back to a contemporary Dylan full of energy and fire, and ready to take on the world. I liked this album from the start, but also felt it was a step down from Blood On The Tracks and other major albums. It's second tier, along with albums like John Wesley Harding. Of course, Dylan's second tier is still significant. I like the energy here, the pop-friendly aspect, the straight-forward nature of the songs. This is not Nobel Prize, spokesman of a generation, Dylan, this is pop-rock artist Dylan delivering an excellent album. The violin of Scarlet Rivera really lifts the album - giving it colour and fire. I guess co-writer Jacques Levy is the one who grounded the songs, and made them more commercial and less mysterious and interesting. I wonder what the album would have been like if Dylan hadn't used him. 


ReleasedJanuary 5, 1976
RecordedJuly 28–31, August 11
and October 24, 1975
GenreFolk rock
Length56:13
LabelColumbia
ProducerDon DeVito

All tracks written by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy, except as noted.

Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Hurricane"October 24, 19758:33
2."Isis"July 31, 19756:58
3."Mozambique"July 30, 19753:00
4."One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)" (Dylan)July 30, 19753:43
5."Oh, Sister"July 30, 19754:05
Total length:26:19
Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Joey"July 30, 1975 (overdubs August 1975)11:05
2."Romance in Durango"July 28, 19755:50
3."Black Diamond Bay"July 30, 19757:30
4."Sara" (Dylan)July 31, 19755:29
Total length:29:54

Score: 7-8



Hard Rain (Sept 1976) 

I don't recall this album at all.  I recall the Rolling Thunder Revue, the infamous shambolic tour from which this recording was taken, but not the actual album. I think this is the first time I have heard this.  On listening to it, I can understand why it passed me by. It's an album to ignore.  
Dylan is pushing it a bit. Shouting rather than singing. And the music rolls on in a messy, noisy manner.   There's little about this to encourage repeat listens. But Dylan often repays listening carefully and keeping one's mind open, however I have returned  to this in 2023, and am not liking it any more than I did in 2017.  

The album reached no 17 in the US and 3 in the UK. 

ReleasedSeptember 13, 1976
RecordedMay 16 and 23, 1976
GenreRock
Length51:06
LabelColumbia
ProducerDon DeVito and Bob Dylan

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Maggie's Farm" 5:23
2."One Too Many Mornings" 3:47
3."Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" 6:01
4."Oh, Sister"Dylan, Jacques Levy5:08
5."Lay Lady Lay" 4:47
Total length:25:06
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Shelter from the Storm"5:29
2."You're a Big Girl Now"7:01
3."I Threw It All Away"3:18
4."Idiot Wind"10:21
Total length:26:09



Wikipedia 
Score: 3-4 


Live 1975 The Rolling Thunder Revue (2002)

This an alternative, later (2002), release in the Bootleg Series of the performances on the first leg of the Rolling Thunder Revue.  It's not much of an improvement, but it is an improvement. If you want a record of the Rolling Thunder Revue, this is the one to listen to.  There's a comfy, slightly nostalgic feel to it, though there are odd deliveries of notable songs which don't work for me. Each to their own, and some may find the deliveries to be interesting in themselves merely because they are odd. Whatever, this is not classic Dylan, and is merely a curiosity in the same vein as Self Portrait.  

ReleasedNovember 26, 2002
RecordedNovember 19–21 and December 4, 1975
GenreFolk rockrock and roll
Length101:48
LabelColumbia
ProducerSteve Berkowitz and Jeff Rosen

All songs written by Bob Dylan, except where noted. All songs recorded live in concert.

Disc one
No.TitlePlace and dateLength
1."Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You"Montreal Forum, Canada, December 4, 19753:55
2."It Ain't Me Babe"Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19755:25
3."A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"Montreal Forum, Canada, December 4, 19755:16
4."The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)5:25
5."Romance in Durango" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19755:22
6."Isis" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)5:11
7."Mr. Tambourine Man"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (first show)5:39
8."Simple Twist of Fate"Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19754:17
9."Blowin' in the Wind"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)2:43
10."Mama, You Been on My Mind"Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19753:11
11."I Shall Be Released"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (first show)4:33
Total length:50:57
Disc two
No.TitlePlace and dateLength
1."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"Montreal Forum, Canada, December 4, 19754:34
2."Love Minus Zero/No Limit"Montreal Forum, Canada, December 4, 19753:13
3."Tangled Up in Blue"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:41
4."The Water Is Wide" (traditional)Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)5:16
5."It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)3:12
6."Oh, Sister" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:04
7."Hurricane" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)Memorial Auditorium, Worcester, MA, November 19, 19758:15
8."One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:14
9."Sara"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:29
10."Just Like a Woman"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:31
11."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19754:22
Total length:50:51




Wikipedia 
Score:  5 



Street-Legal (June 1978) 

This studio album can be seen as a companion to the live 1979 Budokan album - they have a similar sound and feel, and use the same musicians. This is a big band sound with sax and backing singers. It has a big fat production, which most critics hated, finding it muddy or simply too slick or commercial. A number of critics found it Dylan's worse album - which makes me wonder how closely they were listening during Dylan's lean period when he released delights such as Self Portrait and Dylan.  This is not my favourite Dylan album, and there's little here to excite or interest, but it's quite listenable and holds a warmth I find comforting and attractive.  Songs you can hum along to while nodding and swaying sleepily to the tunes. I also hold a fond nostalgia for this album, as this was out at the time I saw him at Blackbushe.  
I've come back to this, and I'm seeing it as part of  Dylan's 70s revival before he got into releasing the religious albums. It has a similar sound and feel to  Blood On The Tracks and Desire, though is the lesser of that trilogy. Being the lesser album of Dylan's second great period is, to be fair, a considerable achievement. It's an attractive, listenable album of good quality songs which repay repeated listening.  

ReleasedJune 15, 1978
RecordedApril 25 – May 1, 1978
StudioRundown Studios, Santa Monica, California
GenreRock
Length49:56
LabelColumbia
ProducerDon DeVito

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan.

Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Changing of the Guards"April 27, 19786:41
2."New Pony"May 1, 19784:28
3."No Time to Think"April 27, 19788:19
4."Baby, Stop Crying"April 28, 19785:19
Total length:25:10
Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Is Your Love in Vain?"April 28, 19784:30
2."Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)"April 28, 19785:42
3."True Love Tends to Forget"April 27, 19784:14
4."We Better Talk This Over"April 26, 19784:04
5."Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat)"April 27, 19786:16
Total length:24:46


Wikipedia 
Score: 6 


I had this album at the time, played it a lot, and loved it. Listening to it now, and I wonder how I could have possibly ever have liked it. I think I must have liked it at the time because it reminded me of his performance at Blackbushe.  Hmmm. While initially I felt uncomfortable by these versions of his classic songs, by the end I had been somewhat won over, and I had a sense of why I liked the album back in the late Seventies. The album contains his very best version of  "Forever Young", and fascinating versions of other songs. In general there's a weary, late night feel to the album's atmosphere. A spacey sound, wandering away into the night. It's quite a soulful sound. Considering what was about to happen in Dylan's life, the vibe here might be a indicator of his emotional, spiritual and intellectual state.  The version here of "Blowin In The Wind" isn't angry, it isn't a rallying cry, it's slightly nostalgic, sad, very weary, and almost lost and without hope or faith. It's a requiem. Quite chilling really. Perhaps what Dylan needs is a new faith in his life..... 
The album reached no 13 in the US and 4 in the UK. 

ReleasedAugust 21, 1978
RecordedFebruary 28 and March 1, 1978
VenueNippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan
GenreRock
Length99:41
LabelCBS/Sony
ProducerDon DeVito

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan; except where indicated

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Mr. Tambourine Man"4:54
2."Shelter from the Storm"4:30
3."Love Minus Zero/No Limit"3:52
4."Ballad of a Thin Man"4:47
5."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"4:55
Total length:22:58
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Maggie's Farm"5:06
2."One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)"3:19
3."Like a Rolling Stone"6:31
4."I Shall Be Released"4:12
5."Is Your Love in Vain?"4:02
6."Going, Going, Gone"4:22
Total length:27:32
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Blowin' in the Wind" 4:25
2."Just Like a Woman" 5:03
3."Oh, Sister"Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy4:44
4."Simple Twist of Fate" 4:15
5."All Along the Watchtower" 3:20
6."I Want You" 2:34
Total length:24:21
Score: 4-5

Slow Train Coming (Aug 1979)

And so comes the first of the Christian albums after Dylan underwent three months of discipleship training and converted to an Evangelical branch of Christianity - popularly referred to as "born again Christianity" by the media.  The religious aspects of the album presented a barrier to his audience who were looking for sharp questions and thought-provoking observations from him, not door step platitudes to have faith and serve the Lord. This is not an album I can easily take - the music is pedestrian, and Dylan's lyrics are among the worse he's ever written. An album that's very difficult to take, and for me marked the end of my active interest in him. I sort of kept a loose track of what he was doing and releasing to see if things would pick up, but gradually lost interest over time.  Listening to it again now, I see little of  worth or interest here, other than as a record of his conversion to Christianity. I should imagine this is one of those records that Dylan looks back on with considerable embarrassment. The lyrics are mundane - I can't believe they are actually by Dylan. 

The album reached no 3 in the US and 2 in the UK. 

ReleasedAugust 20, 1979
RecordedApril 30 – May 11, 1979
Genre
Length46:19
LabelColumbia
Producer

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:22
2."Precious Angel"6:27
3."I Believe in You"5:02
4."Slow Train"5:55
Total length:22:46
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Gonna Change My Way of Thinking"5:25
2."Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others)"3:50
3."When You Gonna Wake Up"5:25
4."Man Gave Names to All the Animals"4:23
5."When He Returns"4:30
Total length:23:33


Wikipedia 
Score: 3



Saved (1980) 

It's quite likely that this is the first time I have heard this album - and it's quite likely this will be the last time as well.  This has a Contemporary Christian Music feel to it, and though it's Dylan doing it, so there's a little more interest and depth, it's still not the sort of thing that interests me at all. Music and lyrics are mainly superficial, though there are moments when he adds something interesting and Dylanesque to otherwise commonplace gospel music, such as in "Pressing On", which has hints of "Forever Young" in its sound.
For a gospel album it's quite good. Dylan sings well, and the band are decent enough.  But I'm not interested in a gospel album praising the lord. I want a Dylan album. And that is not this. 

The album reached no 24 in the US and 3 in the UK. 


ReleasedJune 23, 1980
RecordedFebruary 11–15, 1980
StudioMuscle Shoals Sound Studio[1]
Genre
Length42:39
LabelColumbia
ProducerBarry Beckett and Jerry Wexler

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Satisfied Mind"Red HayesJack Rhodes1:57
2."Saved"Tim Drummond, Bob Dylan4:00
3."Covenant Woman" 6:02
4."What Can I Do for You?" 5:54
5."Solid Rock" 3:55
Total length:21:48
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Pressing On"5:11
2."In the Garden"5:58
3."Saving Grace"5:01
4."Are You Ready"4:41
Total length:20:51


Wikipedia 
Score: 2 


Shot of Love (1981)

Conventionally classed as another of the Evangelical Christian albums - indeed, critics seem to want the Christian albums to form some form of unholy trilogy, this is Dylan moving away from the Christian experiment - most of the songs here are not religious, indeed, seem to be turning their back on Christianity and religious faith. The ambiguity, bitterness, and incisive lyrics in the title track are fascinating - this is classic Dylan: calling up images and ideas that cause everyone to pause and think, yet nothing is revealed..... However, the rest of the album doesn't live up to the promise of that opening track (though "The Groom..." is pretty damn good, and would be acceptable on any of the classic Dylan albums - though for some daft Dylan reason, it didn't originally appear on the album, and was added later) - and that might account for the backlash it received from critics. Take away the title track and there's another failed album, albeit a little more interesting than his other failures. But the title track shows just what Dylan is capable of, and that simply teases and frustrates. Yes, that's gonna create friction - something Dylan is familiar with!

I'm remembering now that a friend got into the album at the time and urged me to listen to it, and I  did indulge him one evening, but all I was hearing was the Christian aspects, and rejected it. Listening now, I'm starting to appreciate what he heard back then. This was the start of Dylan's "recovery", and the album has very strong moments. Not a great album, but much better than its undeserved reputation.

The album reached no 33 in the US and 6 in the UK. 

ReleasedAugust 12, 1981
RecordedMarch–May 1981
Genre
Length44:27
LabelColumbia
ProducerChuck PlotkinBob Dylan
Bumps Blackwell

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Shot of Love"4:18
2."Heart of Mine"4:29
3."Property of Jesus"4:33
4."Lenny Bruce"4:32
5."Watered-Down Love"4:10
Total length:22:02
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar"4:04
2."Dead Man, Dead Man"4:03
3."In the Summertime"3:36
4."Trouble"4:32
5."Every Grain of Sand"6:12
Total length:22:27


Wikipedia 
Score: 4


Infidels (1983)

Liked by critics because it contained no overtly Christian songs, this - for me - is marred by its clearly Eighties sound and production.  He sounds like Eighties Bruce Springsteen. Actually, there's just as many Christian songs on this album as on the last one. Hmmm. I think I prefer Shot of Love

I wrote the above a few years ago. I've just listened again because I was looking at what Mick Taylor did after leaving the Stones, and I'm more impressed than I was. This is not for me one of Dylan's best albums, but it's certainly better than the majority of crud he has released in between the genuinely good albums. Dylan, as to be expected - as happens with most musical artists, fades over time, running out of ideas and energy and interest. Then for some reason he finds something new. He found something new here - an approach that is fresh and energetic. He gave a rare TV appearance performing two of the songs, and sparked up the delivery so he appeared as though he was a New Wave artist like Elvis Costello.  

Mark Knopfler was involved in producing the album, as he was also involved the following year in writing for Tina Turner's "come back" album, Private Dancer.   Knopfler's guitar and music style is all over this album - along with some decent guitar licks from ex-Stone Taylor. 

All in all a good - albeit patchy - album, though far from Dylan's best, and certainly not essential, other than as an example of how Dylan could still randomly produce a decent album after a long period of producing crap.  Songs: "Jokerman" - good lyrics and tune, subdued production and silky though inappropriate Knopfler guitar;  "Sweetheart Like You" - sounds like an early Springsteen song imitating Dylan, done with a slick and empty 80s production; decent lyrics and vocal delivery; "Neighborhood Bully" - a rather simple song and tune with upfront 80s production - overall a little grating, though decent guitar by Tayler; "License To Kill" - weak, simplistic song, with the silly upfront plodding drum sound that was popular in the 80s; "Man of Peace" - a Christian song, not very deep, but moves along quite well, broadly acceptable; "Union Sundown" - a simple protest song that pretty anyone could have done; "I and I" has sub-Dylanesque lyrics with sub-Knopfler music, the whole delivered in classic Dylan drawl; "Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight" - nice, though not major.    

The album reached no 20 in the US and no 9 in the UK. 

ReleasedOctober 27, 1983
RecordedApril–May 1983
StudioThe Power Station
New York
Genre
Length41:39
LabelColumbia
Producer


All songs written by Bob Dylan.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Jokerman"6:12
2."Sweetheart Like You"4:31
3."Neighborhood Bully"4:33
4."License to Kill"3:31
Total length:18:47
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Man of Peace"6:27
2."Union Sundown"5:21
3."I and I"5:10
4."Don't Fall Apart on Me Tonight"5:54
Total length:22:52

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 6

Real Live (1984)

Most notable for the reworking of the lyrics to "Tangled Up In Blue", and for using Mick Taylor on guitar, this is an otherwise flat and meaningless recording. The audience do a more spirited job of singing than Dylan does. 


ReleasedNovember 29, 1984
RecordedJuly 5–8, 1984
GenreFolk rockhard rock
Length50:15
LabelColumbia
ProducerGlyn Johns

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Highway 61 Revisited"5:07
2."Maggie's Farm"4:54
3."I and I"6:00
4."License to Kill"3:26
5."It Ain't Me, Babe"5:17
Total length:24:44
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Tangled Up in Blue"6:54
2."Masters of War"6:35
3."Ballad of a Thin Man"4:17
4."Girl from the North Country"4:25
5."Tombstone Blues"4:32
Total length:26:43


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 
Score: 4


Empire Burlesque (1985)

Mostly harmless. This has the sound and feel of Dylan's mid Seventies albums, particularly Desire. It's not bad. It's an attractive listen, though doesn't quite build on the promise of Infidels, and ultimately is not essential. 

"Tight Connection" is a decent song;  though not world class, it is as good as any filler on Dylan's major Seventies albums. 

ReleasedJune 10, 1985
RecordedJuly 1984, December 1984 – March 1985
Genre
Length46:24
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Dylan

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love)"5:22
2."Seeing the Real You at Last"4:21
3."I'll Remember You"4:14
4."Clean Cut Kid"4:17
5."Never Gonna Be the Same Again"3:11
Total length:21:25
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Trust Yourself"3:29
2."Emotionally Yours"4:30
3."When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky"7:30
4."Something's Burning, Baby"4:54
5."Dark Eyes"5:07
Total length:25:30



Score: 5 

Knocked Out Loaded (1986)

Generally regarded as his worse album. (And now you want to hear it....) It's looking so far as if the Eighties were Dylan's least interesting period - something he holds in common with other artists. What exactly was it about the Eighties that resulted in so many major artists failing to produce worthwhile music?

Actually, I don't dislike this. There are elements of his various styles and approaches, though he only has single writing credit on two of the songs - others are covers, traditional, or collaborations. "Brownsville Girl", widely regarded as the best song on the album, and by some as one of his best ever songs, is a collaboration with Sam Shepard. It's a damn fine song. This song alone means this cannot be Dylan's worse album.  It's an interesting album - definitely, along with Oh Mercy, his most intriguing and attractive work of the Eighties.  

"You Wanna Ramble" is a rocky cover of a blues number, it is done with verve and style; "They Killed Him" is a cover of a dirge-like Kris Kristofferson song - it sounds like something off one of Dylan's religious albums; "Driftin' Too Far" is a Dylan number - it has elements of some of his better Seventies songs, but ultimately is weak, and what there is is spoiled by the simplistic plodding Eighties drumming, and some empty head commercial rock guitar; "Precious Memories" is a traditional hymn or gospel song which was covered beautifully by J.J. Cale, which this version echoes, but doesn't match; "Maybe Sunday" is another Dylan song - good lyrics, but a hasty, shambolic delivery; "Brownsville Girl" is epic - a classic Dylan song, co-written with Sam Shepard  - it is a reworking of Dylan's "New Danville Girl" (unreleased at that point), which is little different to "Brownsville Girl", so I wonder exactly what part Shepard played to be given a co-writer credit - the song was influenced by Woodie Guthrie's "Danville Girl"; "Got My Mind Made Up" was co-written with Tom Petty - it leans more toward a Petty song than a Dylan song; "Under Your Spell" was co-written with Carole Bayer Sager - it's a pleasant but small song. 

ReleasedJuly 14, 1986
RecordedApril–June 1986
GenreRock
Length35:18
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Dylan

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Wanna Ramble"Little Junior Parker3:14
2."They Killed Him"Kris Kristofferson4:00
3."Driftin' Too Far from Shore"Dylan3:39
4."Precious Memories"Traditional; arranged by Dylan3:13
5."Maybe Someday"Dylan3:17
Total length:17:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Brownsville Girl"Dylan, Sam Shepard11:00
2."Got My Mind Made Up"Dylan, Tom Petty2:53
3."Under Your Spell"Dylan, Carole Bayer Sager3:58
Total length:17:51


AllMusic: 4
Score: 5 
This album is almost as despised as his previous. Dylan seems to have been going through a bad time creatively - again there are few solo songs, and there's evidence of some indecision, with different musicians and studios used on each track. Despite this I find there's more effort here and more listenable songs than during his Self Portrait period. Others find the opposite to be true.

It reached number 61 in the US and number 32 in the UK. 

ReleasedMay 30, 1988
Recorded1983–1987
GenreRock
Length32:04
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Dylan and Mark Knopfler on "Death Is Not the End"; the rest of the album is uncredited

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let's Stick Together"Wilbert Harrison3:09
2."When Did You Leave Heaven?"Walter Bullock, Richard Whiting2:15
3."Sally Sue Brown"Arthur June Alexander, Earl Montgomery, Tom Stafford2:29
4."Death Is Not the End"Bob Dylan5:10
5."Had a Dream About You, Baby"Bob Dylan2:53
Total length:15:56
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ugliest Girl in the World"Bob Dylan, Robert Hunter3:32
2."Silvio"Bob Dylan, Robert Hunter3:05
3."Ninety Miles an Hour (Down a Dead End Street)"Hal Blair, Don Robertson2:56
4."Shenandoah"Traditional arranged by Bob Dylan3:38
5."Rank Strangers to Me"Albert E. Brumley2:57
Total length:16:08
  • Mike Baird – drums on "Silvio"
  • Peggi Blu – backing vocals on "Shenandoah"
  • Alexandra Brown – backing vocals on "Shenandoah"
  • Eric Clapton – guitar
  • Alan Clark – keyboards on "Death Is Not the End"
  • Carolyn Dennis – backing vocals on "Ugliest Girl in the World" and "Shenandoah"; additional vocals on "Silvio"
  • Sly Dunbar – drums on "Death Is Not the End"
  • Nathan East – bass guitar on "Silvio" and "Shenandoah"
  • Mitchell Froom – keyboards on "Had a Dream About You, Baby"
  • Full Force – backing vocals on "Death Is Not the End"
  • Jerry Garcia – additional vocals on "Silvio"
  • Willie Green, Jr. – backing vocals on "Sally Sue Brown" and "Ninety Miles an Hour (Down a Dead End Street)"
  • Myron Grombacher - drums on "Sally Sue Brown"
  • Beau Hill – keyboards on "Had a Dream About You, Baby"
  • Randy Jackson – bass guitar on "Let's Stick Together" and "Ugliest Girl in the World"
  • Steve Jones – guitar on "Sally Sue Brown"
  • Steve Jordan – drums on "Let's Stick Together" and "Ugliest Girl in the World"
  • Danny Kortchmar – guitar on "Let's Stick Together" and "Ugliest Girl in the World"
  • Bobby King – backing vocals on "Sally Sue Brown" and "Ninety Miles an Hour (Down a Dead End Street)"
  • Clydie King – backing vocals on "Death Is Not the End"
  • Larry Klein – bass guitar on "Rank Strangers to Me"
  • Mark Knopfler – guitar and production on "Death Is Not the End"
  • Brent Mydland – additional vocals on "Silvio"
  • Madelyn Quebec – keyboards and backing vocals on "When Did You Leave Heaven?" and "Ninety Miles an Hour (Down a Dead End Street)"; vocals on "Sally Sue Brown"; backing vocals on "Ugliest Girl in the World" and "Shenandoah"; additional vocals on "Silvio"
  • Pamela Quinlan - backing vocals
  • Kevin Savigar - keyboards on "Sally Sue Brown"
  • Robbie Shakespeare – bass guitar on "Death Is Not the End"
  • Stephen Shelton – drums on "When Did You Leave Heaven?", keyboards on "Ugliest Girl in the World", engineeringmixing
  • Paul Simonon – bass guitar on "Sally Sue Brown"
  • Henry Spinetti – drums on "Had a Dream About You, Baby"
  • Mick Taylor - guitar on "Death is Not the End"
  • Bob Weir – additional vocals on "Silvio"
  • Kip Winger – bass guitar on "Had a Dream About You, Baby"
  • Ronnie Wood – bass guitar on "Had a Dream About You, Baby"

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Dylan & the Dead (Feb 1989)

Mildly interesting versions of some of Dylan's middle period songs. But not really interesting enough to listen a second time.





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Oh Mercy (Sept 1989)

Liked by the critics, this is one of his better albums for a while. It does not anywhere near compare to his important albums, but it's a not a piece of rubbish either. I think this, along with Knocked Out Loaded, is his best work of the Eighties, but on the whole this is a very weak period in Dylan's creativity, so it's all relative.  Essentially his last decent albums were the four albums: Before The Flood (1974), Blood On The Tracks, The Basement Tapes and Desire in 1976.





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Under The Red Sky (1990)

Disliked by most critics. I kinda like it, but it's not a major work.




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The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (1991)
Rare & Unreleased 1961-1989

A mix of unreleased tracks, demos and live recordings from 1961 to 1989, this is the stuff regarded as not good enough at the time, but as Dylan has been releasing so much weak stuff for so many years, the early tracks here sound brilliant in comparison. Well, some of the earlier tracks here ARE brilliant, and only someone of Dylan's ability could have such recordings discarded because they had other recordings they preferred to publish at the time. The mystery, of course, is why it took so long to officially publish them.



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Good As I Been To You (1992)

A likeable and popular album.  After clearly struggling with his inability to write a telling song, Dylan retreated into an album entirely of acoustics covers. There is talk that this was done merely to meet the demands of his recording contract, however the result was liked by many, and Dylan would now continue to record mostly covers until Time Out Of Mind in 1997. His Never Ending Tour, which I saw this year (2017) was mostly covers, and this apparently has been the case since the tour started in 1988. His singing style does bring a Dylanesque approach to each song he sings, and allows the listener to review Dylan's career in terms of Dylan's own interpretations of his own songs - the WAY he delivers them is perhaps as important as the lyrical content.

And, by golly, I do like this.



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World Gone Wrong (1993)

Another album of covers of traditional songs. It's very effective, and Dylan sounds relaxed, though it doesn't quite have the impact of Good As I Been To You.




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MTV Unplugged (1995)

It takes Dylan a little while before he gets into this live MTV performance, when when he does it's quite attractive, though lacking in some of the depth, passion, and interest of his performances during his creative peak in the Sixties and Seventies. He doesn't speak between songs - just plays 'em. This is how he performed when I saw him life recently. The difference here is that there are no covers - apparently Dylan wanted to do the same sort of traditional material that he's done on his last two albums, but MTV wanted the classics. Odd that Dylan would agree to do that - he's been notorious during his career for doing his own thing, and never compromising. Anyway, a modest but pleasant enough album. Next?



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Time Out Of Mind (1997)

After a long creative break having released no new material for seven years, but having continued to play live and to record covers, Dylan seems at peace with himself - there are no expectations any more. And now he can write again. There are a number of people, perhaps relieved that he was writing again, who regard this as one of his best albums. Ahem. Well, back in the real world, this is a moody and atmospheric and likeable work, but it's very minor. There is the feel of Cash's American Recordings about some of the songs, but this doesn't quite have the power of that album. There's also a feel of Tom Waits here. OK, I'm won over, this is wonderful stuff - certainly up there among his best. Wow!



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Love and Theft (2001)

With a worn, craggy voice very reminiscent of Tom Waits, Dylan settles comfortably and assuredly into his mature period which began with Time Out Of Mind.  There is an attractive sound on this album. It was well received by critics, and continues to impress.  This belongs among his best work, and it's quite breath-taking that he has been able to span so many decades with work of this extraordinary quality, and at the same time have long periods of producing such dire material.  But better to have such a roller-coaster career, than to remain mediocre all your life.




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No Direction Home (2005)

Recordings from 1959 to 1966, mostly previously unreleased, which cover the period of Dylan from an aspiring folk singer playing at home, to the infamous incident in 1966 when Dylan was called a "Judas" just before he he plays Like A Rolling Stone "fucking loud", after which he withdraws and has to wait until 1974 before he has the confidence to tour again and record and release his serious songs.  A fascinating document for those interested in Dylan, but not for the general public.



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Live At the Gaslight 1962

Tracks: Hard Rain,  Rocks and Gravel,  Don't Think Twice,  Cuckoo,  Moonshiner,  Handsome Molly,  Cocaine,  John Brown,  etc.

A record of one of his early gigs. For Dylan fans only.




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Modern Times (2006)

The boy can now do no wrong. He's touring all the time, and with his status as the legendary Bob Dylan established, and with nothing controversial to say or do,  he is quite relaxed and willing to play chug-a-lug rockabilly. This is Dylan playing to the audience more than he's ever done, and it worked. The album went straight to number 1 in most countries. Dylan being, apparently, the first 65 year old to have a new album enter the Billboard charts at number 1.
It's listenable, but flimsy. Because some critics are happy that he's not releasing weird stuff, or anything attacking them, they regard this as one of his best albums.  I think they need to seriously revisit the core Sixties albums. Gee.



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Tell Tale Signs (2008)

Scraps and alternative takes left off his studio albums from Oh Mercy to Modern Times. It's more of the same stuff - slightly world weary lyrics delivered in a rasping older man voice. I suppose Dylan's mature period offers an interesting contrast to his young vital period, and there is much attractive and emotional material, but it is a minor period. However, Dylan's minor period is somewhat better than many artists major periods.
This album is a mixed bag. There's good stuff and OK stuff and not so OK stuff in here.




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Together Through Life (2009)




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Christmas In The Heart (Oct 2009)

Dylan can do what he wants. And if wants to make an album of nonsense, then so be it. This is not on the same level as Phil Spector's Christmas Album, and is best ignored completely.




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The Tempest (2012)

Dylan's best album of his mature period, and his best album since Blood On The Tracks. This is genuinely a great album, and astonishing that he can produce work of this quality.  OK, some of the mature period albums were indicating that he hadn't completely lost it....




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Shadows In The Night (2015)

Covers of songs recorded by Frank Sinatra during his melancholy period. It is what it is.





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Fallen Angels (2016)

More covers of songs recorded by Frank Sinatra. Oh well......




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Triplicate (2017)

A triple album of covers. Oh grief....



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Albums
Essential albums are marked *
Best of a period are marked !

Debut

Core 

Dubious

Revival

Christian

Strained

Covers

Mature


* BestEverAlbums All
* PasteMagazine Top15
* RollingStoneReadersPoll Top 10
* CoS All
* Nerve All
* UCR All
* Thought Top 5
* TopTens All
* Spinditty Top 10
* PNT Top 10
* Ranker All
AudioOxide All 




My list:
Highway 61 Revisited (1965) 
Blonde on Blonde (1966)
Bringing It All Back Home (1965) 
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963) 
Blood on the Tracks (1975) 
Live 1966 (1998)
Before The Flood (June 1974)
John Wesley Harding (1967)
Desire (1976)
The Times They Are a-Changin' (1964)
The Basement Tapes (1975)
The Tempest (2012)
Love and Theft (2001)


Links
* Bob Dylan * Expecting Rain – Dylan news and events, updated daily * Bob Links – Comprehensive log of concerts and set lists
* Bjorner * Bjorner's Still on the Road – Information on recording sessions and performances * Dylan interview list (with links)
* bob-dylan.org.uk

Published 22 Jul 2017 

81 - March 2019
742 - Aug 2023