I'm going back to the start

[Luigii]

[kokkinos]

[Luigii]

[kokkinos]

Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#19

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Bob Dylan - New Morning

1970, Columbia

Track Listing
1)If Not For You
2)Day Of The Locusts
3)Time Passes Slowly
4)Went To See The Gypsy
5)Winterlude
6)If Dogs Run Free
7)New Morning
8)Sign On The Window
9)One More Weekend
10)The Man In Me
11)Three Angels
12)Father Of Night

The album that had the – if not hard, definitely weird- task to follow up Self Portrait – and very little time passed between those two. If he wanted to make people forget about it, he wasn’t entirely successful. Most songs are kinda meh and even though the songwriting showcases an annoying lack of effort by no means is it done in the intentionally bad way of Self Portrait. If anything, the shock factor of that is gone, so this doesn’t make the same impression, the first listens are likely to pass you by.
He’s done so many worse albums since then that this gets a (rather high) pass, but compare it to what had to be expected from him at that point and it has to go down as a disappointing release. Still, there’s a lot of positives to be found here. First of all, his voice finds the right balance, he keeps a part of Nashville Skyline and at the same time shows a sign of his ‘60s self– many will dislike it, for the biased me it’s pure gold.
The opening track, If Not For You, is one of the first times he opens up concerning his faith (you might argue it’s simply a love song and you could very well be right. Personally, I never saw it that way), who knew what would follow this seemingly harmless little song in a decade or so. Day Of The Locusts is a hilarious one, it is inspired by his experience in Princeton and the way he describes it is classic Dylan (“Sure was glad to get out of there alive”). Time Passes Slowly perfectly captures what’s going on with Dylan in the late ‘60s - early ‘70s period. He had become a mega star and his popularity was getting dangerously out of control, he desperately needed a simpler and more peaceful lifestyle, one where time would pass slowly and his serenity wouldn’t be constantly disturbed. Even the next track, Went To See The Gypsy, presents us the fascinating lifestyle, but the narrator is only a spectator (“I watched them from the distance”), no fun to be had for him. If Dogs Run Free is a wonderful case of madness, so much fun – there was a time I was heavily addicted to this song, nowadays I don’t enjoy it that much, but nostalgia alone makes it a favourite for life. The self-titled track is one of the most forgettable songs here, which is a rare occurrence, but you never know what to expect with Dylan. Sign On The Window keeps describing the ideal lifestyle for him, it is a sequel of sorts to Time Passes Slowly. One More Weekend approaches country territory, but it works much better than Nashville Skyline, it’s not as overwhelming, making it easier to digest. The Man In Me is painfully average, I’d only keep those sweet lalalas. Three Angels is another excellent track in his trademark going beyond common wisdom style and of course it is another sign that he might wish to explore religious themes in the future. On that same note, the closing track, Father Of Night is a rap prayer or something, even in his “calmest” record, he always finds a way to rock the boat. Overall, this album mirrors Dylan’s attitude at the time: he’s happy to live like average Joe, away from the spotlight and isn’t looking for any sort of challenge, he’s had enough of those. I have a suspicion – and I’ve had it for some time now. I think I’m going to appreciate this more and more as I grow older. It’s still too early, we’ll have to wait and see, but I can already tell my perception of it has changed for the better, it’s one of the albums that did climb a few spots during this countdown.

Score: 7.25/10
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[LedZep]

Ya know what, I'm not the biggest Dylan junkie, don't think I've heard 20 albums from him overall, but following this rundown is so much fun. The way you slam some of these records (especially the ones where I don't know a single song) just makes me wanna go through his discography. For the thrills, laughs, fun. Also bonus points for being controversial but honest, keeps things much more interesting. Personally cannot wait to see where Desire and Rough & Rowdy Ways rank, among others ofc. The top 15 should be a blast.
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Finally updated the overall chart

2020s
90s

[theblueboy]

Interesting write up. Ive always really like The Man in Me though- but mainly from watching the Big Lebowski!
I dont know the rest of the album, except If not for you, which Ive always liked.

[Mercury]

I’m watching this closely. I can’t say you have messed with my mind with any of these rankings. Except I obviously adore the Basement Tapes and think you are not giving it a high enough rating. I perhaps have romanticized that album and those recordings over the years. To me they feel almost elemental and the whole atmosphere of that era of music feels like some mystical picture of the roots of Americana and folk and country and blues. It feels like the ghosts and echos of the past were rising like smoke from the floorboards beneath those musicians’ feet as they played those tracks. And the lyrics are strange and abstract and sometimes silly and sometimes transcendent and it blows me away when I hear that album.

But yeah, I am pretty much guaranteed to be galled by where you place Knocked Out Loaded. But I am happy to see all of his first 8 albums are still to come - including his solid and under appreciated debut album. Dylan from 62 to 69 is unparalleled. That run of albums is absurd and incredible.

Anyway, love LOVE following these rankings and your write ups.
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-Ryan

ONLY 4% of people can understand this chart! Come try!

My Fave Metal - you won't believe #5!!!

[kokkinos]

[kokkinos]

Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#18

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Bob Dylan - Modern Times

2006, Columbia

Track Listing
1)Thunder On The Mountain
2)Spirit On The Water
3)Rollin' And Tumblin'
4)When The Deal Goes Down
5)Someday Baby
6)Workingman's Blues #2
7)Beyond The Horizon
8)Nettie Moore
9)The Levee's Gonna Break
10)Ain't Talkin'

For an album that got such a respectable spot in my countdown, I have surprisingly little to say. That’s another record that got me excited upon its release and I used to be adamant it’s one of his top releases. As time passed, I realised I might have overrated it and finally accepted it’s a weaker, less interesting version of Time Out Of Mind/Love And Theft. Nowadays, I rarely – if ever- feel the urge to listen to it and resort to either of those two instead.
There’s nothing horrible here, that should be beyond any doubt, but also nothing spectacular, extraordinary or anywhere close to a career highlight. Workingman’s Blues #2 is the most memorable and moving tune, while Ain’t Talking is an epic closer that makes sure the album ends on a high note – and elevates everything that came before it to a higher level.
His voice is at the most accessible it’s been for quite some time, he seems to have found the right balance – though I can see why this most conventional version of him would irritate some hardcore fans. Overall, the record retains the loose “jamming session” feel, but at the same time I’ve always imagined they made a bigger effort during production compared to the other two that constitute his comeback/late/call it how you want trilogy - not sure if that should count as a positive or a negative, just an observation really.
The opening track rocks hard, and is immediately followed by an old school ballad. This back and forth continues throughout the album’s entirety. An interesting sequence, props to him for trying, though it has to be said that usually the even numbered tracks -whose romantic setting paired with his soft voice could be seen as a foreword of his next trilogy, Shadows In The Night, Fallen Angels, Triplicate, - end up making a slightly bigger impression compared to their respective counterparts. On the other hand, even the songs that seem Dylan by the numbers and overall way too simple - Rollin’ and Tumblin’ would be a good example – are enjoyable enough to prevent any complaints. In a day when these genres seem to be long gone, this is refreshing (some reviews bring up the lack of originality, but Dylan always finds a way to take old-fashioned material and effortlessly add it to his own universe, something that in my opinion applies here as well) to say the least and it’s easy to see why this enjoyed both critical acclaim and commercial success. On the other hand, one common criticism that surrounds this album is its running time and I wouldn’t blame anyone for suggesting that.
Also, it's been pointed out that this is one of the rare occurrences in his career where the music seems to be at the forefront compared to the lyrics, I’m not sure about that, his “modern” take on blues, rock and a bit of country is commendable, but it’s always been like that, I don’t see what sets this apart. If it’s meant as an implication that his lyrics are sub-par, I have to disagree. They may be relatively simple and rather straightforward, but not all of his albums need his poetic shenanigans to be effective and get their point across, there are moments of greatness here, for example in Ain’t Talkin’. Themes of capitalism, post-industrial society, etc. are highly relevant and his insight is always invaluable and thought provoking. Generally speaking, one has to be skeptical of such distinctions, it’s hard to view those aspects of a song/album as separate entities, they are meant to work as a unit, the one holds little value without the other.

Score: 7.3/10
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#17

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Bob Dylan - Knocked Out Loaded

1986, Columbia

Track Listing
1)You Wanna Ramble
2)They Killed Him
3)Driftin' Too Far From Shore
4)Precious Memories
5)Maybe Someday
6)Brownsville Girl
7)Got My Mind Made Up
8)Under Your Spell

If you were worrying this might make it to the top-15 or -God forbid - even top-10, it’s all good, you can breathe a sigh of relief. I don’t know, I have a long relationship with this album and it’s always made me wonder where I stand regarding Bob Dylan. I don’t hate it, so does this mean I’m too big of a fan and consequently I view everything he does as good, or am I not enough of a fan, so I don’t mind seeing him do stuff below his standards and lose his credibility? Hard to tell. You know, Bob Dylan himself has admitted the lack of inspiration he had to face during that part of his career. By the way, I discovered a website/blog the other day that suggests this is a masterpiece and the most special album by Dylan. The internet is an amazing place, indeed.
So, Knocked Out Loaded consists of three covers (tracks 1,2 and 4) and five songs written by Dylan -either on his own or via a collaboration. The opening track, You Wanna Ramble, sets the tone, completely uninspiring if not outright poor, especially when it comes to production, the overall poppiness in the most ‘80s – and that’s meant as a negative - way imaginable is the stuff of nightmares. They Killed Him is the one everyone loves to bash. I’d say Dylan’s performance shows he does try a bit more, plus it’s a more interesting choice to cover, though the production remains ‘80s at its finest – just listen to the choir. It’s entertainingly over the top, I can’t deny that, even if it belongs in the “it’s so bad it gives you a good laugh” category, I find it impossible to hate it. Driftin' Too Far From Shore is similar to the opener, underwhelming to say the least, I mean, even if there was something of interest or substance here, it would be hard to tell, the drums is all I can hear, they completely overshadow everything else. The fact that this isn’t a cover and was actually written by him only makes matters worse, this is probably as close as we ever got to a “Bob Dylan sells out” moment. Then, completely out of the blue, the album does take a turn for the good. Precious Memories is willing to experiment, the reggae influences give it an exotic touch that is a throwback to Infidels and makes a nice contrast with the melancholy driven lyrics. Maybe Someday has a cult following that hails it as a masterpiece and goes as far as to compare it with Like A Rolling Stone (!!). It can’t possibly compare with the original or come anywhere close to it, any proposition of this kind would be outright blasphemous, but it’s a more than ok song.
And then, oh my God, what is Brownsville Girl doing here, it’s a fish out of water. It has to be pointed out, even though it’s extremely well-known, just in case, that its main source of inspiration is Danville Girl, a song written by his hero, Woody Guthrie – if you’ve missed it, don’t waste any more time, stop reading this comment or whatever else you’re doing and go check it out as soon as possible. This is vague, ambiguous and surreal storytelling at its finest, the kind of stuff David Lynch would love. It all starts by watching a Gregory Peck movie and then his own memories become part of the movie. This duality is an essential factor that makes this song so great. He can’t quite recall what happened in the movie, which - based on the above acknowledgement (that he’s mixing the movie with his memories) - means that he’s losing touch with his own past. This could have been caused by a particular person that traumatised him for life, namely a past lover. Or maybe it’s his ideas that have left him, he’s desperately looking for the artist that once lived inside him. There are so many things inside his head, but he can’t work them out and come up with any reasonable thought, he’s losing sense of time, space and reality, it’s a nightmare where he can’t tell if he’s asleep or awake – and both scenarios appear equally terrifying. Anyway, it’s enigmatic enough to remain open to interpretation, each of us can draw his own conclusions, the possibilities are endless. It’s more about style than substance, which means that even the ‘80s tendencies work – which are thankfully way subtler than in most tracks of the album. Some people would claim that it’s too random and, if you look closely enough, the emperor doesn’t wear any clothes, I definitely disagree, it's easily the best song of this countdown so far.
Anything that would come after it would pale in comparison and the last two tracks don’t do anything to challenge this statement and help their case, still one tier above the lowest lows of this album. And a shocking revelation: I had this one even higher beforehand, it lost one spot - but if you remove Brownsville Girl, I could see it ending up dead last or close to it.

Score: 7.35/10
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus