Self Portrait
by Bob Dylan

Absolutely underrated, this one. Not to mention the very ill-deserved statement from that one critic at the time - "What is this shit?". This album is anything but that. I was absolutely, and I must say, very pleasantly surprised with its impact on me. Right from the beginning, through to the end, this album is unpredictable! And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that exactly the key descriptive word most musicians are striving for? I think so...

Also, (Just one more thing) to help with its impeccable length ('Cause let's face it, it can seem a little long at times), may I suggest the simple removal of some of its weaker tracks, such as the Isle of Wight concert material. This listing below, I feel, best represents the brilliance of this album.

1. All the Tired Horses
2. Alberta
3. I've Forgotten More than You'll Ever Know
4. Days of '49
5. Early Mornin' Rain
6. Let it Be Me
7. Belle Isle
8. Living the Blues
9. Copper Kettle (The Pale Moonlight)
10. Blue Moon
11. Take me as I am (Or Let me go)
12. It Hurts Me Too
13. Take a Message to Mary
14. Wigwam (Edited)

The oddball in Dylan's career(and that's saying something). A double album of cover versions, live tracks, and a handful of originals and traditionals. It certainly is all over the place, with the feel of a bootleg album about it. Greil Marcus'"what is this shit"? headline in Rolling Stone in 1970 seems a little harsh in retrospect but it was perfectly justified at the time. It is an incredibly lazy record. Still, let's be honest, Dylan was past his best at this point, his last album before this was the enjoyable but lightweight, Nashville skyline, so he was well past his stellar 1963-1966 period. Still, Self portrait, does feel like a "fuck you" to someone. His record company? Albert Grossman? Us? His version of Simon and Garfunkel's, the boxer, is intentionally sloppy, double tracked by Dylan to represent a 'duet', and, Blue moon, is equally bad. Still, with the release of, Another self portrait, the tenth in the bootleg series, it reveals, with minus the syrupy strings, there's a decent album in there with some fine sincere performances. It's all academic at the time though, it's obvious Dylan did'nt give a toss at this point. Or maybe he did slightly regret it given the hasty release of, New morning, just four months later. Self portrait, is certainly not an essential Dylan album, but it is another piece of the enigmatic puzzle that is Zimmerman. (Edited)

From Repo TOP 100 COMMENTER 04/01/2017 22:03 | #188523 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

These ain’t songs for the Village. There are songs for the backroads of Kentucky. The ultimate 70s AM radio station curated by Dylan himself. This was not some tossed off project. This was not a Fuck You. This was a tribute to the music that Dylan loved that maybe didn’t get so much critical acclaim. It’s essentially like listening to the best damn juke box at some dive bar in eastern Kentucky circa 1974. Songs made for taking it easy while cruising down the highway or belting back some beers. Dylan LOVED these songs. And I do too.

Grade: A. I consider this an essential Dylan album showing yet another side to the enigmatic bard. This is 70s AM radio at its best with great variety which he nails more often than not. Some people would prefer to whittle this down to a single album, but I love it just the way it is. Warts and all. Radio stations back then were messy affairs after all. You just never knew what you were going to get. Far more often than not he nails them. And some of my favorite Dylan songs such as “All the Tired Horses”, “Take Me As I am” and “It Hurts Me too” are on here. Dylan had a love for all kinds of music and that is completely on display here. More so than perhaps any of his other albums. And he plays these songs with conviction and heart. Well except when covering his own “Like a Rolling Stone”. lol. But he more than makes up for it with his rendition of “She Belongs to Me” which showed me that their was a sonic link between Dyan and the Velvet Underground which I had never picked up on before. Long live 70s AM radio! (Edited)

Now I love Bob Dylan and I can understand that at the time this album was considered a let down. I mean trying to top yourself all the time is a lot of pressure. Mr. Dylan himself said this record was a "screw you guys" response to all the hype and all the critics. That said I think it's a refreshing departure from his previous material. It's got more gems than duds. The man can't be brilliant all the time. (Edited)

Picked this album up last night in a bargain bin at Barnes and Noble for 5 bucks. Bust money I've spent in a while. I'm thinking it's going to be a novelty of half realized songs, stop/starts and jokes. That's what most critics have said over the years. it's anything but. I'd say S.P. as good as Nashville Skyline. You can feel the transition occuring from John Wesley Harding to Nashville Skyline.