Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

General music discussion.
Dr. Medulla
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Wow, I didn't expect the download option. I figured I'd just hunt the songs out on youtube. So thanks for that. And thanks to you both for the suggestions. I'll listen this afternoon.
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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I've listened to it two times through and can state three things:
(1) I really dig the 60s stuff, plus "Not Dark Yet" from the 90s.
(2) The stuff from the 70s and 80s does nothin' for me.
(3) I still find his voice a fuck of a hurdle to get over, but when the songs are good enough (see 1) it's not as noticeable; when the songs aren't to my liking (see 2), the voice irritates even more.

Rough calculation is that I give a thumbs up to 10/14, which is 71% (you'd be lower if you hadn't included the two I mentioned), but what I liked I liked enough to bump the total score to 75%. Thanks muchly to you both. You have an ally in the war against Eastwolteria.

So which albums would you recommend I completely legally explore based on the above?
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CorwoodRep
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by CorwoodRep »

I'm gonna make my semi-annual recommendation for Before The Flood and the Rolling Thunder Revue. I think his live singing, the Bruce Springsteen if he did a bunch of coke ironic populism, is the best his voice ever got. I was introduced to him with Before The Flood and found myself consistently disappointed with his studio singing. I hated nasally Bob and rolled my eyes at his Guthrie-by-way-of-Ramblin'-Jack folk stuff. In 74 and 75 those affectations were all but gone, and the arrangements were much bigger and more exciting.

I'm also a huge fan of his "finally, my voice is ruined and I'm old!" albums. Mississippi is a top 10 Dylan song for me because he could only sell that sentiment as a grizzled old guy. It's a Bruce Springsteen anthem sung by a hobo, and it's not forced like it is when Tom Waits used to do that sort of thing.
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Flex
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Flex »

Interesting results. One of the reasons I included more 70s material is because I think his voice is actually better and less stereotypically "Bob Dylan" than his 60s material. Given your preferences based on this, here are the top two albums to check out:

1. Bringing It All Back Home: Obviously, two cuts from this one already. It's an electric A-side and acoustic B-side so it's a very well balanced 60s album. This is the LP that really got me into Bob, so I have particular affection for it.
2. Time Out of Mind: his comeback album in the 90s. The whole album has a similar texture to Not Dark Yet so you should enjoy it.

If you're still interested after those, might I recommend:

3. The Bootleg Series, Vol 4: Live 1966: From his "going electric" tour. So, all those big and famous 60s songs. A nice acoustic set to open and then a confrontational electric set. Lots of energy, so it gives even some of the golden moldies more electricity and excitement than you're used to if you just listen to the studio versions.

4. The Bootleg Series, Vol 6: Live 1964: Again, given your enjoyment of 60s material this should be a good listen. Here Bob is right on the cusp of going electric, and you can get the sense that he's done as much as the "protest folkie" that he feels he can. Nice song selection.

5. Modern Times: My favorite of his comeback albums, but the voice is even more haggard than on Time Out of Mind so I think it's best explored after your tolerance builds a little.

Given your thumbs up for his 60s material, probably any album from that decade would be of some interest to you. But they're all so "classic rock" that I think the above selections will seem fresher to you (and cover a lot of the same ground). If you like Time out of Mind and Modern Times, I'd also give the green light on all his other 90s-00s albums except Under the Red Sky and MTV Unplugged, which suck. The 60s and 90s/00s are two remarkably consistent periods, quality-wise, so it's unlikely you'd love, say, Time out of Mind but hate Love and Theft.

Addendum: I agree with Kaleb's assessments and recommendations on the 70s material, but didn't include it since you said that wasn't an era that was doing much for you. Before the Flood is really great though and the full set of The Bootleg Series, Vol 5: Live 1975 is just Bob at his most drugged out excess (but with a voice that's in better shape than usual).
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by CorwoodRep »

I think live 70s Dylan and studio 70s Dylan are completely different beasts, is why I felt like mentioning it.
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Flex
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Flex »

Kaleb wrote:I think live 70s Dylan and studio 70s Dylan are completely different beasts, is why I felt like mentioning it.
Yeah, I should have included something from Before the Flood on the initial comp to give better balance on that. Oh well!
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Much appreciated once again. I'll do some listening and see where it takes me.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by eumaas »

Much prefer his 60s voice before he started on that iambic whine shit that nearly ruins Blood and Desire for me.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by CorwoodRep »

I hate whiny Dylan voice. I don't listen to any songs where he does it.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by JennyB »

Kaleb wrote:I hate whiny Dylan voice. I don't listen to any songs where he does it.
See, and I hate smooth Dylan voice, like in Lay Lady Lay.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by tepista »

JennyB wrote:
Kaleb wrote:I hate whiny Dylan voice. I don't listen to any songs where he does it.
See, and I hate smooth Dylan voice, like in Lay Lady Lay.
thats his worst song, he sounds like he's holding his nose
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Heston »

JennyB wrote:
Kaleb wrote:I hate whiny Dylan voice. I don't listen to any songs where he does it.
See, and I hate smooth Dylan voice, like in Lay Lady Lay.
Me too, nearly as bad as his "wounded gargoyle" voice of the Noughties.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Marky Dread »

I prefer Dyson to Dylan.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Jimmy Jazz »

Kaleb wrote:I'm gonna make my semi-annual recommendation for Before The Flood and the Rolling Thunder Revue. I think his live singing, the Bruce Springsteen if he did a bunch of coke ironic populism, is the best his voice ever got. I was introduced to him with Before The Flood and found myself consistently disappointed with his studio singing. I hated nasally Bob and rolled my eyes at his Guthrie-by-way-of-Ramblin'-Jack folk stuff. In 74 and 75 those affectations were all but gone, and the arrangements were much bigger and more exciting.

I'm also a huge fan of his "finally, my voice is ruined and I'm old!" albums. Mississippi is a top 10 Dylan song for me because he could only sell that sentiment as a grizzled old guy. It's a Bruce Springsteen anthem sung by a hobo, and it's not forced like it is when Tom Waits used to do that sort of thing.
It's only a handful of songs but I think Bob's set from The Last Waltz concert might be him at his very best. His voice has never been better.

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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by CorwoodRep »

That was around the tail end of his peak voice for me. Smooth Bob and whiny Bob are pretty much nowhere to be found.

And yeah, Baby Let Me Follow You Down smokes.
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