Bob Dylan Thread

[mr_spenalzo]

You must listen to Oh Mercy. The rest of his 80s output I can live without (though some of it isn't bad... Shot Of Love, Infidels and Saved are worth listening). But Oh Mercy has stunning songs.

[TristramShandy]

Oh Mercy is indeed a good album. And I like Dylan's recollections of its genesis in his Chronicles (a book worth reading).

The two "Sinatra albums" are fair, though a bit uneven imo.

Mississippi... Indeed, what a song. Both versions sound excellent to me.

I find it so very hard to make a Top 10 of Dylan songs... So many masterpieces... But I think my #1 has to be Blind Willie McTell.

[KingLouieLouie76]

Thanks you three for your input! I must certainly check "Oh Mercy" out...

On another brilliant artists from when Dylan burst onto the scene, you must check-out Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends"... One of their most underappreciated albums and you'd be blown away yourself! If you've already checked it out, then please disregard.....

[tom_cas1]

I'll have to give Oh Mercy a better listen. The song Most Of The Time from that album has an alternate version released on the Bootleg Series Vol. 8 which is just guitar and harmonica, great stuff. In fact I can't recommend that Bootleg Series enough, it really is fantastic.

[Miki]

Bob Dylan has won the Nobel Prize for Literature 2016 "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".

Dylan's accolade is not only recognition for his own work throughout five decades, it is also a recognition of the whole songwriters category, the poets that put their verses to music. "In 112 years, no songwriter has ever won before. The decision elevates song lyrics to being on a critical par with literature, poetry and playwriting. It's a big step away from the self-perpetuating intellectualism and elitism for which the award had been criticised." (BBC)

[tom_cas1]

A well earned reward!

[Consigliere_11]

Congratulations to him! I haven't been a huge fan of his work, but the amount of cultural and poetic influence his material has is colossal.

[mr_spenalzo]

I loved the man already, and through his completely ignoring the Nobel committee he's even gone up in my esteem.