[radrd]

I should own at least one Dylan album. It's only going to cost me $6 or $12 from yourmusic.com. I haven't heard much Dylan, and I've never been very impressed when I have, but I'm fine with owning one even if I don't end up listening to it more than once.

So, Dylan fans, if you want me to potentially join your ranks, which one should I start with? I guess I could go with a GH; would that be recommended? If so, which one?

 

[Dylan_Fan]

"Blood On The Tracks" It's a classic.

 

[jumping jupiters]

"bood on the tracks" is the quintisential album

I prefer "john wesley harding"

But, if you like a more modern sound...check out "time out of mind"

Unless you are against compilations...to buy just one you might consider a "best of".

Then once you are hooked...get an older album and hear the "truth"

 

[binkgle]

"blonde on blonde" is great, too

 

[humanflyz]

Either Blood On The Tracks or Highway 61 Revisited will be a good starter Bob Dylan album. Or if you want to get an overview of Bob Dylan, you can always get a compilation.

 

[eyeteeth]

Unorthodox but I'd recommend getting the Martin Scorsese Bob Dylan - No Direction Home documentary/film/DVD first. It's fantastic and the perfect overview of Bob from '61 to '66. You'll be able to make up your mind about if you like Bob from it and if it turns out you don't like him you'll have had a very cool musical history lesson, with some historical context such as the American civil rights movement in there as well.

Everyone should see this film.

 

[EdipisReks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyeteeth Unorthodox but I'd recommend getting the Martin Scorsese Bob Dylan - No Direction Home documentary/film/DVD first. It's fantastic and the perfect overview of Bob from '61 to '66. You'll be able to make up your mind about if you like Bob from it and if it turns out you don't like him you'll have had a very cool musical history lesson, with some historical context such as the American civil rights movement in there as well. Everyone should see this film.

i think that is a great suggestion!

 

[Aman]

Meh - I'm one of the few that simply find Highway 61 Revisited incredibly overrated. I also find its classic, 'Like a Rolling Stone' is one of the worst Bob Dylan songs ever. I think that Bob's best stuff was during his very early days. If I were you, I'd get "The Freewheelin'". "Blood on the Tracks" is a good suggestion also, though it's a much different side of him.

 

[Jeff Guidry]

Get Biograph. It changed my life.

 

[Coltrane]

"You dont own Blonde on Blonde? That is perverse! Its gonna be...Ok."

 

[Comfy]

I don't think Blood on the Tracks is that great as a FIRST Dylan album, but definitely great once you already are into Dylan.

I'd suggest Blonde on Blonde. It's an amazing album.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyeteeth Unorthodox but I'd recommend getting the Martin Scorsese Bob Dylan - No Direction Home documentary/film/DVD first. It's fantastic and the perfect overview of Bob from '61 to '66. You'll be able to make up your mind about if you like Bob from it and if it turns out you don't like him you'll have had a very cool musical history lesson, with some historical context such as the American civil rights movement in there as well. Everyone should see this film.

Very true! A brilliant documentary!

 

[Unearthed]

Blood on the Tracks...hands down. It's very accessible. It can be hard for people to really get into his early stuff (Freewheelin' would be the best start there though).

Either that or Blonde on Blonde as others have suggested.

 

[gimmieshelter31]

Blonde on Blonde or either Greatest Hits Vol.I or II to start not Vol. III.

 

[zumaro]

In order I would listen to:
Highway 61 Revisited
Blonde on Blonde
Blood on the Tracks
Bringing It All Back Home

These are Dylan at his best or if you want the folk beginnings add in
The Freewheeling Bob Dylan

I personally would start with Highway 61 Revisited - sorry Aman this one isn't overrated at all - it every bit deserves its classic status, although the stranger and wilder Blonde on Blonde matches it in quality. Blood on the Tracks is a more conventional and safer starting point although lacking some of the electricity of those 2 earlier releases. The transitional Bringing It All Back Home would give you both the folk and rock sides of Dylan in one CD - the songwriting quality is superb, although the album is really 2 unrelated halves.

Other albums are obviously good, for example I too like John Wesley Harding, but would hardly recommend it as a starting point if you want to hear what made Dylan important. Similarly with his latest releases - Time Out Of Mind and Love and Theft are good but why bother when Highway 61 is sitting out there.

 

[eyeteeth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aman I'm one of the few that simply find Highway 61 Revisited incredibly overrated. I also find its classic, 'Like a Rolling Stone' is one of the worst Bob Dylan songs ever.

I guess you had to be there. I wasn't there but I can look back and understand how it changed the landscape.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4747739.stm

http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/bob_dyl..._features/8598

''A song structure and rhyme pattern that boldly went where no other rock tune had gone before and imagery that touched the imagination of every teenage malcontent in the western hemisphere,'' Mick Farren reckoned.

''It's the song I'd play for an alien who had just landed, asking to be taken to our songwriting leader,'' Grant-Lee Phillips said.

Fairport Convention's Simon Nicol reckoned it was simply ''the best song anyone has ever written, Gershwin, Porter and Schubert included.''

But we'll leave the final word to Pete Wylie: ''When you hear it , you just think 'how the **** did he do that?' ''