Bob Dylan's least regarded albums

After reading Dave Marsh on Budokan (RS Record Guide, blue/1983 edition) I thought, jeez, it can't be THAT bad. But it is.

The versions of Dylan's songs on Budokan sabotage meaning, reduce it to rubble, and walk blithely away, snapping their fingers like so many little hipster hitmen. It was as though Dylan were daring his audience to continue to pay attention -- or even to respect him. This is his worst record by such a wide margin it's hard to fathom it.

The version of Shelter From The Storm on Hard Rain is excellent.

Shot of Love is probably the best of these records overall, but there are good songs on all of them. Seek out Born In Time from Under The Red Sky, that is super duper good.

I like Hard Rain fine, it's just not near as good as Before the Flood.

xp that's a bit much imo, give Budokan Ballad of a Thin Man a listen - it's not sabotaged, just an attempt you may or may not enjoy

the James Bond version of It's Alright, Ma is more controversial but... it rocks!

despite a false start Simple Twist of Fate is quite nice too

not an album I revisit often but when I do it's better than I remembered

I'm not a big fan of Before the Flood either but if you don't mind shouty lyrics the band, songs, energy are all great

I will echo the orthodoxy that Self Portrait, Saved, Shot of Love, Knocked Out Loaded, Down In the Groove, and Under the Red Sky are all terrible, minus the (maybe) two good songs that can be found among the whole lot of them. I've never heard Dyaln, and am not even sure what it is.

I'm not typically a fan of live albums, but I'm intrigued enough by this poll to check these out. At the very least, I'm curious to hear why Dylan and the Dead has been a punchline for the last 30 years.

Born in Time off the Tell Tale Signs set > album version

you might even say...

>>>>>>>>>>

otm, Tell Tale Signs is so good (esp with the 3rd disk)

voted Saved here, whatta band

Another Saved vote here. Great album. "Covenant Woman" is one of his all-time most heartfelt love songs.

i only heard budokhan once but i liked it.
can't really get a handle on a lot of dylan criticism

Remember that TV concert accompanying Hard Rain, broadcast on NBC 1976? I watched it in my college dorm, beginning of freshman year, basically by myself guess everybody else was in their rooms listening to Peter Frampton & Bob Seger while getting stoned. I bought Hard Rain LP the next day, remember being disappointed. Out of this list, I'd say Shot of Love is by far the non-worst.

I saw it, and remember liking it, wish I could rewatch it. I was working night shift at a radio station, and pulled a portable b/w tv into the studio so I could keep an eye on it. Something about the shoutiness of his vocals and Scarlet Rivera's violin reminded me of Steve Harley/Cockney Rebel a bit.

my friend just posted the tracks for this old mixtape he made, which seems relevant

https://scontent.fapa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16427697_10202642525381359_3858602989773901038_n.jpg?oh=1c3fce1279fb892630bc452dfd58508b&oe=590AB2DC

Came around to digging "Watered Down Love" on Shot of Love.

If your friend gave me a mix leading with "Is Your Love in Vain" I'd take the title literally and send in the hounds.

I saw it, and remember liking it, wish I could rewatch it.

you can watch it without sound? : /

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uNSaKiThSs

xp haha, i think it was meant to be a provocative opener

man those are some ugly 70s teeth

that's a cool mixtape

but Lenny Bruce, Dark Eyes and Congratulations are filler imo

Tweeter and the Monkey Man, now there's a tune!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEJOekbg2lE

i agree w/ you on "lenny bruce" -- love "congratulations" and "dark eyes" though. wouldn't have included "disease of conceit" either, but i can dig the rest of it. needs "angelina" and "foot of pride," probably.

yeah those would be strong additions

it's been a while since I checked out Dark Eyes, will listen again

disease of conceit is really really bad

lyrics p dud, but at least it sounds kinda impressive

Conceit is the disease that the doctors got no cure
They've done a lot of research on it but what it is they're still not sure

lol yeah, lyrics almost drift into so bad they're good territory, but it's just bad

dunno abt "congratulations", feels like there's a strong song buried beneath a weird call/response chorus - I also feel like Dylan could've delivered more... maybe there's an acoustic bootleg somewhere?

he did it live once, but i think that's the only alternate version.
i listened to wilburies vol. 3 last week. weird record! made me wonder what a lynne-produced Under the Red Sky would've been like. Probably kinda lame, but who knows.

I'll go out on a limb and say that a Lynne-produced UTRS would have really loud, gated drums. Just a hunch, though.

pretty good odds

Conceit is the disease that the doctors got no cure
They've done a lot of research on it but what it is they're still not sure
Conceit is a sin and certainly a fright
What a sad and sickening sight

conceit seems pretty lame, that's what i'm tryin to say
oh my my, oh hey hey

man i forgot how direct the springsteen dis "tweet & the monkey man" is, "mansion on the hill", "out on thunder road", "state trooper" lol

haha wow that never occurred to me

mostly because I pay no attention to Springsteen. fun song though.

When I compiled a list of Dylan's worst a couple of these doozies made it.

The little guitar flourish at the end of "Disease of Conceit" is ace, though.

The lyric he probably wrote in the time it takes to sing them.

the singing is worse

Somebody please make a list of Dylan's all-time worst.

Alfred already did, pay attention

Here they are: https://humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2016/05/26/can-you-understand-my-pain-dylans-worst-songs-2/

I could have added "Chimes of Freedom,”"

Huh. Interesting choice. What's wrong with that one?

Why u haet fun?

Alfred's list p otm except for #6, which is about where it would place on my list of Dylan's best

lol I heard fuckin "To Make You Feel My Love" at Starbucks today

Nah, "Gotta Serve Somebody" sucks. It isn't even the subject matter. The whole song, from the singing to the playing, sounds totally comatose.

Strongly disagree, I find it menacing as fuck.

That someone singing this way should be allowed near women and children?

I've always loved "gotta serve somebody" but the version that's always in my head is from the SNL appearance that year which I will still contend is fucking smokin'

https://vimeo.com/187895396

like seriously when he gets to "you may be living in another country / under another name" I practically leap from my seat it's so goddamn good

Ha was gonna bring up that SNL clip

listening to it now. enjoyed the title track

I finally have all the Dylans and I can certify Budokan as the worst.

ok now that I am listening to it I am not sure I had ever heard Under the Red Sky. It IS good!