Where to start with Dylan

[Alex_UK]

Ok, maybe not quite as bad as when I confessed I didn't "get" the Beatles, but I have never really given Bob Dylan a chance (I have none of his albums.)

So, fancy giving him a try, after reading an article in Hi-Fi News about Blonde on Blonde a few months ago - is this the best place to start? And what format - I guess vinyl would be the obvious, but I quite fancy the SACD - anyone compared? Thanks folks.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Blimey Alex, there's a lot to sort through!
You'll have heard most of the singles, so a compilation would not be very infomative to you. 'Blonde On Blonde' is probably the best starting point - it's a long album full of good songs.
My favourite is 'Desire' but I'd recommend that you listen to 'Highway 61 Revisited' first. I'd suggest you listen to a lot of covers of his songs too, as they're an easy way to slide into liking Dylan through an appreciation of his talent as a songwriter - then you can tackle him as a singer!

With that in mind, take a look here:
http://www.coversproject.com/

........and then whizz up a few tracks on Spotify.

[Gbeer7]

Alex, your missing out ! At 30 I have seen Bob Dylan 9 times live. Probably my favourite musical artist next to the Beatles. So where to start ?

Well I first got into Bob when i got my Dad 'Time out of Mind' for Christmas. Went from there. So many wonderful albums. So a good six to start with i reckon are :-

Blood on the Tracks (1975)
Oh Mercy (1989)
Blonde on Blonde (1966)
Bring it back home (1965)
street legal (1978)
Time out of Mind (1997)

Good mix here of the greats, mixed with some easier tracks to get into and tracks that need a few listens to enjoy.
But in my opinion all brilliant and showcase Dylan's magic.

[REM]

Hi Alex

If you end up getting the early stuff on vinyl, make sure it's in mono;).


Cheers

[Alex_UK]

I did actually see him live at the Princes Trust concert in '96, (though I mainly went to see the Who (etc) do Quadrophenia) and as you rightly note, Chris, lots of covers that showcase his song writing. I think it is Dylan as a performer where I have perhaps missed out. Think I'll go with my initial thoughts and get B o B and take it from there. Thanks guys for your answers.

[Joe]

The correct answer is, in chronological order:

Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61 Revisted
Blonde on Blonde
John Wesley Harding
Blood on the Tracks
Desire

Before Bringing It All Back Home his stuff is heavy on whiny vocals and harmonica; after Desire it's all a bit meh.

If you want a Dylan sampler, there are two Greatest Hits compilations, and/or a 3CD set entitled 'Biograph' which spans the first 20 years of his career from 1962 to 1981.

[Gbeer7]

Joe, how can you say "after Desire it's all a bit meh" ???

There are plenty of great albums to listen to, don't cut yourself off after Desire !
These are worth a listen,

Street Legal
Slow Train Coming
Infidels
Empire Burlesque
Oh Mercy
Time Out of Mind

and the The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs is incredible. Production is simple stunning.

[Alex_UK]

:popcorn:

[Barry]

Hi Alex,

Simple, just go out and buy: 'The Essential Bob Dylan', Columbia 5031332. This is a 2-CD compilation, covering recordings from 1963 through to 1999. Disc 1 has all his earlier work, and is the disc I prefer. Disc 2 has his later stuff.

I you just want to jump straight in, then go for 'Blonde on Blonde'.

Regards

[webby]

I was in the same boat Alex. Eventually, after reading a ton of reviews, I bought Time Out Of Mind, followed by Love and Theft. Then I got a compilation called The Essential Bob Dylan, before buying Blonde on Blonde.

I have to say, I really like Time Out Of Mind. If you want 'later' Bob Dylan, then go for that one.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Time Out Of Mind......... Love and Theft
The interesting thing about both of those albums is that they're very close to what he was doing right at the beginning of his career in terms of the choice of material. But that was a phase of his career that many people dislike - I have to wonder how his first couple of album would sound now if he recorded the material again. It was a bit stark back then - if you can compare the difference in the sound (oops, sorry I mean music!!!!) between a room with wooden dining room chairs and bare floorboards compared to a sofa & carpet, that would be it.

[Batty]

'Street Legal' and 'Slow Train Coming' are my favourite Dylan albums.

[Alex_UK]

Thanks again for the suggestions chaps.

[Gbeer7]

Think we've cleared that question up without any loose ends !! :lolsign:

[Alex_UK]

Think we've cleared that question up without any loose ends !! :lolsign:

Yep, I'm just going to order everything he's ever released! :lol:

I'm going to stick with my initial thoughts and get Blonde on Blonde, which I can then listen to in conjunction with re-reading the article in Hifi News which started all this in the first place, then see how I go from there.

[Alex_UK]

Picked up Blonde on Blonde on gold SACD off ebay for £7.99, brand new and sealed - only had one listen and enjoyed it (the sound quality of the recording/remastering on SACD is stunning, IMHO) so will probably explore some more of them.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Go steady now Alex, it'll cost you a lot more to get the full set than it did with The Beatles!!!!!
And we know how you can get excited when you get near you Amazon basket - I'd suggest a cold shower for you right now!

[Alex_UK]

Don't panic Chris - all sorted, I only made one purchase from Amazon...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collectors-Box-Set-Sacd-Hybrid/dp/B0000C8AWI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1280509731&sr=1-8

[The Grand Wazoo]

Hahaha......
That's OK.......just the £426.59 then!

[Snoopdog]

Oh Mercy is a bit of a stunner on SACD.

The man in the long black coat throws one of the widest soundstages I have ever heard!