A Bunch of Bob Dylan Albums Part 3 (Planet Waves/Blood on the Tracks/Desire)

Here's part 2 in a series of quick rundowns of the scattered Blob Dylan albums I own...I did zero editing on this post, so let me know if it's too screwed-up...




Bob Dylan: Planet Waves

1974

Asylum Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1. On a Night Like This  2. Going, Going, Gone  3. Tough Mama  4. Hazel  5. Something There Is About You  6. Forever Young  7. Forever Young  8. Dirge  9. You Angel You  10. Never Say Goodbye  11. Wedding Song


Bob Dylan teams up with the Band again to kick out the mehs...This is the dictionary definition of a meh album for me...Dylan doesn't have anything particularly exciting to say (his most vivid writing is all the "Sweating pussies on bar stools" poetry on the back cover), so we're treated to imagery like, "Today on the countryside it was a-hotter than a crotch!" Uhhh...okay...

I'm also not a huge fan of the Band's trademark clavinet/wah/country/funk/rock sound...The first couple of tracks sound great but right around "Tough Mama" I just can't take anymore...The Band gets too Band-y for me and I feel like I'm in dusty record hell...Plus odd choices like putting two versions of 'Forever Young" back to back doesn't help...Still, if you find this cheap (and it's always cheap) there are a few must-have tracks, "Going, Going, Gone" and "Dirge" wallow in some really delicious despair...Also don't miss the slow version of "Forever Young" since it features some of my favorite Dylan vocals (especially at the end of those "may you always do for others, and let others do for you..." lines) (I'm still trying to determine if the Rod Stewart song from the 80's is a cover or just the most blatant rip-off ever written)...Definitely not bad, but not too great either...



 Bob Dylan:Blood on the Tracks

1975

Columbia Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1. Tangled Up in Blue  2. Simple Twist of Fate  3. You're a Big Girl Now  4. Idiot Wind  5. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go  6. Meet Me in the Morning  7. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts  8. If You See Her, Say Hello  9. Shelter from the Storm  10. Buckets of Rain


Intensely personal singer/songwriter fare was extremely popular during this era and Dylan tries his hand at the genre and unsurprisingly blows away all the competition...In fact, he's never made an album anywhere near this good ever again (I mean, who knows...Maybe in a few months Bob will pump out an album that makes "Blood on the Tracks" sound like "Planet Waves" but I wouldn't hold my breath for too long)... To be super honest, it's not my favorite Dylan album (I prefer my Dylan a little more mysterious) but I can see why a lot of people consider this his best...It's packed with sharp storytelling ("Tangled Up in Blue"), heartache ("If You See Her, Say Hello") and unforgettable imagery ("Idiot Wind") ...By the way, you cannot miss "Idiot Wind," which is possibly my favorite track the man ever wrote...Just the most brutal, bitter take-down of an ex ever penned (sample lyrics: "You hurt the ones that I love best and cover up the truth with lies, One day you'll be in the ditch, flies buzzing around your eyes,  Blood on your saddle...Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth, You’re an idiot, babe, It’s a wonder that you still know how to breathe...), but don't feel too bad for the girl, Bob gives himself a proper beatdown in the final chorus...I especially recommend this album to folks who don't like Bob Dylan...None of the usual hurdles that trip people up are here...He sings beautifully and clearly, the lyrics and imagery are immediate, and the instrumentation is crisply professional...James Taylor albums sound really empty after you play this thing...




Bob Dylan: Desire

1976

Columbia Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1. Hurricane  2. Isis  3. Mozambique  4. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)  5. Oh, Sister  6. Joey  7. Romance in Durango  8. Black Diamond Bay  9. Sara


If you're anything like me, you'll probably be blown away by your first couple listens to this album but then kinda never play it again...It's great stuff, but again, I prefer my Bob to have a bit more mystery...I can only listen to the long-form Get Out of Jail Free card of a song "Hurricane" so many times...It's like re-reading a police report over and over...The first time is the most interesting...Still, I haven't heard it in about five years and this fresh listen gives it back some of its original sparkle...But holy fuck, does "One More Cup of Coffee" rule...Now that's the sense of mystery I've been looking for...A sort of mist-filled, pitch black gypsy ballad about drinking a last cup of coffee before heading to the valley below...All of Side One is pretty flawless...I do find that the incessant violin starts to give me a headache somewhere in the middle of Side Two...Still, a very cool record filled with good stories, an old world music feel, and great melodies...I feel like I'm being overly critical...People usually love this record...