Have you heard any of his later stuff? I much prefer it in comaparison to his earlier stuff, say sort of mid 70s (Desire/Blood On The Tracks) onwards.
I have mostly all of his albums- bar a few I'm missing from roundabout the early 70s & the other 2 'gospel' albums (I have 'Saved' which isnt as bad as Its made out to be)
I still love the 'Freewheelin' Album though.

I like the later Dylan too, but I still think, Highway 61,Freewheelin, Blobde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks are his best stuff.

Did you see my Freewheelin' review dedicated to you? Wondering what your thoughts on the album were.

Yeah cool, I dont really listen to 'Blood On The Tracks' but it has some cracking songs on it. Im more of a 'Desire' man. As for the albums you mentioned, to me they're just his 'most popular' ones & I dont really care for them apart from the 'Freewheelin'' ones.
I find his early stuff a bit 'dodgy' if u like which is ironic considering his 80s stuff is my favourite lol.

As for the review, no I didnt see it. :confused:.
Ive only actually listened to the album twice but I remember it being brilliant & also I like a song
'Corrina Corrina' which i first heard Paul Weller doing a cover on the deluxe edition of 'Stanley Road'.
He also did 'Out On The Weekend' by Neil Young which was good.

Wheres the love for Talkin World War III Blues? I think it showcases some of Dylan's great sense of humour mixed in with his song writing and its my fav song off Freewheelin.

The new album is definitely a minor affair, but I'm still enjoying it.

This is routinely regarded as blasphemy by most, but I honestly relate to his last four albums more than just about anything else he's ever written. I love the classics, and I listen to them constantly, but as a person and even a writer, I go to those last four albums (particularly, the trilogy of albums that Dylan claims isn't a trilogy at all) a whole lot more. Even now, I still find a wealth of imagery and concepts to relate to. That also goes for vol. 8 in the bootleg series collection (Tell-Tale Signs).

That's just me.

I've heard the later stuff, though i ADMIT NOT AS MUCH, he just seems so tired and depressed a lot of it.

Johnny Cash was mediocre from start to long-awaited finish. I will concede that Dylan has made some stinkers in comparision to Blood on the Tracks. BUt he is indefatigable, he keeps changing his stuff and trying things. I thought the majority of Oh Mercy was painful but there are several gems in the dross- Man in the long black coat is superb for instance.

He has his off-days/weeks/months/years/decades but the guy is only human. I remember when I saw him a few years back just after the release of Love and Theft. The first half of his show was just dull but then he kicked off and relaxed a bit and you could feel the energy. I think the reason geniuses crack so often is because normal people like us expect so much of them without ever knowing how much they put into their work.

Dylan= great, but also he is human and suffers like the rest of us. Frankly if I'd done as much as he has I'd having a hard time matching the exploits of my youth as age and death creep onwards

Yeah just out of interest, what stuff have you heard?
As for the 'tired & depressed' it is probably just him getting older and his voice changing (or getting better IMO).

Albums I recommend you check out are 'Infidels', 'Oh Mercy' & if your up for some of the same but with soulful backing singers thrown in check out 'Knocked Out Loaded' & 'Empire Burlesque'.
These are his 4 best albums for me (post Desire/Blood On The Tracks periods).
On Cash:
Please explain to me why people keep banging on about Johnny Cash?
This is a thread to discuss Bob Dylan. Ive already said before that Dylan's opinion on Johnny Cash is totally irrelevant when either
a) listening to his music
b) forming opinions on him
To do so would be so ridiculous that i would have to actually eat one of his albums to cure myself :yikes:.

On Dylan:
Also people who keep expecting for a new 'Blood On The Tracks' or 'Desire' or whatever will be waiting forever.
His new music, fair enough isnt as good as Desire or BOTT but it is still good music in its own right!
Thats what I think is important when listening to artists later work, is to judge it not by comparison but just for what it is.

Also Dylan isn't a 'genius'.
He has a very good talent in songwriting & is a natural performer.
People use the term 'genius' too often and obviously like you said he is only human and will crack under this ridiculous pressure that us so called 'normal' people put on him.

The main cause is that expectations are set way too high and if they had been lowered/even reset then im sure his latest albums would have been much more appreciated for what they are rather than put down due to comparisons to albums he made 30 odd years ago.

So make your mind up, he either a 'genius' or hes 'only human' (as you stated in quick succession) as to me 'genius' is a term massively overused and only detatches an individual from the rest of us 'normal' people as you put it.
He definitely deserves recognition but you dont need to 'dehumanize' him with terms such as 'genius' etc.

All his albums since he went 'gospel' have been 'minor' affairs.
The media basicaly just wrote him off and people now dont care.
Yet another example of the way people shockingly read the papers and will believe anyway they read and use that as a basis for forming opinions (instead of forming their own).
But you dont want it to be all overblown and mass hyped and commercialised.
Dylan proved himself many many years ago and now is in the 'comfort zone' if you like and its much more interesting to listen to him now than say back in the 60s.
As for this album, I dont usually bother about the charts at all, but I think its worth noting that his album went to No1 on the charts and knocked some Lady GooGoo or whatever off the top spot.

Also i must add that;although I aint really ever payed any serious attention to the charts; when things like this crop up and you hear such nonsense was actually No1(the last ridiculous thing I heard was that 'Bob the ****1ing builder' was at no1) then it just confirms that the charts is a total joke.

P.S. Oh Mercy is a fantastic album!!! How can it be 'painful'??? I actually cringe more at his earlier 'Like A Rolling Stone' period usually.

I noticed you have the excellent Mr Tom Petty is your sig. You may(or may not) be interested to know that the song you quoted 'I Won't Back Down' was actually covered by Johnny Cash(with Tom Petty on backing) on one of his so called 'mediocre' American Recordings albums: 'American II: Solitary Man'.

You really know your stuff.

here's a link to the review http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...library-6.html

Haha, interesting I dont exactly study or anything. I just have a special place in my mind for music & certain things I will just never forget.

I would say you know more than me, but I aint cut out for the big fancy reviews on the albums & I dont buy them as I think its just a way of commercialising your own opinion.
But hat's off to you for proceeding to put all your collection on the internet.
I have albums ive never listened to yet/albums I dislike/hate/albums I dont know much about the artist/albums I havent listened to in ages/albums I dont have because Ive lost them.... it would be too complex for me to do something like that.
Heres an alternate solution, how about you come round to my house and browse my cd collection. (Please Note: Entry Fee £20; Exit Fee: Death). :D