The Dylan Less-Traveled

After watching No Direction Home a few weeks ago, I've become interested in diving into the large pool of Bob Dylan's material with which I'm totally unfamiliar. In a lot of ways I think Scorsese's film begs for a sequel; it really ended right at the start of what--to me--has always seemed like the most fascinating point in Dylan's career. I've been well-versed for years in the more well-known Dylan material, The Freewheelin Bob Dylan, Bringing it all Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks, and his newer material since Time Out of Mind, but everything else has always remained pretty much undiscovered.

Recently I picked up Desire and Slow Train Coming in order to explore some of Dylan's work that I didn't know that well (and in the case of Slow Train Coming, had never heard at all). I've only listened to each once. Desire left me a little cold. Musically it's very rich and awesome, but lyrically, I don't know, I'm not sure I like Dylan's story songs as much when they lack the humor of songs like "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" or "Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues;" that's just a first reaction, though, the album seems like a grower, it just didn't have the initial punch of Blood on the Tracks.

Slow Train Coming, on the other hand, is pretty fantastic. I don't know if it's the songs themselves or just Dylan's commitment to his new-found faith, but they're really powerful. Also, in a way, it sounds like the birth of the more "modern" Dylan; the progression from this to Modern Times sounds very natural, musically speaking.

So what am I missing? What are all your favorites? What is worth exploring and what is best left undiscovered?

Right, I have the Bootleg Series releases (minus the Starbucks-only one), I forgot to mention that. You're right though, the "Royal Albert Hall" concert is just amazing. And he sounds SO pissed/mocking singing "Like a Rolling Stone."

I'll have to give John Wesley Harding another shot. I actually have it (an older cd, not one of the newer, remastered ones) but never listen to it. It never really intrigued me that much when I first got it and so I kind of just let it sit on the shelf.

I feel the same about a lot of the recent material, too. Time Out of Mind I really enjoy (well, "enjoy" might not be the right word; it's kind of a downer) but a lot of Love and Theft and Modern Times is just so samey. Each album has material that I would easily count alongside his best--like "Mississippi"--but I rarely make it all the way through either of them.

Wait, which album did you say?

I've only heard one track from Skyline but I really liked it; I'll probably pick that up next.

On an slightly unrelated note, Devin, have you compared the cover of Desire with the cover of John, the Wolfking of L.A. (which I picked up on your recommendation and love--thanks!)? Not exactly the same, but weirdly similar.