Expecting Rain

Bob Dylan's voice had changed a lot along time. It's like he had many voices, nearly one for each album.

I don't won't to discuss whether we like or we don't his present voice. I would simply like to expose what voices we specially like or don't.

I LIKE:
- Blonde on blonde. That is the perefect Dylan voice for me. In John Wesley Harding is not very different.
- Desire / At Budokan. In both albums sound similar to me. Another one of the most balanced Dylan's voices along time, havin enogh of everything and not to many of anything.
- Empire burlesque. I always liked that more nasal voice, fitting perfectly the phrasing. The songs are not his best, but the voice is a plus. In Infidels lacks of something, in Knocked out loaded it lost something.
- New morning. After the big voice change with Nashville skyline and Self portrait, it becomes a mix that I always liked a lot.
- Slow train coming. A little rougher than in At budokan, works perfectly. In Saved it had lost some of it.
- Oh mercy. The voice begings to become more and moredark, but it fits perfectly with the album.
- Hard rain. Giving so much power to the songs... I think it's the best thing in the album.

I DON'T LIKE
- Love and theft. Sorry, but I can't stant the rough on it. It ruins the listening experience for me more than in any other album. And I still like some of the songs of the album, I still go to shows and listen to recent Dylan.
- Good as I been to You. In that album particulary it sounds too dry. A little better in World gone wrong.
- Under the red sky. Too dark here, lacks of flexibility.
- Down in the groove. Although it varies in the same album, generally is too nasal and lacking of flexibility again for me.
- Before the flood. That mix of the 1969 voice with a more powerful style I don't like it at all.

No! Blonde on blonde was a good voice, very stoned and lazy sounding. Almost constipated at times. Maybe a little constipated at times but not really. JWH was more aggressive and melodic. JWH is him transitioning into the Nashville voice. There's not a hint of it on BOB.


No! Desire was clear and articulate. Almost going back to Highway 61 and BIABH but not really. Budokan/Street Legal was the new, burnt pretzel voice. IT was down hill from there. The last great voice from Bob, IMO, was the Oh Mercy voice. Somehow he rose to the occasion. After that- I'm out.

When those voices in your head sound like ModBob, its time to up your meds.

In my view Good As I Been to You is sort of like a vocal masterpiece. There you have 13 unique voices, all different, all interesting and all custom tailored to the particular song so they all fit the song just right. I have listened to that album many times and have not got boored yet, this is due to the wonderful singing on it, plus the guitar is good too.

Shot of Love sessions. Nailed it.

basement