Expecting Rain

Not 10, or 14, just 12. Someone recently asked me to name my favourite album and I found that hard. Then I thought about how difficult it would be to create an album of just 12 favourite songs drawn from all of Dylan's studio releases of his own material. Today was chilly and rainy in Melbourne so I sat down and tried. This is what I came up with;

A hard rain's a-gonna fall.
Lay down your weary tune.
It's alright Ma.
Desolation row
Like a rolling stone.
Dear landlord.
Tears of rage.
Shelter from the storm.
Blind Willie McTell.
Every grain of sand.
Nettie Moore.
Cross the green mountain.

If enough people respond perhaps we could pick an ultimate top 12 based on the most popular choices. Then again maybe we won't.

It's rainy here too so here's my list of this moment


Hard rain
Shelter from the storm
Every grain of sand
Northern Country
Born in time
Not Dark Yet
Pawn in their game
What good am I
Hattie Carol
Heart of mine
I shall be released
Little drummer boy

Don't think he wrote the last one.

He re-created it though, one of his top 12 performances on record.

If not admitted, please change to Covenant woman. Another controversial one I know but very high on my list

It must be raining everywhere today.... we even have rain this morning in central Texas, and we never get enough rain..... anyway..... I see that Born In Time is on there already..... those are good choices, but I am not sure it is really possible to get down to 12...... but since there is nothing else happening except the rain, I might give it some thought....

It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry
Isis
Mr. Tambourine Man
Ballad in Plain D
Where are you tonight? (journey through dark heat)
Shelter from the storm (jerry mcquire soundtrack)
Dirge
Blind Willie Mctell
Tangled up in blue
Things have changed
Farewell Angelina
It's alright ma (i'm only bleeding)

Only 12 ? I could easily do well over 100!

01| Blowin’ In The Wind
02| A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
03| Mr Tambourine Man
04| Father Of Night
05| Shelter From The Storm
06| License To Kill
07| Most Of The Time
08| What Good Am I?
09| Standing In The Doorway
10| Not Dark Yet
11| High Water (For Charley Patton)
12| Workingman’s Blues #12

Since it's such a rainy day how about an album with twelve of the most dismal and depressing songs.

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
Ballad In Plain D
Desolation Row
Disease Of Conceit
Everything Is Broken
Hard Times
I Pity The Poor Immigrant
Idiot Wind
Masters Of War
North Country Blues
Positively 4th Street
The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll

I'll put my money on:

• Brownsville Girl
• Visions of Johanna
• Changing of the Guards
• Percy's Song
• She's Your Lover Now
• Temporary Like Achilles
• Love Minus Zero/No Limit
• One Too Many Mornings
• Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
• Idiot Wind
• Like a Rolling Stone
• Desolation Row

Somewhat odd choices, I know.

I'm not even going to try

A top 12 without LARS and Tangled is just WRONG!!

I'll have a go:

LARS
TUIB
Blind Willie
Desolation Row
It's Alright Ma
Changin of The Guards
Things Have Changed
Black Diamond Bay
Things Have Changed
Baby Blue
Blowin'
Red River Shore

That's all folks!

My Top 12 Dylan songs would probably change from week to week or possibly even day to day. So I won't bother.

Not ranked and subject to change (but not much) except for Blind Willie McTell. My absolute no. 1

-Blind Willie McTell (the Bootleg Series demo)
-I Want You (I also really love two live versions of this song. The Unplugged outtake and the New Orleans 1981 amphetamine performance.)
-Can't Wait (Tell Tale Signs alternate take disc 1)
-You Belong To Me (Natural Born Killers soundtrack. It doesn't matter that he didn't write the song and that his voice is shot. His phrasing is so great.)
-Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
-Caribbean Wind (the unreleased demo)
-Shelter From Storm (live, Hard Rain album)
-All Along The Watchtower
-If You See Her, Say Hello (Bootleg Series, the acoustic alternate take)
-Abandoned love (the live version, I don’t care for the studio take)
-Just Like A Woman (the Concert Of Bangladesh version. I don’t care for the Blonde On Blonde version.)
-Lay Down Your Weary Tune

I know the list looks kind of elite but they are all honest choices.

Sadly missing in Action:
Tangled Up In Blue (alternate Bootleg Series take)
Every Grain Of Sand (a true masterpiece of song writing.)

(Sorry, just had to mention those two )

1. Farewell, Angelina
2. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
3. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
4. If You See Her, Say Hello
5. Like a Rolling Stone
6. Girl From The North Country
7. Dark Eyes
8. Subterranean Homesick Blues
9. Every Grain of Sand
10. Goin' To Acapulco
11. Most of the Time
12. Ring Them Bells

Good idea, carnap! Here's another 12 sad and depressing songs...Bob's got a million of 'em !

One Too Many Mornings
He Was a Friend of Mine
I Threw it All Away
I am a Lonesome Hobo
Standing in the Doorway
Dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Shooting Star
Cross the Green Mountain
Ain't Talkin'
Most of the Time
Can't Wait
Life is Hard

I go through periods when there are songs I just have to hear and then for a while I do not need to hear them anymore and there are other songs I need to hear. I could never fix myself to nominate 12.

In no particular order:

Just Like A Woman
Queen Jane Approximately
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Ballad of A Thin Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
It's Alright, Ma
Like A Rolling Stone
Desolation Row
Visions of Johanna
Dear Landlord
Highway 61 Revisited
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

In no blah blah blah:

Lay down your weary tune
When the ship comes in
Restless Farewell
A hard rain's a-gonna fall
Blind Willie Mctell
Isis
Not Dark Yet
It's alright Ma
Desolation Row
Visions of Johanna
Things Have Changed
Born In Time (Alternate version)

Ballad of a thin man (ghost track )

Can we please have a bonus disc?

Top 12 by decade?

Perhaps it is too hard for some people to pick 12 songs. But that is the challenge. Most of these lists of favourite songs start by trying to determine a top 20, then someone lists 25 and the next thing you know someone else enters 30. Dylan is a great artist, by definition some of his songs are better than others. When you think about it 12 is a relatively high number if we are talking about truly great songs that will be pertinent 80 or a 100 years from now. Eighty years after Stephen Foster died one of his songs became a hit record. Has Dylan written songs that people will sing a 100 years from now?

I am confident he has but which songs will last the test of time. More than 12 - I doubt it.

Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Blind Willie McTell
Visions of Johanna
Mr. Tambourine Man
Like A Rolling Stone
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Every Grain of Sand
All Along The Watchtower
Tangled Up in Blue
Forever Young
Mississippi
Just Like Woman

Visions Of Johanna
Idiot Wind
Dark Eyes
Every Grain Of Sand
It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Mr. Tambourine Man
Angelina
It's A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall
Desolation Row
Blind Willie McTell
High Water


I think this is the first time I have participated in one of these lists and now I know why. I feel like I could do bodily injury to myself for leaving off so many great songs. What kind of a list doesn't include Tangled Up In Blue or Shelter From The Storm or It's All Over Now Baby Blue or Love Minus Zero/No Limit or Ring Them Bells or Mississippi or Sad Eyed Lady or Subterranean Homesick Blues or Don't Think Twice or Boots of Spanish Leather, etc.....

It's a twisted game you people play

1 Visions of Johanna
2 Girl from the North Country
3 Shelter from the Storm
4 Mississippi
5 Not Dark Yet
6 Idiot Wind
7 Boots of Spanish Leather
8 Mr Tambourine Man
9 Love Minus Zero / No Limit
10 Every Grain of Sand
11 Blind Willie McTell
12 Highlands

Man, that's not halfway enough.....
Then again, I don't think his songs are necessaily meant to be covered, I'd rather people still listen to Bob's recordings in 100 or 1000 years.

I do not.