Expecting Rain

Recently Visions of Johanna was voted No1 from the vote of 'your 10 favourite Dylan songs' on ER discussion board.
It came in 3 votes ahead of Tangled Up In Blue in second place.

The results are here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=73460&hilit=results+favourite+dylan+songs

I am interested to know which version of Visions of Johanna fans voted as their favourite. Obviously this is open to anyone even if they did not vote in the '10 favourite Dylan songs survey' .

Visions is Visions no matter which ...

I included your comments into the poll, because it's a valid point.
But for me personally it matter's which and it may do for others or it may not. Let's find out.

I like most versions of the song, but for me the BoB version is definitive.

Have you clicked on your preference above? I can't see your result.

I chose the album version and the Bootleg Series 4 version. However, those renditions he did in '74 and '76 were amazing. Here's one from '76...absolutely stunning!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE012Ans-ow

That's a great version of him in 76. You tube downloader go....ty
Gotta love also those great bastions of social engineering yelling 'Sit down'.

Both the "Blonde on Blonde" and "Live 1966" versions are pretty much definitive. The "Blonde on Blonde" version is probably slightly superior to the live version, however. There's also a bootleged studio version on "Thin Mercury Music" I really love as well (no, it's not the "No Direction Home/BS5" version).
I could mention several really good NET performances of this song, but none of them really come close to any of the 1966 versions. I guess Untrodden Path will disagree with me on this, but that's life and life only.

Voted Blonde on Blonde version - but if they'd only gotten down 'Freeze Out (Visions of Johanna)' (from Thin Wild Mercury Music - 7:33 - The 'Electric Gashcat' version is five seconds longer and sounds even less produced)

Anyone have a favorite from the '66 tour? 1966-05-16 Sheffield, England Gaumont Theatre sounds good

Voted Blonde on Blonde because I am blonde and that is my favorite Bob album. Also, I think it's about me! Just kidding, I would have been just a little blonde child when it was written. Love, Joanna XOXO

I totally forgot about Sheffield! The Sheffield acoustic set is just wonderful. Probably the best 1966 acoustic set. I just wish we also had the electric set.

Bootleg Version 4 has the edge for me, though it is mighty close.

You can't beat the original thing. Blonde on Blonde has the best version.

The first performance I actually like is from '89 when Bob opened with an electric version. Several of the 2000 through 2002 are memorable as very good there were numerous acoustic performances that were very good to excellent. I can't recall of any Visions of Johanna prior to 1989 that I want or need to hear again...

+1. I think this is the definitive version of the song.

Blonde on Blonde is the one i listen to the most often, but the Vol. 4 one is the first version i heard that really caught my attention.

Vol 4 caught my attention as well. I am head over heals in lurv with it. It is probably my favourite performance of anything I ever heard. For me you can certainly feel 'The harmonicas play the skeleton keys and the rain' and 'The ghost of ’lectricity howls in the bones of her face'.
It is other worldly.

my favorites are the one on the biograph set, and the 2000ish performances, this one is pretty smashing:

Central Point 09-10-2001

^ listening now....love the 'insane' line and 'bones of her face'

One for the stand up routine UP. Do you really mean ANY performance pre-1989?

The album version is thee definitive version.

That's why it's on the album.

A document.

The Biograph version is the first I heard, remains my favorite, and was the song (along with Tangled) that hooked me in the 80s. When I finally got hold of blonde on blonde I was disappointed. It lacked something mysterious--I'd spent so much time moving about the space between that voice and guitar, I felt rushed and crowded in the BOB version. I grew to love the Blonde one almost as much though because, of course, it's wonderful, even more so in many ways as it's surrounded by all those other BOB songs. I think the NET has done this one pretty well. Minneapolis 1992, Philadelphia 1995, Differdange 1996, Portland 1999, Tramps 1999, George and Portsmouth 2000, a bunch in 2001, Dublin 2005 and more. What must it have been like to hear this in 1966 live before the album was even released?--almost certain I'd have been slain.

NET favorite: Portland, Maine 1999
Modern NET (2004-present) favorite: Dublin 2005
2012 favorite: Omaha Nov. 3

Any 1966 rendition
or
the Sony Gold Mastersound album version.
(that's the one with guitar punching you in the face, wrong note and all.)