Favorite Dylan Song

Tangled Up in Blue.

All day.

 

I never get tired of listening to "Blood on the Tracks."

But I gotta vote for "Subterranean Homesick Blues"

Such a jewel ... and only runs 2:15 or so.

Plus, it had a great music video before the term "music video" even existed:

 

FoF:
For me, "Johanna" is clinched by "the ghosts of electricity howl in the bones of her face," and, of course,
"Jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule."
On the Vh1 100 Greatest Albums segment on Blonde On Blonde, Elvis Costello tries to explain that last line and just cracks up laughing.

 

There is nothing like driving down a black deserted country road at 4 a.m., and singing along with "Visions of Johanna" word for word.

"Tangled Up In Blue."
"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall."
"Bob Dylan's Dream."

And "Masters of War."
The Darth Vader/Dirty Harry/Johnny Rotten version of "Give Peace A Chance."

 

Fave Dylan covers: "Tambourine Man" - Byrds, "Just Like A Woman" Richie Havens or Manfred Mann (either will do), "Gotta Serve Somebody" - Shirley Caesar, "Watchtower" - Hendrix....and the list goes on...

 

That line inspired the cover art of "Get Your Ya Yas Out."

 

I am glad to learn this fact.

Very happy to see all the love for "Johanna." That and "One of Us Must Know" are as solid a one-two punch as can be found on any album, anywhere.

 

"One Of Us Must Know" is, for me, hands down, the best electric Dylan studio cut of them all. Including "Like A Rolling Stone."
It's funny and wise and the way he sings "haarrrrrrrrm" and the end of, "I never meant to do you any harm" is as compassionate as he got toward Ms. Rotolo, who has an autobiography coming out this month. And that has to be The Band -- or at least Richard and Garth -- playing behind him. How that single stiffed and "Rainy Day Women" hit is an eternal mystery to me.
Also may I offer props to the always underrated "Queen Jane Approximately," for the way the chords sweep down through the verses.

 

Huggy's five fave Dylan covers: Jimi: "All Along The Watchtower" (I believe Mr. Friend O' once described this as the gold standard of covers - and he's right), Johnny Winter "Highway 61 Revisited", Bryan Ferry "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall", Georgia Satellites "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (off a live in NY boot I have), Manfred Mann "Mighty Quinn".

 

Funny thing is, "One of Us Must Know" is so much the story of my most recent girlfriend and I, dude could have been reading my email. The universality of great art. Even the part about her kidding me about being from the farm.

As for "Jane"...

Now when all the bandits that you turned your other cheek to
All lay down their bandanas and complain
And you want somebody you don't have to speak to
Won't you come see me, Queen Jane?

What woman could resist that?

And didn't Ferry just do an album of all Dylan covers? Kinda weird. Like Bowie doing a Phil Ochs album.

 

And as for covers, any list has to include Rod Stewart's "Only A Hobo" and "Mama, You Been On My Mind," and Jason and the Scorchers GREAT take on "Absolutely Sweet Marie."

 

Oh shit how could I forget "Absolutely Sweet Marie"? That would go in the two spot, dropping off the "Mighty Quinn".