I like This Wheels on Fire because I love Absolutely Fabulous 
I’ve never even heard Bob Dylan sing it. Hurricane’s a good one too.
Not my all time Dylan favourite, but I’ve always thought that Gates of Eden was way underappreciated. Maybe because it was seldom played, being just a “B side” and all.
Willie McTell is number one for me. As for Dylan not doing his own songs, compare Bob’s version to the Band’s. Not even close.
Subterranean Homesick Blues is close, as is Tangled Up in Blue.
Talking World War III Blues is the best science fiction song ever done. Every after the war cliche described and skewered, each in one verse. Brilliant.
“Look what happen last time they started.”
Enola Straight wrote:
Well, let’s not get carried away in our Dylan worship. Long before Dylan came along, this form was known as the “talking blues.”
My votes:
- Tangled Up in Blue
- Simple Twist of Fate
- All Along the Watchtower (Hendrix cover)
- Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
- Sweetheart Like You
And I’ll also admit (with a little embarrassment) that I really like Lay Lady, Lay.
There are a lot of great ones… “Tangled Up In Blue,” a host of songs from the “Desire” (“Isis,” “Sara,” “Black Diamond Bay”)…
But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be “Gates of Eden” from “Bringing It All Back Home.”
Another vote for “Tangled Up In Blue”
- Tangled Up In Blue
- Positively Fourth Street
- Hurricane
- Subterranean Homesick Blues
- Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
Close runners up:
- Is Your Love In Vain
- Mr Tambourine Man
- Blowin’ in the Wind
- The Times They are a-changing
- All Along The Watchtower (but only the Hendrix version)
Plus some of his new stuff sounds pretty good too but I’ve not had the chance to really get to know it yet.
“Absolutely Sweet Marie”
The Jason and the Scorchers version.
My current favorite is Mississippi from his latest release, Love and Theft. People, join the 21st century with me, and check out this CD. It’s got a lot of great songs.
I dunno, man. I’ve kept Love and Theft next to the stereo for a year now, rather than put it away, so I could throw it on every time I can’t decide what ELSE to play, and pretty much NONE of it has stuck in my head.
I agree that “Mississippi” is the most memorable tune on the album, but that’s damning it with faint praise.
At least Time Out of Mind had two bona fide stunners on it: “Not Dark Yet,” and “Highlands.” Not in the same category as “Desolation Row” or “Stuck Inside of Mobile,” but very very good, even by Dylan standards.
Good one. I may have to amend my list.
If You see Her Say Hello
and, I hate to admit it, but Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
When I first moved out of my parent’s house (under bad circumstances) I played “Like A Rolling Stone” almost nonstop. He is without a doubt one of the best I’ve ever heard.
For me, the true stunner from Time Out of Mind will always be “Trying’ to Get to Heaven”. I’d say that “Not Dark Yet” is perhaps its equal, but, c’mon, “Highlands”? But let me suggest, and perhaps you will agree, that it’s really not possible to compare songs from the different periods in Dylan’s career and truly come up with an all-time favorite. I too, love “Desolation Row”, have ever since I first heard it some 25 year ago. I think of the amazing imagery of that song, and remember how it affected me in those days. But then, I compare it to “Mississippi” and “Sugar Baby”, and there’s no question as to which has more meaning to me today.
Okay, now you’ve done it. You made me take off Vladimir Ashkenazy’s Complete Scriabin Piano Sonatas and put on Time Out of Mind again.
Yes, I agree. “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven” IS another high point.
I’ll defend “Highlands” because
a) I’m a sucker for his long story-songs;
b) I love the allegory of the midnight story of the waitress (relationship of the Artist to the Consumer);
c) the joke about “You don’t read women authors, do you?” “I read Erica Jong.” tickles me, as I’m a book publisher, and it’s one of his most overtly funny lines since, oh, “Talking Bear Mountain Blues;” and
d) the lines “I step outside back to the busy street, but nobody’s going anywhere” and “All the young men with their young women looking so good/Well, I’d trade places with any of them in a minute, if I could,” which is MOST unexpected!
Can I add one more?
“Crawl out Your Window” - the Highway 61 band version, not the Band version available on Biograph. I only have this on a bootleg, does anyone know if it ever got released on an official album?
I love Highlands too - I think of Boylston Street in Boston whenever I hear it.
Hard Rain’s gonna Fall
Watchtower is describing my workplace.
His best songs are the finger-pointing ones like Rolling Stone and Idiot Wind… but Visions of Johanna is my favorite. It still gives me goosebumps.
Top Five :
Visions of Johanna
Rolling Stone
Hard Rain
All Along the Watchtower
Slow Train Coming
Watchtower is the only song where I actually like a cover version. There is so much hidden meaning in all his songs, that I think only Dylan himself can do them justice.
Most underappreciated - Billy from Billy the Kid in all its variations.
Wow, so many!
But, using the unconscious, impulse method of judging, I’d have to say
The entire Highway 61 Revisited album.
Love Minus Zero
Idiot Wind
Watchtower
Rainy day Women
This is bringing it all back home…Goshers, I need to listen to some Bobby Z!
And Maggie’s Farm.
And Forever Young
And Gotta Serve Somebody
And Shelter from the Storm
Unfortunately, about 3/4 of my Dylan is on 8-track. I still have 'em all, but it’s tough to listen to 'em these days. My MP3 player doesn’t have a PROGRAM button on it.