OK, so I have Biograph (disc 2 is my favorite), Time out of Mind, and Love and Theft.
I’ve been listening to Dylan all my life courtesy of dear old dad. However, I want to expand my collection with some of the older albums, but don’t know where I should start.
I’d like some suggestions on the top five or so pre-1980 Dylan albums, the so-called “essentials.”
According to the Classic Rock Canon, the following are considered his “essentials.”
That’s my list. I’m sure other posters will add their favorites.
I’m only a moderate Dylan fan, but “Blood on the Tracks” is one of my 5 favorite albums of all time. A definite desert island disc.
Get the big three.
Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61 Revisited
Blonde on Blonde
These were made in fairly quick succession. He’s never burned as brightly since then. From 65’ thru 66’ he just had so many GREAT songs in him. I dig all of his stuff but these three are fantastic!
I happen to think that, if you throw out the long, stupid “Hurricane,” Dylan’s best album, by far, is “Desire.”
Or you can do like my music-freak friend and just buy every album, single and compilation EVER RELEASED! I asked him to “bring over some Dylan” for a study session once, and he showed up with 30+ Cds 
Desire is probably my favorite Dylan album too–but how can we throw out “Hurricane”? Heck, that’s one of my favorite songs from the album. It’s also the first exposure I had to the story of Ruben Carter. “Joey,” while a good song, is longer by two and a half minutes, and the melody and story are less powerful too. In my opinion, of course. Anyway, we agree on the best album.
Street Legal is another favorite, as is Slow Train Coming (from his overtly Christian phase). But I wouldn’t call them essentials.
For me the essentials would be the three that Cholo mentioned, plus maybe New Morning. Dylan has long since been replaced as my favorite artist, but I still love him. He’s just too much a part of my youth.
The Bootleg Series Vol 4 - Live 1966 “The Royal Albert Hall Concert” complements Cholo’s Big Three list very well. An incredible live performance.
The new Bootleg Series ‘Bob Dylan Live 1975’ looks really brilliant too.
I also like ‘Nashville Skyline’ but ‘Blood On The Tracks’ still remains my favourite album though.
Thanks for the suggestions. Though I can’t quite afford mnemonosyne’s suggestion 
this gives me a good list to work off of. I’ll probably go for Blood on the Tracks, Desire, Hwy 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, and Bringing it all Back Home.
Still taking suggestions, though!
Well, I’d like to put in a vote for Infidels, although it’s not quite pre-1980, and also for The Freewheeling Bob Dylan. Agree with most of the other choices, though (and damn … it’s hard to choose).
Well, I’d like to put in a vote for Infidels, although it’s not quite pre-1980, and also for The Freewheeling Bob Dylan. Agree with most of the other choices, though (and damn … it’s hard to choose).
Well, I’d like to put in a vote for Infidels, although it’s not quite pre-1980, and also for The Freewheeling Bob Dylan. Agree with most of the other choices, though (and damn … it’s hard to choose).
I guess what Fretful Porpentine is trying to say is, he really likes “Infidels”.
After you have explored all those all ready mentioned, take some time and check out Dylan w/ The Band Before the Flood A double live CD of some great music. I aslo echo Desire as a great album, and in an odd coincidence I just finished listening to it when I opened this thread. Sara is a fantastic song…