Customer Reviews

Playlist: The Very Best of Bob Dylan 80's

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a nice eclectic mix of Dylan songs from the 80's. There's hits and good deep album cuts so someone putting it together did their homework. It would be perfect for the new or casual fan.

Everything seems to have a nice fresh sound to it so I guess they're not full of BS when they say the album is remastered. I don't care for the packaging. I know it's environmentally friendly recycled materials so the Tree Huggers will love it. It's just a bit flimsy like it was made out of a cereal box.

The packaging is no big deal really but I would have given it 5 stars if not for it. Don't let that be a deal breaker for you though as the price is right on this very nice Dylan Collection.

This playlist collection rounds up fourteen songs from a solid, though often uneven era in Bob Dylan's career. While he did release some stinkers like Knocked Out Loaded and Down In The Groove in the 80's he released one of his best albums, Oh Mercy, an underrated effort, Empire Burlesque, and the strong Infidels. Though the album cheats a bit by including a couple outtakes that were on his Bootleg Series, you get some outstanding tracks like the sprawling "Jokerman", the pretty "Every Grain Of Sand" and the searing "Everything is Broken". It would have great to see the rare and superb "Band Of The Hand", Mr. Dylan's title track to the 1986 movie that I don't believe has ever been released on cd.

These songs follow his conversion to belief in Christ. It may have seemed that he had painted himself into a corner subject matter wise with that decision. One listen to these songs makes it clear that whatever his beliefs, his songwriting became richer, rather than more predictable. Nothing stale about these wonderful songs. The songs speak for themselves!

For the 1980's this is a good collection. I have lots of Dylan CD's but this one gets a lot of play time, as it includes some great songs I haven't heard a thousand times before, and its also good to put on when the casual non-fan is in the room.

For the simple cover and cost, it was a surprise when I found there was one song on there that I did not have, "Every Grain of Sand," is simply beautiful. I think it could have been one of his 80 changes, he went through, although it was magnificent and produced more of Dylan at his best. It's just a good CD for the price and if you are like me, you think you have every song he ever recorded, which I obviously do not. Actually, I didn't have "Golden Loom" either.
Also recommended are the "Basement Tapes." Oh wow, that one is something else. If I am not mistaken, and someone will correct me, if so, I think he and "The Band" recorded those, so they have different solos. Want to be entertained in a good way, buy both CDS. None I ever bought were bad. I recently saw him in concert and his voice is older, but he is still awesome. Always will be. Bob Dylan, the legend is still real and holds his on, on any stage. Wyn in North Carolina

Just kidding! The eighties were a rocky period for Bob Dylan to put it mild. Something went bust in the music industry as far as 60s/70s rockers were concerned, especially political, poetic songwriters who had to compete with the new fangled techno digital sound. Dylan tried to face the beast, with mostly laughable results.

But it wasn't all bad, and this disc actually captures a good chunk of what was good. The best album from this decade would have to be OH MERCY, and worth purchasing in full, so no tracks from that album appear here. Instead we get a decent mix of the hodge podge eighties albums, Shot Of Love, Down In The Groove, Knocked Out Loaded, Empire Burlesque, and Infidels. All of which had one or two stand out cuts but mostly uninspired mush.

When you cut out all the mess, these tracks actually stack up fairly well. A good way to get all the essential eighties material without a career spanning hits disc.