The Search for Dylan's Crowning Achievement
Debate had been raging
between myself and fellow Dylan obsessive Andrew about just what was the
best of his albums - I said Bringing It All Back Home, he said Blonde
on Blonde (incidentally we now both agree on Time Out of Mind [-- or at least we did when I wrote this. I'd probably say either "Love and Theft" or World Gone Wrong now]).
Naturally I had to devise something to tell us once and for all just what
Dylan's best album is. Here is what I did.
The Rules
1. a) Only Bob's
bona-fide '5 star' albums will be taken into consideration. For this I
have been fairly generous: Nashville Skyline, The Basement Tapes, Street
Legal and Desire, Another Side of Bob Dylan are all bestowed with '5 star'
status as well as the obvious classics (Freewheelin', the holy trilogy,
John Wesley Harding, Blood on the Tracks, Time Out of Mind and "Love and
Theft").
b) Only songs written or co-written by Dylan will be
counted, thus albums wholly comprised of adaptations or covers, albums
that showcase Dylan primarily as performer rather than as songwriter, will
be discounted. Realistically, this means that World Gone Wrong, arguably a
'5 star' album will not be considered.
c) Only studio albums will
be considered. Greatest Hits and Bootleg Series are thus of no consequence
- although The Basement Tapes are a misdemeanour and here is counted as a
'studio' album (tracks by the Band are disregarded).
2. Every song
on each '5 star' album will be considered in some way. The evaluation will
deconstruct each album as follows:
a) Every album's songs will be
segregated into the three categories: "Stone Cold Classics", "Moderate
Successes" and "Duds" - the titles of which are self explanatory. This
segregation process constitutes "Phase One". Songs must be very good not
only as stand alone compositions, but also within the context of the
album, to be classed as a Stone Cold Classic. Songs which are 'iffy' shall
not receive the benefit of the doubt and therefore will be subject to
"dud" status and much mockery.
b) The "Stone Cold Classics" of
every album will then be assessed on a track-by-track basis each one
receiving a "Classic Grade" - pass, merit or distinction. Here I have been
ruthless, songs must be exceptionally great, almost flawless in fact, to
deserve the honour of a distinction.
c) Points are then allocated
to the album according to the Classic Grades awarded. 0 points for a pass,
1 for a merit, 2 for a distinction. If an album has a "dud" track it will
be penalised one point. The net total of points for each album will then
reflect the quality of the album. ("Phase Two").
d) A rank order
will then be devised based on the net total of points accumulated by each
album and a winner will be 'crowned'. ("Phase Three")
Forward to Phase 1
Debate had been raging between myself and fellow Dylan obsessive Andrew about just what was the best of his albums - I said Bringing It All Back Home, he said Blonde on Blonde (incidentally we now both agree on Time Out of Mind [-- or at least we did when I wrote this. I'd probably say either "Love and Theft" or World Gone Wrong now]). Naturally I had to devise something to tell us once and for all just what Dylan's best album is. Here is what I did.
The Rules
1. a) Only Bob's bona-fide '5 star' albums will be taken into consideration. For this I have been fairly generous: Nashville Skyline, The Basement Tapes, Street Legal and Desire, Another Side of Bob Dylan are all bestowed with '5 star' status as well as the obvious classics (Freewheelin', the holy trilogy, John Wesley Harding, Blood on the Tracks, Time Out of Mind and "Love and Theft").
b) Only songs written or co-written by Dylan will be counted, thus albums wholly comprised of adaptations or covers, albums that showcase Dylan primarily as performer rather than as songwriter, will be discounted. Realistically, this means that World Gone Wrong, arguably a '5 star' album will not be considered.
c) Only studio albums will be considered. Greatest Hits and Bootleg Series are thus of no consequence - although The Basement Tapes are a misdemeanour and here is counted as a 'studio' album (tracks by the Band are disregarded).
2. Every song on each '5 star' album will be considered in some way. The evaluation will deconstruct each album as follows:
a) Every album's songs will be segregated into the three categories: "Stone Cold Classics", "Moderate Successes" and "Duds" - the titles of which are self explanatory. This segregation process constitutes "Phase One". Songs must be very good not only as stand alone compositions, but also within the context of the album, to be classed as a Stone Cold Classic. Songs which are 'iffy' shall not receive the benefit of the doubt and therefore will be subject to "dud" status and much mockery.
b) The "Stone Cold Classics" of every album will then be assessed on a track-by-track basis each one receiving a "Classic Grade" - pass, merit or distinction. Here I have been ruthless, songs must be exceptionally great, almost flawless in fact, to deserve the honour of a distinction.
c) Points are then allocated to the album according to the Classic Grades awarded. 0 points for a pass, 1 for a merit, 2 for a distinction. If an album has a "dud" track it will be penalised one point. The net total of points for each album will then reflect the quality of the album. ("Phase Two").
d) A rank order will then be devised based on the net total of points accumulated by each album and a winner will be 'crowned'. ("Phase Three")
Forward to Phase 1