Sen. Posh Oltorf LooGAR Wrote:
Drano Wrote:
berliner Wrote:
autolux. why not?

Dude, you're on a roll.
I picked Pink Floyd (

), but in my defense, that's a very atypical Floyd album, and a pretty unique album in general. I'm not really a fan of Pink Floyd or Syd Barrett, but
Piper is great.
Exile doesn't need my vote, and I feel about the same about
Blonde on Blonde as I do about
London Calling. There are some songs on it that are undeniably great, several that are just OK, and few I really, really dislike. It's not one of my favorite Dylan records.
It should lose out simply because of Rainy Day Women. Every other song, save maybe Pledging My Time, is pretty awesome.
But Exile defines a MAIN ERA in my life. Now, truly if it was Highway 61 or Bringing it All Back Home, I'd have some trouble here.
I'm a bit bothered by your dismissiveness of the Blonde On Blonde. I'll probably end up going Exile simply for the late night memories made with that album playing in the background but this is pretty difficult to me.
To me, "Blonde on Blonde" is him channeling the zeitgeist. It's just as sprawling and diverse as Exile is. I wonder if "Like A Rolling Stone" had been the first song if that album wouldn't have become a consensus greatest album ever. But, in it's context, I think it's perfect. I think Rainy Day Women offsets the other heavy songs on there. The whole thing is just impossible to pin down. It's serious, tossed off, bluesy, ramshackle, precise, dense, superficial, dark, funny, poetic, accessible, and inaccessible (if you know the meaning of "Visions of Johanna", you're lying).
Some of his best songs too. Throw in some Danko, Robertson, Hudson, Manuel, Al Kooper, and Charlie McCoy and you've got a masterwork and, to me, the best overall glimpse into why Dylan was so great.
I'm not saying I'd vote it over Exile. Just that this was difficult and it was a 15 round Heavyweight fight that went to the cards and the fix might be in.
I totally get Visions of Johanna. It's one my favorite Dylan songs. I love Dylan, possibly on a mental level more than The Stones, but in terms of pure rock and roll, I'll take Exile.
Let's say this -- The GAR of 1996 would pick BoB. The GAR of 99-present definitely picks Exile. Take this for what you know it means.