As I put the finishing touches on my upcoming book Bob Dylan and the Stages of Existence, it is now clear to me that listening to Dylan has become a habit. I mean that in a good way. Like drinking coffee or getting in some exercise, Dylan has become part of my daily routine. In Heideggerian terms, Dylan seems to set me in a certain mood or disposition, revealing (at least partially) where “I’m at” on a given day. In any case, while my book aims to provide trenchant analysis of Dylan’s oeuvre, I tend to leave my own proclivities out of it. Some of my favorite Dylan tracks are not discussed at length, while others are given substantial attention simply due to their lyrical interests (e.g., “Watered-Down Love,” “God Knows”). So, for what it’s worth, here’s a list of the Dylan songs that have been in my heavy rotation since I started this project. I’m not claiming that these are his best efforts, just that they are the ones I find myself listening to day after day.
“Too Much of Nothing”
“I’m Not There”
“If You See Her, Say Hello”
“Shelter from the Storm”
“Every Grain of Sand” (Demo)
“It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”
“Jokerman”
“Visions of Johanna” (Live 1966)
“Desolation Row” (Live 1966)
“Lonesome Day Blues”
“High Water (For Charley Patton)”
“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”
“I and I” (Live at Slane Castle)
“Crossing the Rubicon”
“Key West (Philosopher Pirate)”
“Gotta Serve Somebody”
“Changing of the Guards”
“Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)”
“Tempest”
“Not Dark Yet”
“Cold Irons Bound”
“Highlands”
“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”
“Dead Man, Dead Man” (Outtake)
“Isis”
From Dylan’s 1965 track “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”:
Disillusioned words like bullets bark
As human gods aim for their mark
Make everything from toy guns that spark
To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark
It’s easy to see without looking too far
That not much is really sacred
Here's the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2hHK7lWemrizUljaU6KBkt?si=5c3fc0c0e1d545f0.
Love your playlist. Check-out “I dreamed I saw St. Augustine” on his John Westley Harding album. Great song on a great album. I think the best thing the Nobel committee ever did was give Dylan the Nobel prize for literature.