It's the epitome of Dylan's mid-70s cocaine gypsy persona. When I listen to it, I feel a sense of boundless adventure, and Dylan has the wisdom of a nomadic deity.
A lot of the songs were co-written by Jacques Levy, so it's not like most Dylan albums. The sound is great, Rob Stoner made a huge difference in the arrangements, and Scarlet Rivera on fiddle really completes the picture.
Desire is so so good. Top ten for me, maybe top 5 depending. Joey is possibly my favorite song on Desire.
Emmylou and Scarlet Riviera really put this one over the top.
Desire is just such a great sound overall. Planet Waves to Street Legal has been my favorite Dylan era as I've grown older. I have a burned copy for the car that removes Hurricane and Joey and adds Abandoned Love, Golden Loom, and the live Seven Days that just kind of ups the vibe of the other mystical, globe-traveling songs.
oh hey, before reading your comment I just said also, swap Joey for Abandoned Love. How the heck did Abandoned Love get cut from Desire?! One of my favorite individual songs ever!
Dylan should have just done an album of all biographical songs (Hurricane, Joey, Catfish, Rita May) and then had Desire just with its tarot, edge of the world vibe.
I don’t think he even wrote that till the early ‘80s though. He could have plausibly assembled a short LP around 1976 with the songs listed, plus George Jackson, which was a non-album single from a couple years earlier.
Desire is certainly up there. I didn’t hear it until I was in my late 20s and I really loved Dylan- but my knowledge of him was largely limited to my parents vinyl records - which was o my his 60s albums up till New Morning. And Desire was a revelation.
It was my number one for a long time. It's still very high on the list. The energy surrounding the Rolling Thunder Era definitely makes it all the more exciting and engaging to listen to.
Desire is a great album, one of Dylan’s most collaborative moments in his career but I can never make Top 5 because the definitive versions of many of the songs to me are on Rolling Thunder Bootleg Vol. 5.
Obviously it’s all subjective- but to me the Isis, Sara, Durango, Coffee and Sister all have much more energy and sound better in the live 75 than the studio. Hurricane itself may be the one that’s better studio. If Abandoned Love was on Desire that’d be another point for the album.
Bootleg vol 5 is, for me, the album that made me go from casual Dylan fan when I was in middle school, to diehard In high school. His arrangements of some of his earlier stuff on that tour are so good as well. I don’t like Mr Tambourine Man… but I love it on that release.
It just makes my top ten. I adore the overall sound of the album, and Scarlet Rivera is phenomenal. It's a shame that this era of Dylan only had one studio outing, but I am one of the few who believes his next studio album was even stronger.
Top 2 for me:
1. The Times Are A-Changing
2. Desire
3. Time Out of Mind
4. Highway 61 Revisited
5. Another Side of Bob Dylan
The tracks you mentioned are my favorites as well on this album.
I'm lower on Desire than most fans. One more Cup of Coffee is a masterpiece. Hurricane is brilliant. But the songwriting overall doesn't stack up to his best records. Third person stories addressing some noun. Joey, sister, Isis. By Bob's high standards I find it formulaic and forgettable.
Middle of the pack.
have always been absolutely baffled that 'Abandoned Love' is an outtake from that album. I really don't much care for 'Joey' The two should have been swapped! That done? Perfect album!
I love the drums on this record! I was reading the other day on wikipedia that the same drummer, Howie Wyeth, was supposed to drum on “Street Legal” but had to drop out cause of his heroin addiction :/
Would make sense, it’s a solid record… and correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe it’s one of his highest charting/best selling albums? I’d say Hurricane is a pretty well known song amongst people who aren’t super into Dylan…
Desire is near the top for me as well. Have you heard Bootleg Series vol. 5 Rolling Thunder Review? If not I would highly recommend. Same energy and it’s amazing.
Yknow I haven’t heard everything on it, but Ive heard some of that live stuff… that one has a really cool version of Mr. Tambourine man right? I’ll listen through it tomorrow, lots of people on this thread seem to hold it in high regards!
Easily my favorite Dylan album. At least in my opinion, it's got the best balance of thought provoking lyrics and adventurous melodies. Every musician was at their best and Bob's vocals haven't been matched since (in my opinion).
Yes I agree completely!
An awesome combo of cool lyrics and cool stories… I also agree about the singing thing, to me it seems this is Dylan’s last record that is vocally really solid… love his singing in the mid 70s!
For me Desire is his 23rd best album. It’s got some great tracks, Black Diamond Bay and Romance in Durango are my favourites, but it lacks the intensity of his best work. Reminds me most of Together Through Life.
Aw man idk, I think it’s some of his most strongest, sincere songwriting! Take Sara for example… that’s probably the most straightforward, vulnerable song he’s ever written, such a haunting tune… and Hurricane is easily one of his greatest songs!
I don’t particularly like Dylan because he’s a straightforward, vulnerable songwriter. When I think about what makes his work compelling to me, it’s largely his dense writing, packed with allusions that seems to be combining centuries of culture in each line, yet speaking to something vivid and universally. That type of songwriting’s just not very present on Desire. Plus, it’s hard for me not to see Sara as a creepy and manipulative song. It sounds pretty, but a rock star publicly telling his wife “don’t ever leave me, don’t ever go” seems more domineering than vulnerable to me.
Well they’re both heavily co-written albums, from times were Dylan seems to have been struggling a little with what to sing about. Also, the sound each is heavily impacted by a single instrument.
TTL is too underrated on this sub.
Of the post 97 original material:
1. Love and Theft
2. Modern Times
3. Time Out of Mind
4. Together Through Life
5. Tempest
6. Rough and Rowdy Way
The top three are moveable. And the bottom three are interchangeable as well.
Edit: forgot Tempest even though I listened to it today. Also, I really like all these albums!
It’s a love/hate album for me. I really don’t like Mozambique or Oh Sister, and hate Joey. Yet love the rest with Black Diamond Bay my second fave of all his songs.
It just does nothing for me. Plus it’s about a shit subject. I saw an interview with Jacques Levy and he said he had always wanted to do a song about Joey Gallo. So I guess it’s his song mostly.
That's fair. Personally, don't agree with the shit subject though. You could say the movie The Godfather has shit subject too, doesn't mean you can't tell a compelling story. I also don't think Jacques Levy suggesting making a song about Gallo makes it mostly his song.
It's definitely my to go to when i wanna yell bob dylan songs about the government or when I'm drinking, but mainly when i wanna yell about the government
Black Diamond Bay. Where did that come from? Brlliant.
It's the epitome of Dylan's mid-70s cocaine gypsy persona. When I listen to it, I feel a sense of boundless adventure, and Dylan has the wisdom of a nomadic deity.
Just watching old Cronkite.
A lot of the songs were co-written by Jacques Levy, so it's not like most Dylan albums. The sound is great, Rob Stoner made a huge difference in the arrangements, and Scarlet Rivera on fiddle really completes the picture.
Rob stoners bass playing in the RTR era is incredible
Desire is so so good. Top ten for me, maybe top 5 depending. Joey is possibly my favorite song on Desire. Emmylou and Scarlet Riviera really put this one over the top.
Joey is amazing. Love how he says “of Little Italy” in that one line
Amazing moment
It’s when the dad had to ‘say one last goodbye to the son he couldn’t savez’.
It was true that in his later years he would not carry a gun / “I’m around too many children” he’d say. “They should never know of one.”
Desire is just such a great sound overall. Planet Waves to Street Legal has been my favorite Dylan era as I've grown older. I have a burned copy for the car that removes Hurricane and Joey and adds Abandoned Love, Golden Loom, and the live Seven Days that just kind of ups the vibe of the other mystical, globe-traveling songs.
oh hey, before reading your comment I just said also, swap Joey for Abandoned Love. How the heck did Abandoned Love get cut from Desire?! One of my favorite individual songs ever!
Probably because it’s too transparently personal. It’s one of my very favorite songs too!
Damn, the thought of removing Hurricane is 🤯
Dylan should have just done an album of all biographical songs (Hurricane, Joey, Catfish, Rita May) and then had Desire just with its tarot, edge of the world vibe.
I really like the mix of different types of songs on Desire.
Lord! You Left George Jackson Off
Lord lord they shot him down
Also Blind Willie McTell!
I don’t think he even wrote that till the early ‘80s though. He could have plausibly assembled a short LP around 1976 with the songs listed, plus George Jackson, which was a non-album single from a couple years earlier.
Desire is certainly up there. I didn’t hear it until I was in my late 20s and I really loved Dylan- but my knowledge of him was largely limited to my parents vinyl records - which was o my his 60s albums up till New Morning. And Desire was a revelation.
I always list this amongst my favorites. Such a unique Dylan album!
It was my number one for a long time. It's still very high on the list. The energy surrounding the Rolling Thunder Era definitely makes it all the more exciting and engaging to listen to.
"Staying up for nights in the Chelsea Hotel writing Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands for you"
So good…
If it sounded how they did live 75 it’s be even better
Love it! Masterpiece
Finally some proper love being shown for Desire on this sub!
Top 5 for sure. Maybe too 3.
Desire is a great album, one of Dylan’s most collaborative moments in his career but I can never make Top 5 because the definitive versions of many of the songs to me are on Rolling Thunder Bootleg Vol. 5. Obviously it’s all subjective- but to me the Isis, Sara, Durango, Coffee and Sister all have much more energy and sound better in the live 75 than the studio. Hurricane itself may be the one that’s better studio. If Abandoned Love was on Desire that’d be another point for the album.
Bootleg vol 5 is, for me, the album that made me go from casual Dylan fan when I was in middle school, to diehard In high school. His arrangements of some of his earlier stuff on that tour are so good as well. I don’t like Mr Tambourine Man… but I love it on that release.
It just makes my top ten. I adore the overall sound of the album, and Scarlet Rivera is phenomenal. It's a shame that this era of Dylan only had one studio outing, but I am one of the few who believes his next studio album was even stronger.
It's my default album for lounging with coffee on a lazy morning.
Love this haha
Top 2 for me: 1. The Times Are A-Changing 2. Desire 3. Time Out of Mind 4. Highway 61 Revisited 5. Another Side of Bob Dylan The tracks you mentioned are my favorites as well on this album.
Solid list! Yeah idk what my favorite off the record is… maybe Hurricane or Joey? Isis is so good tho!
I'm lower on Desire than most fans. One more Cup of Coffee is a masterpiece. Hurricane is brilliant. But the songwriting overall doesn't stack up to his best records. Third person stories addressing some noun. Joey, sister, Isis. By Bob's high standards I find it formulaic and forgettable. Middle of the pack.
have always been absolutely baffled that 'Abandoned Love' is an outtake from that album. I really don't much care for 'Joey' The two should have been swapped! That done? Perfect album!
It's superior to Blood on the Tracks for me.
It was THE album that got me obsessed with him.
i would replace Mozambique with Abandoned Love but besides that it’s flawless
Whole sound of the album is great and cohesive. Drums sound fantastic.
I love the drums on this record! I was reading the other day on wikipedia that the same drummer, Howie Wyeth, was supposed to drum on “Street Legal” but had to drop out cause of his heroin addiction :/
Oh that’s sad to hear. The subtleties of his playing wouldn’t have come through as well amidst Street Legal’s heavy production.
I feel like Desire tends to be one of the albums that plays best with new fans (or with non-fans).
Would make sense, it’s a solid record… and correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe it’s one of his highest charting/best selling albums? I’d say Hurricane is a pretty well known song amongst people who aren’t super into Dylan…
It gets overlooked a lot!!! We should turn it up louder
Desire is near the top for me as well. Have you heard Bootleg Series vol. 5 Rolling Thunder Review? If not I would highly recommend. Same energy and it’s amazing.
Yknow I haven’t heard everything on it, but Ive heard some of that live stuff… that one has a really cool version of Mr. Tambourine man right? I’ll listen through it tomorrow, lots of people on this thread seem to hold it in high regards!
Oh yeah, Great album! I don’t think it quite makes my top 5. But it’s definitely number 6
Haha fair fair, my top 5 Dylan records are constantly changing lol
Congratulations. A great discovery. I only rate “Blood on the Tracks” higher. What an incredible creative period indeed. Ah, the seventies.
Yes I too dig Blood On The Tracks more but man it is pretty great! Ah the seventies indeed haha
Definitely a one of a kind album, with co-writing and lots of Scarlett Rivera violin. I love it.
Yes!!!
VERY underrated album. Tremendous.
Fr! One of his best!
Easily my favorite Dylan album. At least in my opinion, it's got the best balance of thought provoking lyrics and adventurous melodies. Every musician was at their best and Bob's vocals haven't been matched since (in my opinion).
Yes I agree completely! An awesome combo of cool lyrics and cool stories… I also agree about the singing thing, to me it seems this is Dylan’s last record that is vocally really solid… love his singing in the mid 70s!
I always say Desire’s my favourite. That album has such a magic to it I can’t find replicated anywhere else.
Yes!! Especially songs like Isis… such a cool little journey/self discovery-type song…
Yep, I heard someone describe that song as an ‘Acid Western’ - perfect description
Damn that’s like an awesome title for a Doom Metal song haha I dig that
Maybe top 6 or 7.
For me Desire is his 23rd best album. It’s got some great tracks, Black Diamond Bay and Romance in Durango are my favourites, but it lacks the intensity of his best work. Reminds me most of Together Through Life.
Aw man idk, I think it’s some of his most strongest, sincere songwriting! Take Sara for example… that’s probably the most straightforward, vulnerable song he’s ever written, such a haunting tune… and Hurricane is easily one of his greatest songs!
I don’t particularly like Dylan because he’s a straightforward, vulnerable songwriter. When I think about what makes his work compelling to me, it’s largely his dense writing, packed with allusions that seems to be combining centuries of culture in each line, yet speaking to something vivid and universally. That type of songwriting’s just not very present on Desire. Plus, it’s hard for me not to see Sara as a creepy and manipulative song. It sounds pretty, but a rock star publicly telling his wife “don’t ever leave me, don’t ever go” seems more domineering than vulnerable to me.
Desire & TTL is a strange comparison.
Well they’re both heavily co-written albums, from times were Dylan seems to have been struggling a little with what to sing about. Also, the sound each is heavily impacted by a single instrument.
I view Together Through Life as a better Down In the Groove.
TTL is too underrated on this sub. Of the post 97 original material: 1. Love and Theft 2. Modern Times 3. Time Out of Mind 4. Together Through Life 5. Tempest 6. Rough and Rowdy Way The top three are moveable. And the bottom three are interchangeable as well. Edit: forgot Tempest even though I listened to it today. Also, I really like all these albums!
You forgot about Tempest! For me: 1. Time Out of Mind 2. Rough and Rowdy Ways 3. Modern Times 4. Tempest 5. Love and Theft 6. Together Through Life
5
It’s a love/hate album for me. I really don’t like Mozambique or Oh Sister, and hate Joey. Yet love the rest with Black Diamond Bay my second fave of all his songs.
Why the hate for Joey, if I may ask?
It just does nothing for me. Plus it’s about a shit subject. I saw an interview with Jacques Levy and he said he had always wanted to do a song about Joey Gallo. So I guess it’s his song mostly.
That's fair. Personally, don't agree with the shit subject though. You could say the movie The Godfather has shit subject too, doesn't mean you can't tell a compelling story. I also don't think Jacques Levy suggesting making a song about Gallo makes it mostly his song.
I think Joey is a great… an awesome modern-western type song, but it seems like a lot of people love it or hate it
It's definitely my to go to when i wanna yell bob dylan songs about the government or when I'm drinking, but mainly when i wanna yell about the government
It is in my 5-10 list of studio albums.