"What’s Orphans? I don’t know. Orphans is a dead end kid driving a coffin with big tires across the Ohio River wearing welding goggles and a wife beater with a lit firecracker in his ear." - Tom Waits
Love And Theft is the far superior album in my opinion. The lyrics are fantastic (although some of the lines he may have borrowed) And the musicianship is incredible. One of the best sessions bands in the world.
The album contains almost nothing but masterpiece songs.
Whereas, Time Out of Mind's lyrics are often criticized for being sub-par.
And the only great songs on the album are "Love Sick" "Standing In The Doorway" "Trying To Get To Heaven" "Not Dark Yet" "Make You Feel My Love." The other 6 songs just sound a bit weak compared to those (although I've tended to always really like Dirt Road Blues for some reason)
Dylan (imho) has only made 4 absolutely perfect album (as in they couldn't be any better if he tried, and I'm not saying his other albums aren't masterpieces because most of them are) But as for truly perfect:
Highway 61 Revisited
Blonde On Blonde
John Wesley Harding
Love And Theft
Erm, I like what the poet Patrick Kavanagh said: "Tragedy is underdeveloped comedy, not fully born." TOOM is sometimes self-sorry tragedy, with some occasional elements of self deprecation lightening the mix. L&T is the voice of recuperation and a newborn aesthetic of not giving a shit after being nearly dead, giving way to a lovely, ironic world overview. L&T is closer to the best moments of Highway 61 than the grunge-friendly TOOM. It's younger than TOOM (insert My Back Pages quotation here).
Thanks for all the responses...I'm leaning towards 'Love and Theft', what with Highway 61 being my favourite Dylan album. I imagine I'll end up buying Time Out Of Mind as well...I'm a sucker for Bob Dylan.
Time out of mind, it has make you feel my love, love sick, not dark yet, standing in the doorway, trying to get to heaven, highlands, all masterpieces.
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
Love 'em both. You can't go wrong with either of them and you CERTAINLY couldn't go wrong with both of them.
If I must choose only one, I'd say Love & Theft by a slight margin. It's more cohesive.
.
Memphis 1994 New Orleans 1995 Fort Lauderdale 1996 Atlanta & Birmingham 1998 New Orleans 2000 Tampa 2003 Kissimmee 2004 New York City (x 2) 2008 East Troy (x 2) 2011 Chicago & New Orleans 2013 Hampton, Raleigh, Boston 2016 Baltimore2020 Louisville 2022 Philadelphia & Baltimore 2024
Comments
The album contains almost nothing but masterpiece songs.
Whereas, Time Out of Mind's lyrics are often criticized for being sub-par.
And the only great songs on the album are "Love Sick" "Standing In The Doorway" "Trying To Get To Heaven" "Not Dark Yet" "Make You Feel My Love." The other 6 songs just sound a bit weak compared to those (although I've tended to always really like Dirt Road Blues for some reason)
Dylan (imho) has only made 4 absolutely perfect album (as in they couldn't be any better if he tried, and I'm not saying his other albums aren't masterpieces because most of them are) But as for truly perfect:
Highway 61 Revisited
Blonde On Blonde
John Wesley Harding
Love And Theft
Anyway, both are incredible and i won't choose.
I suppose you guys know Dylan's new album will be out in August right?
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
I can't believe I forgot the best song on the album. Thanks for pointing out my stupidity.
That's ok, I'll choose for you. That's 2 for "Love And Theft"
Time Out of Mind it is. Such a great album, and the first to get me to really notice Dylan outside of his popular songs.
http://www.last.fm/user/merkinball/
spotify:user:merkinball
If I must choose only one, I'd say Love & Theft by a slight margin. It's more cohesive.
.
New Orleans 1995
Fort Lauderdale 1996
Atlanta & Birmingham 1998
New Orleans 2000
Tampa 2003
Kissimmee 2004
New York City (x 2) 2008
East Troy (x 2) 2011
Chicago & New Orleans 2013
Hampton, Raleigh, Boston 2016
Baltimore 2020
Louisville 2022
Philadelphia & Baltimore 2024