And I was not disappointed. There are some utterly superb examples of songwriting here, including the sublime Tangled up in Blue and stellar Idiot Wind. However, for me, it is the Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts that is the real work of art for me. Whilst songs this long can often fail to hold your attention, I've always found it impossible to tear myself away from the narrative, picking out a new aspect on each listen. The detailed observations of human movement, along with the crystal clear caricatures, make for a short story few novelists can surpass.
I don't know enough on Dylan's full catalogue as I'm (a) not that into folk and (b) have a life. However, by cherry-picking the great albums, I've ended up with just the highlights, and this is about as high as those lights get. I'm not sold on Buckets of Rain, and folk is still not my favourite genre (although this album doesn't completely sit within that genre, admittedly), but it is pretty peerless nonetheless.
Chloe's album rating: 9
Chloe's favourite track: 9. Shelter from the Storm
Olly's album rating: 8
Olly's favourite track: 7. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts.
Next week is 781. Tical by Method Man.
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