The other good track is "Days of '49." I've never been as fascinated with S-P as some folks -- to me, it's just as he sorta says, an odd-and-ends kind of record.

I think he put "The Boxer" and "Like a Rolling Stone" on there just because he often has bad taste in Bob Dylan music. Or maybe, with "the Boxer," he was testing his theory that if you superimpose two off-key Dylan vocal tracks, they will cancel each other out and sound like he's actually in tune. Consider it disproven.

I think the worst Dylan is album is the execrable Under the Red Sky, which is weirdly infantile and terrible. "Handy Dandy," "Talkin' TV Song," ugghh.

But why judge anybody only by his worst stuff? especially when there's so much great Dylan.

And I sort of like the self-portrait on the cover of Self-Portrait. It's better than "Wigwam."

But why judge anybody only by his worst stuff? especially when there's so much great Dylan.

I think that because there's so much great Dylan is EXACTLY the reason people are so fascinated by the bad stuff. Knowing what he's capable of, seemingly without even TRYING, it's almost like he has to really try hard to make a bad album!

FWIW, I'm only so-so on "Days of '49." I do actually really enjoy what he does with "Let It Be Me," though of course it don't come near the definitive version by Jerry Butler and Betty Everett, or the Everly Brothers' version.

(NOTE TO MY FATHER: Yes, I love them too, but it really is possible for someone to do a better job with a song than the Everly Brothers.)

In Chronicles, he actually points to Nashville Skyline as an example of something intended to alienate fans, suggesting that he mightn't concur with your praise for it.

i can't stand Dylan's Skyline voice.

just plain icky.

In Chronicles, he actually points to Nashville Skyline as an example of something intended to alienate fans, suggesting that he mightn't concur with your praise for it.

This is true, but to me that just makes Self Portrait even MORE fascinating. He tries to make a bad album with Nashville Skyline and ends up making a lovely one; so what was he trying to do when he finally DID make a not-so-good one?

It IS pretty weird, Mark.

"All I want you to dooo-o-o-o-o...
Is tell me that it isn't true..."

The legend, of course, is that he stopped smoking, but really, I just think he was trying to sing funny.
Good songs, though.

true.

BTW, anybody ever figure out which album Dylan's talking about in Chronicles, that was based entirely on Chekhov short stories but everybody assumed was autobiographical?

i keep coming up with Blood On The Tracks when i go to google for this.

i'm not really all that up on chekhov so i wouldn't know.

really really enjoyed this, Michael. i've got the record on the headphones this second, in fact, on account of this article.
and i adore Nashville Skyline, and actually quite a lot of Self Portrait. And the Checkov album is most certainly Blood On The Tracks.
I remember an interview with Ryan Adams in Uncut, the interviewer was talking about Dylan, how prolific he was, and was Ryan scared of following that path, producing these amazing records one on top the other, and then ending up with Self Portrait?
"I hope so", came the reply, "that's a fuckin great album"

It's Michael week for picks,

This post was chosen by the section editor as a BC pick of the week. Go HERE (link) to find out why. Put a graphic button on your page.

And thank you
- Temple

Aye...well...just goes to show that music is highly subjective and an intimate and often imaginative experience between artist and consumer...a union of minds , remotely.
Never really got into Self Portrait , recoiling first at the cover(that took a bit of getting used too), the songs were , without o'er much analysis , fairly non descript , as I recall.
I was in perfect emotional territory to enjoy Blood On The Tracks to the max , however. My favourite!

Try this, as I did, burn yourself this disc made up of half the tracks from this double album. I think you'll find it fits right in with John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline and The Basement Tapes. In fact, it also has some similarities to Bob's 90's covers albums as there are quite a few traditional tunes in there as well.

Self Portrait - The album within the album:
Alberta #1
Living The Blues
Little Sadie
Woogie Boogie
Days of '49
Copper Kettle
The Mighty Quinn
Minstrel Boy
Alberta #2
Early Mornin' Rain
It Hurts Me Too
Wigwam

Bob Dylan sucks. Always has and always will. Just an old maggot invested hippie.

How does one go about investing in maggots? LOL! Give me a break! I may be wierd, but I think Self portrait is one of his better records.

"bob dylan"?, is he the wierdo that used to play at the "club 47" in cambridge with a harmonica on his guitar, and a voice that sounded as though he was singing through his nose?
"gunner"

I am actually a HUGE fan of Self Portrait. I think it's very odd, but then again you have to look at the artist.

Anyway, as an afficianado of Bob's I thought you'd find my new novel, BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, of interest.

It's a murder-mystery. But not just any rock superstar is knocking on heaven's door. The murdered rock legend is none other than Bob Dorian, an enigmatic, obtuse, inscrutable, well, you get the picture...

Suspects? Tons of them. The only problem is they're all characters in Bob's songs.

You can get a copy on Amazon or go "behind the tracks" at my site to learn more about the book.

You crazy fools should stop dissing SELF PORTRAIT and see it as a decent album, very similar to NASHVILLE SKYLINE. Don't be so picky. I'd like to see any of you make an album even half as good before you diss this.

self portrait is a fine album with some very good picking. True, the best songs were written by others, why would you expect the artist to do otherwise? It was about him.