2023 Charity Shop Purchases #80 - Bod Dylan - Infidels
A rarity today - an overseas Charity Shop purchase!
Perhaps I should explain. Our cottage for the first week of our holiday was only about three miles from the Skye bridge. This resulted in a couple of trips over the water which included visits to the charity shop in Broadford. Sadly slim pickings I'm afraid. There were a few good ones that I already had but I came away with only one first time and none second time around.
As you can see from the picture above the one I came away with was Infidels the 22nd studio album by Bob Dylan from 1983. It becomes the 30th Dylan album in the music room which is comfortably more than any other artist.
I'm not really familiar with his 80's work as I was much more interested in other music at the time. It is pretty good and after an initial listen I would say it is one of his better later albums probably meriting a solid 7 out of 10.
I was familiar with Jokerman but the other 7 tracks were new to me. Well worth an overseas trip!
I bought it at the time because of 'Jokerman'. I remember thinking Side 1 was good, Side 2 not so much but I probably haven't listened to the whole thing in nearly 40 years so may have a different view now.
ReplyDeleteJust the one side on the CD!
DeleteI can't be doing with this new-fangled nonsense
DeleteA flash in the pan
DeleteJokerman is a corker, but the 1980s were inconsistent years for ol' Bob, with for me his only bona fide masterpiece of the decade coming at the very last moment with Oh Mercy in 1989.
ReplyDeleteThat one and Shot of Love are the only two others from that decade that I have
Delete80s Dylan is pretty shoddy. I bought Down In The Groove (on cassette) at some point- don't have it any more, it fell victim to a cassette cull. Paul Simonon and Steve Jones guested on one song. Not a good album by anyone's standards
ReplyDeleteWhat I know about Dylan and tuppence wouldn't get your hair cut. But I do know one thing: 'Most of the Time' is the only Dylan song that moves me. And when I say moves me, I mean to the core.
ReplyDeleteI've been dipping in and out of his 60s stuff for years. Ditto the 70s. But this rough diamond from the arse end of the 80s (September 1989 to be exact) is as close to a perfect song (let alone a perfect Dylan song) as you'll probably get.
JM
There is an excellent cover version by Roddy Hart and Gemma Hayes
DeleteIt's plentyplus years since I listened to Infidels but Jokerman stood head and shoulders above the rest of it. Such a great track. I feel duty bound to give it another crack so perhaps I'll embrace the remainder
ReplyDelete