Tag Archives: Self Portrait

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Song of the Day #623: ‘Days of ’49’ – Bob Dylan

So, exactly how bad is Self Portrait? Well, the thing is, I don’t really know. I’ve been so affected by the legend surrounding this album’s awfulness that I’ve never taken the time to listen to it. Until now, that is.

And I have to say, based on the clips I’ve heard… it’s actually pretty good.

Certainly that conclusion owes a lot to the power of expectations, and you can ask for no lower expectations than those attached to an album that’s famous for sucking. But I also think the negative consensus around Self Portrait has a whole lot to do with how and when it was released.

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Song of the Day #622: ‘Let It Be Me’ – Bob Dylan

Not including live albums and greatest hits collections, Bob Dylan has released 39 albums over the past 47 years. I own 31 of them. And today we arrive chronologically at the first Dylan album that isn’t in my collection.

Self Portrait is perhaps the most infamous of all Dylan releases. It was released in 1970 at a pivotal point in his career, a time when fans and non-fans alike were holding their breath to see which direction he’d choose to go next.

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