Bob Dylan fans point to two albums of ‘irredeemable’ quality in his discography

Two albums from the discography of Bob Dylan have been described as “irredeemable” in their quality.

Dylan’s backlog of albums ranges from The Bootleg Series to live albums and a series of studio successes which cemented him as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. The Nobel Prize winner did not have hit after hit in the 1980s, though, as fans re-assess his efforts of the time. Where some say the 1970s material, such as Self Portrait and Planet Waves has “aged better,” the “guff” of the 1980s was highlighted by several who pointed to the same two albums as the lowest of the low. A series of comments on his most divisive materials was seen in a post to the r/BobDylan subreddit.

One fan asked: “How have Bob’s ‘worst’ albums aged?” It left fans wondering what could be considered his worst or most contentious efforts. One user wrote: “I think the majority of his 70s stuff has aged better. I’m finding now that Planet Waves and Self Portrait compare to the stuff we know as his best.” Another agreed, adding: “Self Portrait is such a gem and Planet Waves is a great vibe.” Other users headed for Dylan’s offerings in the 1980s, which were considered some of his most contentious efforts.

One user wrote: “Empire Burlesque had good lyrics, the songs had potential but are ruined by truly horrible production. It’s aged really badly.” But this was not the album which they considered to be of “irredeemable” quality, with the user instead pointing to both Down in the Groove and Knocked Out Loaded as his worst efforts.

They wrote: “Irredeemable guff.” Fans were split on whether to include Brownsville Girl in the “guff” pile, citing it as one of the few shining moments on Knocked Out Loaded. One wrote: “How dare you! Brownsville Girl is easily the best track from either Knocked Out Loaded or Down in the Groove.”

Another wrote: “It’s got a good chorus. The rest not so much. Just a failed creative writing exercise that hoodwinked people who believe Dylan can do no wrong.” A third user defended Down in the Groove, suggesting it is a strong song which is far better than the Clash and Guns ‘n’ Roses-featuring Knocked Out Loaded.

They wrote: “Nick Cave showed us that Death is Not the End is a cool song too. But yeah, Down in the Groove stinks. Members of The Clash, Sex Pistols, and Guns ‘n’ Roses were on that oddly.”

How have Bob’s “worst” albums aged?
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Some users even suggested they return to Knocked Out Loaded and have no problem listening to it along with Dylan’s classics. One user wrote: “After hearing some of the stuff on the radio nowadays, I’ll put on Knocked Out Loaded any day.”

Another pointed out much-loved albums like Street Legal were initially panned by listeners. One wrote: “Man, when I first got into Dylan in the early 2000s Street Legal was largely panned and considered a flop or a throwaway.

“I personally have always loved the album. But over the last few years I’ve noticed a lot of love for the album and I’m glad to see it turning around.”