Fans of the legendary songwriter Bob Dylan believe one unlikely album is where the singer “rediscovers himself”.
After a trailblazing period in the 1960s and 1970s, Dylan lost his way when it came to critical reception. The 1980s, by comparison, is often perceived as a lesser time for Dylan, with the songwriter struggling to maintain the presence he had during his folk recordings or his Rolling Thunder Revue period. Despite this, listeners believe Dylan managed to rekindle the sparks of what makes his music so exciting on a release which is decades removed from his debut. A post to the r/BobDylan subreddit saw fans ask what they believed was the moment Dylan managed to reconnect with the fundamentals of his sound. One user even dubbed the album in question their “favourite” from the songwriter.
They wrote: “I’m curious what the general consensus is on Good As I Been to You. I’ve always loved Dylan’s records and bootlegs from the ’60s and 70s, but I never really gave much of a listen to the rest of his discography besides ’97s Time Out of Mind or any greatest hits from the 80s on. I recently stumbled across this album and fell in love with it.”
Good As I Been to You released in 1992 and was one of two covers albums Dylan released during the 1990s. It marked his second release of the year, following up the Elton John-featuring Under the Red Sky. Fans remain impressed with As Good As I Been to You, and some say it is their “favourite” from the veteran of stage and studio.
One user wrote: “This is more folk-based and World Gone Wrong is more blues-based. I prefer Good As I Been to You, but both are fantastic and opened a whole world of old folk/blues songs to me.
“If you like these, then the best follow-up is Harry Smith’s Smithsonian compilation Anthology of American Folk Music. You’ll get a sense from that of how much Dylan is steeped in the history of song.” Another user added: “Great album, and even better what it did for Dylan in re-discovering himself and his musical direction.”
A third wrote: “I’m probably in the minority, but this is one of my favourite Bob Dylan albums… Blackjack Davey, Arthur McBride and Diamond Joe just hit me.” Other listeners have since praised the instrumental skill heard on the album, with the guitar work in particular highlighted as one of the best parts of the record.
One user wrote: “Love. The guitar work is phenomenal. I’m surprised the majority here prefer World Gone Wrong. With Good As I Been to You, I like to sing along with every number. With World Gone Wrong, the songs mostly feel mumbly with the vocals buried way down, and it makes the songs feel just out of reach.
“Like that song about the two soldiers? Who the hell can hear the words in most of those verses? What is going on in this song that is obviously a story? It frustrates me.”
Another added: “Think it’s brilliant, a return to an old form proving all he needs is himself with a guitar to completely enthral and that both his voice and playing only got better and bluesier as he aged.”
A third wrote:” I love this record. I like his focus on traditional blues folk because he clearly loves the genre and he nails its best qualities. This is one of my favourite records.”
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