Expecting Rain

This should be another way to give some idea how the album is viewed as a whole. If not, it's a bit of fun.

I'll start by picking "Dirge".

I want to pick Forever Young, but I'll go with my second choice, Never Say Goodbye.

Going, Going, Gone -- just feels like a basements tapes song. Feels good.

I love Planet Waves... it was the first Dylan album that I didn't like immediately... but, after a few plays, I discovered it's vulnerable beauty, and it soon became a favourite... and it is an album that does not have one weak song on it... they are all wonderful tracks.

That said, I opted for Dirge in the poll because it is a painful, heartfelt cry of desperation... a lover fighting a lost battle... angry and hurt... afraid and lonely... a place most of us have all been to, once or twice!

But, you could choose any song... they are all great.

Planet Waves has always been a much, much more autobiographical and personal album than Blood on the Tracks ever was... there is a lot of heartache in Planet Waves!

Such a hard choice; depends on my mood. But I'll go with that I would most like to hear right now: "Never Say Goodbye". In fact I would play it right now but I'm watching "No Direction Home" again.

In very few Dylan albums (to not say none) I see so clearly which is the best song: Forever young (slow of course)

Thickboy's right. They are all great. Very difficult to grab only one because the one will change with mood, time of day, point in life, everything. So right NOW at this moment I grasp the straw of Forever fast take. Wow. Can't believe I chose that one, but that's what came to mind first! Could've chose any of 'em.

... and it's a great choice. I have always, usually preferred the fast version over the slow one... the fast one is so vibrant and inspiring... it captures the importance and urgency of youth... the desire for children to stay forever young... forever safe... forever beautiful.

Hell, Planet Waves is nothing short of effing awesome!

Many days Planet Waves is my favorite album. Very close to perfect. Transparent, vulnerable songs and sincere emotional singing. There are four songs that are nearly impossible for me to choose one over the other.

Never Say Goodbye
Wedding Song
Dirge
Going, Going, Gone

I guess I will choose Dirge.

Wedding Song is my favorite, but on a different day in a different mood Dirge is equally as great in a different direction. But I agree the album in it's entirety is a very enjoyable piece of work, and I believe one of Bob's most underrated albums.

Dirge is my favorite. Planet waves is one of my favorite albums, so the others are really close, but Dirge takes place number #1.

Going, Going, Gone just for Mr Robertson's exemplary geetar work. Bob sings really well on this one too.

Cheers, SLuggy

I'm going to go against the grain and say Dirge and Wedding Song don't justify their length; they're constructed as epics but don't quite make it there. There rest of the album is filled with wonderful little songs and is just beautiful. Hard to pick between them but Never Say Goodbye gets the nod at this moment.

tough mama....jerry does some great takes on this tune as well

I'm an outlier here -- I voted for You Angel You. My second choice would be On A Night Like This, followed by Hazel. For some reason the more "epic" songs don't get as much replays for me (maybe I'm with Smoke). I want to like this album more but I don't like some of its arrangements; it's funny, though, because that only applies for parts of songs. Those first two songs I mentioned, however, are perfect expressions of sound and feeling.

Another reason I like Biograph -- seems like the compiler read my mind as far as those two songs.

Going, going, gone

Hazel for The MEZ. I really love this album.......... MEZ

Going, Going, Gone.

Wedding Song follows closely...Because it's a very beautiful love song. It's also kind of haunting, being that it's the last song before Blood on the Tracks.

It's hard to be objective about "Forever Young" because it is one of the most played Dylan songs ever, but I still think it's the best song on the album. As for my personal favorite? "Dirge," probably. I love me bitter songs like that, and I also have a soft spot for Dylan piano songs. Think he's done some of his best work on the piano, and when he uses that instrument, it gives a little variation to an album heavy on the more acoustic guitar-driven tracks.

I'll go for Something there is about you ( one reason is that it mentions Duluth and the Great lakes), and the last song, Wedding Song. I like the improvised feeling of that song with Bobs sleeve-buttons (?) clacking on the microphone.
Overall, I think Planet Waves has two very different sides: it sounds very warm, very intimate. But now and then some disturbing, almost hostile lines emerge: "keep me company"..."please don't elbow me" "I lost my appetite" "I could say that i'd be faithful..but to me it surely would be death"

Planet Waves somehow stands in the shadow of its predecessor, BOOT, but it already shows in which direction Bobs personal life is heading. And ke knows it.

Dirge.

I went with "Dirge" as well. It just cuts right to the bone, that song.

WOW!! What a review thickman! I haven't paid this one much attention over the years but on your recommendation I'm going to revisit it. Thank you.

Vote for Dirge

This album has so many great tracks, it's nearly an impossible choice to make. even though each one could survive as a single, they are nothing without their counterparts to show supporting context.

that said, i picked Tough Mama - since it's one of the most unique dylan songs and has some phenomenal singing.

i also wanted to pick something there is about you and never say goodbye. but since they are so similar they cancelled each other out.