Desire

It's not often I agree with the critics, however, I do when it comes to this album. This is fantastic. I love the fact Dylan came back in 1974 better than ever for another, (albeit brief), period where his work touches on magnificence. First, there was 'Plant Waves', then 'Blood on the Tracks' and then 'Desire', (coupled with the 5 star 'Before the Flood' live album with the band, the 'Hard Rain' live album, another 5 star one in my opinion and the 'Basement Tapes'. From the first listen, (which is rare for me), I liked this album. Last night was the second listen...and I love it. A definite 5 star masterpiece. This album is very 'breezy' and chilled. There are the two storytelling masterpieces, 'Hurricane' and 'Joey', which rank amoung his best, the charming and personal 'Sarah' while the rest of the album contains relaxed tracks such as the fab 'Mozambique' and 'Durango'. Hats of to Emylou Harris for adding great background vocals. Hers and Dylan's voice marry together brilliantly. 10 years after Dylan delivered 'Blonde on Blonde', to release another critcally acclaimed masterpiece says a lot about the man. Highly recommended!!!!

I think Bob is arguably the greatest musical artist (although it goes deeper than that) of the last 100years or ever really. But I've never liked desire, I know there's a few turkeys in his catalogue but this one is always rated high in his best album lists. I remember how disappointed I was hearing this the next lp after what I think is the greatest one blood on the tracks, people were raving about it, but not me there's too much violin and the lyrics are a bit too literal, I like Bob a bit more ambiguous and enigmatic, I didn't much like the whole rolling thunder thing, but he is Bob Dylan and continues, rough and rowdy is astonishing, and I love him

I bought this just because I like the picture on the cover. I don’t even own a record player.Look at his face... and what he’s wearing

Released in January 1976, `Desire' is the third album of Dylan's great mid-1970s trio, following up on 1974's `Planet Waves' and 1975's career-defining `Blood on the Tracks'.On its 1976 release, `Desire' became best known for its full-on opening track `Hurricane', protesting the innocence of boxer `Hurricane' Rubin Carter of a triple night-time murder in NJ. Dylan's stand became controversial because of Carter's conviction of the murders by unanimous jury verdict: many felt Dylan had sanitised Carter, who had previous convictions for multiple assaults with violence and done jail time. Carter was eventually pardoned due to the never-explained recantation of a key witness, but suspicions of guilt remained.`Joey' is another 10-minute song in similar vein, lionising mafia gangster Joey Gallo who was gunned down in New York City in April 1972 on his 43rd birthday, less than a year after his release from jail.The rest of the songs on `Desire' are a mixed bunch making the album something of an oddity. With the notable exception of the closer `Sara' (for many fans, Dylan's greatest ever poetic elegy) these songs are less personal than those on PW or BoTT. Narrative story-telling combines with the witty and whimsical on `Mozambique!', `Romance in Durango' (on which Bob sings convincingly in Spanish) and `Black Diamond Bay'. The lyrical oddity of the songs might be because most were co-written with Jacques Levy. The album also has a unique sound not replicated on Dylan's other work due to the dominance of Scarlet Rivera's violin as lead instrument on many numbers, and backing vocals from Emmylou Harris on most.Many fans consider `Desire' to be Dylan's last great album, due to his diminished output in the 1980s following `Street Legal'. However, Dylan's late-career renaissance beginning with the Grammy winner `Time out of Mind', the follow-on `Love and Theft' and the truly great `Modern Times' produced another high-wave crest in the long and eventful career of this genre-defining writer and musician. `Desire', though something of an oddity, remains a very good album with some fine and enduring songs.