Song of the Day: Bob Dylan - Seven Curses

I didn't get into Dylan until college, when I borrowed my dad's Highway 61 CD. It didn't take long until I owned about 20 Dylan albums, but none was a bigger surprise than the Bootleg Series, Volumes 1-3 box set. There's a reason he's often referred to as the best singer/songwriter of all time - his outtakes are better than most artists' best songs.

There are so many great songs on these "bootlegs." For me, "Seven Curses" is one of Dylan's best songs, outtakes or not, because of two things: how great his voice sounds, and the story he tells. Some of his lyrics can seem like stream of consciousness, which usually works to perfection, but this one stands out to me because of the linear story.

Song of the Day: The Band - King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

I came upon The Band once I really started getting into Bob Dylan in college. I liked The Basement Tapes, but it was Dylan's Royal Albert Hall concert from the Bootleg Series that really made me want to check out The Band. The first two albums are classics, but I much prefer the eponymous album. Even though I had heard some of the songs before, I was surprised at how funky these guys were. "Up on Cripple Creek" is of course a great example of this, but "King Harvest" is a lesser known, excellent song.