I listened to Bob Dylan's 1964 classic album "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (henceforth "TTAAC") this morning, and was struck by how boring I have always found it. I'm not sure why--there are several great songs on it, several good ones, and of course the continuing influence of the album is remarkable, especially considering that Dylan was 22 when it was released.

And yet, as a forty-five minute, forty-three second listening experience, I once again found it interminable. In the twenty-odd years since I first started getting into Dylan, I've probably never really ever given "Restless Farewell", the final song on the disc, a truly intent listen, for no better reason than I've probably only heard it after having been lulled into a righteous folkie stupor by the previous nine songs.

This probably defines me as a Dylan fan as well as anything: I prefer "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" to TTAAC for the same reasons than I prefer "Desire" to "Blood On The Tracks", or "Nashville Skyline" to "John Wesley Harding": I like Dylan's albums better when they contain traces of humor, joy, energy, and playfulness. This is why I can enjoy something like "Christmas In The Heart" as well; indeed, even "Self Portrait" seems to bounce along with more elan than TTAAC.

Does anybody else have an album like this? I'm not talking about "critically overrated" albums so much--and I'm definitely not talking about albums you hate that everybody else seems to love. I'm talking about albums that you find fundamentally brilliant, yet at the same time they absolutely put you to sleep.

Dark Side of the Moon is an impressive production, but I simply don't get prog. Used to, but not since my teens.

Dark Side of the Moon would be at or near the top of my list. Maybe it sounds better if you're stoned.

most early dylan albums for me, just can't listen to bob "sing" (sic).

elvis presley, not to demean his importance at all, does nothing for me.

I like a lot of Pink Floyd but I could never get excited about The Wall.

Tommy - the least of the whole Who catalog (by whole Who I mean the original 4 members)

the later post Moon/Entwistle is only half a Who and not nearly a quarter as good as even Tommy (I even liked the soundtrack better with Tina and Eric and Elton helping out)

Pet Sounds - got the vinyl and several editions of the cd (never got the box set) - never understood the fuss but every now and again I give it another try. If someone here could explain to me what I sound listen for - I am all ears. This is to me, the biggest mystery. What am I missing - and I do put the blame on me cuz as Elvis's lp once asked - Could 50 million people be wrong? I think not. (This is, seriously an honest question)

Memo to Bob - locate your copy of Pet Sounds and give it a listen this week...

"pet sounds" (do you emphasize "pet" as in sounds made by pets, or "sounds" as in your favorite sounds) is also an enigma for me.

i find 4 genius, gorgeous, beautiful songs and the rest to be typical beach boys syrupy harmonies. never got the whole mystery as to it's popularity either.

The Clash-London Calling
The Sex Pistols-Never Mind.....I don't and simply don't care for them.
U.K.punks bore me.

I should also add a number of Emmylou Harris albums which I bought dirt cheap six years ago....I listened to one and still haven't bothered to listen the rest even today.

Not to be a jerk about this, but if I found something brilliant I don't think it would put me to sleep. I have disliked songs/albums by favourite artists, but I don't think those are brilliant works.

(I'm not even sure that I understand the question.)

Totally agree with you on TTAAC. In addition to the lack of humor, what I find less interesting about the album is that it's too dated.......alot of topical on specific events.Freewheelin just has better written more universal protest songs.....A Hard Rains A Gonna Fall sounds alot meaningful today that North Country Blues.

I guess humor isn't my only Dylan factor though because I do think Blood On The Tracks and Jown Wesley Harding are great albums.

I agree on most Pink Floyd Not only The Wall and DSOTM, but I also find Animals ans Wish You Were Here too much to listen to.

Most Steely Dan records too.....(I know I'll catch flack for this).

The first time I heard Dark Side Of The Moon (in the 80s), my reaction was, "It's okay. I don't see what the big deal is."

A year later, I went with a friend to see Pink Floyd in Foxboro, Mass and it was like a religious conversion. "I get it. I get it." Now, I have all the post-Dark Side Floyd albums and like 'em all.

In my early twenties, I heard Pet Sounds. Same basic reaction, though I always liked "sloop John B." When I bought the stereo remix CD, I listened again and enjoyed it.

I think both albums share a very melancholy tone and it also depends on where you're at when you first hear them.

I'm also not a big fan of Pet Sounds except for the 2 big hits. It's supposed to be an album experience but I don't get it.

But I still own multiple copies of it including the surround DVDA.

Now that's funny!

Betcha Jimbo has more versions!

Sloop John B - I first heard it on Barry McGuire's Eve of Destruction lp when it first came out in 1965. To me that is the definitive version. Later when the Beach Boys came out with their version - yeah the harmonies were nice but to me it is a cover - not a Beach Boys song (even Barry's version was a cover I guess)

The Rolling Stones Exile On Main Street.
Not only does it bore me but I also think it's very overrated.

I'll go with Pet Sounds as well.

I heard the songs from Sgt. Peppers so many times prior to hearing the album, the album playlist didn't impress me.

Hmm...let me try and further explain...

Taken seperately, in small doses, I have no quarrel with any of the songs on TTAAC. The title song? A classic. "One Too Many Mornings" and "Boots Of Spanish Leather"? Gorgeous. "Only A Pawn In Their Game" "With God On Our Side" and "The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll"? Searing (if a bit hectoring). "Ballad Of Hollis Brown"? Probably almost single-handedly inspired the whole midwestern roots-rock thing (which, admittedly, is maybe not a good thing).

So yes, I understand the album's importance, especially within the context in which it was originally written and released. Let's face it, if people hadn't embraced TTAAC forty-six years ago, nobody would have gotten all worked up about "Highway 61 Revisited" and "Blonde On Blonde".

But to sit down and listen to all of these songs, in order, one after the other, for forty-five minutes, as I probably do a couple of times a year? Not my favorite thing to do. And, admittedly, I have a hard time reconciling this with myself. Thus the thread.

P.S.--I don't dislike "Blood On The Tracks" and JWH.

Yes, but does it have to be by an artist you like? Several posts in this thread are "Everybody says this is great but I don't like it", which I thought you said wasn't your question.

it is definitely not in my rolling stones top ten.

Well...I tried to make that a ground rule, but people are free to reply any way they wish.

Another artist that pops into my mind is Bob Marley. I think I've said this before; a few years back, when I used to like to smoke pot and plug my headphones into my turntable and vegetate, I thought Marley was absolutely brilliant. Perhaps he still is, but, nearly a decade after my last bong hit, I no longer have much interest in reggae at all. I don't think I'm any less open-minded than I was back in my college days, but I'm also a heck of a lot less naive.

Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Who's Tommy are two classic albums that I have a hard time enjoying because they're both so plot-driven and have tracks that seem to be there only to move the story along.

On a more recent note, Madonna's Ray of Light album got a lot of good press at the time it was released and for a while I bought the hype, but a few years down the road I noticed I hardly ever played it. I still like a lot of the material, especially if I hear one of the tracks by itself, but I find the album as a whole to be a tad bit tedious and over-serious. The Music album, which came after, may not have had as many rave reviews but to my ears is a better listen (and better yet is the GHV2 hits collection).