I enjoyed reading this. I own such a small percent of the music Dylan has released so I don't feel experienced enough to comment on this, but I did like the point about listening to "bad" records (I know that distinction is unfair but whatever) analytically rather than for enjoyment. One good example is Radiohead. I'm embarrassed to even have Pablo Honey in my library but on some levels it's nice to look at just for the sake of appreciating where they went from there.
Pablo Honey and the Bends are both amazing. Don't be embarrassed.
I don't think i'd say that regarding pablo honey. Radiohead is my favorite band ever and i think all their music has its place. The Bends is a fantastic album but i wouldn't mention it in the same sentence as pablo honey unless i was pointing out how much better The Bends is (eg my earlier comment).
Pablo Honey is straightforward. It's poppy. Creep was a hit but i don't think it has any more value for music in general than any pop song out today. To me, Pablo Honey is like Mumford & Sons or The Lumineers... It scratches an itch the first couple times and then really starts to bother me. So i wouldn't call it amazing. Especially not when you consider what Radiohead are capable of. Dude, they made Kid A. It blows my mind how they can eschew the hit formula on a whim and still be the biggest band in the world.
I still like Pablo Honey but it could be that I was 16ish when it came out and it's the nostalgia, but there's some bad ass rocking going on there that I don't think should be so easily dismissed. Kid-A is amazing, so are all their albums but to me, their best (meaning the one I enjoy listening to the most) is still the Bends.
That makes sense. I still have a soft spot for some of the earlier Blink 182 albums even though i recognize that they're not very good. And i'm not dismissing Pablo Honey. I still do think it has a place in Radiohead's narrative arc. I just don't want to call it amazing. I'd call it a necessary starting point. The Bends is the most thenewgreen-y, haha. That used to be my favorite too, but now i can never decide. Somewhere between Kid A and In Rainbows i guess.