Which is the most played record in your collection? The one whose weathered grooves and battered sleeve tell the greatest stories of heavy rotation and late-night companionship. I wouldn’t have to hesitate in answering that question. It’s Blood On The Tracks, the album which made me a hopeless Bob Dylan obsessive. It wasn’t the first Dylan record I bought, that was The Freewheelin’…, but to my mind it’s the best. I still remember the day I took it to the counter of Badlands in Cheltenham before wobbling home on my bike, running up to my bedroom, putting on my headphones and diving deep into this world of intoxicating heartbreak. Tangled Up In Blue twisted my teenage mind, dulled as it was by a diet of Oasis and Blur albums, Dylan seemingly warping time and space, elevating a classic boy meets girl tale into something transcendental. Fishing boats outside Delacroix, 13th century Italian poets, carpenters’ wives and revolution in the air… it’s one of the most evocative songs ever written. And he didn’t stop there. Simple Twist Of Fate and Shelter From The Storm are simple distillations of all-consuming romanticism of the most sorrowful kind; Idiot Wind one of the rawest takedowns ever committed to tape; You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go and If You See Her Say Hello the sounds of a man yearning desperately for his departed love… You get the message, I love Blood On The Tracks . Yet, Dylan being Dylan, it’s only a small fragment of the story. Arriving in 1975, it was one of eight studio albums Bob unleashed in the 1970s – 10 if you include the label-driven Dylan and The Basement Tapes. And they’re all wildly different, soundtracking a decade of turmoil and transience for the world’s best songwriter. From the ropey Self Portrait via the heady, violin-adorned swirl of Desire to the MOR revival on Street-Legal and God-bothering Slow Train Coming, Dylan travelled a vast distance in the 70s. It’s a fascinating story, and we’ve rounded up some of Bob’s most trusted lieutenants and bandmates this month to recount the tale. So put on your favourite Dylan record of his most intriguing decade and immerse yourself in their stories. Happy new year and thanks for reading.