One of the most controversial albums in Bob Dylan's remarkable catalog, the 1970 double-LP Self Portrait continues to exercise a considerable fascination amongst Dylan devotees. Released on the heels of the artist's gamechanging Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait offered a quirky assortment of studio and live tracks, encompassing Dylan originals as well as covers of familiar pop and folk numbers, recorded with an all-star musical cast.  　　 　　At the time of its original release, the sprawling, unconventional Self Portrait generated an immense amount of discussion and disagreement amongst Dylan's admirers. The ongoing controversy surrounding the album has been fueled over the years by Dylan himself. At various times, Dylan has defended Self Portrait as a heartfelt artistic statement, dismissed it as a joke and described it as a concerted effort to escape the pressures of his unwanted status as the voice of a generation. Whatever the artist's actual intentions, Self Portrait retains a unique niche in the hearts of Dylan devotees, and is often cited as an early landmark in the birth of alternative country.