Bob Dylan by kokkinos 
Disclaimer: The comment writing process was executed backwards ie. beginning with #39 and working my way to the top. I'd suggest reading them that way for continuity's sake, otherwise a couple of points may seem out of place or not make that much sense.
Disclaimer #2: It seems there is a character limit. If you are looking for the full version of my comments, you can check my diary, they are between pages 22 and 33, apologies for the inconvenience. https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24227&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start =0
- Chart updated: 12/17/2021 23:15
- (Created: 12/06/2021 22:09).
- Chart size: 39 albums.
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So, it was a long journey, many ups and downs along the way, lots of fantastic songs and albums, some others not so much, but in the end here we are, we made it to the other side. This is my #1 Bob Dylan album, Another Side Of Bob Dylan. You know, I like discussing music. It’s entertaining, it can be thought-provoking or informative, there’s a lot to like. That being said, there are a few cases where it’s not so easy. You like a song or an album, but the hows and whys are far from clear. It just speaks to you on a different level and if someone else doesn’t feel it, you can’t explain it, the listener and the artist create a special connection, a supernatural bond. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are more than a few aspects of Another Side Of Bob Dylan that make it a great album, yet I find it hard to justify why it ended up topping my list, finishing ahead of records such as Blonde On Blonde. This may seem like a lame excuse for being too lazy to write anything decent or useful about it, but I’d like to think I’m not the only one who feels that way and other listeners have had similar thoughts concerning their favourites. On a similar note, there’s always the danger of appearing too adamant because of how passionate you are about it and end up giving the impression that you are trying to force it down people’s throat. I prefer giving everyone the chance to discover it themselves.
Ok, enough non-sense, let’s get back on track. 1964 was a hot year for Dylan, he was in the zone. I guess this album can be viewed as a minor anomaly. If we forget about his debut for a moment and take a look at his first run of classic albums, this is the only one that didn’t create a fuss. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan changed the landscape of folk music and the singer/songwriter idiom forever, The Times They Are A-Changin’ is a protest of incomparable magnitude, Bringing It All Back Home came with the “Dylan goes electric” narrative, Highway 61 Revisited raised the stakes even higher, rocking the world like never before – or since – and Blonde On Blonde pushed the boundaries of what is known as popular music. Even the album cover appears somewhat obscure, there’s nothing flashy or intriguing about it. I am not sure if this kind of observations lead to a significant point, maybe taking a step away from the spotlight and the glory that comes with it makes this more “ordinary” and easier to relate.
Another Side Of Bob Dylan belongs to his acoustic era, but it’s far from its proudest member. Just like Blonde On Blonde is the lost sheep of his rock trilogy, the same could be said regarding this release and his acoustic trilogy. He’s already starting to lose interest in that and is eager to explore uncharted territory.
Despite being rather similar in sound, you can tell he’s been growing: he remains acoustic, but at the same time he tries to expand and gets more adventurous, offering a richer, fuller listening experience. He doesn’t rely on his idols as much and adds his own touch, those are distinctly his creations and you can’t confuse them with any well-known tunes of the past. At the same time, he manages to avoid compromising enjoyability for the sake of originality, that’s quite possibly his catchiest, liveliest and bounciest set of songs – up to this point of his career at least.
The shift is even clearer when it comes to the lyrical content. Being socio-politically alert is yesterday’s news and that’s a direction he’ll keep following for quite some time, that’s only the first sign of change, he won’t be the voice of a generation for much longer. In that sense, one could call it a transitional album. It might be a bit far-fetched, but in a way, I could compare it to Rubber Soul, which, on most days at least, is my favourite album by The Beatles. This precious moment that thankfully got captured on record before it would be lost forever, it’s the bridge between carefree and mature. They are not boys, they are not men.
Especially when compared to The Times They Are A-Changin’, the contrast in attitude is incredibly stark. Tight and austere gives way to loose and spontaneous, talk about a spectacular transformation. Actually, if I had to name one and only one element of this album that makes it special, I’d go with that one. It made a huge impression on me when I first listened to it. It was an eye-opener that single-handedly changed the way I view and approach music, I realised you can be funny and conscious at the same time. And by “conscious” I mean both socially conscious as well as – and arguably even more – self-conscious. He offers us an invaluable insight into where he stands and how he views himself in regard to his audience and to his art. The fact he chooses to do that in a half-serious, half-joking manner adds an extra dimension to this marvelous work.
His attempts at humour might seem a bit over the top in terms of both vocal performance and lyrics and I understand that can be off-putting for some of you, I would never complain about something like that, I genuinely believe he gets his point across in the most efficient way in each of those occasions and I absolutely admire how he has the confidence to do his thing without giving a damn. And most of his remarks are extremely clever, his irony is pure gold, not to mention the mind-blowing and immensely pleasing rhyming. When he is at the top of his game – and here he is, there’s no doubt about it - the man can do no wrong, simple as that.
When it comes to individual tracks, My Back Pages and Chimes Of Freedom are monumental songwriting efforts and have a place in the greatest song ever debate. Both of them see him employ a different songwriting approach compared to the one he used until now. You could say these two mark the dawning of a new era, the one that’s known as “visionary”. I’ve already brought it up while commenting on Bringing It All Back Home, where said technique is in full swing, so there’s no point repeating myself. However, I have to say I find the hilarious absurdity of I Shall Be Free No. 10 and Motorpsycho Nightmare equally appealing, this album has something for everyone.
That’s all I guess, Bob Dylan is the man.
Score: 9.7/10.
Ok, enough non-sense, let’s get back on track. 1964 was a hot year for Dylan, he was in the zone. I guess this album can be viewed as a minor anomaly. If we forget about his debut for a moment and take a look at his first run of classic albums, this is the only one that didn’t create a fuss. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan changed the landscape of folk music and the singer/songwriter idiom forever, The Times They Are A-Changin’ is a protest of incomparable magnitude, Bringing It All Back Home came with the “Dylan goes electric” narrative, Highway 61 Revisited raised the stakes even higher, rocking the world like never before – or since – and Blonde On Blonde pushed the boundaries of what is known as popular music. Even the album cover appears somewhat obscure, there’s nothing flashy or intriguing about it. I am not sure if this kind of observations lead to a significant point, maybe taking a step away from the spotlight and the glory that comes with it makes this more “ordinary” and easier to relate.
Another Side Of Bob Dylan belongs to his acoustic era, but it’s far from its proudest member. Just like Blonde On Blonde is the lost sheep of his rock trilogy, the same could be said regarding this release and his acoustic trilogy. He’s already starting to lose interest in that and is eager to explore uncharted territory.
Despite being rather similar in sound, you can tell he’s been growing: he remains acoustic, but at the same time he tries to expand and gets more adventurous, offering a richer, fuller listening experience. He doesn’t rely on his idols as much and adds his own touch, those are distinctly his creations and you can’t confuse them with any well-known tunes of the past. At the same time, he manages to avoid compromising enjoyability for the sake of originality, that’s quite possibly his catchiest, liveliest and bounciest set of songs – up to this point of his career at least.
The shift is even clearer when it comes to the lyrical content. Being socio-politically alert is yesterday’s news and that’s a direction he’ll keep following for quite some time, that’s only the first sign of change, he won’t be the voice of a generation for much longer. In that sense, one could call it a transitional album. It might be a bit far-fetched, but in a way, I could compare it to Rubber Soul, which, on most days at least, is my favourite album by The Beatles. This precious moment that thankfully got captured on record before it would be lost forever, it’s the bridge between carefree and mature. They are not boys, they are not men.
Especially when compared to The Times They Are A-Changin’, the contrast in attitude is incredibly stark. Tight and austere gives way to loose and spontaneous, talk about a spectacular transformation. Actually, if I had to name one and only one element of this album that makes it special, I’d go with that one. It made a huge impression on me when I first listened to it. It was an eye-opener that single-handedly changed the way I view and approach music, I realised you can be funny and conscious at the same time. And by “conscious” I mean both socially conscious as well as – and arguably even more – self-conscious. He offers us an invaluable insight into where he stands and how he views himself in regard to his audience and to his art. The fact he chooses to do that in a half-serious, half-joking manner adds an extra dimension to this marvelous work.
His attempts at humour might seem a bit over the top in terms of both vocal performance and lyrics and I understand that can be off-putting for some of you, I would never complain about something like that, I genuinely believe he gets his point across in the most efficient way in each of those occasions and I absolutely admire how he has the confidence to do his thing without giving a damn. And most of his remarks are extremely clever, his irony is pure gold, not to mention the mind-blowing and immensely pleasing rhyming. When he is at the top of his game – and here he is, there’s no doubt about it - the man can do no wrong, simple as that.
When it comes to individual tracks, My Back Pages and Chimes Of Freedom are monumental songwriting efforts and have a place in the greatest song ever debate. Both of them see him employ a different songwriting approach compared to the one he used until now. You could say these two mark the dawning of a new era, the one that’s known as “visionary”. I’ve already brought it up while commenting on Bringing It All Back Home, where said technique is in full swing, so there’s no point repeating myself. However, I have to say I find the hilarious absurdity of I Shall Be Free No. 10 and Motorpsycho Nightmare equally appealing, this album has something for everyone.
That’s all I guess, Bob Dylan is the man.
Score: 9.7/10.
Year of Release:
1964
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,846
Rank in 1964:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
28
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This album took me the longest to decide on a score – ignore the timing of my posts, it doesn’t always match the time I listen to the album and write the comment. The universe conspired so that I couldn’t give it a proper listen, I pushed play like four times in the space of a week and got interrupted each and every time. Finally, here we are.
And – unlike say The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, which was love at first sight - this is only the last chapter of my long and bumpy relationship with Bringing It All Back Home. You know, this album used to really piss me off. Probably more than any other album. Still does to a degree, but I’ve gotten over it. I thought of it as a wasted chance, because the phenomenal stuff - the sequence beginning with Mr. Tambourine Man and ending with It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue is incredible, I struggle to come up with any words to adequately describe that part, but I’ll try anyway – that is to be found here came after a series of songs I found disappointing.
First things first, what an iconic album cover, I’d only compare it to The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and this one probably edges it out. Dylan, the woman in red (Rest In Peace, Sally), the cat, everything’s perfect.
Ask me to name his best, too close to call – and I wonder how anyone could come up with a convincing answer to that question, probably Blonde On Blonde, but then again I don’t know. Ask me to name my favourite, it’s also an extremely tough task, but in the end I’ll have to say it’s not this one – not a surprise anymore, by now you know it is Another Side Of Bob Dylan. Ask me which is his most “important”, I ll point you to this one, he broke the chains/conventions, he is no more the voice of a generation , he is an artist that transcends generations. Maybe that’s how we should interpret the title, Bringing it All Back Home, he uses everything he’s learnt so far and creates his own artistic home, that’s who he really is, everything up to this point was him asking question and searching himself, this is the answer. There’s a line “It's easy to see without lookin' too far that not much is really sacred” that sums up what’s going on. That’s the essence of the album, both in terms of its themes and when viewed as a self-referential statement. Nothing is sacred or absolute or untouchable, the artist has everything at his disposal and can use it at will. Labels like folk or rock are meaningless, anything goes.
That being said, the contrast to his previous sound isn’t as striking as the whole fuss that surrounded it might lead you to believe, this has nothing to do with the hard and edgy sound he would present in Highway 61 Revisited. Rumour has it he listened to the Animals’ cover of The House Of The Rising Sun and had a moment of epiphany, realising that traditional folk and electric blues/rock aren’t meant to live in separation from one another forever, they can work together. (What an irony, a song that Dylan himself covered and included in his debut album back in 1962). If that’s true, well, Animals, I can’t thank you enough – even if it isn’t, many thanks anyways, a legendary band nonetheless.
As I’ve previously mentioned - see my comment on Highway 61 Revisited - the “Dylan goes electric” narrative is somewhat superficial or even misleading, as it calls attention to one – admittedly significant - part of his artistic development and ignores his growth as a songwriter.
What’s going on in that regard? So far, he drew influence from what was happening, no matter if he was dealing with universal themes (politics, morality, justice, etc.) or entering the sphere of private life, he was a bard, always on the move, making stories based on his own experiences or someone else’s whose story somehow reached his ears – and maybe twisting the facts or spicing them up.
Now, things have changed, an entirely different approach is being adopted. Critics love calling his new method “visionary” and I ‘d say it’s a reasonable and rather accurate description. “Real” incidents are not the driving force of his songwriting anymore, it’s the “visions” that show the way, which in turn is rather hard to define in a tangible manner, but I think everyone understands it intuitively - and I know what you are thinking, no, drugs are not the only way to create a vision, please don’t go there, I reject that notion. Up to this point, he was following reality, now he shapes his own version of it. The everyday, ordinary gives way to the surreal and extraordinary. Experts on literature have spotted various connections with giants of the past, someone will draw a line all the way to Dante, while another one will cite Rimbaud as the pioneer of such poetics. If one’s interested in analysis of this kind, there’s a ton of material to check. One thing’s for sure: the days of Woody Guthrie are a thing of the past. Of course, having a vision isn’t enough, you have to put that into words, transform it into art, that’s where talent lies. If you are desperate to find a connection with real life events, maybe we could link this to what was going on in the ‘60s on a greater scale, the world had gone wrong, there was no direction home, what we see isn’t what we see, we confuse the words and their meaning, we doubt on our self-identity, there’s nothing or no one to trust. All of that is reflected on Dylan’s writing.
Another thing that differentiates this from his earlier works is that he leaves his linguistic profile behind. (Funny thing: my initial intention was to rank this behind The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan so I was ready to write that we are at a paradox, because I haven’t brought up his linguistic tendencies yet, as I haven’t covered The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, which makes no sense as I reversed the order, oh silly me!). The one thing I can say is things get more personal, you can’t talk about a romantic relationship the same way you talk about a political crisis. His vocabulary gets more “private”, calling it codified wouldn’t be that much of a stretch, it’s almost as if he doesn’t want us to make any sense of it all. No more imposing narratives, it’s time for slightly bizarre, seemingly random characters and their personal dramas to dominate the scene.
So, his sound changed, his writing changed, what about his performance? Oh yeah, his relationship with melody becomes casual, he’s a sort of possessed figure that lives outside his environment and does his own thing.
The opening track, Subterranean Homesick Blues, is a whirlwind, it’s powerful and hasty, caught in the heat of the moment, you don’t have any time to realise what hit you. The song’s constantly moving, more like jumping around, but in a different way to its predecessors, there was a meaning, a point, here he’s aimlessly wandering, rejecting the past without being ready to accept the future, kinda stuck in an eternal motion. In his next records this confusion would be expressed through immobility, here it’s quite the opposite. On top of that, suddenly Dylan has turned into a rapper. According to some sources, it’s the first instance of “rapping” put on record, which is an exaggeration, if not an outright false information, as it would blatantly ignore the entire blues/talking blues tradition plus it’s well known this song is greatly influenced by Chuck Berry (to his credit, Dylan has never been shy about this sort of stuff). Socio-politically conscious lyrics that capture the zeitgeist paired with what would 2-3 decades later be called a “streets” (“underground” might be a more acceptable term) aesthetic and vocabulary, cultural references flying around (not to mention the inside jokes/references, I.e. Maggie or the wind blowing), mind-blowing rhyming, what more could you possibly ask? As you might have already guessed, one of my hobbies is to fantasise how it would have been to be able to listen to Dylan’s work in the ‘60s (if I had a time machine, the ‘60s would probably be a top-5 destination) and I’ve come to the conclusion that my favourite moment would be buying Bringing It All Back Home and listening to its opening track. Looking it from afar and it’s as majestic as it gets (and it’s barely 3 minutes long!), imagine being
And – unlike say The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, which was love at first sight - this is only the last chapter of my long and bumpy relationship with Bringing It All Back Home. You know, this album used to really piss me off. Probably more than any other album. Still does to a degree, but I’ve gotten over it. I thought of it as a wasted chance, because the phenomenal stuff - the sequence beginning with Mr. Tambourine Man and ending with It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue is incredible, I struggle to come up with any words to adequately describe that part, but I’ll try anyway – that is to be found here came after a series of songs I found disappointing.
First things first, what an iconic album cover, I’d only compare it to The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and this one probably edges it out. Dylan, the woman in red (Rest In Peace, Sally), the cat, everything’s perfect.
Ask me to name his best, too close to call – and I wonder how anyone could come up with a convincing answer to that question, probably Blonde On Blonde, but then again I don’t know. Ask me to name my favourite, it’s also an extremely tough task, but in the end I’ll have to say it’s not this one – not a surprise anymore, by now you know it is Another Side Of Bob Dylan. Ask me which is his most “important”, I ll point you to this one, he broke the chains/conventions, he is no more the voice of a generation , he is an artist that transcends generations. Maybe that’s how we should interpret the title, Bringing it All Back Home, he uses everything he’s learnt so far and creates his own artistic home, that’s who he really is, everything up to this point was him asking question and searching himself, this is the answer. There’s a line “It's easy to see without lookin' too far that not much is really sacred” that sums up what’s going on. That’s the essence of the album, both in terms of its themes and when viewed as a self-referential statement. Nothing is sacred or absolute or untouchable, the artist has everything at his disposal and can use it at will. Labels like folk or rock are meaningless, anything goes.
That being said, the contrast to his previous sound isn’t as striking as the whole fuss that surrounded it might lead you to believe, this has nothing to do with the hard and edgy sound he would present in Highway 61 Revisited. Rumour has it he listened to the Animals’ cover of The House Of The Rising Sun and had a moment of epiphany, realising that traditional folk and electric blues/rock aren’t meant to live in separation from one another forever, they can work together. (What an irony, a song that Dylan himself covered and included in his debut album back in 1962). If that’s true, well, Animals, I can’t thank you enough – even if it isn’t, many thanks anyways, a legendary band nonetheless.
As I’ve previously mentioned - see my comment on Highway 61 Revisited - the “Dylan goes electric” narrative is somewhat superficial or even misleading, as it calls attention to one – admittedly significant - part of his artistic development and ignores his growth as a songwriter.
What’s going on in that regard? So far, he drew influence from what was happening, no matter if he was dealing with universal themes (politics, morality, justice, etc.) or entering the sphere of private life, he was a bard, always on the move, making stories based on his own experiences or someone else’s whose story somehow reached his ears – and maybe twisting the facts or spicing them up.
Now, things have changed, an entirely different approach is being adopted. Critics love calling his new method “visionary” and I ‘d say it’s a reasonable and rather accurate description. “Real” incidents are not the driving force of his songwriting anymore, it’s the “visions” that show the way, which in turn is rather hard to define in a tangible manner, but I think everyone understands it intuitively - and I know what you are thinking, no, drugs are not the only way to create a vision, please don’t go there, I reject that notion. Up to this point, he was following reality, now he shapes his own version of it. The everyday, ordinary gives way to the surreal and extraordinary. Experts on literature have spotted various connections with giants of the past, someone will draw a line all the way to Dante, while another one will cite Rimbaud as the pioneer of such poetics. If one’s interested in analysis of this kind, there’s a ton of material to check. One thing’s for sure: the days of Woody Guthrie are a thing of the past. Of course, having a vision isn’t enough, you have to put that into words, transform it into art, that’s where talent lies. If you are desperate to find a connection with real life events, maybe we could link this to what was going on in the ‘60s on a greater scale, the world had gone wrong, there was no direction home, what we see isn’t what we see, we confuse the words and their meaning, we doubt on our self-identity, there’s nothing or no one to trust. All of that is reflected on Dylan’s writing.
Another thing that differentiates this from his earlier works is that he leaves his linguistic profile behind. (Funny thing: my initial intention was to rank this behind The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan so I was ready to write that we are at a paradox, because I haven’t brought up his linguistic tendencies yet, as I haven’t covered The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, which makes no sense as I reversed the order, oh silly me!). The one thing I can say is things get more personal, you can’t talk about a romantic relationship the same way you talk about a political crisis. His vocabulary gets more “private”, calling it codified wouldn’t be that much of a stretch, it’s almost as if he doesn’t want us to make any sense of it all. No more imposing narratives, it’s time for slightly bizarre, seemingly random characters and their personal dramas to dominate the scene.
So, his sound changed, his writing changed, what about his performance? Oh yeah, his relationship with melody becomes casual, he’s a sort of possessed figure that lives outside his environment and does his own thing.
The opening track, Subterranean Homesick Blues, is a whirlwind, it’s powerful and hasty, caught in the heat of the moment, you don’t have any time to realise what hit you. The song’s constantly moving, more like jumping around, but in a different way to its predecessors, there was a meaning, a point, here he’s aimlessly wandering, rejecting the past without being ready to accept the future, kinda stuck in an eternal motion. In his next records this confusion would be expressed through immobility, here it’s quite the opposite. On top of that, suddenly Dylan has turned into a rapper. According to some sources, it’s the first instance of “rapping” put on record, which is an exaggeration, if not an outright false information, as it would blatantly ignore the entire blues/talking blues tradition plus it’s well known this song is greatly influenced by Chuck Berry (to his credit, Dylan has never been shy about this sort of stuff). Socio-politically conscious lyrics that capture the zeitgeist paired with what would 2-3 decades later be called a “streets” (“underground” might be a more acceptable term) aesthetic and vocabulary, cultural references flying around (not to mention the inside jokes/references, I.e. Maggie or the wind blowing), mind-blowing rhyming, what more could you possibly ask? As you might have already guessed, one of my hobbies is to fantasise how it would have been to be able to listen to Dylan’s work in the ‘60s (if I had a time machine, the ‘60s would probably be a top-5 destination) and I’ve come to the conclusion that my favourite moment would be buying Bringing It All Back Home and listening to its opening track. Looking it from afar and it’s as majestic as it gets (and it’s barely 3 minutes long!), imagine being
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,376
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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Quick disclaimer: There’s a version that includes four extra songs (Rocks And Gravel, Let Me Die in My Footsteps, Rambling Gambling Willie, Talkin' John Birch Blues). Even though that one might be the “original”, I will go with the one that’s considered the “official” nowadays – which is also the one I own and the one I ‘ ve learnt to love through all these years of enjoying its company.
So, here we go, the first “proper” album – going in chronological order I mean. His debut was good and stuff, but here he raises the stakes sky high. Before this, he was a nobody, just another face in the crowd. After this, all of a sudden he is the voice of a generation, talk about a moment that defined history and changed the world as we (well, “we” is an exaggeration, as I wasn’t even born in 1963, but you get my point) knew it, its influence can’t be measured.
So, what exactly was going on in the folk music scene of the time? Hard to tell, I am by no means an expert, but I think the saying “old songs with new meaning” is kinda accurate. They relied on the previous generation, either directly by covering their songs or indirectly by implementing their ideas to their own material, to promote their goals, mainly provide socio-political commentary. Saying they were lost would be a valid claim (“with no direction home” if you will).
Returning to The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and linking it with the above, one of the most common criticisms that surrounds this album is how it’s “insincere”. To be frank, I never understood this argument. It’s supposed to mean that, in his heart of hearts, he isn’t a folk singer/musician, he only used this as his ticket to success and, as soon as he got the chance, he turned his back on said scene/movement and went electric. If anything, Dylan being outside this ‘60s “folk” community helped him stand out. What he presents here isn’t pure “folk”, it’s his own distinct take on it, he is too talented to fit in the tradition, he has to take his own path – without ignoring or losing touch with his predecessors. To be unique and traditional at the same time is quite a task, he has gone on to describe this process of songwriting in great detail, how he had to “create” a new identity that would be different from the typical folk background that his contemporaries used.
This leads to a greater point that signifies a shift from the communal - folk songs of the past that echo the concerns of a group - don’t forget that in traditional folk the composer is either unknown or completely irrelevant, the songs belong to the community - to the individual - they are his own distinct artistic creations, voicing his identity, his thoughts, his passion, his ambitions, no matter if the subject matter is of sociopolitical nature or gets more private/personal. In other words, “we” becomes “I”. Not to say that he neglects his listeners, he does try to build a bridge between his world and his listeners’ – and having the benefit of hindsight, we know said bridge will become thinner in his next releases - but the balance has already been shaken for good. Not sure if all of that makes any sense, hopefully it does. And again, I don’t see how all that counts as negative and why one should hold that against him, art constantly evolves and new forms of artistic expression emerge, nothing wrong with that, quite the contrary.
The one question that begs to be answered remains: What sets him apart from every preceding singer/songwriter? Well, it’s not easy to narrow it down to a single factor, it’s clearly a much more complex subject. That being said, the one thing that instantly stands out is his ability to draw as many influences as possible and rework them to create something new. Among others, he represents the rural poor a la Woody Guthrie, which, apart from the obvious common themes, is highlighted by some linguistic choices such as “blowin’ ” instead of “blowing”. At the same time he resorts to earlier, buried in the past forms of language, like “a-gonna” instead of “gonna”. Then he uses modern language just as handily, speaking for the rebellious youth and the enquiring minds. This may sound cool, but it’s a testament to his enormous talent that it all works out, he blends all of them together without any part of it sounding unnatural, forced or out of place. It could easily have been a total mess. The most impressive is how he effortlessly changes from one to the other within a song, sometimes within a single line. This isn’t limited to his lyrics, it has to do with his vocals as well, he keeps transforming.
Speaking of which, his performance is as great as his writing. On the one hand, he is full of youthful energy and disarming confidence to the point you might confuse it with naivety, he is ready to take the world by storm and nothing’s gonna stop him. At the same time, he appears as a veteran, the assured tone in his writing and his performance gives a “been there, done that” impression. So, he is both young and old, one could argue he is growing in front of us as the album progresses and that’s quite a spectacle.
In this album, I am of the opinion that the overall feel that is more important than trying to examine each track separately, so I tried to avoid an exhaustive song by song analysis, but I couldn’t help sharing a thought or two about each of them anyhow.
The opening track is legendary, posing some rhetorical questions of various themes that hit hard – it might initially appear as randomly constructed, but after a while it creates this impression that each line heavily depends on the previous one and makes no sense without it, the song gains momentum as it progresses - and the answer is the same every time: everywhere yet nowhere in particular, just blowing in the wind. It reminds one of the old cliché phrases, that art -was it specifically about music or about art in general, I can’t quite recall, the point still stands no matter what- might not have all the answers, but it asks all the right questions. A timeless anthem. The one line that’s always been my favourite here is “How many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry?”, it contains everything that made early Dylan great, fiery socio-political commentary with a razor-sharp sense of irony. Maybe it’s slightly overplayed, but, all in all, it remains a 100/100 song.
The next song, Girl From The North Country, exemplifies what I was saying right above regarding the many faces of Bob Dylan. In terms of lyrical content, it sees him take a romantic, nostalgic turn. Everything about it is so delicate, a piece of art, a stunning beauty. The subject matter could have made for an intensely emotional song, but Dylan tackles it gently. Despite his pain, he still cares for his lost love. In a way, you could say it takes us back to the age of innocence. In terms of music, it is said that his point of reference is English folk – which might seem an outlandish addition, but Dylan handles it exactly how one should in order to make it fit with the other elements of the song and simultaneously make it an organic part of the album. It has appeared on this countdown before, as it was included in Nashville Skyline as well, but any comparison would be pointless, this one stands head and shoulders above the duet with Johnny Cash – no offence to fans of the latter.
Then it’s time for another twist, things suddenly get dead serious. Unlike the opening track, here he gets straight to the point. He takes a stand against the war and he pulls no punches, his words are sharper than a knife, one of his most powerful statements. The music is in the same mood as the protest, it stays in the background, but it is persistent, you can feel its intensity, it’s slowly reaching its boiling point, it won’t be any longer till the eruption. It makes Sabbath’s War Pigs seem like child’s play -ok, that’s a slight exaggeration to showcase this song’s fierceness. Just listen to the final verse, oppression has led to hatred of enormous magnitude, he’s out for blood, it gives me the chills every time.
Down The Highway and you are attending blues 101, you better take some notes. This was one of the few reasons I h
So, here we go, the first “proper” album – going in chronological order I mean. His debut was good and stuff, but here he raises the stakes sky high. Before this, he was a nobody, just another face in the crowd. After this, all of a sudden he is the voice of a generation, talk about a moment that defined history and changed the world as we (well, “we” is an exaggeration, as I wasn’t even born in 1963, but you get my point) knew it, its influence can’t be measured.
So, what exactly was going on in the folk music scene of the time? Hard to tell, I am by no means an expert, but I think the saying “old songs with new meaning” is kinda accurate. They relied on the previous generation, either directly by covering their songs or indirectly by implementing their ideas to their own material, to promote their goals, mainly provide socio-political commentary. Saying they were lost would be a valid claim (“with no direction home” if you will).
Returning to The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and linking it with the above, one of the most common criticisms that surrounds this album is how it’s “insincere”. To be frank, I never understood this argument. It’s supposed to mean that, in his heart of hearts, he isn’t a folk singer/musician, he only used this as his ticket to success and, as soon as he got the chance, he turned his back on said scene/movement and went electric. If anything, Dylan being outside this ‘60s “folk” community helped him stand out. What he presents here isn’t pure “folk”, it’s his own distinct take on it, he is too talented to fit in the tradition, he has to take his own path – without ignoring or losing touch with his predecessors. To be unique and traditional at the same time is quite a task, he has gone on to describe this process of songwriting in great detail, how he had to “create” a new identity that would be different from the typical folk background that his contemporaries used.
This leads to a greater point that signifies a shift from the communal - folk songs of the past that echo the concerns of a group - don’t forget that in traditional folk the composer is either unknown or completely irrelevant, the songs belong to the community - to the individual - they are his own distinct artistic creations, voicing his identity, his thoughts, his passion, his ambitions, no matter if the subject matter is of sociopolitical nature or gets more private/personal. In other words, “we” becomes “I”. Not to say that he neglects his listeners, he does try to build a bridge between his world and his listeners’ – and having the benefit of hindsight, we know said bridge will become thinner in his next releases - but the balance has already been shaken for good. Not sure if all of that makes any sense, hopefully it does. And again, I don’t see how all that counts as negative and why one should hold that against him, art constantly evolves and new forms of artistic expression emerge, nothing wrong with that, quite the contrary.
The one question that begs to be answered remains: What sets him apart from every preceding singer/songwriter? Well, it’s not easy to narrow it down to a single factor, it’s clearly a much more complex subject. That being said, the one thing that instantly stands out is his ability to draw as many influences as possible and rework them to create something new. Among others, he represents the rural poor a la Woody Guthrie, which, apart from the obvious common themes, is highlighted by some linguistic choices such as “blowin’ ” instead of “blowing”. At the same time he resorts to earlier, buried in the past forms of language, like “a-gonna” instead of “gonna”. Then he uses modern language just as handily, speaking for the rebellious youth and the enquiring minds. This may sound cool, but it’s a testament to his enormous talent that it all works out, he blends all of them together without any part of it sounding unnatural, forced or out of place. It could easily have been a total mess. The most impressive is how he effortlessly changes from one to the other within a song, sometimes within a single line. This isn’t limited to his lyrics, it has to do with his vocals as well, he keeps transforming.
Speaking of which, his performance is as great as his writing. On the one hand, he is full of youthful energy and disarming confidence to the point you might confuse it with naivety, he is ready to take the world by storm and nothing’s gonna stop him. At the same time, he appears as a veteran, the assured tone in his writing and his performance gives a “been there, done that” impression. So, he is both young and old, one could argue he is growing in front of us as the album progresses and that’s quite a spectacle.
In this album, I am of the opinion that the overall feel that is more important than trying to examine each track separately, so I tried to avoid an exhaustive song by song analysis, but I couldn’t help sharing a thought or two about each of them anyhow.
The opening track is legendary, posing some rhetorical questions of various themes that hit hard – it might initially appear as randomly constructed, but after a while it creates this impression that each line heavily depends on the previous one and makes no sense without it, the song gains momentum as it progresses - and the answer is the same every time: everywhere yet nowhere in particular, just blowing in the wind. It reminds one of the old cliché phrases, that art -was it specifically about music or about art in general, I can’t quite recall, the point still stands no matter what- might not have all the answers, but it asks all the right questions. A timeless anthem. The one line that’s always been my favourite here is “How many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry?”, it contains everything that made early Dylan great, fiery socio-political commentary with a razor-sharp sense of irony. Maybe it’s slightly overplayed, but, all in all, it remains a 100/100 song.
The next song, Girl From The North Country, exemplifies what I was saying right above regarding the many faces of Bob Dylan. In terms of lyrical content, it sees him take a romantic, nostalgic turn. Everything about it is so delicate, a piece of art, a stunning beauty. The subject matter could have made for an intensely emotional song, but Dylan tackles it gently. Despite his pain, he still cares for his lost love. In a way, you could say it takes us back to the age of innocence. In terms of music, it is said that his point of reference is English folk – which might seem an outlandish addition, but Dylan handles it exactly how one should in order to make it fit with the other elements of the song and simultaneously make it an organic part of the album. It has appeared on this countdown before, as it was included in Nashville Skyline as well, but any comparison would be pointless, this one stands head and shoulders above the duet with Johnny Cash – no offence to fans of the latter.
Then it’s time for another twist, things suddenly get dead serious. Unlike the opening track, here he gets straight to the point. He takes a stand against the war and he pulls no punches, his words are sharper than a knife, one of his most powerful statements. The music is in the same mood as the protest, it stays in the background, but it is persistent, you can feel its intensity, it’s slowly reaching its boiling point, it won’t be any longer till the eruption. It makes Sabbath’s War Pigs seem like child’s play -ok, that’s a slight exaggeration to showcase this song’s fierceness. Just listen to the final verse, oppression has led to hatred of enormous magnitude, he’s out for blood, it gives me the chills every time.
Down The Highway and you are attending blues 101, you better take some notes. This was one of the few reasons I h
Year of Release:
1963
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,549
Rank in 1963:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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Bob Dylan’s longevity is spectacular, releasing at least one very good album in each decade from the ‘70s all the way to the ‘20s, but In the end it all comes down to the ‘60s, that’s his absolute peak and understandably dominates the final four. Fun fact: the remaining albums were released in the span of four years, 1963,1964,1965,1966, one for each of them. Who can boast of a similar achievement – one masterpiece per year for four years in a row? The Smiths, maybe The Beatles or The Kinks, hard to think of anyone else.
Coming back to this, despite being a heavyweight competitor and a fan favourite, it failed to meet expectations and narrowly missed out on making the top-three. And if that’s not enough of a shock, let me tell you it’s never been my favourite Dylan album, I had it at #4 or #5 before starting this countdown. Believe it or not, there was a time I didn’t particularly like Blonde On Blonde. I wasn’t huge on his rock/electric trilogy generally speaking and I found Highway 61 Revisited the easiest to like, I thought it had struck the right balance between artistic and accessible, this seemed a bit too much – and too long. Then again, every album that touches greatness in any way should be able to stand the test of time, revealing itself over time and this one is no exception, it keeps getting better and better without any signs of slowing down so far.
This is viewed as a trilogy with the 2 albums that preceded it and that’s kinda fair I guess, but it’s its own thing just as much. The growth he puts on display in the space of a few months is awe-inspiring. One can notice a clear shift in his approach: things get painfully private, I’ve always had the impression this record is trying its best to make the listener feel left out, long gone are the grandiose, larger than life anthems of Highway 61 Revisited. Also, an essential factor that made Highway 61 Revisited/Bringing It All Back Home so erratic was a rotation of confidence and self-doubt, here the latter tends to dominate, he dives deeper and deeper in the dark ocean, it’s hard to believe in anything, let alone yourself. Furthermore - directly linked to the above -, his trademark wit takes a step back, he slightly compromises his coolness/swag for the sake of being lyrical. This change in attitude is reflected on the sound as well: it doesn’t rock as hard, maybe not as instantly likable or catchy, it takes its time to draw you in and I’d say it’s way more elegant, the harmonica being an incredible highlight, it never ceases to amaze me how expressive it is, adding a new dimension to the set of personal dramas that tantalisingly unfold in front of our eyes. His performance follows a similar principle. He’s singing his own thing, rarely vibing with the other elements of the song or paying attention to the melody, it’s all part of the “visionary” – I’ll expand on that term when it’s time to talk about Bringing It All Back Home - experience.
If there’s one thing you can count on Dylan, it’s writing a great opening track and I’ ll go on to say Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 is one of those. It doesn’t enjoy the universal appeal of his most notable efforts (Blowin’ In The Wind, The Times They Are A-Changin', Subterranean Homesick Blues, Like A Rolling Stone, John Wesley Harding, Tangled Up In Blue, Hurricane, Love Sick, Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum, a compilation that would consist of his opening tracks would be sick). Quite the contrary actually, it has been highly controversial, the multiple meanings of “stoned” being the main reason for that, radio stations dismissed it as a “drug song” and refused to play it. Anyway, once more he fools everyone, does his thing and as a result all eyes are on him, which I assume is the main point. The main attraction of this song is how it establishes a circus like atmosphere – reminding us of Highway 61 Revisited ‘s self-titled track, but this one pushes it even further - , the parade is about to start, you don’t wanna miss it. He is even throwing a trombone to the mix, I love it – and Dylan does, too, I bet he’s had tons of fun with this one, it plays out more as a practical joke than a “proper” song. The lyrics also support this idea, he’s toying with the audience (be it critics or fans) that don’t get him. I may be all alone here, but it’s one of my favourite Dylan songs ever. In Pledging My Time the harmonica - other than that, the musical accompaniment is rather minimal, but that’s exactly how it should be, it’s more than enough - kicks in and it’s so intense we don’t need to be told twice, things suddenly get serious. Usually considered a love/romantic song, though it could be about his art as well, who knows. He introduces us to this sense of being trapped without any potential for escape on the horizon (“the room is so stuffy I can hardly breathe”), which is a common theme among many songs here,
Visions Of Johanna. Man, Visions Of Johanna. What can I say, or to quote the song itself “how can I explain?”. My relationship with it goes way back in time and has been rather turbulent. I can’t tell if I’ve been stumbling on the wrong people, but my experience goes as follows: Ask 10 hardcore Dylan fans and 11 of them will tell you this is his best song (and consequently the best song of all time). This kind of acclaim usually causes a negative reaction in me and I’ve had a hard time coming to terms with what a masterpiece this song is. I had to take a step back and it’s easy to see. All the traits that he’s developed as a songwriter culminate in Visions Of Johanna. It’s still not my favourite Dylan song, not even my favourite from Blonde On Blonde, but nowadays I can confidently say its greatness comes through crystal clear. It’s as if he’s been preparing his whole life to write this song, a rare moment of epiphany, transcendence into eternity. The opening line perfectly establishes the atmosphere. Everyone knows the night has magical powers, but who could phrase it in a more beautiful and effective manner? So, it’s nighttime, the time demons visit us. Louise seems to be carrying temptation with her (“Louise holds a handful of rain, tempting you to defy it”), but then we take a closer look, temptation deceived us, we come to our senses – or lose them completely – and it’s a haunting spectacle, visions of Johanna are enough to brutally overwhelm Louise’s physical presence, fantasy overpowers reality, etc. Each line is worthy of extensive analysis, this is poetry at its finest, it paints images that will stick with you forever, let’s keep this comment at a reasonable length – and let’s be honest, I’ m not that well-read in literature to do it justice - , fast forward to the soul crushing finale. Even though the fiddler assures us otherwise, there’s no escape, no catharsis, it’s all a claustrophobic nightmare. Another part of its greatness is how every time you listen to it, you find a new way of looking at it, feeling for poor Louise, who for all we know appears to be kind or wondering what a woman Johanna must be or crumbling under the narrator’s traumatic experience, who for sure is broken for life.
One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) is assigned the nearly impossible task of following up Visions of Johanna and it miraculously delivers. It’s a song to say goodbye, maybe it’s no one’s fault and it was destiny who made that call. Still, the narrator is so unreliable it’s hard to tell what exactly happened between them, but it’s exactly this fragmented presentation that spurs our imagination and fits the context nicely. Comparisons to Like A Rolling Stone seem a bit far-fetched, this one’s less aggressive and goes as far as to show a willingness to apologise and accept part of the blame. It’s roaming free sound-wise, it’s anxiously trying to find something and it eventually can’t, because it quite simply doesn’t exist – as does the possibility that they will be together again. I Want You features another series of surreal images, this time (compared to Visions Of Johanna) they aren’t directly related to his object of desire, it’s not her absence or her presence that cause this twisted sense of reality, it’s just a mad world all around and he find
Coming back to this, despite being a heavyweight competitor and a fan favourite, it failed to meet expectations and narrowly missed out on making the top-three. And if that’s not enough of a shock, let me tell you it’s never been my favourite Dylan album, I had it at #4 or #5 before starting this countdown. Believe it or not, there was a time I didn’t particularly like Blonde On Blonde. I wasn’t huge on his rock/electric trilogy generally speaking and I found Highway 61 Revisited the easiest to like, I thought it had struck the right balance between artistic and accessible, this seemed a bit too much – and too long. Then again, every album that touches greatness in any way should be able to stand the test of time, revealing itself over time and this one is no exception, it keeps getting better and better without any signs of slowing down so far.
This is viewed as a trilogy with the 2 albums that preceded it and that’s kinda fair I guess, but it’s its own thing just as much. The growth he puts on display in the space of a few months is awe-inspiring. One can notice a clear shift in his approach: things get painfully private, I’ve always had the impression this record is trying its best to make the listener feel left out, long gone are the grandiose, larger than life anthems of Highway 61 Revisited. Also, an essential factor that made Highway 61 Revisited/Bringing It All Back Home so erratic was a rotation of confidence and self-doubt, here the latter tends to dominate, he dives deeper and deeper in the dark ocean, it’s hard to believe in anything, let alone yourself. Furthermore - directly linked to the above -, his trademark wit takes a step back, he slightly compromises his coolness/swag for the sake of being lyrical. This change in attitude is reflected on the sound as well: it doesn’t rock as hard, maybe not as instantly likable or catchy, it takes its time to draw you in and I’d say it’s way more elegant, the harmonica being an incredible highlight, it never ceases to amaze me how expressive it is, adding a new dimension to the set of personal dramas that tantalisingly unfold in front of our eyes. His performance follows a similar principle. He’s singing his own thing, rarely vibing with the other elements of the song or paying attention to the melody, it’s all part of the “visionary” – I’ll expand on that term when it’s time to talk about Bringing It All Back Home - experience.
If there’s one thing you can count on Dylan, it’s writing a great opening track and I’ ll go on to say Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 is one of those. It doesn’t enjoy the universal appeal of his most notable efforts (Blowin’ In The Wind, The Times They Are A-Changin', Subterranean Homesick Blues, Like A Rolling Stone, John Wesley Harding, Tangled Up In Blue, Hurricane, Love Sick, Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum, a compilation that would consist of his opening tracks would be sick). Quite the contrary actually, it has been highly controversial, the multiple meanings of “stoned” being the main reason for that, radio stations dismissed it as a “drug song” and refused to play it. Anyway, once more he fools everyone, does his thing and as a result all eyes are on him, which I assume is the main point. The main attraction of this song is how it establishes a circus like atmosphere – reminding us of Highway 61 Revisited ‘s self-titled track, but this one pushes it even further - , the parade is about to start, you don’t wanna miss it. He is even throwing a trombone to the mix, I love it – and Dylan does, too, I bet he’s had tons of fun with this one, it plays out more as a practical joke than a “proper” song. The lyrics also support this idea, he’s toying with the audience (be it critics or fans) that don’t get him. I may be all alone here, but it’s one of my favourite Dylan songs ever. In Pledging My Time the harmonica - other than that, the musical accompaniment is rather minimal, but that’s exactly how it should be, it’s more than enough - kicks in and it’s so intense we don’t need to be told twice, things suddenly get serious. Usually considered a love/romantic song, though it could be about his art as well, who knows. He introduces us to this sense of being trapped without any potential for escape on the horizon (“the room is so stuffy I can hardly breathe”), which is a common theme among many songs here,
Visions Of Johanna. Man, Visions Of Johanna. What can I say, or to quote the song itself “how can I explain?”. My relationship with it goes way back in time and has been rather turbulent. I can’t tell if I’ve been stumbling on the wrong people, but my experience goes as follows: Ask 10 hardcore Dylan fans and 11 of them will tell you this is his best song (and consequently the best song of all time). This kind of acclaim usually causes a negative reaction in me and I’ve had a hard time coming to terms with what a masterpiece this song is. I had to take a step back and it’s easy to see. All the traits that he’s developed as a songwriter culminate in Visions Of Johanna. It’s still not my favourite Dylan song, not even my favourite from Blonde On Blonde, but nowadays I can confidently say its greatness comes through crystal clear. It’s as if he’s been preparing his whole life to write this song, a rare moment of epiphany, transcendence into eternity. The opening line perfectly establishes the atmosphere. Everyone knows the night has magical powers, but who could phrase it in a more beautiful and effective manner? So, it’s nighttime, the time demons visit us. Louise seems to be carrying temptation with her (“Louise holds a handful of rain, tempting you to defy it”), but then we take a closer look, temptation deceived us, we come to our senses – or lose them completely – and it’s a haunting spectacle, visions of Johanna are enough to brutally overwhelm Louise’s physical presence, fantasy overpowers reality, etc. Each line is worthy of extensive analysis, this is poetry at its finest, it paints images that will stick with you forever, let’s keep this comment at a reasonable length – and let’s be honest, I’ m not that well-read in literature to do it justice - , fast forward to the soul crushing finale. Even though the fiddler assures us otherwise, there’s no escape, no catharsis, it’s all a claustrophobic nightmare. Another part of its greatness is how every time you listen to it, you find a new way of looking at it, feeling for poor Louise, who for all we know appears to be kind or wondering what a woman Johanna must be or crumbling under the narrator’s traumatic experience, who for sure is broken for life.
One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) is assigned the nearly impossible task of following up Visions of Johanna and it miraculously delivers. It’s a song to say goodbye, maybe it’s no one’s fault and it was destiny who made that call. Still, the narrator is so unreliable it’s hard to tell what exactly happened between them, but it’s exactly this fragmented presentation that spurs our imagination and fits the context nicely. Comparisons to Like A Rolling Stone seem a bit far-fetched, this one’s less aggressive and goes as far as to show a willingness to apologise and accept part of the blame. It’s roaming free sound-wise, it’s anxiously trying to find something and it eventually can’t, because it quite simply doesn’t exist – as does the possibility that they will be together again. I Want You features another series of surreal images, this time (compared to Visions Of Johanna) they aren’t directly related to his object of desire, it’s not her absence or her presence that cause this twisted sense of reality, it’s just a mad world all around and he find
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,801
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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This has been a crucial album in my relationship with Bob Dylan. It wasn’t one of the first of his I got to know, I was already familiar with all of his classics and some of his “lesser” works too. Still, this was eye/ear-opening, I didn’t expect the man to create anything close to that. Most of his albums demanded my full attention and no matter how I liked them, I would occasionally find that kind of listening experience exhausting. This one was - on the surface at least - much simpler, you could just sit back and enjoy it. Recording sessions are supposed to have been messy with various musicians taking part and no particular direction. Luckily, they figured it out and none of that shows in the final product. It might not be the best, but it’s clearly the easiest on the ear sound he ever achieved. Style seems to overshadow substance, he suddenly cares about being aesthetically pleasing, it’s as if he is someone else. Well, partially, that’s true, as he did have a helping hand for most of these tracks (the two exceptions being One More Cup Of Coffee and Sara), so credit to Jacques Levy as well. In short, it convinced me he is a unique artist (not that I didn’t know that already) who can do anything (I suspected that as well). Maybe I’m overrating it due to nostalgia, I know it feels somewhat wrong ranking it above Blood On The Tracks, whatever.
So, how did we get here? Talk about awkward timing. After a period (late ‘60s – early ‘70s) of being too mediocre – taking into account his own, ridiculously high standards– Bob Dylan released Blood On The Tracks, which was simply too good, according to many it even surpassed his greatest moments of the previous decade - Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde – and that’s by no means an entirely unreasonable claim. At that point, he had to answer the one million dollar question: how are you supposed to follow it up?
This is the closest Dylan got to what one could call airy-fairy. I don’t mean that as a criticism, I use this dubious term to stress how far from reality Desire is. While there are other notable efforts by him that have a dream-like quality, those would fit the concept of being in the middle of a feverish dream, a state of delirium where you can’t tell between fantasy and reality, here it’s pure bliss, everything’s looking rosy and beautiful.
The main idea, the driving force of the album is the same as in Blood On The Tracks, delving into adventures as a form of escapism. However, that’s more or less where similarities stop, as he goes one step further here: Personal and historical elements are gone, all that’s left is an amorphous mass that is floating in heaven – that’s compared to his other works, don’t expect him suddenly sounding like Cocteau Twins or something-, exotic journeys in lands of mystery where someone’s sprinkled a magical powder, nothing is as it looks, we are in wonderland, chasing a romance for the sake of it, having little to no touch with the real world in a way that would make Don Quixote be in his element.
Apart from his music being fully immersed in the American tradition, most of his albums develop a narrative about some part of the American society, this sense of regionality reaching new highs in Love And Theft – though it has to be said that Desire’s predecessor, Blood On The Tracks, isn’t that far off in that regard, it’s another extremely “American” record. This obviously makes Desire stand out even more - coming back to one of his greatest heroes, Dylan himself has admitted that Rimbaud’s travelling (Europe, Indonesia, Yemen, Ethiopia among others) was a source of inspiration. Of course the main reason that explains the need to escape and chase adventure in fairyland is related to the aforementioned problem, namely that it was hard to tell where he should go after a statement of enormous artistic magnitude and personal significance such as Blood On The Tracks.
Now, if you know Desire as the album that has Hurricane in it, you might be wondering if I’ve lost it and where all the above comes from. Yes, this song has very little to do with it, despite being the opening track. It has gone on to attain legendary status and deservedly so. Real life can produce figures that are as engaging, if not even more, as fictional characters (and Dylan has a ton of the latter in his catalogue, Jack Of Hearts is a prime example that was shortly discussed the other day). And the question of getting every detail right has never bothered Dylan and neither does it in this case, he’s always been swimming in muddy waters in that regard. I haven’t done any extensive research on the subject, but I’d trust the people who have and it seems common knowledge that Dylan has indeed twisted the facts. All of that is secondary of course, his point lies elsewhere, he uses the real life scenario as an excuse to provide some sharp social commentary. His protest is as fiery as ever, his energy and passion are unparalleled, he’s a man on a mission, to let everyone know of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter’s innocence and of this great injustice that the man has suffered. The structure of this song and how it effortlessly flows in a way most movies wish they could replicate, it’s pure perfection, I wouldn’t change a single thing. One might point out it’s slightly reminiscent of All Along The Watchtower, but the melody is so iconic I can’t complain. And the violin is another nice touch, the icing on the cake. This is a 100/100 song in my book – the first in this countdown that gets this score and the second in the entirety of this diary, the first one being Mingus’ self-titled track from The Clown. Without revealing too much, there might be a few more coming in the four remaining Dylan albums.
Then comes Isis and that’s where the adventure begins, all aboard. One can hardly make sense of it all, (“we came to the pyramids, all embedded in ice”) but that shouldn’t detract from its charm. Despite some fine guitar work, it’s the harmonica above all that makes this song memorable. Mozambique, well, only he could make something like this work, it could have ended up as a total joke had it been done by another artist. A sort of “don’t worry be happy” type of song and that’s exactly what I do whenever I listen to it. One More Cup of is a romance so mystifying and fascinating, Dylan himself has called it a gypsy song and that’s an accurate description, it does share some of the attributes that made Django Reinhardt so great. Oh Sister keeps the same vibe going, another celebration of love that may be temporary but very powerful - someone might tell you it’s about Joan Baez, I haven’t taken a deeper look into it, I am ok with that. It’s just like those exotic places, you visit them for a few days and they stick with you forever. And what a lovely contribution by Emmylou Harris. Joey is the second song after Hurricane that feels slightly out of place – on a superficial level at least, I am sure there are connections to be made if one takes the time. On the one hand, its epic structure combined with its vulnerable sound – further emphasised by Dylan’s performance - remind me of Brownsville Girl. On the other hand, it presents us an outlaw figure that will make us think of John Wesley Harding. A heated argument revolves around this song, namely how Dylan glorifies a criminal, a dark and violent individual, but I don’t want any part of it. Romance In Durango exemplifies what this album is about. He wants to escape, but there isn’t anything in particular he is running away from, it’s simply the urge to explore the unknown, a rush of adrenaline – and a romance is always round the corner. It’s not about forgetting the past, it’s about living the present, the thrill of the moment. And again the scenery – which radiates a Mexican feel - is so cinematic it plays out like a movie. Black Diamonds Bay is a story of doom that brings to mind Titanic (we know he loves this story based on Tempest, a song he did much later). At the same time, this set of bizarre characters, each of them with his own drama, makes me think Black Diamonds Bay is for Desire what Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts is for Blood On The Tracks
So, how did we get here? Talk about awkward timing. After a period (late ‘60s – early ‘70s) of being too mediocre – taking into account his own, ridiculously high standards– Bob Dylan released Blood On The Tracks, which was simply too good, according to many it even surpassed his greatest moments of the previous decade - Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde – and that’s by no means an entirely unreasonable claim. At that point, he had to answer the one million dollar question: how are you supposed to follow it up?
This is the closest Dylan got to what one could call airy-fairy. I don’t mean that as a criticism, I use this dubious term to stress how far from reality Desire is. While there are other notable efforts by him that have a dream-like quality, those would fit the concept of being in the middle of a feverish dream, a state of delirium where you can’t tell between fantasy and reality, here it’s pure bliss, everything’s looking rosy and beautiful.
The main idea, the driving force of the album is the same as in Blood On The Tracks, delving into adventures as a form of escapism. However, that’s more or less where similarities stop, as he goes one step further here: Personal and historical elements are gone, all that’s left is an amorphous mass that is floating in heaven – that’s compared to his other works, don’t expect him suddenly sounding like Cocteau Twins or something-, exotic journeys in lands of mystery where someone’s sprinkled a magical powder, nothing is as it looks, we are in wonderland, chasing a romance for the sake of it, having little to no touch with the real world in a way that would make Don Quixote be in his element.
Apart from his music being fully immersed in the American tradition, most of his albums develop a narrative about some part of the American society, this sense of regionality reaching new highs in Love And Theft – though it has to be said that Desire’s predecessor, Blood On The Tracks, isn’t that far off in that regard, it’s another extremely “American” record. This obviously makes Desire stand out even more - coming back to one of his greatest heroes, Dylan himself has admitted that Rimbaud’s travelling (Europe, Indonesia, Yemen, Ethiopia among others) was a source of inspiration. Of course the main reason that explains the need to escape and chase adventure in fairyland is related to the aforementioned problem, namely that it was hard to tell where he should go after a statement of enormous artistic magnitude and personal significance such as Blood On The Tracks.
Now, if you know Desire as the album that has Hurricane in it, you might be wondering if I’ve lost it and where all the above comes from. Yes, this song has very little to do with it, despite being the opening track. It has gone on to attain legendary status and deservedly so. Real life can produce figures that are as engaging, if not even more, as fictional characters (and Dylan has a ton of the latter in his catalogue, Jack Of Hearts is a prime example that was shortly discussed the other day). And the question of getting every detail right has never bothered Dylan and neither does it in this case, he’s always been swimming in muddy waters in that regard. I haven’t done any extensive research on the subject, but I’d trust the people who have and it seems common knowledge that Dylan has indeed twisted the facts. All of that is secondary of course, his point lies elsewhere, he uses the real life scenario as an excuse to provide some sharp social commentary. His protest is as fiery as ever, his energy and passion are unparalleled, he’s a man on a mission, to let everyone know of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter’s innocence and of this great injustice that the man has suffered. The structure of this song and how it effortlessly flows in a way most movies wish they could replicate, it’s pure perfection, I wouldn’t change a single thing. One might point out it’s slightly reminiscent of All Along The Watchtower, but the melody is so iconic I can’t complain. And the violin is another nice touch, the icing on the cake. This is a 100/100 song in my book – the first in this countdown that gets this score and the second in the entirety of this diary, the first one being Mingus’ self-titled track from The Clown. Without revealing too much, there might be a few more coming in the four remaining Dylan albums.
Then comes Isis and that’s where the adventure begins, all aboard. One can hardly make sense of it all, (“we came to the pyramids, all embedded in ice”) but that shouldn’t detract from its charm. Despite some fine guitar work, it’s the harmonica above all that makes this song memorable. Mozambique, well, only he could make something like this work, it could have ended up as a total joke had it been done by another artist. A sort of “don’t worry be happy” type of song and that’s exactly what I do whenever I listen to it. One More Cup of is a romance so mystifying and fascinating, Dylan himself has called it a gypsy song and that’s an accurate description, it does share some of the attributes that made Django Reinhardt so great. Oh Sister keeps the same vibe going, another celebration of love that may be temporary but very powerful - someone might tell you it’s about Joan Baez, I haven’t taken a deeper look into it, I am ok with that. It’s just like those exotic places, you visit them for a few days and they stick with you forever. And what a lovely contribution by Emmylou Harris. Joey is the second song after Hurricane that feels slightly out of place – on a superficial level at least, I am sure there are connections to be made if one takes the time. On the one hand, its epic structure combined with its vulnerable sound – further emphasised by Dylan’s performance - remind me of Brownsville Girl. On the other hand, it presents us an outlaw figure that will make us think of John Wesley Harding. A heated argument revolves around this song, namely how Dylan glorifies a criminal, a dark and violent individual, but I don’t want any part of it. Romance In Durango exemplifies what this album is about. He wants to escape, but there isn’t anything in particular he is running away from, it’s simply the urge to explore the unknown, a rush of adrenaline – and a romance is always round the corner. It’s not about forgetting the past, it’s about living the present, the thrill of the moment. And again the scenery – which radiates a Mexican feel - is so cinematic it plays out like a movie. Black Diamonds Bay is a story of doom that brings to mind Titanic (we know he loves this story based on Tempest, a song he did much later). At the same time, this set of bizarre characters, each of them with his own drama, makes me think Black Diamonds Bay is for Desire what Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts is for Blood On The Tracks
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,230
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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“Everything about you is bringing me misery”
Ok, if there was any credibility left in this countdown after Highway 61 Revisited took 9th place, feel free to throw it out the window as we speak.
You have to look no further than the album title to realise what it is about. There’s blood on those tracks, indeed (tracks is a word that carries multiple meanings, I’ve always been of the opinion that in this case it is meant as piece of recorded music, though if you imagine it as a train departing to an unknown destination leaving nothing more than a bloody railway line behind it, well, I guess it works as well).
I’ve already mentioned how the late ‘60s – early ‘70s was a period of “taking it easy” for Dylan, staying away from the spotlight, struggling to handle the burden of immense popularity and the “voice of a generation” label. This sees him take an unexpected turn, by far his most personal, up to that point at least, the dramatic intensity that was decisively absent during his previous albums reaches sky high levels here. You know what, I’ll go ahead and shamelessly copy paste a part of my comment on Slow Train Coming, which was another record of his that shared this rare trait : “he hasn’t been keen on revealing parts of himself – compared to the typical introspective songwriter like Leonard Cohen or Joni Mitchell, he takes the opposite route and tends to draw influence from “external sources”, so to speak – and when he does get personal, it’s usually done in a vague, abstract manner. Here, he allows us to catch a glimpse of his vulnerable inner world.”
Just as Highway 61 Revisited perfected what is known as rock music, Blood On The Tracks is the absolute singer/songwriter album, the golden standard everyone aspires to reach, but in all likelihood no one ever will. If I had to name the single factor that makes this record so successful, I’d have to go with relatability, it makes you feel as if it is directed straight at you, it was you and only you he had in mind when he created it, you can’t believe how easy it is to sympathise with the unfolding events, they are taken directly out of your life experiences. Let me tell you a secret: it’s not just you, million other people feel the same way, It excels at being unbearably concrete and comfortingly universal at the same time. Dylan holds nothing back, he goes all out, taking us to a ride through the darkest, unspoken, occult corners of his mind and soul. You know, even though a couple of fellow users placed their bets on Blonde On Blonde, I think Blood On The Tracks is the one entry in Dylan’s discography that fits my overall listening profile best and should be my favourite. This disarming honesty - calling it confessional would be so cliché yet so very true – is a virtue I vastly appreciate. I mean, anyone who knows me in the slightest can tell how much I like The Smiths and this is an attribute they possess in spades.
Apart from the songwriting, this shift in focus is further reflected on his vocals, which are an acquired taste. Of course, that’s a general observation, but here it’s even more striking than usual. He isn’t interested in making every word sound good - which he could as we’ve had the privilege of witnessing in multiple cases - there’s more emphasis on meaning and substance than on aesthetics, it’s all about the emotion. We’ ve had many versions of his voice: the enthusiastic youngster of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, the possessed prophet of The Times They Are A-Changin’, the edgy nonconformist of Highway 61 Revisited, the abstract visionary of Blonde On Blonde, the hopeless romantic of Nashville Skyline, now we have a man with a broken heart in front of us.
It's worth pointing out that Blood On The Track comes with a lovely sound, as it sees him return to his roots, namely his folk days, featuring some fine guitar work throughout, though I’d say it makes for a step up in terms of production, nothing excessive or forced, it all feels effortless and real.
Tangled up in blue is the opening track and sums up the entire album quite accurately. He’s incessantly on the move (every critic and his mother will tell you Jack Kerouac’s On The Road has been a major influence on Dylan, can’t comment on that as I haven’t had the chance to read this legendary novel so far, though I did watch the admittedly subpar film), yet can’t find what he’s looking for, a situation which is in stark contrast with what was going on in Blonde On Blonde. Not to get caught up in discussing a different album and keeping it as short as possible in order to get my point across, songs like Visions Of Johanna or Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again saw him trapped and confused, he couldn’t find a way out. Here he can’t seem to find a way in. Apart from the main point, the storytelling is equally commendable, the way he describes his escapades is immersive, it feels as if we have joined him and are walking right next to him. At the same time, the narrator is unreliable enough to keep us guessing, we find ourselves lost in an infinite spiral of events, you can’t quite tell when one ends and another begins and how they relate to each other. The one thing that remains constant is his state of mind: He is Tangled Up In Blue (in that sense, even though having each verse ending with the same phrase is a common song structure for him, it serves a completely different purpose than, say, Like A Rolling Stone or Blowin’ In The Wind, it’s the one thing that keeps all the chaos that runs through his head together). Also, something I recently read and had never crossed my mind before, could it be that each verse talks about a different woman? The more I think about it, I have to admit it's not completely outrageous, though it would clearly alter the intent and significance of the song.
Even though it moves at a much slower pace compared to the opening track, A Simple Twist Of Fate could be another chapter in the Tangled Up In Blue narrator’s tempestuous life. It is one of my go to phrases in real life and I got it thanks to this song. Realising how helpless we are in the grand scheme of things is a crushing thought that may change one’s perspective for good. At the same time, one can find it somewhat reassuring, blaming fate and not one’s own actions for any misfortune. The irony is that this lack of responsibility is exactly what leads to a relationship falling apart. The way he addresses “Big Girl” in You ‘re A Big Girl Now reminds one of Like A Rolling Stone or Just Like A Woman. The problem is the situation is reversed here: she fares better than him and that’s a tough pill to swallow, it makes the breakup even more painful, he’s swimming in an ocean of misery. Even his spiteful comments regarding “Big Girl” are a clear indicator of how hurt he is. Idiot Wind is my second favourite song of the album. It works fine as a follow up to You ‘re A Big Girl Now, as his anger reaches next level. Everything’s flawed/broken, everyone’s an idiot, he is in full bashing mode and it’s a wonder to behold. The sort of apocalyptic sound –the organ being the icing on the cake– adds to its majesty. Maybe I’ m way off, but I’ve always had the impression You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go is – despite the title – not totally sorrowful, it’s as if he doesn’t take it so seriously this time. I consider Meet Me In The Morning the weak link, blues by the numbers that feels out of place.
If you are looking for one more hot take, here we go: Lily, Rosemary And The Jack of Hearts is the highlight. (I see it has a rating of 82/100 here in BEA, the lowest of them all, the average rating of the album’s tracks being 87/100, I can’t deny it made me a little bit sad) It could be going on forever and I wouldn’t mind at all. The opening line announces that the festival it’s over, yet it’s exactly this kind of feeling the song evokes, everyone’s gathered around for the occasion, ready to have some fun and that’s one of the most captivating tales a bard may share with his audience. A wonderful parade of absurd figures, the king (no pun intended) of them being Jack Of Hearts, one of the greatest characters you’ll encounter in Bo
Ok, if there was any credibility left in this countdown after Highway 61 Revisited took 9th place, feel free to throw it out the window as we speak.
You have to look no further than the album title to realise what it is about. There’s blood on those tracks, indeed (tracks is a word that carries multiple meanings, I’ve always been of the opinion that in this case it is meant as piece of recorded music, though if you imagine it as a train departing to an unknown destination leaving nothing more than a bloody railway line behind it, well, I guess it works as well).
I’ve already mentioned how the late ‘60s – early ‘70s was a period of “taking it easy” for Dylan, staying away from the spotlight, struggling to handle the burden of immense popularity and the “voice of a generation” label. This sees him take an unexpected turn, by far his most personal, up to that point at least, the dramatic intensity that was decisively absent during his previous albums reaches sky high levels here. You know what, I’ll go ahead and shamelessly copy paste a part of my comment on Slow Train Coming, which was another record of his that shared this rare trait : “he hasn’t been keen on revealing parts of himself – compared to the typical introspective songwriter like Leonard Cohen or Joni Mitchell, he takes the opposite route and tends to draw influence from “external sources”, so to speak – and when he does get personal, it’s usually done in a vague, abstract manner. Here, he allows us to catch a glimpse of his vulnerable inner world.”
Just as Highway 61 Revisited perfected what is known as rock music, Blood On The Tracks is the absolute singer/songwriter album, the golden standard everyone aspires to reach, but in all likelihood no one ever will. If I had to name the single factor that makes this record so successful, I’d have to go with relatability, it makes you feel as if it is directed straight at you, it was you and only you he had in mind when he created it, you can’t believe how easy it is to sympathise with the unfolding events, they are taken directly out of your life experiences. Let me tell you a secret: it’s not just you, million other people feel the same way, It excels at being unbearably concrete and comfortingly universal at the same time. Dylan holds nothing back, he goes all out, taking us to a ride through the darkest, unspoken, occult corners of his mind and soul. You know, even though a couple of fellow users placed their bets on Blonde On Blonde, I think Blood On The Tracks is the one entry in Dylan’s discography that fits my overall listening profile best and should be my favourite. This disarming honesty - calling it confessional would be so cliché yet so very true – is a virtue I vastly appreciate. I mean, anyone who knows me in the slightest can tell how much I like The Smiths and this is an attribute they possess in spades.
Apart from the songwriting, this shift in focus is further reflected on his vocals, which are an acquired taste. Of course, that’s a general observation, but here it’s even more striking than usual. He isn’t interested in making every word sound good - which he could as we’ve had the privilege of witnessing in multiple cases - there’s more emphasis on meaning and substance than on aesthetics, it’s all about the emotion. We’ ve had many versions of his voice: the enthusiastic youngster of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, the possessed prophet of The Times They Are A-Changin’, the edgy nonconformist of Highway 61 Revisited, the abstract visionary of Blonde On Blonde, the hopeless romantic of Nashville Skyline, now we have a man with a broken heart in front of us.
It's worth pointing out that Blood On The Track comes with a lovely sound, as it sees him return to his roots, namely his folk days, featuring some fine guitar work throughout, though I’d say it makes for a step up in terms of production, nothing excessive or forced, it all feels effortless and real.
Tangled up in blue is the opening track and sums up the entire album quite accurately. He’s incessantly on the move (every critic and his mother will tell you Jack Kerouac’s On The Road has been a major influence on Dylan, can’t comment on that as I haven’t had the chance to read this legendary novel so far, though I did watch the admittedly subpar film), yet can’t find what he’s looking for, a situation which is in stark contrast with what was going on in Blonde On Blonde. Not to get caught up in discussing a different album and keeping it as short as possible in order to get my point across, songs like Visions Of Johanna or Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again saw him trapped and confused, he couldn’t find a way out. Here he can’t seem to find a way in. Apart from the main point, the storytelling is equally commendable, the way he describes his escapades is immersive, it feels as if we have joined him and are walking right next to him. At the same time, the narrator is unreliable enough to keep us guessing, we find ourselves lost in an infinite spiral of events, you can’t quite tell when one ends and another begins and how they relate to each other. The one thing that remains constant is his state of mind: He is Tangled Up In Blue (in that sense, even though having each verse ending with the same phrase is a common song structure for him, it serves a completely different purpose than, say, Like A Rolling Stone or Blowin’ In The Wind, it’s the one thing that keeps all the chaos that runs through his head together). Also, something I recently read and had never crossed my mind before, could it be that each verse talks about a different woman? The more I think about it, I have to admit it's not completely outrageous, though it would clearly alter the intent and significance of the song.
Even though it moves at a much slower pace compared to the opening track, A Simple Twist Of Fate could be another chapter in the Tangled Up In Blue narrator’s tempestuous life. It is one of my go to phrases in real life and I got it thanks to this song. Realising how helpless we are in the grand scheme of things is a crushing thought that may change one’s perspective for good. At the same time, one can find it somewhat reassuring, blaming fate and not one’s own actions for any misfortune. The irony is that this lack of responsibility is exactly what leads to a relationship falling apart. The way he addresses “Big Girl” in You ‘re A Big Girl Now reminds one of Like A Rolling Stone or Just Like A Woman. The problem is the situation is reversed here: she fares better than him and that’s a tough pill to swallow, it makes the breakup even more painful, he’s swimming in an ocean of misery. Even his spiteful comments regarding “Big Girl” are a clear indicator of how hurt he is. Idiot Wind is my second favourite song of the album. It works fine as a follow up to You ‘re A Big Girl Now, as his anger reaches next level. Everything’s flawed/broken, everyone’s an idiot, he is in full bashing mode and it’s a wonder to behold. The sort of apocalyptic sound –the organ being the icing on the cake– adds to its majesty. Maybe I’ m way off, but I’ve always had the impression You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go is – despite the title – not totally sorrowful, it’s as if he doesn’t take it so seriously this time. I consider Meet Me In The Morning the weak link, blues by the numbers that feels out of place.
If you are looking for one more hot take, here we go: Lily, Rosemary And The Jack of Hearts is the highlight. (I see it has a rating of 82/100 here in BEA, the lowest of them all, the average rating of the album’s tracks being 87/100, I can’t deny it made me a little bit sad) It could be going on forever and I wouldn’t mind at all. The opening line announces that the festival it’s over, yet it’s exactly this kind of feeling the song evokes, everyone’s gathered around for the occasion, ready to have some fun and that’s one of the most captivating tales a bard may share with his audience. A wonderful parade of absurd figures, the king (no pun intended) of them being Jack Of Hearts, one of the greatest characters you’ll encounter in Bo
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
23,583
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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So, this is the second part of his late/comeback trilogy and – in a twist of fate, contrary to what happened in his two ‘60s trilogies– I rank it higher than the other two members of it. This album remains a downer, for me at least, but in a much different way than Time Out Of Mind, as there’s a sense of humour spread throughout it. This easier, lighter attitude acts as a futile attempt to hide his sorrow under the carpet and ends up making it even more painful. The dark, hopeless world of Time Out Of Mind meets the absurdity of his mid’60s period, you could say it’s an in-between, the best of both worlds. Tragedy and comedy, maturity and frivolity, grit and fun, realism and surrealism make for a fascinating combination. There’s a different band compared to the one in Out Of Mind. However, this doesn’t cause a significant change in sound, he goes way back in time to find his inspiration, the main difference between those two records is related to the mood, not the music. Also, his voice is coming from the deepest abyss, that’s the 9th circle of hell. Of course, Dylan being Dylan, that doesn’t bother him at the slightest, it pushes him forward, he is as cool as ever.
Pain, loss and violence are central themes. The characters here are struggling, they find themselves in the middle of a crisis, struck by disaster. If you were to guess, they would feel at home in the American South at the dawn of the 20th and not the 21th century, that’s another aspect that sets it apart from Time Out Of Mind. Lines like “today has been a sad ol' lonesome day” or “another one of them endless days” or “I’m avoiding the Southside the best I can” perfectly summarise what this album is about.
In terms of its track-listing, It keeps the balance between ballads and rockers, it is super solid all-around, no weak tracks or mind-blowing highlights (with the obvious exception of Mississippi), all of them contribute their fair share to the greatest picture that this album paints.
The opening track might fool you with the Tweedle Brothers (Alice In Wonderland reference) but it’s not the first time he uses offbeat characters to deliver his message, it masterfully sets the tone. Our world makes as little sense as Alice’s one – and that spells doom. Mississippi (it’s worth pointing out that it was originally supposed to be included in Time Out Of Mind instead. Hard to tell, but I’d say it was a fortunate turn of events) is an epic, despite being only 5 minutes long, I’d go as far as to say that it’s the best song he’s written in the last 30 years – even if we include the ‘80s, the only two songs that come close are Brownsville Girl and Every Grain Of Sand, but I think it edges them out. It’s been said that each verse is a song on its own and that’s a reasonable claim. Rarely has regret been portrayed in such a powerful manner. That being said, regret isn’t entirely personal, the core of the song is clearly political, it keeps the theme of the opening track, world – and especially Mississippi - has gone wrong, really wrong. And you know what makes matters even worse? The situation is irreversible (“You can always come back, but you can’t come back all the way”). One of the most painful songs ever. I remember Summer Days used to be my favourite song here. Looking back, I can see why, up tempo, catchy music and easy going, funny lyrics that stick with you. It’s not top of the list anymore, but it’s up there. Its optimism makes a stark contrast with Mississippi, the respective points they try to make are polar opposites (She said, “You can’t repeat the past.” I said, “You can’t? What do you mean You can’t? Of course you can.”). After a punch in the face, this is exactly what the listener needs. Bye and Bye is a weird one, it’s as if he’s trying to create the least melodic tune ever, not to mention it features a hero whose strong affection is confusing – maybe a stalker, a psycho, whatever, his dark side is there. And the last verse, man, touché! Lonesome Day Blues is more or less what its name suggests, straightforward blues for 6+ minutes, which sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it’s far from it, it’s flawlessly executed. Floater (Too Much To Ask) is probably the most memorable tune here, one of those you could play all day. High Water (For Charley Patton) is a song with a high degree of the “regionality” I mentioned earlier, as it seems to be about Mississippi’s flood. On the other hand, the more you pay attention, that’s the lesser evil, there’s poverty, corruption, death, etc. Moonlight is another case of “dark song initially dressed up as romantic” in the style of Bye And Bye. How from peace, harmony, tranquility we get clouds turning crimson, leaves falling, branches casting their shadows, it gives me the chills every time. Honest with Me comes out of nowhere and suddenly it’s the 60s all over again, it rocks super hard, I love it.
A main talking point regarding this album has been how his tendency to “borrow” from other artists reached new heights. He spent many albums paying tribute to his idols and this has to be the best of the bunch in that regard. Despite the controversy it caused, you can’t deny it has enough artistic merit of its own.
All in all, it’s a great album, but I don’t have that much to say about it. Just as it was the case with Time Out Of Mind, I need to spend more time with it in order to sort of understand what’s going on here, which works both ways: maybe it will climb higher, maybe I’m overrating it because of its potential and in the end it won’t live up to the expectations.
Score: 8.7/10
Pain, loss and violence are central themes. The characters here are struggling, they find themselves in the middle of a crisis, struck by disaster. If you were to guess, they would feel at home in the American South at the dawn of the 20th and not the 21th century, that’s another aspect that sets it apart from Time Out Of Mind. Lines like “today has been a sad ol' lonesome day” or “another one of them endless days” or “I’m avoiding the Southside the best I can” perfectly summarise what this album is about.
In terms of its track-listing, It keeps the balance between ballads and rockers, it is super solid all-around, no weak tracks or mind-blowing highlights (with the obvious exception of Mississippi), all of them contribute their fair share to the greatest picture that this album paints.
The opening track might fool you with the Tweedle Brothers (Alice In Wonderland reference) but it’s not the first time he uses offbeat characters to deliver his message, it masterfully sets the tone. Our world makes as little sense as Alice’s one – and that spells doom. Mississippi (it’s worth pointing out that it was originally supposed to be included in Time Out Of Mind instead. Hard to tell, but I’d say it was a fortunate turn of events) is an epic, despite being only 5 minutes long, I’d go as far as to say that it’s the best song he’s written in the last 30 years – even if we include the ‘80s, the only two songs that come close are Brownsville Girl and Every Grain Of Sand, but I think it edges them out. It’s been said that each verse is a song on its own and that’s a reasonable claim. Rarely has regret been portrayed in such a powerful manner. That being said, regret isn’t entirely personal, the core of the song is clearly political, it keeps the theme of the opening track, world – and especially Mississippi - has gone wrong, really wrong. And you know what makes matters even worse? The situation is irreversible (“You can always come back, but you can’t come back all the way”). One of the most painful songs ever. I remember Summer Days used to be my favourite song here. Looking back, I can see why, up tempo, catchy music and easy going, funny lyrics that stick with you. It’s not top of the list anymore, but it’s up there. Its optimism makes a stark contrast with Mississippi, the respective points they try to make are polar opposites (She said, “You can’t repeat the past.” I said, “You can’t? What do you mean You can’t? Of course you can.”). After a punch in the face, this is exactly what the listener needs. Bye and Bye is a weird one, it’s as if he’s trying to create the least melodic tune ever, not to mention it features a hero whose strong affection is confusing – maybe a stalker, a psycho, whatever, his dark side is there. And the last verse, man, touché! Lonesome Day Blues is more or less what its name suggests, straightforward blues for 6+ minutes, which sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it’s far from it, it’s flawlessly executed. Floater (Too Much To Ask) is probably the most memorable tune here, one of those you could play all day. High Water (For Charley Patton) is a song with a high degree of the “regionality” I mentioned earlier, as it seems to be about Mississippi’s flood. On the other hand, the more you pay attention, that’s the lesser evil, there’s poverty, corruption, death, etc. Moonlight is another case of “dark song initially dressed up as romantic” in the style of Bye And Bye. How from peace, harmony, tranquility we get clouds turning crimson, leaves falling, branches casting their shadows, it gives me the chills every time. Honest with Me comes out of nowhere and suddenly it’s the 60s all over again, it rocks super hard, I love it.
A main talking point regarding this album has been how his tendency to “borrow” from other artists reached new heights. He spent many albums paying tribute to his idols and this has to be the best of the bunch in that regard. Despite the controversy it caused, you can’t deny it has enough artistic merit of its own.
All in all, it’s a great album, but I don’t have that much to say about it. Just as it was the case with Time Out Of Mind, I need to spend more time with it in order to sort of understand what’s going on here, which works both ways: maybe it will climb higher, maybe I’m overrating it because of its potential and in the end it won’t live up to the expectations.
Score: 8.7/10
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,445
Rank in 2001:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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I don’t know if it’s the most popular opinion out there, but this could very well be the most unique entry in his catalogue. I’ve already brought up multiple times his tendency to take the time and develop each idea/concept in the space of two or three albums. So, it’s 1967, his Bringing It All Back Home/Highway 61 Revisited/Blonde On Blonde trilogy set the world on fire. Now, it’s time to push aside his edginess and go back to basics – maybe that’s why it gets overlooked whenever his best albums are being discussed, as up to this point he was moving forward, there was a natural progression from album to album and here he broke the chain of events so to speak, it’s hard to put it in the same category with any of his other records. He shows once more that he does what he wants, he enjoys full creative freedom and doesn’t subject to any cause, style, whatever, exactly how an artist should proceed, trusting his instinct instead of buckling under popular demand – and his next releases would see him dive head first into this mentality, Self Portrait being the pinnacle of it all.
First things first, I love the album cover, what a cool company that is, can I hang out with you guys? It’s probably my favourite of his, the only one coming close being Time Out Of Mind. It might have come as a surprise that this album ended so high, mainly due to its sound – which closely resembles that of Nashville Skyline and you all know what I think of it. Sure, the country influence is there, but at no point does it get annoying. In general the music is restrained, it doesn’t act disturbing and it stays in the background, its sole purpose is to accompany Dylan’s stories - his harmonica is always on point, one of his very best performances in that regard. And what great stories they are. He changes direction once more, this time he is the voice of society’s outsiders, which might remind you of his acoustic trilogy, but this doesn’t have the protesting mood or the journalistic scope of those albums, it’s more about entertaining you through these stories than it is about throwing the – be it moral/political/whatever – message in your face. If there’s a meaning here, you have to work hard to get into it. Also, it’s more personal – you could argue we view these tales through an autobiographical lens - but not in the poetic (critics love calling it visionary), private and cryptic way of Blonde On Blonde. It goes without saying that it has nothing to do with Nashville Skyline’s incurable romance or New Morning’s “life is wonderful, be grateful for what you got” attitude. If there’s an album that could make for a valid comparison, it would have to be The Basement Tapes – this one’s a “on steroids” version of it, as the latter isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but fundamentally it’s the only record of his that somehow makes sense to be grouped together.
So, the opening and self-titled track presents us the eponymous character, an outlaw with high-minded intentions. You don’t have to conduct any kind of extensive research to discover it’s far from an accurate biography, specific details or facts don’t matter that much, it’s all about the legend, a persistent pattern in Dylan’s work.
As I Went Out One Morning is a nice and special one, the one thing that always stands out for me is how the vocals have a Beatlesque charm, it wouldn’t feel out of place in Magical Mystery Tour or Sgt. Peppers.
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine and its sort of biblical imagery is some of the most powerful of his entire career, it describes a feverish dream that ends abruptly in a moment of self-realisation and overwhelming sense of guilt, where dramatic intensity reaches its peak –and as a result proves to be immensely relieving, if not outright cathartic, which makes for an interesting choice, one that characterises most songs here, so more on that in the next paragraph.
Of course, the all-time classic All Along The Watchtower cannot be ignored – Jimi Hendrix’s version is cool and stuff, but it’s a shame it has overshadowed the original. The joker and the thief may not be subject to a detailed character development – I mean, the song being barely two and a half minutes long doesn’t help - but they are two of his most memorable figures and the close-mouthed presentation adds to their enigmatic charm. The joker points out society’s inherent flaws, greed and corruption among the most obvious ones, while the thief is a man of action, pondering theoretical questions is ok, but something needs to be done. This song perfectly exemplifies the shift in songwriting between Blonde On Blonde and John Wesley Harding. The characters are just as trapped, confused but they aren’t eternally stuck, “there must be some way out of here” – same thing with the climax of I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine right above – there’s progress that leads to some kind of resolution being offered, which isn’t necessarily a better or worse approach, just goes on to show how his songwriting constantly evolves. This is further emphasised by the up-tempo, dramatic, creating a sense of urgency - the end is near - musical accompaniment.
It’s cool that the joker and the thief are immediately followed by another fiery duet, namely Frankie Lee and Judas Priest. It’s obvious that the dynamics are completely different. We witnessed how seemingly different characters can work together for a greater cause, now we get to see how the ones who appear to be on the same side can cause each other’s demise. In short, cooperation gives way to confrontation. Anyway, you can’t deny it is another monumental songwriting achievement. It’s exciting enough if you accept the – rather obvious - religious interpretation. If you go beyond that, that’s when the real fun starts, good luck and enjoy yourself down the rabbit hole.
Drifter’s Escape is the story of another outcast who shares a similar fate with our old friends, the joker and the thief. The songs’ structures are surprisingly alike. The first verse finds him captive, social injustice rules the world and it seems as if there’s nothing to be done about it. The second verse takes a step back and adds a philosophical dimension by dropping a question of futility (“Why must you even try”) and the third verse provides closure, he makes it through, he is free – no matter if it’s due to organised resistance or pure luck. And of course shades of Dylan’s own path are more evident than ever. If Dylan is the drifter, then this album is the bolt of lightning that allowed him to escape his predetermined course, his destiny. Something has to be said about the judge, too, another person of interest, whose presence may be short-lived, but remains extremely memorable. He’s struggling just as much and is arguably even weaker, calling him powerless – if not outright oppressed - wouldn’t be a stretch.
Dear Landlord could quite possibly be about God (that’s usually the dullest way you can look at a song, no offence, but there’s something mystifying, otherworldly in this song, probably the piano is the main factor) or about Dylan’s relationship with his manager or a number of things, many ideas fit this concept and make it universally relatable.
In I Am A Lonesome Hobo we witness a reversal of the main narrative. “Where another man’s life might begin That’s exactly where mine ends” being the key lines that showcase this slight but essential shift. The “life” of the characters, their current state of mind you will, is one of confusion, for him it’s a thing of the past, he can see now. If we look at the previous examples, the disorientated characters had already reached the bottom of the barrel. This man was at the height of his power when he was blinded by his greed, his fall has led him to a moment of clarity.
Next comes I Pity The Poor Immigrant. Hmm, Dylan has a funny idea of what pity means, his acerbic description gives the impression he hates him instead. The immigrant is depicted as anything but poor, his weakness derives from his ignorance, he believes he has all the answers and then reality kicks in (“Whose visions in the final end must shatter like the glass” is one of my favourite lines in John Wesley Harding or
First things first, I love the album cover, what a cool company that is, can I hang out with you guys? It’s probably my favourite of his, the only one coming close being Time Out Of Mind. It might have come as a surprise that this album ended so high, mainly due to its sound – which closely resembles that of Nashville Skyline and you all know what I think of it. Sure, the country influence is there, but at no point does it get annoying. In general the music is restrained, it doesn’t act disturbing and it stays in the background, its sole purpose is to accompany Dylan’s stories - his harmonica is always on point, one of his very best performances in that regard. And what great stories they are. He changes direction once more, this time he is the voice of society’s outsiders, which might remind you of his acoustic trilogy, but this doesn’t have the protesting mood or the journalistic scope of those albums, it’s more about entertaining you through these stories than it is about throwing the – be it moral/political/whatever – message in your face. If there’s a meaning here, you have to work hard to get into it. Also, it’s more personal – you could argue we view these tales through an autobiographical lens - but not in the poetic (critics love calling it visionary), private and cryptic way of Blonde On Blonde. It goes without saying that it has nothing to do with Nashville Skyline’s incurable romance or New Morning’s “life is wonderful, be grateful for what you got” attitude. If there’s an album that could make for a valid comparison, it would have to be The Basement Tapes – this one’s a “on steroids” version of it, as the latter isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but fundamentally it’s the only record of his that somehow makes sense to be grouped together.
So, the opening and self-titled track presents us the eponymous character, an outlaw with high-minded intentions. You don’t have to conduct any kind of extensive research to discover it’s far from an accurate biography, specific details or facts don’t matter that much, it’s all about the legend, a persistent pattern in Dylan’s work.
As I Went Out One Morning is a nice and special one, the one thing that always stands out for me is how the vocals have a Beatlesque charm, it wouldn’t feel out of place in Magical Mystery Tour or Sgt. Peppers.
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine and its sort of biblical imagery is some of the most powerful of his entire career, it describes a feverish dream that ends abruptly in a moment of self-realisation and overwhelming sense of guilt, where dramatic intensity reaches its peak –and as a result proves to be immensely relieving, if not outright cathartic, which makes for an interesting choice, one that characterises most songs here, so more on that in the next paragraph.
Of course, the all-time classic All Along The Watchtower cannot be ignored – Jimi Hendrix’s version is cool and stuff, but it’s a shame it has overshadowed the original. The joker and the thief may not be subject to a detailed character development – I mean, the song being barely two and a half minutes long doesn’t help - but they are two of his most memorable figures and the close-mouthed presentation adds to their enigmatic charm. The joker points out society’s inherent flaws, greed and corruption among the most obvious ones, while the thief is a man of action, pondering theoretical questions is ok, but something needs to be done. This song perfectly exemplifies the shift in songwriting between Blonde On Blonde and John Wesley Harding. The characters are just as trapped, confused but they aren’t eternally stuck, “there must be some way out of here” – same thing with the climax of I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine right above – there’s progress that leads to some kind of resolution being offered, which isn’t necessarily a better or worse approach, just goes on to show how his songwriting constantly evolves. This is further emphasised by the up-tempo, dramatic, creating a sense of urgency - the end is near - musical accompaniment.
It’s cool that the joker and the thief are immediately followed by another fiery duet, namely Frankie Lee and Judas Priest. It’s obvious that the dynamics are completely different. We witnessed how seemingly different characters can work together for a greater cause, now we get to see how the ones who appear to be on the same side can cause each other’s demise. In short, cooperation gives way to confrontation. Anyway, you can’t deny it is another monumental songwriting achievement. It’s exciting enough if you accept the – rather obvious - religious interpretation. If you go beyond that, that’s when the real fun starts, good luck and enjoy yourself down the rabbit hole.
Drifter’s Escape is the story of another outcast who shares a similar fate with our old friends, the joker and the thief. The songs’ structures are surprisingly alike. The first verse finds him captive, social injustice rules the world and it seems as if there’s nothing to be done about it. The second verse takes a step back and adds a philosophical dimension by dropping a question of futility (“Why must you even try”) and the third verse provides closure, he makes it through, he is free – no matter if it’s due to organised resistance or pure luck. And of course shades of Dylan’s own path are more evident than ever. If Dylan is the drifter, then this album is the bolt of lightning that allowed him to escape his predetermined course, his destiny. Something has to be said about the judge, too, another person of interest, whose presence may be short-lived, but remains extremely memorable. He’s struggling just as much and is arguably even weaker, calling him powerless – if not outright oppressed - wouldn’t be a stretch.
Dear Landlord could quite possibly be about God (that’s usually the dullest way you can look at a song, no offence, but there’s something mystifying, otherworldly in this song, probably the piano is the main factor) or about Dylan’s relationship with his manager or a number of things, many ideas fit this concept and make it universally relatable.
In I Am A Lonesome Hobo we witness a reversal of the main narrative. “Where another man’s life might begin That’s exactly where mine ends” being the key lines that showcase this slight but essential shift. The “life” of the characters, their current state of mind you will, is one of confusion, for him it’s a thing of the past, he can see now. If we look at the previous examples, the disorientated characters had already reached the bottom of the barrel. This man was at the height of his power when he was blinded by his greed, his fall has led him to a moment of clarity.
Next comes I Pity The Poor Immigrant. Hmm, Dylan has a funny idea of what pity means, his acerbic description gives the impression he hates him instead. The immigrant is depicted as anything but poor, his weakness derives from his ignorance, he believes he has all the answers and then reality kicks in (“Whose visions in the final end must shatter like the glass” is one of my favourite lines in John Wesley Harding or
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,020
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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It’s been quiet for a while, time to drop a bomb. I can admit it now, ranking this album has been a headache and took me way above average. I was trying to convince myself I can rank it a bit higher, 9th spot feels plain wrong no matter how one looks at it. Despite my best efforts, there are 8 Bob Dylan records that mean more to me, it is what it is. It’s worth pointing out that I was lucky enough to be exposed to Bob Dylan at a relatively young age and this was the one that started it all, the first album of his that I ever listened. Considering how nostalgic I am generally speaking, that’s another reason it should end up a bit – or a lot - higher.
The title, making a reference to the Highway 61 Blues and paying homage to his beloved blues tradition, tells you all you need to know about the direction this album intends to take – the addition of the word “Revisited” leaving no doubt he’s going to take the next step, you better be ready to follow along or you'll miss it. If Bringing It All Back Home is an angry yell, Highway 61 Revisited is a deafening roar, it’s finally time to rock. It presents rock at its purest form compared to the other two parts of the trilogy. It’s primitive yet daring and innovative, hard yet accessible (there’s a reason most people think it’s his best), raw yet stylish and sophisticated (great piano throughout and combining it with an organ was a cool idea, which as far as I can tell hasn’t been used that often), is there anything more one could ask for?
If you told me this is the best example this genre has to offer, I would easily believe you without asking any questions. Bringing It All Back Home and Blonde On Blonde (each of them in a different way) are much more than that, they go to places this doesn’t and as a result end up higher on my list. But if we are talking about rock music as I have it in my mind, that’s as good as it gets. Actually, when people ask me “what music do you like?” and I’m not in the mood for any detailed analysis, my go-to generic answer is rock. Five minutes later, I find myself thinking “dude, that was a blatant lie”. Then I remember this album exists, so it’s all good.
By the way, if one takes into account that The Times They Are A-Changin’ finished lower than The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and Another Side Of Bob Dylan, you might notice an interesting pattern: I consider the second album of each trilogy the weakest. Maybe the first one comes with the excitement and the joy of discovering the great unknown, while the third sees him slowly losing interest and setting off for new escapades, adding new twists to the already established ideas. The second sees him fully embrace said concepts, offering a close-up of them that is more or less flawlessly executed, but ends up just a tiny bit less interesting than the other two.
Moving on, I can’t help but notice that the whole “Dylan goes electric” narrative is a bit hm…, not sure how to call it, superficial maybe? No, misleading is the word. I mean, it’s not false or anything, everyone who happens to have a pair of ears could be called on to testify. The thing is it focuses on the most obvious – and controversial if you will - aspect of his transformation and ignores other equally – if not more – essential elements of it. One major issue I had while preparing this comment is if the points regarding the shift in his songwriting should be covered here or in Bringing It All Back Home – not to mention traces of it can be spotted all the way back to Another Side Of Bob Dylan, which goes on to show that his growth as a songwriter has little to do with “going electric”. Doing justice to my title as the great procrastinator, I decided to save it for Bringing It All Back Home. Also, I can already see this comment getting out of control length-wise, better not overload it.
Opening with his most classic song (for real, is there a more iconic moment in music history than the snare drum that opens Like A Rolling Stone?) and it’s worth all the praise it’s received – but if you want my hot take, it’s barely a top-3 song here, which speaks volumes about the quality of the rest of the material here and is by no means a criticism towards it. Its structure is nothing short of awe-inspiring. It starts as a fairy tale, everything’s rosy for our little princess. The verses slowly build up in intensity, he triumphantly strips her of all the glory and grandeur that surrounds her, as he puts on display her flaws (she Is arrogant, pretentious, insensitive, disrespectful, superficial, you name it) that lead to her dramatic, thundering fall. I’ve always had the impression that the chorus is meant to release tension, a moment of catharsis, she’s reached the bottom of the barrel, his “attack” is less vicious, almost soft. And the one million dollar question: Who is it addressed to? Is it real-life inspired, is there a specific person, could it be a friend that betrayed him or a lover that left him, or no one in particular (as the last verse opens up to include “all the pretty people”)? It doesn’t matter that much, some things are better left unsaid (and it inspires everyone to draw his own conclusions, some of them are surprisingly inventive, there’s even an interpretation that the song deals with drugs, i.e. the person in question had everything, did drugs and lost it all, had a good laugh while reading it, but I have to admit this theory is a stretch to say the least). One thing’s for sure, the bitterness comes through crystal clear, that’s the epitome of a diss track a good 3 decades before they were cool. Even the finest efforts (No Vaseline, Ether, Hit Em Up, etc.) would have a hard time keeping up with this. Another technique he’s mastered during this stage of his career is his tendency to include various, seemingly random yet undeniably mysterious and fascinating characters that add an extra dimension to each song (in this case it’s the mystery tramp, the diplomat and his Siamese Cat and of course Napoleon in rags). The way he handles the chorus, for example changing lyrics from one to the other, is of interest as well, though I have to resort to my favourite method of pointing to another album, as the chorus “manipulation” so to speak reached its peak in Blonde On Blonde, thus I’ll keep this subject for later.
The second track, Tombstone Blues, sees him further explore his rapping antics, it could have come straight out of Bringing It All Back Home and it could just as easily pass as a sequel of Subterranean Homesick Blues. Speaking of quirky characters, this one goes above and beyond, I won’t even bother naming all of them, it would take forever. Now, were I to try and make sense of it all, that would be something else – I’m not sure Dylan himself could do it. A few years back I spent tons of time trying to change the order of some lines / reorganise the verses and make it work. It goes without saying it proved to be a futile attempt. Maybe, it’s better to accept it for what it is, simply entertaining, vibrant, neurotic to the point of almost being out of its senses blues/rock. That being said, there’s a stab against modern capitalist society that’s hard to miss. And of course the “Where Ma Rainey and Beethoven once unwrapped their bedroll tuba players now rehearse around the flagpole” line is one of my all-time favourites. Scratch that, the entire song is one of my favourites and I’d – watch your step, blasphemy ahead – take it over Like A Rolling Stone without a second thought.
Then we enter the part of the album that, for me, leaves a lot to be desired and if I were to find a more tangible reason – apart from the ones I ‘ve already brought up - I don’t rate it any higher, I’d point towards it . Now, you may ask, are the 8 albums above it flawless? Nope, but they have something else going for them, here the consistency – I’m sure someone’s already explained to you how it’s pound for pound the best album ever, 9 perfect songs in 50 minutes - is one of its main selling points, so it’s harder to ignore it. To put it into a more specific context, I’d go as far as to say that I consider Blonde On Blonde superior when comparing their track listing (the debate
The title, making a reference to the Highway 61 Blues and paying homage to his beloved blues tradition, tells you all you need to know about the direction this album intends to take – the addition of the word “Revisited” leaving no doubt he’s going to take the next step, you better be ready to follow along or you'll miss it. If Bringing It All Back Home is an angry yell, Highway 61 Revisited is a deafening roar, it’s finally time to rock. It presents rock at its purest form compared to the other two parts of the trilogy. It’s primitive yet daring and innovative, hard yet accessible (there’s a reason most people think it’s his best), raw yet stylish and sophisticated (great piano throughout and combining it with an organ was a cool idea, which as far as I can tell hasn’t been used that often), is there anything more one could ask for?
If you told me this is the best example this genre has to offer, I would easily believe you without asking any questions. Bringing It All Back Home and Blonde On Blonde (each of them in a different way) are much more than that, they go to places this doesn’t and as a result end up higher on my list. But if we are talking about rock music as I have it in my mind, that’s as good as it gets. Actually, when people ask me “what music do you like?” and I’m not in the mood for any detailed analysis, my go-to generic answer is rock. Five minutes later, I find myself thinking “dude, that was a blatant lie”. Then I remember this album exists, so it’s all good.
By the way, if one takes into account that The Times They Are A-Changin’ finished lower than The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and Another Side Of Bob Dylan, you might notice an interesting pattern: I consider the second album of each trilogy the weakest. Maybe the first one comes with the excitement and the joy of discovering the great unknown, while the third sees him slowly losing interest and setting off for new escapades, adding new twists to the already established ideas. The second sees him fully embrace said concepts, offering a close-up of them that is more or less flawlessly executed, but ends up just a tiny bit less interesting than the other two.
Moving on, I can’t help but notice that the whole “Dylan goes electric” narrative is a bit hm…, not sure how to call it, superficial maybe? No, misleading is the word. I mean, it’s not false or anything, everyone who happens to have a pair of ears could be called on to testify. The thing is it focuses on the most obvious – and controversial if you will - aspect of his transformation and ignores other equally – if not more – essential elements of it. One major issue I had while preparing this comment is if the points regarding the shift in his songwriting should be covered here or in Bringing It All Back Home – not to mention traces of it can be spotted all the way back to Another Side Of Bob Dylan, which goes on to show that his growth as a songwriter has little to do with “going electric”. Doing justice to my title as the great procrastinator, I decided to save it for Bringing It All Back Home. Also, I can already see this comment getting out of control length-wise, better not overload it.
Opening with his most classic song (for real, is there a more iconic moment in music history than the snare drum that opens Like A Rolling Stone?) and it’s worth all the praise it’s received – but if you want my hot take, it’s barely a top-3 song here, which speaks volumes about the quality of the rest of the material here and is by no means a criticism towards it. Its structure is nothing short of awe-inspiring. It starts as a fairy tale, everything’s rosy for our little princess. The verses slowly build up in intensity, he triumphantly strips her of all the glory and grandeur that surrounds her, as he puts on display her flaws (she Is arrogant, pretentious, insensitive, disrespectful, superficial, you name it) that lead to her dramatic, thundering fall. I’ve always had the impression that the chorus is meant to release tension, a moment of catharsis, she’s reached the bottom of the barrel, his “attack” is less vicious, almost soft. And the one million dollar question: Who is it addressed to? Is it real-life inspired, is there a specific person, could it be a friend that betrayed him or a lover that left him, or no one in particular (as the last verse opens up to include “all the pretty people”)? It doesn’t matter that much, some things are better left unsaid (and it inspires everyone to draw his own conclusions, some of them are surprisingly inventive, there’s even an interpretation that the song deals with drugs, i.e. the person in question had everything, did drugs and lost it all, had a good laugh while reading it, but I have to admit this theory is a stretch to say the least). One thing’s for sure, the bitterness comes through crystal clear, that’s the epitome of a diss track a good 3 decades before they were cool. Even the finest efforts (No Vaseline, Ether, Hit Em Up, etc.) would have a hard time keeping up with this. Another technique he’s mastered during this stage of his career is his tendency to include various, seemingly random yet undeniably mysterious and fascinating characters that add an extra dimension to each song (in this case it’s the mystery tramp, the diplomat and his Siamese Cat and of course Napoleon in rags). The way he handles the chorus, for example changing lyrics from one to the other, is of interest as well, though I have to resort to my favourite method of pointing to another album, as the chorus “manipulation” so to speak reached its peak in Blonde On Blonde, thus I’ll keep this subject for later.
The second track, Tombstone Blues, sees him further explore his rapping antics, it could have come straight out of Bringing It All Back Home and it could just as easily pass as a sequel of Subterranean Homesick Blues. Speaking of quirky characters, this one goes above and beyond, I won’t even bother naming all of them, it would take forever. Now, were I to try and make sense of it all, that would be something else – I’m not sure Dylan himself could do it. A few years back I spent tons of time trying to change the order of some lines / reorganise the verses and make it work. It goes without saying it proved to be a futile attempt. Maybe, it’s better to accept it for what it is, simply entertaining, vibrant, neurotic to the point of almost being out of its senses blues/rock. That being said, there’s a stab against modern capitalist society that’s hard to miss. And of course the “Where Ma Rainey and Beethoven once unwrapped their bedroll tuba players now rehearse around the flagpole” line is one of my all-time favourites. Scratch that, the entire song is one of my favourites and I’d – watch your step, blasphemy ahead – take it over Like A Rolling Stone without a second thought.
Then we enter the part of the album that, for me, leaves a lot to be desired and if I were to find a more tangible reason – apart from the ones I ‘ve already brought up - I don’t rate it any higher, I’d point towards it . Now, you may ask, are the 8 albums above it flawless? Nope, but they have something else going for them, here the consistency – I’m sure someone’s already explained to you how it’s pound for pound the best album ever, 9 perfect songs in 50 minutes - is one of its main selling points, so it’s harder to ignore it. To put it into a more specific context, I’d go as far as to say that I consider Blonde On Blonde superior when comparing their track listing (the debate
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
31,075
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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So much for our Cinderella story, it somehow sneaked in the top-10, which is no small feat.
Man, this album sounds so old, so tired. The very first note is a wake-up call for those ancient melodies that have been dormant for so long. At the same time, they come with an irresistible sense of familiarity, they had remained elusive so far, but they’ve always been an inherent part of our subconscious, as if they were in our blood before we were born, they might be even older than life itself, never having been touched by a human hand and as a result they instantly become memorable.
Despite being highly entertaining, as all the tales that are being narrated here are extremely fascinating and offer us a glimpse of a different , not necessarily warmer, happier or more beautiful - things get ugly in a few tracks and a potential bloodbath is always round the corner - but definitely wonderful in its own way world, the aftermath is highly nostalgic, those days are buried in the past and they are never coming back. That’s exactly what differentiates this from other late era Dylan releases like Time Out Of Mind or Love And Theft which also focus – among other themes - on the subject of time, the balance between past and present, etc. Here he longs for the past and wishes it could come back to life, in the aforementioned albums the past is filled with regrets, the burden of loss is unbearable and consequently appears just as bleak as the present and the future – but I’ve already commented on Time Out Of Mind, more on Love And Theft later.
Anyway, the main point is I am honestly convinced it’s one of his most exciting songwriting efforts which is a huge compliment if you take into account how wild the competition is. His voice shows some surprising versatility for his age, it can be rough (see Duquesne Whistle) or soft (see Soon After Midnight) it never fails to serve the purpose of any given song – Pay In Blood is the most impressive, the voice of a veteran who’s been around for at least 200-300 years (when he sings “I've been through hell” he is so believable it makes you uncomfortable– if the mummies were to rise from the dead, they wouldn’t be so rugged). I mean, having good stories isn’t enough, you have to be an equally good storyteller. By the way, one thing that’s always given me pleasure is to picture him being a bard in ancient or medieval times. When he ‘d arrive in a new town, the privileged ones that would have a first-hand experience with his show would be thrilled. Then, they would try to narrate the story themselves and it wouldn’t have half the same impact. Soon enough, he’d become a legend. Returning to Tempest, Dylan instantly draws you in and you don’t wanna miss a single word that comes out his mouth, it’s 68 minutes long and I can never tell its length. Quite the contrary, every time I realise it’s over I can’t quite believe it – apart from Dylan’s incomparable storytelling skills, credit is due to the backing band as well for creating a hypnotic atmosphere, slowly drowning In an ocean of nostalgia.
Duquesne Whistle is an excellent opening track, it acts as a time machine, our guide in this amazing journey. It is followed by Soon After Midnight, a romantic - in the old school way - song, it really gets you in the mood. Narrow Way is a nod to his Christianity era, far from being too “in your face”, never approaching anywhere close to annoying territory. Although it is probably the most predictable song here, nothing more than standard up-tempo blues combined with an intimidating running time of 7+ minutes, it is surprisingly enjoyable, not to mention it’s got some lines that could be viewed as humorous if taken out of context. Long And Wasted Years sees him momentarily return to his ‘60s self, expressing irony in a poetic way, although he’s not as ambiguous or cryptic as he was back then. Scarlet Town is the place no one wants to be, but everyone wants to hear about, can we make this a movie – preferably a Western - please? Pay In Blood is another highlight, the most brutal, violent song, but also the funniest, the man knows how to put a twist on anything he touches. Early Roman Kings is one of the lightest tracks here, despite presenting us a group of fearsome gangsters. Once again, it’s easy for Dylan to keep the balance between comedy, horror, tragedy, drama, adventure, etc. Speaking of adventure, Tin Angel is a fantastic one, the hazardous undertaking of a man getting back his wife will have you on the edge of your seat. And when you think it can’t get any better than that, here comes the self-titled track, wow, talk about one of his finest achievements. 10 Oscars and still can’t compete with Dylan’s take on Titanic – I don’t hate the movie, but here we’ve got something really special. Last but not least, a tribute to John Lennon that seemingly came out of nowhere – I haven’t done any research, but I had no idea they were that close-, but ends up being great and touching as it was supposed to be.
So, yeah, give this a chance – especially if you are fond of retro aesthetics or if you are a Dylan fan, though if it’s the latter I’m sure you’ve heard it all before.
Score: 8.4/10.
Man, this album sounds so old, so tired. The very first note is a wake-up call for those ancient melodies that have been dormant for so long. At the same time, they come with an irresistible sense of familiarity, they had remained elusive so far, but they’ve always been an inherent part of our subconscious, as if they were in our blood before we were born, they might be even older than life itself, never having been touched by a human hand and as a result they instantly become memorable.
Despite being highly entertaining, as all the tales that are being narrated here are extremely fascinating and offer us a glimpse of a different , not necessarily warmer, happier or more beautiful - things get ugly in a few tracks and a potential bloodbath is always round the corner - but definitely wonderful in its own way world, the aftermath is highly nostalgic, those days are buried in the past and they are never coming back. That’s exactly what differentiates this from other late era Dylan releases like Time Out Of Mind or Love And Theft which also focus – among other themes - on the subject of time, the balance between past and present, etc. Here he longs for the past and wishes it could come back to life, in the aforementioned albums the past is filled with regrets, the burden of loss is unbearable and consequently appears just as bleak as the present and the future – but I’ve already commented on Time Out Of Mind, more on Love And Theft later.
Anyway, the main point is I am honestly convinced it’s one of his most exciting songwriting efforts which is a huge compliment if you take into account how wild the competition is. His voice shows some surprising versatility for his age, it can be rough (see Duquesne Whistle) or soft (see Soon After Midnight) it never fails to serve the purpose of any given song – Pay In Blood is the most impressive, the voice of a veteran who’s been around for at least 200-300 years (when he sings “I've been through hell” he is so believable it makes you uncomfortable– if the mummies were to rise from the dead, they wouldn’t be so rugged). I mean, having good stories isn’t enough, you have to be an equally good storyteller. By the way, one thing that’s always given me pleasure is to picture him being a bard in ancient or medieval times. When he ‘d arrive in a new town, the privileged ones that would have a first-hand experience with his show would be thrilled. Then, they would try to narrate the story themselves and it wouldn’t have half the same impact. Soon enough, he’d become a legend. Returning to Tempest, Dylan instantly draws you in and you don’t wanna miss a single word that comes out his mouth, it’s 68 minutes long and I can never tell its length. Quite the contrary, every time I realise it’s over I can’t quite believe it – apart from Dylan’s incomparable storytelling skills, credit is due to the backing band as well for creating a hypnotic atmosphere, slowly drowning In an ocean of nostalgia.
Duquesne Whistle is an excellent opening track, it acts as a time machine, our guide in this amazing journey. It is followed by Soon After Midnight, a romantic - in the old school way - song, it really gets you in the mood. Narrow Way is a nod to his Christianity era, far from being too “in your face”, never approaching anywhere close to annoying territory. Although it is probably the most predictable song here, nothing more than standard up-tempo blues combined with an intimidating running time of 7+ minutes, it is surprisingly enjoyable, not to mention it’s got some lines that could be viewed as humorous if taken out of context. Long And Wasted Years sees him momentarily return to his ‘60s self, expressing irony in a poetic way, although he’s not as ambiguous or cryptic as he was back then. Scarlet Town is the place no one wants to be, but everyone wants to hear about, can we make this a movie – preferably a Western - please? Pay In Blood is another highlight, the most brutal, violent song, but also the funniest, the man knows how to put a twist on anything he touches. Early Roman Kings is one of the lightest tracks here, despite presenting us a group of fearsome gangsters. Once again, it’s easy for Dylan to keep the balance between comedy, horror, tragedy, drama, adventure, etc. Speaking of adventure, Tin Angel is a fantastic one, the hazardous undertaking of a man getting back his wife will have you on the edge of your seat. And when you think it can’t get any better than that, here comes the self-titled track, wow, talk about one of his finest achievements. 10 Oscars and still can’t compete with Dylan’s take on Titanic – I don’t hate the movie, but here we’ve got something really special. Last but not least, a tribute to John Lennon that seemingly came out of nowhere – I haven’t done any research, but I had no idea they were that close-, but ends up being great and touching as it was supposed to be.
So, yeah, give this a chance – especially if you are fond of retro aesthetics or if you are a Dylan fan, though if it’s the latter I’m sure you’ve heard it all before.
Score: 8.4/10.
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
584
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 39. Page 1 of 4
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Bob Dylan composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 9 | 23% | |
| 1970s | 10 | 26% | |
| 1980s | 7 | 18% | |
| 1990s | 4 | 10% | |
| 2000s | 4 | 10% | |
| 2010s | 4 | 10% | |
| 2020s | 1 | 3% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Bob Dylan | 38 | 97% | |
| Bob Dylan & The Band | 1 | 3% |
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We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.