Category Archives: Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

Overview-2011
Dylan released his first album in 1962. It is commonly cited that Dylan’s most important output lies in his trilogy of albums that he released between 1965-1966 (Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde), but since then, he has released 34 studio albums, 13 live albums, and he has had loads of charting singles. Maybe most impressive is that he is still going strong today (50 years after the release of his first album). As evidence of this, he embarked on what has been dubbed the “Never Ending Tour.” The tour started in 1988, and he is still touring today. It is estimated that he has played somewhere in the neighborhood of 2200 shows since the tour’s inception. Dylan’s musical style has shifted drastically over his 50-year career. He started as a folk protest singer. Then, in the mid-sixties (arguably his most important period) he shifted more toward rock, while keeping a heavy emphasis on his folk roots. In the late-sixties, he incorporated some country aspects into his sound. He had a major resurgence in the mid-70’s with Blood on the Tracks, and Desire, which I would described as roots, folk-rock albums. In essence, he has covered pretty much every imaginable style of music, but somehow it all just sounds like Dylan, which is what makes him truly remarkable.

Styles and Genres
Folk, rock, country, roots folk rock

Band Line-Up
Solo Artist: Bob Dylan

Other Line-Ups
It is notable to mention that Dylan’s backing band during his peak mid-sixties period was The Hawks. Shortly after their run with Dylan ended, they formed their own band simply called “The Band.”

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Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home
RMR Album Rating- 10

A final farewell to protest music, or is this Dylan’s most outspoken protest album to date?

More on that later, but one thing is for sure. This album is pure lyrical poetry. You can find countless interpretations of Dylan’s lyrics, but they are ambiguous in a way that nothing is completely clear, so everything is open to interpretation and discussion.

The two big controversies around this album are Dylan’s incorporation of electric instruments, and a final departure from the outspoken protest songs of his earlier albums.

Playing this album for the first time, I was most interested in the acoustic to electric transition, because there seems to be more written about that than any other aspect of this album, but there’s not a huge difference between the acoustic and electric tracks. It’s not as if Dylan was playing power cords, he was just incorporating a slightly new sound, which certainly enriches the album’s texture. So, the issue was not Dylan’s electric guitar; the issue was change. The fans saw Dylan as their folk protest hero, and going electric and shifting his lyrics away from topics of protest, meant that their hero was gone. However, Dylan didn’t care. He had no interest in being a protest hero. His interest was in creating music that he personally liked, which on Bringing It All Back Home, was not about protesting (at least not in the traditional sense).

It is commonly noted that Bringing It All Back Home is not based around protest songs, and on initial listen, I agreed with this completely, but I now disagree. Whether intentional or not (and I don’t think anything was unintentional with Dylan during this era), I think this is his most powerful protest album to date, but instead of protesting by speaking out against the government, politics, and whatever else, I think Dylan is protesting the act of protesting itself, and I hear evidence of this in almost every song on the album. Here are some examples:

“Subterranean Homesick Blues”: “Johnny’s in the basement/ mixing up the medicine/ I’m on the pavement/ thinking about the government.” Notice that Dylan is now just “thinking” about the government and not protesting or marching against it. He is now just content with his own thoughts. (Click here to listen to Subterranean Homesick Blues)

“Love Minus Zero/ No Limit”: “In the dime stores and bus stations/ People talk of situations/ Read books/ repeat quotations/ Draw conclusions on the wall.”  I think Dylan sees these people as protesters with no individual or unique thoughts of their own; he sees them as protesters for the sake of protesting– not for the sake of any certain cause. (Click here to listen to Love Minus Zero / No Limit)

“Bob Dylan’s 115^th Dream” “Well, I rapped upon a house/ with the US flag upon display/ I said, ‘Could you help me out, I got some friends down the way’/ The man says, ‘Get out of here, I’ll tear you limp from limb’/ I said, ‘You know they refused Jesus, too’/ He said, ‘You’re not Him’.” These might be the most important lines of the album, which (to me) clearly illustrate that Dylan believes protesting is essentially futile. There is so much you can read into these lines, but essentially, Dylan is realizing that if Jesus failed as a protester, than he certainly will as well.  (Click here to listen to Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream)

“It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding),” “Temptation’s page flies out the door/ you follow/ find yourself at war/ watch waterfalls of pity roar/ you feel to moan but unlike before/ you discover, that you’d just be one more person crying.” These lyrics are profoundly powerful, and in regard to my “protesting protest” concept, Dylan is clearly considering “moaning,” but he doesn’t because he knows that he would just be one more person “crying” about issues that he can’t control. (Click here to listen to It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding))

“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”: “Leave your stepping stones behind/ something calls for you/ forget the dead you’ve left/ they will not follow you/ the vagabond who’s rapping at your door/ Is standing in the clothes that you once wore/ strike another match/ go start a new, and it’s all over now/ Baby Blue.” This is a fitting last line to the album, and it is the final nail in the protest coffin. He is essentially saying that he’s moved on, and it is time for something new. The line about “standing in the clothes that you once wore” is also significant. At this time, Dylan was in the process of changing his image from wearing very plain work clothes (protester clothes) to leather and sunglasses (rock star clothes). These lines make for an incredible close to the album. (Click here to listen to It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue)

I also have to mention “Mr. Tambourine Man,” which is great and maybe the most catchy song on the album; however, it was written a year before the rest of the material, so it doesn’t quite have the same feel as the rest of the album, but this in no way detracts from the flow of the album, and its placement on the album is perfect, in that it gives the listener a slight intellectual break before diving into the last three songs, which are arguably the most intellectually demanding songs on the album.

Bringing It All Back Home is a must own album. It is intellectually challenging, packed with history, and it makes for a fun listen even if you’re not interested in history or intellectualism.

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Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
RMR Album Rating- 10

On “Like a Rolling Stone,” the opening track on Highway 61 Revisited, Dylan poses several questions, but the biggest questions are certainly: “How does it feel?” And, who is the song about?

Who is Miss Lonely? Is it Edie Sedgwick? Is it Joan Baez? Is it Marianne Faithful? Or, is it someone else? This question has been debated for decades, and the debate continues today.

Well to me, and contrary to popular belief, I think the answer is pretty clear. When Dylan sings, “How does it feel?” I believe Dylan thinks it feels pretty good, and I write “Dylan thinks” because I think that the song is autobiographical.

The central character is certainly a female (Miss Lonely), but the theme could apply to anyone, and in this case– it applies to Dylan, and as cynical as his lyrics might sound, I think this is an extremely positive song that above all else is about freedom. It’s about the freedom to do whatever one wants. Dylan even says in the closing lines of the song that “when you got nothing/ you got nothing to lose/ you’re invisible now/ you got no secrets to conceal.” Those lyrics say it all. At this point in Dylan’s career, he had experienced tremendous success as a folk singer. Because of this, the general public had essentially proclaimed him as their folk protest superhero. But, this is not what Dylan wanted.

“Dylan was unhappy with the public’s expectations of him, as well as the direction his career was going, and [he] seriously considered quitting the music business”… Dylan went on to remark that “‘Like a Rolling Stone’” changed it all.” (Wikipedia)

Musically, the song is outstanding as well. From the opening famous drum beat to the closing harmonica solo. This song is absolutely flawless in every way: the story, lyrics, music, texture, and of course Dylan’s aforementioned chorus of “How does it feel” are all simply incredible. (Click here to listen to Like a Rolling Stone).

As for the rest of the album, it presents 3 main ideas or themes:

#1: A shift to a full electric rock album
As mentioned, Dylan started his career as an acoustic folk singer. Then on Bringing it All Back Home, (this album’s predecessor) half the material is electric and half is acoustic. This resulted in a huge uproar in Dylan’s fan base, and it ultimately led to Dylan’s disillusionment with the music business in general. Lucky for us, it was this same disillusionment that led him to write “Like a Rolling Stone,” which then gave him the motivation to write Highway 61 Revisited as a full electric album. Compared to Bringing it All Back Home, which simply incorporated electric instruments in some songs, Highway 61 Revisited, is a full electric rock record, and this new sound is most apparent on “Tombstone Blues.” (Click here to listen to Tombstone Blues)

#2: Themes about change
There are also lyrical themes of change in almost every song on the record. This is probably most apparent on “Ballad of a Thin Man.” The Mr. Jones character represents the masses, as in the phrase “keeping up with The Joneses.” The most important lyrical passage of the song deals with this idea and states that “something is happening here/ but you don’t know what it is/ do you/ Mister Jones?” I think Dylan’s view was that the world was changing (“something is happening here”), and the masses didn’t understand how or why, or even worse, they didn’t care (“but you don’t know what it is”). (Click here to listen to Ballad of a Thin Man)

#3: Themes about Women
Laced throughout many songs, Dylan adds themes about women. Although Dylan received some negative attention toward his portrayal of women on the album, I think this is misinterpreted. This is most evident on “Approximately Queen Jane.” On the surface, the song can be interpreted in a negative way, much like “Like A Rolling Stone,” but Dylan’s song meanings rarely rest on the surface, and the point of song is Dylan’s desire to help Queen Jane, and this is repeated in the chorus of “Won’t you come see me/ Queen Jane?” Although it’s never stated, I think Dylan’s message to Queen Jane would have been the same message and epiphany he had for himself in his lyrics to “Like A Rolling Stone,” which is freedom. (Click here to listen to Queen Jane Approximately)

Of the remaining songs, the standout is the closing track, “Desolation Row,” which is absolutely one of Dylan’s finest efforts. Lyrically, it is a complete poetic masterpiece, and every word and verse seems to be meticulously selected and precisely placed. Lastly, Dylan’s influence is still making its mark on new bands today, and My Chemical Romance (a newer rock band) covered a shortened version of “Desolation Row” in 2009. It’s certainly very different than Dylan’s version, but it’s an interesting comparison.

Click here to listen to My Chemical Romance’s Desolation Row
Click here to listen to Dylan’s original Desolation Row

Highway 61 Revisited sits in between the albums Bringing it All back Home and Blonde On Blonde, which many fans and critics consider to be not only Dylan’s greatest three albums, but also three of the greatest albums of all time.

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Bob Dylan Blonde On Blonde- 1966
RMR Album Rating- 10

Along with Bringing It All Back Home, and Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde completes the epic trilogy of albums that Dylan released during his peak period of 1965 and 1966.

The sound of Blonde on Blonde is completely unique, eclectic, and textured. Although Dylan wrote all 14 tracks on “Blonde on Blonde,” he was just one of 16 musicians who played on the album, and in total there were 10 different instruments used to create the record. All the sounds and players on the album are great, but the combination of Dylan’s vocals and harmonica layered over Al Kooper’s organ resonates with me the most. This combination of sound and texture seems to build up and get stronger throughout the album. Plus, Dylan and Kooper seem to play off each other in perfect unison on every track.

All the songs are winners, but the string of songs that starts with “Pledging my Time” and runs through “Stuck Inside A Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again” is my favorite sequence of songs.  This run of songs also includes “Visions of Johanna,” “One of Us Must Know,” and “I Want You.” It is important to note that on the original record you would have had to flip the first record over to complete this string of songs, but now (in the digital age) this is a not an issue, and the songs can be enjoyed without an interruption or break in the flow of music.

Click here to listen to Visions Of Johanna
Click here to listen to Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again

In addition to the string of songs I’ve already mentioned, the other highlights are “Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine),” “Absolutely Sweet Marie,” and “4^th Time Around.” The latter is particularly interesting because it is Dylan’s take on the Lennon penned Beatles song “Norwegian Wood.” It is commonly cited that Lennon wrote “Norwegian Wood” in Dylan’s style, so on “4^th Time Around,” Dylan is emulating Lennon, who had emulated Dylan.

Click here to listen to Dylan’s 4th Time Around
Click here to listen to The Beatles’ Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

Lastly, there’s “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands,” which Dylan wrote for his new wife Sara Lownds. Many fans and critics call it Dylan’s masterpiece. While I enjoy the song, I tend to disagree, for the song lacks a certain emotional resonance that Dylan is certainly capable of creating, and that I would expect from him, especially on his seminal love song.

There’s some interesting irony to the song’s lack of emotional resonance as well. In 1975 (10-years after the release of “Sad Eyed Lady”), Dylan released the song “Sara,” which he wrote while he and Sara were separated. Thus, if “Say Eyed Lady” is Dylan’s ode to his love for his new wife, than the song “Sara” is its counterpart, as it is his song of heartbreak and memories of their estranged relationship. So, here’s the ultimate irony:  “Sara” resonates with me on an emotional level much more than “Sad Eyed Lady” does. I’ve listened to “Sara” countless times, and its emotional resonance is so strong that I still get chills every time I hear it. You can just hear Dylan’s heartbreak in every line, especially when he references the time he spent writing “Say Eyed Lady” in the 4^th verse when he sings that he was “Staying up for days in the Chelsea Hotel/ writing ‘Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’ for you.” That line just makes me shiver every time I hear it, as does the line where he pleads to his estranged bride… “Sara, Sara/ you must forgive me my unworthiness.” Here are both songs for comparison:

Click here to listen to Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands
Click here to listen to Sara

Although “Sara” strikes more of an emotional chord with me than “Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands,” I don’t want to down play “Sad Eyed Lady’s” importance to Blonde On Blonde. It is a very vivid and poetic song, and the variety of imagery and metaphors that Dylan uses to describe Sara over its 11+ minute run time is simply astounding. Plus, on the original double album, it was the only track on the final 4^th side, giving the listener a sort of added climax or sturdy bookend to conclude the album in proper form.

In conclusion, for Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, I’ll just give two words: complete perfection. And lastly, since Blonde on Blonde represents the end of Dylan’s epic trilogy of albums, I will share some of my favorite lyrics from all three albums. Here are my top-10 favorites in no particular order…

#1: “Love Minus Zero/ No Limit”: In the dime stores and bus stations/ people talk of situations/ read books/ repeat quotations/ draw conclusions on the wall

#2: “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”: Leave your stepping stones behind/ something calls for you/ forget the dead you’ve left/ they will not follow you/ the vagabond who’s rapping at your door is standing in the clothes that you once wore/ strike another match/ go start a new/ and it’s all over now, Baby Blue

#3: “It’s alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding”: Temptation’s page flies out the door/ you follow, find yourself at war/ watch waterfalls of pity roar/ you feel to moan but unlike before/ you discover that you’d just be one more person crying

#4: “Like a Rolling Stone”: When you got nothing/ you got nothing to lose/ you’re invisible now/ you got no secrets to conceal

#5: “Pledging My Time”: Well, the room is so stuffy/ I can hardly breathe/ everybody’s gone but me and you/ And I can’t be the last to leave

#6: “Visions of Johanna”: In the empty lot where the ladies play blind man’s bluff with the key chain/ and the all-night girls they whisper of escapades out on the “D” train/ we can hear the night watchman click his flashlight/ ask himself if it’s him or them that’s really insane

#7: “Visions of Johanna”: Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule/ but these visions of Johanna, they make it all seem so cruel

#8: “Sooner or Later One of Us Must Know”: I couldn’t see how you could know me/ but you said you knew me and I believed you did/ when you whispered in my ear/ and asked me if I was leavin’ with you or her/I didn’t realize just what I did hear/ I didn’t realize how young you were

#9: “Stuck Inside a Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again”: Well, Shakespeare, he’s in the alley/ with his pointed shoes and his bells/ speaking to some French girl/ who says she knows me well/ and I would send a message/ to find out if she’s talked/ but the post office has been stolen/ and the mailbox is locked

#10: “Stuck Inside a Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again”: Mona tried to tell me/ to stay away from the train line/ she said that all the railroad men/ just drink up your blood like wine/ and I said, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that/ But then again, there’s only one I’ve met/ and he just smoked my eyelids/And punched my cigarette

So, I invite you to share your comments, but also share your favorite lyrical passages from Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde.

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