28. Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan.

 With trepidation, I press play. I have nine Bob Dylan songs, fifty one minutes of listening, coming my way. 

The opening track is familiar; "Like A Rolling Stone" is a pretty good song; so far so good. In fact, Rolling Stone magazine picked this track as number one on their compilation of the Greatest 500 Songs of All Time. I don't necessarily agree with that. But I am listening to it out of context many years later. Undeniably, it had an impact and was instrumental into propelling Dylan to icon status, and apparently was the impetus for a new direction in music, opening doors to new possibilities for following artists. So lets just say the album is off to a pretty good start.

 

 "Tombstone Blues" has some wicked guitar licks, it rambles along like a train barreling down the track. I like this one. The guitarist is Mike Bloomfield, and you can tell he did his time in the blues clubs of South Side Chicago. I was checking out "I'm Not There", a bizarre pseudo biopic about Dylan, and was pleased to hear this song played on a porch in the south with acoustic guitars by one of the characters, accompanied by Richie Havens and another musician. That was pretty cool. I didn't finish the movie. I may revisit it later and actually try to pay attention to it. I was in the mood for something a little more straightforward that evening.

 The inclusion of the band makes a huge difference to my ear. This album seems far more listenable than "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", with the band laying down the bluesy foundation for Dylan's lyrics. And his goddamned harmonica. There are a few moments where I would like to take it away from him, but he does a nice job on "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes a  Train to Cry". I guess it just isn't my cup of tea, I'm sure lots of fans really dig it. 

 "Ballad of A Thin Man" is dark and haunting. Whoever Mr. Jones is, Bob doesn't seem to care for him. The song is a departure from the more or less upbeat remainder of the album, and showcases Dylan's lyrical condemnation of the establishment. I have to say, while this track may not make my desert island playlist, it is definitely ear catching. "Queen Jane Approximately" is reminiscent of the opening track, and is an easy listen.

The title track has some kind of whistle throughout, which I found distracted me from Dylan's rambling lyrics. I guess it is a nice departure from the screeching harmonica. 

 "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is very listenable. I can't tell you what it is about, but it sounds good. I find it almost impossible to follow what the hell Mr. Dylan is talking about. I do like the flow and sound of his voice on this recording. The album finishes up with "Desolation Row". This tune has a nice guitar melody up front, and Dylan delivers the lyrics in a much more laid back fashion. It is a nice, inoffensive way to complete the album. I noticed that I didn't mention "From A Buick 6". I have nothing to say about it. I have listened to it several times and could not even tell you what it sounds like. 

 The album is ranked at number 4 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. I feel that is very, very, generous. Again, I'm taking the music out of context after the passage of nearly fifty years. I do find that the backing band makes Dylan far easier to listen to than on Freewheelin'. Going electric must have alienated many of the folk purists that had begun to follow his music. A final note, I know that Dylan is considered a prolific songwriter, but I'm finding the words aren't that important to me, which is unusual, and I'm certain that legions of his fans would say that I was completely missing the point. Likely so. It just isn't sparking the interest to settle down and listen to, consider, and interpret just what he is rambling on about. He lost me at "The sun isn't yellow, it's chicken". What on earth does that mean? Sigh. It takes all kinds, as they say.

Buy it here.