Artist: Bob Dylan
Release Date: August 30th, 1965
RS Greatest Albums of All Time Ranking: #4
Songs You'll Know: Like a Rolling Stone, Ballad of a Thin Man
Songs You May Have Missed: Tombstone Blues, Desolation Row
A Little History/Why This Album is Famous:
Bob Dylan is America's song-and-story man and Highway 61 Revisited just might be his magnum opus. It marks a significant turning point in Dylan's career, as it was his first album to be recorded using mostly electric instruments. Up until then, Dylan had recorded mostly acoustic music, which is one of the most defining characteristics of folk music. Because of this, Highway 61 Revisited has a bit of controversy surrounding it. On July 25th, 1965, Dylan famously performed an electric set at the Newport Folk Festival and was booed by the crowd for doing so. Some people felt performing with electric instruments did not align with the culture surrounding folk music and may have even regarded the decision to go electric as "selling out". Despite the poor reception, Dylan kept the electric sound and went into the studio 4 days later to record Highway 61 Revisited. The result produced an album referred to as "the start of the 60's" conceptually. This album is 50 years old (nearly to the day of this post!) and has continually been praised for its artistry, poetry, story-telling, and message. Beyond the controversy, Highway 61 Revisited is majorly famous for combining the sultry nature of blues music and the social consciousness of beat poetry. Dylan's voice, both vocally and creatively, is unique and it shows on this album
Comments:
When I first heard this album in about 2010, I was completely transfixed. I had never heard a Dylan album in full length and my knowledge of Dylan songs was more or less limited to "All Along the Watchtower" and "Like A Rolling Stone". I know, I know. That makes my status as a music lover questionable. Please accept my apologies. Anyway, I was really impressed with many aspects of the album: it's toe-tappin'-honky-tonk feel, masterfully written lyrics, and a high dose of harmonica solos. One thing that caught me negatively was Dylan's singing voice. Many people love his voice and I won't deny that it fits his music. That being said, it still hits my ears in an unpleasant way and does lower my affection for the music. However, when I give this or any other Dylan album a listen, it usually isn't long before I listen past the vocals and focus on the music and lyrics.
Highway 61 Revisited boasted Dylans top three most performed songs: "Like A Rolling Stone", "Highway 61 Revisited", and "Ballad of a Thin Man". It's easy to see why; these are three pretty killer songs. "Like A Rolling Stone" is possibly Dylan's most successful hit single. Even if you aren't very familiar with his music, you probably know it. Though I enjoy these three tracks, I have a different favorite from the album. "Tombstone Blues" is the absolute representation of the blues/folk mash-up sound for which this album is so famous. It has a driving beat that always toes the line of going off-kilter, but somehow manages to stay balanced. Above the bluesy guitar, a lyrical story about the abuse of power and the relationship between America's upper crust and lower class is spun. This song also features one of my most favorite lyrics: "The sun's not yellow, it's chicken". For me, this is basically a perfect Bob Dylan song. It has everything you're looking for.
As the years have gone by since my inaugural listen, combined with further exploration into the Bob Dylan catalog, my love for the album has waned a bit. I've come to terms with the fact that I am not a huge Dylan fan. I see the artistry and the importance of his music. There are usually a few tracks from each album that I genuinely love; I just haven't fallen head-over-heels for a full album yet. The closest I've come is Highway 61 Revisited and the album still remains special to me due to how I felt when I first heard it. Like many of the albums that are high on Rolling Stone's list (particularly the top 10), this album is an important piece of music history. Any of these albums may not be your cup of tea, but their place in music makes them worthy of a listen. Go forth and listen with open ears!
That's all for now. Up next is the Beatles' Rubber Soul.
Arugalater!
Laura
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