Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our 
from 3 reviews
Portions of this page Copyright 1948 - 2008 Muze Inc. 
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.Blonde on Blonde - Dylan, Bob (CD 1990)
Dylan's best - period!Review created: 10/15/00
by: jordango -- a member of Epinions
Pros:
14 incredible songs!
14 incredible songs!
Cons:
Might have wanted to do a few more takes of some of them.
Might have wanted to do a few more takes of some of them.
Picking Bob Dylan's best album (or should I say CD?) is a magical experience. There are so many good choices, including Blood on the Tracks in the 70s, Infidels in the 80s, and Time out of Mind in the 90s. But the 60s is when Dylan's creativity was at its height. Blonde on Blonde marks the third of an extraordinary quartet of recordings Another Side of Bob Dylan, Bringing it all Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. When Dylan wrote "I got a head full of ideas that are driving me insane" on "Maggie's Farm" he wasn't kidding!
Most of the 14 songs on Blonde on Blonde are about women, beginning with Rainy Day Women #12 and 35, the most famous song on the record ("EVERYBODY must get stoned!") and ending with the homage to Dylan's wife, Sarah (Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"). In between, among many others, are gems like "Visions of Johanna," "I Want You," "Just Like a Woman" and "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine."
"Visions of Johanna" is a great song, with a haunting harmonica combined with Dylan telling a marvelous tale of pain brought on by the ending of his relationship with Joan Baez combined with hearing other lovers together. The song begins with "Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're trying to be so quiet?" He's obviously in pain over the loss of the relationship ("These visions of Johanna that conquer my mind."), but he can't help but keep his sense of humor ("lights flicker in the opposite loft. In this room, the heat pipes just cough. The country music station plays soft, but there's nothing, really nothing to turn off."). "Visions of Johanna" is one of Dylan's best songs about lost love.
Another song about lost love that takes a much more angry tone is "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine." This song is about a relationship that is ending, with Dylan at his snarling best throughout. He ends the song with "You say you're sorry for tellin' stories
That you know I believe are true. You say you got some
Other kinda lover And yes, I believe you do. You say my kisses are not like his, But this time I'm not gonna tell you why that is.
I'm just gonna let you pass, and I'll go last. Time will tell who has fell
And who's been left behind, When you go your way and I go mine."
One of the sweetest songs that Dylan has ever wrote is "I Want You." With his harmonica leading the way, Dylan tries very hard to get the girl, pretty much telling her how much he wants her. "The guilty undertaker sighs, the lonesome organ grinder cries, the silver saxophone says I should refuse you. The cracked bells, the washed out horns blow into my face with scorn, but it's not that way, I wasn't born to lose you. I want you, I want you, I want you, so bad."
Dylan did most of this album in a few takes, aided by a number of musicians including Robbie Robertson and Al Kooper. In a few of the songs, he messes up the words slightly, but keeps going. "I Want You" is one of those. In the last verse, he appears to stumble over a few words, but just keeps going. Apparently producer Bob Johnston didn't see any reason to record it again. Or maybe Bob refused to record it again.
The last song on the record is Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. This song took up an entire side of an LP when it was available as an LP (it was a two record set). It's obvious that Bob loved his wife (the breakup of their marriage was the subject of 1976's Blood on the Tracks). He writes of her silky flesh, mercury mouth, saintlike face, beautiful voice and pretty, soulful eyes, and pledges his devotion to her. After all the anger, lost love and other issues going on in the rest of the album, this is a great way to end this one. The song is long and soulful. At more than ten minutes, it's probably Dylan's longest song. It's also one of his best.
It's hard to believe that Dylan was barely 25 when this was released. The Beatles apparently were blown away by this record and it was one of the inspirations for Sgt. Pepper's. At 25, Dylan had already written an enormous collection of songs including many that are classics today such as "Blowin' in the Wind," "The Times they are A'Changin'," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding," "Chimes of Freedom," "It Ain't Me Babe," "Like A Rolling Stone," and "Desolation Row."
If you only add one Dylan CD to your collection, make this the one.
Most of the 14 songs on Blonde on Blonde are about women, beginning with Rainy Day Women #12 and 35, the most famous song on the record ("EVERYBODY must get stoned!") and ending with the homage to Dylan's wife, Sarah (Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"). In between, among many others, are gems like "Visions of Johanna," "I Want You," "Just Like a Woman" and "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine."
"Visions of Johanna" is a great song, with a haunting harmonica combined with Dylan telling a marvelous tale of pain brought on by the ending of his relationship with Joan Baez combined with hearing other lovers together. The song begins with "Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're trying to be so quiet?" He's obviously in pain over the loss of the relationship ("These visions of Johanna that conquer my mind."), but he can't help but keep his sense of humor ("lights flicker in the opposite loft. In this room, the heat pipes just cough. The country music station plays soft, but there's nothing, really nothing to turn off."). "Visions of Johanna" is one of Dylan's best songs about lost love.
Another song about lost love that takes a much more angry tone is "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine." This song is about a relationship that is ending, with Dylan at his snarling best throughout. He ends the song with "You say you're sorry for tellin' stories
That you know I believe are true. You say you got some
Other kinda lover And yes, I believe you do. You say my kisses are not like his, But this time I'm not gonna tell you why that is.
I'm just gonna let you pass, and I'll go last. Time will tell who has fell
And who's been left behind, When you go your way and I go mine."
One of the sweetest songs that Dylan has ever wrote is "I Want You." With his harmonica leading the way, Dylan tries very hard to get the girl, pretty much telling her how much he wants her. "The guilty undertaker sighs, the lonesome organ grinder cries, the silver saxophone says I should refuse you. The cracked bells, the washed out horns blow into my face with scorn, but it's not that way, I wasn't born to lose you. I want you, I want you, I want you, so bad."
Dylan did most of this album in a few takes, aided by a number of musicians including Robbie Robertson and Al Kooper. In a few of the songs, he messes up the words slightly, but keeps going. "I Want You" is one of those. In the last verse, he appears to stumble over a few words, but just keeps going. Apparently producer Bob Johnston didn't see any reason to record it again. Or maybe Bob refused to record it again.
The last song on the record is Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. This song took up an entire side of an LP when it was available as an LP (it was a two record set). It's obvious that Bob loved his wife (the breakup of their marriage was the subject of 1976's Blood on the Tracks). He writes of her silky flesh, mercury mouth, saintlike face, beautiful voice and pretty, soulful eyes, and pledges his devotion to her. After all the anger, lost love and other issues going on in the rest of the album, this is a great way to end this one. The song is long and soulful. At more than ten minutes, it's probably Dylan's longest song. It's also one of his best.
It's hard to believe that Dylan was barely 25 when this was released. The Beatles apparently were blown away by this record and it was one of the inspirations for Sgt. Pepper's. At 25, Dylan had already written an enormous collection of songs including many that are classics today such as "Blowin' in the Wind," "The Times they are A'Changin'," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding," "Chimes of Freedom," "It Ain't Me Babe," "Like A Rolling Stone," and "Desolation Row."
If you only add one Dylan CD to your collection, make this the one.
Review ID: 10000000000218142
Epinions.com ratings are not included in the item's average rating. Links in this review may have been removed.
  |
Related items
About eBay | Announcements | Security Center | eBay Toolbar | Policies | Government Relations | Site Map | Help | |
Copyright © 1995-2008 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
| |