Taking the first, electric side of Bringing It All Back Home to its logical conclusion, Bob Dylan hired a full rock & roll band, featuring guitarist Michael Bloomfield, for Highway 61 Revisited. Opening with the epic "Like a Rolling Stone," Highway 61 Revisited careens through nine songs that range from reflective folk-rock ("Desolation Row") and blues ("It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry") to flat-out garage rock ("Tombstone Blues," "From a Buick 6," "Highway 61 Revisited"). Dylan had not only changed his ...
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Taking the first, electric side of Bringing It All Back Home to its logical conclusion, Bob Dylan hired a full rock & roll band, featuring guitarist Michael Bloomfield, for Highway 61 Revisited. Opening with the epic "Like a Rolling Stone," Highway 61 Revisited careens through nine songs that range from reflective folk-rock ("Desolation Row") and blues ("It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry") to flat-out garage rock ("Tombstone Blues," "From a Buick 6," "Highway 61 Revisited"). Dylan had not only changed his sound, but his persona, trading the folk troubadour for a streetwise, cynical hipster. Throughout the album, he embraces druggy, surreal imagery, which can either have a sense of menace or beauty, and the music reflects that, jumping between soothing melodies to hard, bluesy rock. And that is the most revolutionary thing about Highway 61 Revisited -- it proved that rock & roll needn't be collegiate and tame in order to be literate, poetic, and complex. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Seller's Description:
Good. Providing great vinyl and media since 1972. All used records are inspected and guaranteed. May have wear and minor issues from previous owner. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Providing great vinyl and media since 1972. All used records are inspected and guaranteed. May have wear and minor issues from previous owner. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
In an interview with Nat Hentoff in 1965, Bob Dylan said that he'd not be able to make a better record than Highway 61 Revisited, because it was "just too good." Music critics and fans can argue about whether he was right about that, but one thing?s for sure: with this album he struck gold. In 1965-66 Dylan released three groundbreaking, spectacular records within 18 volatile months of each other. The second in the trilogy, Highway 61 Revisited is the most consistent of not only this set but of all his early work: very cohesive in terms of pure sound. From the explosive snare snap that opens ?Like a Rolling Stone? to Kooper?s swirling organ to Bloomfield?s searing lead guitar the band sounds tight, on the edge. It?s evident how far the instrumentation has come since the electric debut Bringing It All Back Home, but it?s not yet as lush as things would get on Blonde on Blonde. Instead, the sound that defines the album is that rattling, clanging, reedy mash-up of guitars and drums and bass and honky-tonk piano. The harmonica sounds exceptionally bright. Dylan?s voice is slightly raspy, confident, bold, and, for the casual fan or someone just getting into his catalogue, more accessible here than on his other classic mid-60?s releases. Whether he?s sneering at Little Miss Lonely (?Like a Rolling Stone?) or begging you send him no more letters (?Desolation Row?) it seems that by?65 he?d learned how to use his voice a little more. Lyrically, it?s fantastic. The compassion that colors his earlier records is all but gone. Disillusioned, Dylan hammers at his characters? failures, throwing his hands up at all the fools around him. And although disdain is the dominant mood of the album, the weariness of some of the less driven songs (?Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues? and ?Queen Jane Approximately?) is superb, and shows us glimpses of a complex songwriter and performer. He?s sarcastic, hip, arrogant, exuberant. He?s ahead of his time and he knows it. The album is relentless and enthusiastic. It simply swaggers. It?s a rebellious masterpiece ? almost like primitive punk rock. Difficult to fault. Essential Tracks: Throw a dart at the album. Wherever it lands, that?s your answer. Every song is classic. ?Like a Rolling Stone? (read: ?How does it feeeeeeeeel?!?), ?Ballad of a Thin Man?, and ?Desolation Row? are the most powerful peaks, and everything else slides smoothly into place. Weakest Track: ?From a Buick 6? (but it?s still a fun grungy piece that definitely keeps your foot tapping.)
