Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde (1966)

It took me quite some time to really understand the brilliance of Bob Dylan. When I was growing up, I mostly just heard either the very early songs like Blowing in the Wind or songs that other artists had made versions of. There's nothing particularly wrong with either of these. Blowing in the Wind and other early songs are great in their own way and I like many things that happened with the folk movement of the early 60's. The hits that other artists have made popular, such as All Along the Watchtower or Knocking on Heaven's Door do indeed sound quite good by other artists, but then again, they're not by far the best songs by Dylan. I got really interested in Blonde on Blonde as an album when I saw that sequence in High Fidelity the film where Jack Black says "You don't have it? That is perverse. Don't tell anybody you don't own fucking Blonde on Blonde". After that, I just had to get the album.



When I did, I noticed that this album was different to most of the other Dylan I had heard before. These songs were really interesting, they had good melodies and I noticed that I was focusing more on the lyrics than I normally do. Blonde on Blonde made me fall in love with Dylan's music after which I have understood that Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde are among the best albums of all times. The band on these albums has an amazing groove and just thinking that it's all been recorded with just one microphone is insane. This album also made me realise that even if Dylan's vocals aren't technically very good, he's the best interpreter of his own songs. I couldn't imagine anyone else performing his greatest songs better than him.

The album starts with the legendary marching band sounds of Rainy Day Women #12 & 35. This song  sounds completely different than anything else Dylan has ever made. The yells and laughs on the background make this song really great. It sounds like it would've just been improvised then and there. Pledging My Time is a great blues song that shows that Dylan had been strongly influenced by black music of America. One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) is kind of a classic folk rock era Dylan song. The guitars sound raw and the whole thing sounds like they would just play it live in your living room. I Want You is one of my all time favourite Dylan songs. The the tone of Dylan's singing along with the great melody is just perfect. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again was a completely unknown song to me before, but it really is now one of my favourites from this album. The sounds are just perfect and I love the storytelling style this song is made in. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat is another great blues song with excellent guitar playing. Just Like a Woman is a classic Dylan song with amazing folk guitars and excellent melodies. Obviously Five Believers is a great rock n' roll song. There are even more songs like this on Highway 61 Revisited. The long ballad Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands is a great way to end the album.

Nowadays, almost always when you bring up Bob Dylan in a conversation, someone mentions his vocals in a very negative tone and says that they can't stand his sound. I'm really tired of hearing about this. I think everyone who sings their own songs with heart and keep more or less to the tune may sound brilliant even if their sound isn't that conventionally skilful or beautiful. Artists who have a strange tone in their voice are always recognised and I think it gives their music originality that can't be achieved by singing exactly according to the rules of technical singing. Of course, it might be argued that nowadays, Dylan has lost even the last ripples of the voice that he sometimes used to have, but nevertheless, it's worth being aware that there was a time in history when he made albums that are still among the greatest albums ever made. Blonde on Blonde is a piece of music history that can't be ignored.

Listen to the album on Spotify.