Me? Music junkie, need to shoot up on music. Hey it's better than heroine.. a CD is only £12 and you...
Me? Music junkie, need to shoot up on music. Hey it's better than heroine.. a CD is only £12 and you can play it millions of times. You see, makes sense!
Member since:25.07.2001
Reviews:42
Members who trust:9
Is the title not sellable enough? Penis reference: Just read the thing for heavens sake.
This classic Dylan album involves outrageous lead guitar attacks, bass players swinging their instrument around and around over their head, drummers ironically being sane for once and stoned musicians giggling shouting things like "ohh yeeeeah."
Blonde On Blonde is the third and final instalment in the world famous 'Dylan going electric' phase, and was released in 1966 the year of that infamous 'Royal Albert Hall' gig. And rather than give a typically long introductory service for all you pop-pickers out there I'm going to give you more time to spend with your loved ones and build a better world -together- today and let the music talk..
~~~~The Music~~~~
'Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 36' is possibly one of the strangest openings to a classic album going. Strap yourself in for a sparse comical beat with the gaps in-between being filled up with all sorts of things from trumpets to shaky things, from shaky things to people in the background rolling on the floor laughing. It all starts with the said sparse beat and a very fine harmonica too, before those words come along. You know 'those' words. About getting stoned, and "Everybody Must Get Stoned." Bob has a giggle along the way, his voice sounds just so perfect for this song too. This is one of the most fun songs I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. The greatest thing is that it's actually very 'Dylan'. People say it's a drug song; "Ah but talking of people getting stoned like that could be biblical" say others. To me the words seem like they are almost serious and referring to Biblical style stoning, but the music and structure is so obviously about the other kind of stoned! It's a classic, fusion, pun, song; whatever it is -it is a classic.
'Pledging My Time' is a very solid rock blues number. The harmonica and lead guitar work together really well. This
song is guaranteed to get your head-a-nodding! Clap your hands, groove your botty, a blues rocker is in the house.
Third song is 'Visions Of Johanna' and this is another candidate for the greatest song ever, in the universe and any other universe too. "These visions of Johanna that conquer my mind" is a fair finger in the right direction as to what it's all about. Musically, well this is music. It makes you start to doubt if that Mozart chap knew what he was actually doing with that twiddle stick thing. Perfect lead guitar, perfect quiet and strangely high-pitched organ, perfect rhythm section, and excellent vocals. The words though! If you want to know how to write songs study this! There is the odd bit of understated humour too, if this song was a person it would look like Jon Lee of S Club 7 with the intelligence of Dr Stephen Hawkin and personality of Bob Dylan (who is surely the most charismatic man on earth as anyone who has ever been to a gig will tell you)!
The familiar classic 'One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)' arrives next. Dylan has a different voice on this track, showing that his vocals are never some kind of accident but that he plans how to sing very carefully. This is a wonderful slow rocker. The organ is joined by a piano, which is actually quite unusual. The verses are slow and careful and then a wham bam bam from the drums and Dylan launches in to the chorus, fantastic rock. The song is about a relationship that has fallen apart by the way. I dare you not to sing to the choruses; I bet your eyeballs pop out if you try to deny yourself a sing along!
'I Want You' is another Greatest Hits ever present and starts off a little twee. It's bouncy music with organ and lead guitar fusing together like I've never heard on any other song. Dylan delivers his poetic lines in an understated yet fantastic manner; he says things through the tone of his voice without even needing to say words!
'Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again' is the fifth track on this so far faultless album. Again the lead guitar and organ are duelling throughout and once again the drums and bass are super-glued together. Look out for line like "He just smoked my eyelids and punched my cigarette" put in there to keep you on your toes! Another solid performance, rocking away as it does.
Oh joy; 'Leopard Skin Pill-Box Hat' is next up! The lead guitar on this track is played by Dylan himself and a good job he does of it too. This is a rock-a-blues number with a steady 12-bar style beat and a wonderful riff and structure. When Dylan attacks the lead guitar a smile hits my face, the man is a genius writer and constructor of music and can be an awesome acoustic guitarist. But the critics don't like his rough playing.. well they may not like this but I think it's one of the most titillating lead guitar performances since the guitar was invented. He goes at it like there's no tomorrow, wonderful stuff. Without doubt my favourite line of the song is: "Well I see you got a new boyfriend, no I never seen him before, Well I saw you making love to him, you forgot to close the garage door. You may think he loves you for you money but I know what he really loves you for, it's your brand new Leopard Skin Pill-Box Hat!" Funny and totally rocking!
'Just Like A Woman' is a fitting rest from the outrageous rock so far. Again this is another Greatest Hits kind of song that gets played a lot. It's a charming tune the lead Acoustic makes it really quite divine. It's quite a sad song really listening to the lyrics "she makes love just like a woman, but she breaks just like a little girl." And Dylan says "ain't it clear that I JUST DON'T fit, and it's time for us to quit" which is a fairly sad line as it is again about a failing relationship. When the Harmonica break comes the divine tune takes a whole new majesty.
'Most Likely You'll Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine' is the ridiculously long title of the ninth track. It starts much more upbeat and remains so musically. The bass is the major driving force on this song as it gets turned up a little to do its very simple yet effective waltz. This is a good bubbly song.
'Temporarily Like Achilles' starts more downbeat and slowly does a foxtrot with you. The bass is very prominent and is the major feature of the music after Dylan's vocals. It's a nice slow and full bass line, with organ and guitar very understatedly filling on top of it. Not a bad song, not the highlight of the album though. Check out the change in Bass line as the Harmonica kicks in for one of the coolest bass progressions ever.
'Absolutely Sweet Mary' comes along next. Wow what a fantastic rock and roll start! Fast rhythm oozing out everywhere you look; the guitar is twiddling away and the organ is making some tremendous fills. It bops along and picks the pace back up nicely.
'4th Time Around' is track twelve and there's still two to go, joy! This is actually slow again but has a nice swing to it. The guitar is constantly running around, well both guitars that I can hear are. The bass drives and swings and the drum provides a very steady repetitive beat. Dylan sings quite downbeat and in perfect sync with the bass swing.
'Obviously 5 Believers' is at unlucky spot 13. But it turns out to be quite lucky for us, the pace is picked right up again and we are back rocking like bastards. Lead guitar is very prominent as is a shaky thing, you know, one of those things you shake and it makes a nice noise like a maraca.. oh yeah, that's what they might be called! This is a lovely head wiggling exercise; it's for public health awareness you see. In order to stop your head falling off as your brain expands with thought about Dylan's lyrics and art you have to build the muscles in your neck. Therefore he is required to put a rocker like this near the end of the album. And that's scientific fact, there's no real evidence for it but it's fact.
'Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands' comes along to slowly close the album down. When I say slow I mean musically the tempo is slower that the rockspecular glitz of previous songs. Also I mean that it's shock horror ten minutes forty-five seconds long. Okay so it isn't outrageous rock music, but it's a great song all the same.
~~~~Conclusions~~~~
This album is over an hour long, for that time a real epic and indeed still so by today's standards. More impressive though is that there is never a sense of padding, every track I believe to be worth its place on the album. There is a mix too, of fast and hard and slow and soft, and somewhere in the middle too. And of course it opens with one of the most stoned pieces of music ever made. It's incredible fun to listen to, and much easier than say Blood On The Tracks. With that other masterful Dylan rock album I always feel a sense of guilt at the concept of enjoying the man's obvious agony and pain, but with Blonde On Blonde I have no sleepless nights of worry. You can bop away till your head falls off and the Limp Biscuits and Spitknot loving 12 year olds on the street have a good game of footy with it.
Well, only three pages long in word.. impressed? It seems so short to me. What do you think? Let me know in the comments now won't you? Good. Drive Safely. Night.
Have a laugh, have a rock-de-doo, learn about making music and writing great songs and hey roll yourself a joint, because don't you know I would not feel all oh so alone, Everybody must get stoned.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I got really excited when i listened to this for the first time a bit of a psychadelic twist to Dylans work the organs make the music all the better Dylan is a king and he's free as a bird on the wing, because he's a poet, don't ya know it, and the wind ya can blow it...hehe sos got carried away there good review
Nameless 07.08.2001 00:53
Excellent op, I never really got into Dylan, but your op was very good. Cheers :o)
BJEEE 05.08.2001 13:36
I've gotta say, you've done some pretty awesome music reviews!!! Keep it up....Ben
Considered an unprecedented magnum opus when it arrived on two records in May of 1966 ... more
(1997'sTime out of Mindis actually only about a minute shorter),Blonde on Blondefeatured Dylan continuing to demonstrate remarkable powers over the course of 14 new...
Postage & Packaging: Check Site. Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Considered an unprecedented magnum opus when it arrived on two records in May of 1966 ... more
(1997'sTime out of Mindis actually only about a minute shorter),Blonde on Blondefeatured Dylan continuing to demonstrate remarkable powers over the course of 14 new...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Considered an unprecedented magnum opus when it arrived on two records in May of 1966 ... more
(1997'sTime out of Mindis actually only about a minute shorter),Blonde on Blondefeatured Dylan continuing to demonstrate remarkable powers over the course of 14 new...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Considered an unprecedented magnum opus when it arrived on two records in May of 1966 ... more
(1997's Time out of Mind is actually only about a minute shorter), Blonde on Blonde featured Dylan continuing to demonstrate remarkable powers over the course of 1...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Enormous depth, musically and lyrically wonderous Disadvantages: None
Charles_Strickland 27.09.2006 (24.11.2006)
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Review of Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan
Advantages: Enormous depth, musically and lyrically wonderous Disadvantages: None
Charles_Strickland 27.09.2006 (24.11.2006)
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Review of Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan
Advantages: Distinctive voice? Catchy tunes? Inoffensive MOR? Disadvantages: The feeling you’re hearing filtered versions of other tunes AND not very good ones at that....
the_grouch 21.05.2001 (21.05.2001)
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