Q 5 Star Reviews Vol.1, The (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan/Bringing It All Back Home/Highway 61 Revisited) - Bob Dylan

Advantages: Astounding lyrics, astounding performances, astounding songs... astounding, then.
Disadvantages: None.

...-horn / plays wasted words, proves to warn / that he not busy being born is busy dying." That's not to say Bringing It All Back Home is without laughs - far from it. For every heady, disturbing moment there's a jocular, absurd counter - the famous false-start of Bob Dylan's 115th Dream being a prime example, both artist and engineers erupting in a fit of giggles at the end of the first line. On The Road Again, too, is as playful as anything he's ever done, feeling more like something off the preceding Another Side Of Bob Dylan, the last of the purely acoustic records, than the proceeding Highway 61 Revisited. Depending on the time of day, Bringing It All Back Home is either my favourite or second-favourite Bob Dylan album - it swaps position regularly with the mid-70s break-up masterpiece Blood On The Tracks. As aware as I am of every lick... Read review

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Advantages: Appeals to folk and rock fans, and is simply a great set of songs
Disadvantages: Not as focused as other Dylan albums

...'Bringing It All Back Home' is simply great. This album harnesses both the developed acoustic skill of Bob Dylan, and the beginning of his rock and roll legacy. Released at a time when many people longed for the acoustic folk of the Bob Dylan of the mid 60's, the ever dynamic and stubborn Bob Dylan expressed his frustration and displayed his genius through the medium of rock and roll. 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' is a perfect example on this album of the fantastic songs Dylan produced with his blues rock sound while he maintained his complicated and unique lyrical ability. However, the album harbors songs like 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' and 'Mr Tambourine Man', which can be more closely likened to earlier acoustic Dylan work. Amongst Dylan's versatile amalgamation of acoustic folk and rock one constant remains - the sheer lyrical... Read review

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Advantages: The First (Album) Showing Of Dylan's Electric Material, With Some Of His Best Acoustic Songs
Disadvantages: A Couple Of The Electric Songs Are Not Quite As Fully Developed As Those From Highway 61 Revisited

...Bringing It All Back Home is often seen as the transitional album for Dylan in the sixties, marking the change from simply acoustic guitar and voice to Dylan backed by an electric group. This in all truth is quite a profound change of direction at the time, but the previous album Another Side showed that Dylan was moving in a new direction and was turning his back on the folk purists and turning on to a style of music that had been his original childhood passion. But this is purely transitional as it contains a side of electric songs and a side of electric tracks. Apparently there were electric versions of all the songs, but I am a yet to hear either an electric Gates Of Eden or It's Alright Ma, but then they are perfect just as they are. The main influence for the electric side is the blues, as would be for his next two outings... Read review

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