So I figured better late than never, and bought this CD earlier this week.
I mean, when you consider that Rolling Stone magazine said that "Like A Rolling Stone" is the greatest rock song of all time, and that the redoubtable Greil Marcus said this album is one of the two or three best albums ever, $13.99 didn't seem all that out of line.
So yowza, it's really good.
What's truly great for those of us who first this music on crummy AM radio when it came out is that it's like getting to, as they say, "hear it again for the very first time."
Trust me on this - and you know why... but I digress - when I originally listened to "Like A Rolling Stone," all I heard was Dylan's scratchy voice over a background of noise, not one instrument distinguishable.
Who knew then, as I know now, that there's beautiful guitar work in there by none other than THE Mike Bloomfield?
And that there are all those other wonderful rhythms hidden in what was a Phil Spector-like "wall of sound" back in the day?
But wait - there's more.
I always liked a Dylan song I thought was entitled "Mr. Jones."
That's because the only words I could ever make out on AM radio were,
- Because something is happening here,
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Now I find that the name of this song is "Ballad of a Thin Man," and that it's got great lyrics and instrumentals.
I've been listening to it over and over tonight.
No wonder those who knew and appreciated how great Dylan was gnashed their teeth so when he sold out to Victoria's Secret.
- Title: Ballad of a Thin Man
by Bob Dylan
You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard
But you don't understand
Just what you'll say
When you get home
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is?"
Article comments
1 - lono
nice choice, there are some great stories behind that song. To Dylan, "Mr Jones" just represented john q sixpack. The regular work a day shlub with no interest in the arts or the youth. Anyhow, reporters were always asking Dylan who Mr Jones was. Obviously they weren't getting it, in fact... they basically were Mr Jones. Dylan would taunt them (he was a monster to interview, Netflix 'Bringing it all back home). He would give a different answer every time. Mr Jones? he was my dentist? Mr Jones? He is my editor at Columbia... all kinds of crap like that.
It is also a very cool homage when Counting Crowes sing about Mr Jones and me. Duritz takes his straight laced buddy out to pick up chicks - "I wanna be Bob Dylan, everybody wanna be something..."
Everything Dylan did pre- 1965 is brilliant: Bob Dylan, Bringing it all back home, Another Side of Bob Dylan, The Freewheeling Bob Dylan, and Blonde on Blonde.
one last piece, you mentioned the victoria's secret commercial. While we are all rather puzzled by pretty much everything Dylan has done post 1965 (excepting the amazing Blood on the Tracks from '74) it should be noted a young Dylan was asked years ago if he would ever license his music for a commercial. A sly Dylan joked 'maybe for ladie's underwear'. True story!
2 - Vern Halen
It's a great album - Tombstone Blues & From a Buick 6 are rigth up there, too.
If you haven't done so already, pick up Blonde On Blonde, and pretty much everything you can find that contains electric Dylan from this era give or take a couple of years. There's enough material there to make a couple of hot electric guitar rock 'n' roll albums. When it comes down to it, for me, I prefer Dylan as a rocker rather than a folk singer.
3 - The Dude
What's amazing is if you hear the whole Dylan's four-year progress " from folk hero to rock demon to pastorial recluse " in a row (that is if you have 11 hours to kill):
1) Live 1964
2) Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
3) Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
4) Blonde on Blonde (1966)
5) Live 1966
6) The Basement Tapes (with the Band) (1967)
7) The Band (by the Band) (1968)
8) John Wesley Harding (1968)
The dates are when the LPs were recorded, not when they were released (of course).
Like a journey into an artist's soul.
4 - Mark Saleski
since when are we puzzled about everything Dylan's done since 1965?
5 - Vern Halen
That live show (formerly the boot Great White Wonder) kicks just as hard (maybe harder in some respects) as Iggy & the Stooges' Metallic KO. The artist vs. the audience at at time when many people thought it was simply us vs. them. It's a must have, just to hear Dylan and his band blow the lid off of "Like a Rolling Stone." You'll never hear a singer spit out a lyric with so much venom.
6 - ClubhouseCancer
Yes, Mark. We are not puzzled at all.
Most folks put the "puzzled by" date at 1968 (with the same exception for "Blood").
But we are not puzzled by any of the work of this guy.
7 - Loren
Anyone who critisizes Bob for the Victoria Secret gig still has more to learn about Bob Dylan. I thought it was on the edge. Plugging no other product would have worked. Victoria Secret does. It's a euphemistical metaphor. One classy dude.