In 1965 Bob Dylan had successfully revived folk music with his first 4 albums, but then he committed the ultimate folk singer sin: he picked up an electric guitar. Bringing it All Back Home was Dylan's first real foray into electric roots rock and there was a considerable backlash with a flurry of boos from concert venues and negative press from his folk music following that would grow substantially with the completely electric Highway 61 Revisited. Personally, I don't see it as a huge departure in Dylan's work. Sure, the instrumentation changed and gained a more rock and roll feel, but the heart of Dylan's songwriting is still evident and pushed to new heights.
Like most people who are familiar with rock music, I had heard about Bob Dylan over the years and I even knew some of the songs he'd written long before I really listened to his work. Also, like most people, the first entire album I heard by Dylan was the infamous Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album of 1963. I love that album, but the album that cemented Bob Dylan in place as one of my all time favorite musicians was Bringing it All Back Home.
A unique mix of electric and folk songs, all of which have a distinct feel and vibe that makes this album one of the ones I can play non stop and get the perfect mix of rock, folk, blues stomp, and country. The album starts off with a shock for the folk community: a rock song. “Subterranean Homesick Blues” is southern blues stomp at its finest. Dylan's cryptic but whimsical rapid pace lyrics are what really make the song great. They snake through the song with a sense of social comment so fast that you have to really listen to pick up on everything.
This rock feel continues on classic songs like “Maggie's Farm” and “Outlaw Blues.” Both have this same blues stomp with “Maggie's Farm” taking the slower route with socially charged lyrics that speak out about ethical treatment of workers, if you choose to interpret it that way. “Outlaw Blues” is one of my favorite Dylan tracks of all time. With a riff reminiscent of Hound Dog Taylor's “Give Me Back My Whig”, it creates the perfect upbeat blues stomp that you just don't hear anymore. Combined with Dylan's honest and slightly whimsical lyrics makes for a truly memorable song. You just can't get more honest than when Dylan sings: “Don't ask me nothin' about nothin', I just might tell you the truth.”
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
Good write-up. Welcome to the carnival.
2 - Lono
This is classic Dylan, way before he went weird in my estimation. Oh yes, there is electric... but it complements the music perfectly. Just like Blonde on Blonde... a masterpiece.
So when did get weird and lose me? Just after this time. Right around here Dylan had the very serious motorcycle accident, grew a terrible beard, and found god. Frankly, everything changed after those events (prioritize them as you will). Ah yes, these were great times for Dylan. Good review, glad to see someone is giving early Dylan some visibility besides me.
3 - Lono
I'll tell you what happened on that road in Woodstock on 1965. Remember how they said that Paul McCartney was killed in a car accident and the band hired an actor to play Paul going forward?
you see where I am going with this. Take a look at pre and post 1965 Dylan. Then, take a listen. Outside of the disgustingly perfect masterpiece 'Blood on the Tracks' in '74... I never saw or heard the Bob Dylan I fell in love with after 1965.
Yes yes yes, you will all say 'aren't artists allowed to grow and change? Well, I say no. Not at the rate Dylan did. That was some crazy overnight shit that happened. I think the motorcycle accident totally and completely frazzled him to the core. He was never the same, especially since they hired that actor to replace him. ha ha.
4 - Pete
I first heard Dylan in 1962, as I recall, although when I first heard him and saw him he was performing under the name of Blind Roy Gunt. I have been a major fan ever since. I moved to London a year later and it seemed that Dylan was more popular there than he was in America. I recalled quite well when "Bringing It All Back Home" came out and as I remembered it, except for a few hard-core folkies, the album was universally praised and accepted on the U.S. side of the Atlantic. Most of the negative criticism came from the other side of the pond.