album #8

highway 61 revisited (bob dylan)

Dylan is probably most famous for his lyrics, but my interest with music is much more about melodies, not lyrics. On top of that, I found the structure of many of the songs kinda redundant- "rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song! rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song!" (JD says that this is a classic Blues structure, and Dylan is playing with it) Regardless, this was a generally likable album with a few tracks that were really incredible.

"Like a Rolling Stone" is obviously an astonishing track. It's an all-time classic and I absolutely loved it. "Queen Jane Approximately" sounds like a very generic Dylan song, 2nd listen through 7th listen, but the first time it sounds really cool, and after enough plays it earns back a unique appeal. A very sweet (melodically, not lyrically), chill, rhythmic experience, especially at the very opening. "From a Buick 6" really grew on me, my favorite I think of several particularly rambly, uptempo tracks. And "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is a good one, it reminds me- appropriately, I suppose- of The Band. It struck me as a little cooler and more relaxed than a lot of the other tracks (not that the faster tracks were dislikable, but it was a cool change of pace.) "Ballad of a Thin Man" on the other hand, I found pretty eerie, mean and annoying.

Good stuff, I look forward to hearing more of him and expanding my knowledge of his oeuvre.