Road Album Top 5: #1
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen called the opening snare hit of "Like A Rolling Stone," the first track on Hwy 61, as a "snare shot that sounded like somebody'd kicked open the door to your mind." It's more than that. It sounds like the closing of a car door on the roadtrip of a lifetime.
As albums go, Highway 61 Revisited is one of the best ever. Rolling Stone named it #4 of all time. Of course, though, you know that an album with "Highway" in the title has the road all over it.
The beats, like on Automatic for the People are not consistently upbeat, and the subject matter isn't necessarily all about the road. Put this on in the car, however, and you'll see it's brilliance.
"If you're looking to get silly/You better go back to from where you came/'Cause the cops don't need you/And, man, they expect the same" - Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues.
There are some classics on this album: "Like a Rolling Stone," "Queen Jane Approximately," etc. The genius of Highway 61 isn't necessarily in the great songs, but in how ground breaking the album is as a whole. The single, "Rolling Stone," tops in at over 6 minutes, at a time when singles never topped 3 minutes. The lyrics are all over the place: stream-of-consciousness, expertly crafted, messy, poetic, the kitchen sink.
Buy the album. Give it a few listens. It may not hit you over the head at first, but give it time and let Bob take you on the road with him.
"But the joke was on me/There was nobody even there to bluff/
I'm going back to New York City/I do believe I've had enough"
Oh, and by the way:
"Game: Blouses"
posted by paul @ 9:32 PM
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