#biabh

[onemorecupofcoffee]

happy birthday bringing it all back home

[noradurstig]

esential childhood memory of being 11 or 12 and sitting in the passenger seat while my mom was driving me to horse riding lessons (which terrified me and which I only took because my best friend was such a horse girl), her listening to bringing it all back home and me reading along in this thick pocketbook that had all bob dylan lyrics listed with german translations

[rastronomicals]

March 22:

On this date in 1965, Bob Dylan released his breakthrough fifth album, Bringing It All Back Home. BiaBH had an acoustic side and an electric one. It was the first time Dylan had demarcated his music in such a way, and was I'm sure a signpost for artists like Neil Young and Stephen Stills down the road.

On this date in 1975, The Soft Machine released their eighth studio album, and first to feature electric guitar, Bundles.

On this date in 1993, Pavement released their compilation issued by Drag City, Westing (by Sextant and Musket).

And,

on this date in 2005, Kylesa released their second album, To Walk A Middle Course.

[bobdylanrevisited]

Highway 61 Revisited

Released: 30 August 1965

Rating: 10/10

My favourite album of all time. Released just five months after BIABH, this is another unforgettable record which defines the 1960s. Unlike the previous album, this one is almost entirely electric, minus the closing song, and it was clear that Bob couldn’t be further from his folk roots. This is, for me, the pinnacle of music and song writing, and whilst I consider many of his albums to be masterpieces, this is the one that truly makes him a god in my eyes. He would tour following this release, with so-called fans hatefully booing at the sight of a drum kit or an amplifier. This only confirmed to Dylan that he had to continue revolutionising his sound, and if these people didn’t like it then he must be doing something right. 

1) Like A Rolling Stone - Judas! How dare he open with one of the greatest songs ever recorded. A needling, accusatory, schadenfreude attack of ‘Miss Lonely’, which relishes in a fall from grace. There’s been much speculation as to her identity, but it’s the refrain of ‘How does it feel?’ that will get under your skin and stay with you. The angry snarling of Dylan is both exhilarating and intense and it never gets old, the song sounds fresh every single time you hear it. Alongside the perfect lyrics, the crashing guitars and Al Kooper’s irregular organ chords give the track a uniquely jarring sound, and it’s breathtaking. It’s no wonder it’s often voted the greatest song ever made, and Dylan has enjoyed playing it live ever since, in many different styles. But nothing will ever top the Free Trade Hall 1966 performance, which is the greatest moment in musical history. If you haven’t heard it, go and listen to it immediately and prepare for your jaw to hit the floor. Oh, and don’t forget, play it fucking loud. 

2) Tombstone Blues - Dylan parades historical and pop culture figures in this fast paced song, which has been analysed as being about the Vietnam War or the absurdity of the zeitgeist. Another track that has remained popular in live sets for decades, it’s a brilliantly worded piece that is both amusing and confusing. The screeching guitar solos from Mike Bloomfield are pure rock ‘n’ roll and elevate the song to another level, although the whole band are phenomenal throughout the album. It’s just another brilliant track that couldn’t be further from his earlier work, but cements Dylan as a rock star. 

3) It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry - Although many quick tempo versions were rehearsed, this final recording was reworked by Dylan over a lunch break, because he’s a fucking genius. To create this beautiful song in under an hour is ridiculous, and it’s a lovely, bluesy tune which is less angry and cynical than many other songs on the album. The Newport Folk Festival 1965 version, which is hard to hear over the screams of those feeling betrayed, is great, but the Rolling Thunder Revue 1975 version is truly magnificent 

4) From A Buick 6 - Whilst this is the weakest song on the album, it’s still an incredible blues track with some brilliant singing from Bob. The lyrics aren’t as deep as the other songs, it’s basically about a woman who gives Bob life and potentially will cause his death, but the instrumentation is fun and it sounds like everyone is having a blast playing it. It’s a great tune that is a fun couple of minutes and there’s nothing wrong with that. 

5) Ballad Of A Thin Man - Poor Mr. Jones, probably Dylan’s most fully formed and completely repugnant character. This is my favourite track on the album and probably my favourite Dylan song (I know I say that about a lot of songs). It’s a brutal, depressing, bleak assassination of someone who has wronged Bob, with haunting piano that echos around the menacing words that send shivers down your spine. It’s most likely aimed at the reporters and the media who misunderstood Bob, or pretend to be cool and up to date with the culture, and here Bob unmasks them and publicly annihilates their fraudulent disguises. As with much of this album, it has remained in his live sets since release, but again no performance ever topped the Free Trade Hall 1966 one, the booing made Dylan’s words and delivery even more sinister and shocking. 

6) Queen Jane Approximately - Another needling song in the same vein as ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, though this one is more sympathetic to the subject. However, it is once again a classic track which sounds absolutely beautiful. Potentially about Joan Baez, though Dylan claims it actually about a man, it’s a fantastic piece that is both mellow and devastating at the same time. 

7) Highway 61 Revisited - The whistle on this song is iconic, as is the screamed refrain which is basically impossible to not shout at the top of your lungs with each listen. Biblical lyrics and dark imagery are contrasted by the upbeat tune, and it’s interesting that in reality, Highway 61 leads back to Dylan’s birth place, potentially making himself the true subject of the song. Another example of his advances in storytelling through references and metaphor, this is a deep and vivid song that Dylan still belts out on tour to this day. 

8) Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues - Despite being a brilliant song, which creates an atmosphere of tiredness and surrender, the story Dylan tells here is both fascinating and, not surprisingly, fantastically written. Starting in Juarez and returning to New York City, the protagonist must fight off women, booze, drugs, and the police on his journey, and it’s a riveting tale. As there is no chorus or refrain, this could easily be a Kerouac short story, but it really works as a track you can lose yourself to. You’ll be wrapped up in your own imagination of the events, described in an incredibly personal way by Bob, as if he’s telling you this story directly. I know I’ve mentioned this a lot, but the Free Trade Hall 1966 version sounds like it’s not of this world and should be mandatory listening. 

9) Desolation Row - This is the true showcase of Bob’s skill with the english language, an 11 minute acoustic song, which is more like an epic poem of old. Again peppered with pop culture references, it was released during a period where 3 minute love songs were topping the charts, and shows how much Bob was challenging the notion of what music could be about, and really mastering it as a literary art form. It begins with infamous lynchings from Bob’s birthplace, before moving on to fairy tale characters, biblical figures, authors, poets, scientist, and the victims of the Titanic, to name but a few. The lyrics are so engrossing, and the delivery is almost hypnotic, that the 11 minutes feel like mere seconds, as he paints a tapestry in your mind that is exciting, vivid, and yet tinged with a bleakness as no one is happy in the song. It’s an incredible way to end the album, though you’d wish it went on forever. 

Verdict: Obviously, I consider this the definition of perfection. For an album that largely focuses on sadness, feeling lost, anger, and cynicism, no other record makes me feel as joyous as this one. It’s the culmination of everything that came before it, from the dense verses of ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’, to the audience rejection of ‘My Back Pages’, to the new sound on ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’, and it comes together to create this perfect album. It’s unfathomable that a human created this, it seems more like a gift from the universe made especially for me, and I implore you to listen to it on repeat. Each time you’ll discover something new and your favourite song will change numerous times. Bob’s next outing would be of a similarly astonishing quality, and whilst he was touring the world to a chorus of jeers, he was about to record another album that would continue to push the boundaries of popular music. 

[onemorecupofcoffee]

gates of eden is so insanely underrated thoughhh like it should be up there w mr tambourine man and its alright ma come on guys some of yall are sleeping on some songs from biabh way too much.. the lyricism in gates of eden is insaneee

[rastronomicals]

March 22:

On the 22nd of March, 1965, Bob Dylan released Bringing It All Back Home, his breakthrough fifth album.

BiaBH had an acoustic side and an electric one. It was the first time Dylan had demarcated his music in such a way, and was I'm sure a signpost for artists like Neil Young and Stephen Stills down the road.

On the 22nd of March, 1975, The Soft Machine unleashed Bundles, their eighth studio album, and first to feature electric guitar.

On this date in 1982, Iron Maiden released their third album, and first with Bruce Dickinson singing, Number Of The Beast. I remember reading a review of this album shortly after it was released in Rolling Stone, or Guitar Player or some similarly non-metallic rag, and the thrust was something like 'these guys don't even bother to backward-mask their satanism.'

And,

on this date in 2005, Kylesa released their second album, To Walk A Middle Course.

[rastronomicals]

March 22:

On this date in 1965, Bob Dylan released his breakthrough fifth album, Bringing It All Back Home. BiaBH had an acoustic side and an electric one. It was the first time Dylan had demarcated his music in such a way, and was I'm sure a signpost for artists like Neil Young and Stephen Stills down the road.

On this date in 1982, Iron Maiden released their third album, and first with Bruce Dickinson singing, The Number Of The Beast. I remember reading a review of this album shortly after it was released in Rolling Stone, or Guitar Player or some similarly non-metallic rag, and the thrust was something like 'these guys don't even bother to backward-mask their satanism.'

On the 22nd of March, 1993, Pavement laid upon us Westing (by Sextant and Musket), their compilation issued by Drag City.

And,

On the 22nd of March, 2005, Kylesa sprung upon us To Walk A Middle Course, their second album.