Review: Blonde on Blonde - Bob Dylan

1966. Bob Dylan is the musical enigma that rightfully heralds the attention of anyone and everyone who considers themselves a serious music listener. It is almost unavoidable to miss the acclaim of Highway 61 Revisited or escape the allure of Bringing It All Back Home. Blonde on Blonde is perhaps the album that unites most of the styles Dylan that had shown over his earlier albums. The contents of Blonde on Blonde are grand but range from heart-on-sleeve tales to blues rockers and slightly bashful numbers. Visions Of Johanna, I Want You and Stuck Inside a Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again are particular early highlights while the longing Absolutely Sweet Marie and the sincere balladry of Temporary Like Achilles make up the best of the later sections. I Want You and Most Likely You Go Your Way also mark Dylan’s newer ability to create just as much with a song in a shorter runtime. It isn’t Dylan’s best album in that all 14 tracks are by no means all classics; Obviously 5 Believers is a kind of throwaway blues number and Pledging My Time is a little too harmonica-heavy and of B-side quality to make much real effect. Mostly, though, the album maintains the classic status it associates. Must-have.

8.7/10

Tracklist (picks in bold, duds in italics)
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Pledging My Time
Visions Of Johanna
One Of Must Know (Sooner or Later)
I Want You
Stuck Inside a Mobile with The Memphis Blues Again
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
Just Like A Woman
Most Likely You’ll Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)
Temporary Like Achilles
Absolutely Sweet Marie
4th Time Around
Obviously 5 Believers
Sad Eyed Lady of The Lowlands