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By DON BLANK the songs on this specific record are not so much songs but rather exer cises in tonal breath control the subject matter—the something to do with the meaningful as it is—has beautiful strangers, vivalois green jacket and the holy slow train.” From’ notes by Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan's songs become more obscure with each succeed ing album, while his new “sound” (exemplified by electric guitars) seems to have gained him a larg er audience (witness the suc cess of “Like a Rolling Stone”) This ironic phenomenon has has prompted charges of ‘com mercialization by many of his confused old fans. Some simply don't like his new “sound.” Nevertheless, Dylan's newest album, Highway 61 Revisited, is just as worthy as any of his previous ones. Dylan has not sold out. He is still angry. His anger has simply taken new forms and new ob jects. In his first three albums, Dy lan’s contention is that man’s enemy is the system. He rarely, if ever, sings any of these songs (never his so-called protest songs) in concert now. In his last three albums (be ginning, perhaps ironically, with Another Side of Bob Dylan) are more concerned with the individ ual. He sings of alienation with the guilt on the alienated ( Like a Rolling Stone” and Ballad of al Thin Man ). He sings of sick people in a sick society (“Desola tion Row” and “Highway opts visited”), and offers no simple answer as he did in his earlier protest songs. As for the rest of the album there are two blues, with the traditional mood but mod ern hang-ups. This is a tender, perhaps love, song: It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.” And there is one lighter song: “From a Buick 6. Granted Dylan's “sound” is different. The use of accompan ists, however, adds a musician ship. Which, whether you like it or not, surpasses anything Dylan could or can do on solo guitar. The notes, a fine poem by Dylan, are a pleasant change from the typical self-congratu latory type on most albums. Dylan has changed (note even the difference in his mood on his album covers, say between The Times They Are A'Changing and his latest). And as hard as it might be to some, the change is, at the least, worth examining.
Newspaper Details
Buffalo Spectrum
Buffalo, New York, US
Fri, Sep 17, 1965
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Chris H.
GB 02 Jun 2026
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