Bob _Dylan- Hard Rain

Hard Rain

There's something oddly poignant about an audience member drunkenly shouting "'LAY LADY LAY!'" before Bob Dylan and his gypsy band rip into the then-recently released 'Oh, Sister.'
"Hard Rain" is the first official document of the 1975-76 Rolling Thunder Revue, released thirty years before the ominous "Bootleg Series Volume 5."

 

 

 Despite being one of the most legendary tours in rock history, "Hard Rain" received lukewarm reviews upon release, probably because the performances were taken from near the end of the tour, and has since become slightly obscured by the wealth of recordings offered by the fifth installment of Dylan's "Bootleg Series."
But what "Hard Rain" has that its successor doesn't is grit. The lack of polish in recording and performance seems to be more fitting for the Rolling Thunder Revue, and for the song selection in particular. 'Maggie's Farm,' 'Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again,' and 'Shelter From the Storm' are all treated like rental cars, with reckless abandon, and more delicate treatment is not given to more balladic songs like 'Lay Lady Lay,' 'I Threw It All Away,' and 'Oh, Sister,' the version here actually topping the version found on "The Bootleg Series."

 



Bob Dylan-Modern times

Modern Times

Since Time Out Of Mind, us Dylan fans can be proud again to admit that we're fans of the new stuff, not just classic Dylan. Modern Times is his third in a streak of impeccable releases. The latest is a return to the styles Dylan introduced in Love and Theft-- country-blues and smart rockabilly. As with the most recent album, Dylan (aka Jack Frost) produced Modern Times; as such its feeling is closest to Love and Theft-- warmly personal, like listening to the band in a small nightclub.

 

The songs are longer, the lyrics arguably more memorable and there's a few more down-tempo ballads. Contrary to the popular notion that Dylan's voice is incomprehensible (probably owing to his horrible performance at his 30th anniversary concert), the singing is so clean you can understand everything without the benefit of a lyric sheet.

 

As I said, the songs are longer: the shortest is 4:58, the longest over eight minutes. Dylan borrows from blues standards on Rollin' and Tumblin' and The Levee's Gonna Break (no, he doesn't cover Led Zeppelin :), but liberally infuses a brilliant mess of his own lyricism. When the Deal Goes Down and Workingman's Blues, especially the latter, are his best ballads in decades. All in all, its not as forceful as Love and Theft. It's not as surprising as that album was, but hardly less of a masterpiece. His lyrics have gotten sharper and wittier, jumping out at you at odd moments with silly innuendos, jokes about getting old, an Alicia Keys name-drop, countless thought-provoking one-liners and an all-around optimistic glow. Altogether, it's friendlier and more fun that the last two releases; it might be Dylan's most 'personable' album since, well, 'Another Side...' or 'Self-Portrait.' The last track, Ain't Talkin' is reminiscent, stylistically, of Time Out of Mind's opener, though it's probably coincidental. Dylan sings, 'Ain't Walkin', Ain't Talkin' in the same tone as Love Sick's lyric 'I'm Walkin', bringing what Columbia's been labeling a 'trilogy', full-circle.

 

Though reviewers elsewhere have said that Modern Times is unlikely to impress non-fans, I can't imagine how anyone couldn't enjoy the heart-wrenching warmth and sagacious wit flaunted by Dylan and his band. Dylan's last two albums and his live shows, on the other hand, are denser affairs, more tuned to the mind of the familiar fan, but, similar in appeal to, but greater in quality than, Johnny Cash's later recordings for American Records, Modern Times is Bob Dylan singing for everybody. And just as well, those who've stuck with Dylan over the years and listened with awe to Time Out of Mind are going to keep Modern Times out next to the CD player for quite awhile.

Dylan and the Dead-Relased Album

Dylan and the Dead

Over the years, I held off on purchasing this disc due to the almost uniformly scathing reviews blasting it - some of the most virulent and sarcasti. However, the intriguing pairing of these two classic artists (and I'll admit like other reviews state - the beyond cool album cover) got the better of me and I bought it used as a hedge.

I've taken a listen - what do I think? a) Dylan and The Dead is not the place to start your collection of either artist; b) There are better commercially available live albums of each artist individually; and c) keeping those caveats in perspective, this is a ragged, free-wheeling, and ultimately satisfying performance that I will go back to from time to time, because I seek out this type of music for the feel and inspiration it gives me.

Contrary to what I have read, Dylan's vocals are acceptable, and they are intriguing for what he chooses to include and leave out given the generally accepted crossroads he was at in his career. The Dead's sound is unmistakable, and provides an interesting filter to standard and not so standard selections within Dylan's substantial song catalog.

Finally, I find this unique album (it will never happen again with all the same key players present) every bit as listenable as any of the countless live Dave Matthews/Phish/String Cheese Incident/You Name It albums out there that I have heard bits and pieces of but would never be motivated to purchase based on their meandering sound and lack of songcraft.

All and all, a worthy album that you will be surprised by if you are a fan of either artist, given the amount of negative reviews associated with it.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan  born (Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and artist. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of Dylan's early songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'", became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. Leaving his initial base in the culture of folk music behind, Dylan's six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" has been described as radically altering the parameters of popular music in 1965. His recordings employing electric instruments attracted denunciation and criticism from others in the folk movement.

Dylan's lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, and Hank Williams, and the music and performance styles of Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley, Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres. His recording career, spanning fifty years, has explored many of the traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing. Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing line-up of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his greatest contribution is generally considered to be his songwriting.

Since 1994, Dylan has published three books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. As a songwriter and musician, Dylan has received numerous awards over the years including Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." In May 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

Origins of Country rock
Dylan's next release, Nashville Skyline (1969), was virtually a mainstream country record featuring instrumental backing by Nashville musicians, a mellow-voiced Dylan, a duet with Johnny Cash, and the hit single "Lay Lady Lay." Variety magazine wrote, "Dylan is definitely doing something that can be called singing. Somehow he has managed to add an octave to his range." Dylan and Cash also recorded a series of duets, but only their recording of Dylan's "Girl from the North Country" was used on the album.

In May 1969, Dylan appeared on the first episode of Johnny Cash's new television show, duetting with Cash on "Girl from the North Country", "I Threw It All Away" and "Living the Blues". Dylan next travelled to England to top the bill at the Isle of Wight rock festival on August 31, 1969, after rejecting overtures to appear at the Woodstock Festival far closer to his home.

His Website
www.bobdylan.com
 

Bob Dylan and the Band-Before The Flood

Before the Flood

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this record.

On the negative side is the fact that Dylan and the Band recorded this in front of large, stadium-sized audiences. That gives it a strange kind of antiseptic quality, where musicians and audience feel separate from one another. This is a big reason why I generally don't go to big arena shows, and I count it as a debit on Before the Flood.

But this has to be balanced against some huge credits. For starters, there are no horns. For some reason, Robbie Robertson felt compelled to flesh out Rock of Ages and the Last Waltz with a horn section, which only has the effect of trampling all over Richard Manuel's piano and, more importantly, Garth Hudson's organ. Both Manuel and Hudson are all over this record, which makes it much more enjoyable, and a more accurate sense of what the Band actually sounded like on your typical night in the early 70s.

Second is Dylan's reworking of all his old tunes. Nothing is revelatory, but it is interesting.

Third is just the high-quality musicianship of the Band. I mentioned Hudson and Manuel above, but you can also hear Rick Danko bouncing all over the bass in his usually interesting way, and Robertson is doing his typically amazing bending of notes. I still have never heard anybody do what Robertson does.

When push comes to shove, Dylan's Bootleg Series, Volume 4 (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1966) is basically similar to this record -- Dylan and the Band playing his mid-60s hits. But while the Royal Albert Hall record is a more important document in rock history, I think Before the Flood one is more enjoyable.

Dylan and the Dead

Dylan and the Dead

Dylan and The Dead is not the place to start your collection of either artist; b) There are better commercially available live albums of each artist individually; and c) keeping those caveats in perspective, this is a ragged, free-wheeling, and ultimately satisfying performance that I will go back to from time to time, because I seek out this type of music for the feel and inspiration it gives me.

Contrary to what I have read, Dylan's vocals are acceptable, and they are intriguing for what he chooses to include and leave out given the generally accepted crossroads he was at in his career. The Dead's sound is unmistakable, and provides an interesting filter to standard and not so standard selections within Dylan's substantial song catalog.

Finally, I find this unique album (it will never happen again with all the same key players present) every bit as listenable as any of the countless live Dave Matthews/Phish/String Cheese Incident/You Name It albums out there that I have heard bits and pieces of but would never be motivated to purchase based on their meandering sound and lack of songcraft.

All and all, a worthy album that you will be surprised by if you are a fan of either artist, given the amount of negative reviews associated with it. Yes it's brief, but no stoned out 60's re-work, here; by and large, well planned, rehearsed, and executed. The set has several things going for it. First, the eclectic selection is an interesting cross section of BD's compositions; second, the musicianship is solid intelligently arranged play to the strengths of both BD and the GD; third, sound quality is very good and well balanced across all the artists. As both a long standing collector of high quality, masterpiece, BD and GD material, I was way too skeptical of the overriding negative reviews; very glad I thought for myself. Vintage, but with style. Uncork and enjoy!!

Byrds-Byrds play Dylan

Byrds Play Dylan

"Byrds Play Dylan" was put together by going through the Byrds records and pulling every song written by Dylan that they covered starting with "Mr. Tambourine Man" the hit that brought the group national recognition and helped popularize Dylan as well. The result is of interest to Dylan fans, who have learned to appreciate his musical genius in a new way by hearing it sung by artists who can really sing (this is not meant as a slight, because hearing Dylan sung by Peter, Paul & Mary was what proved that his music was as strong as his lyrics). "Chimes of Freedom" and "My Back Pages" are the ones that really stand out in this collection. This is as fine a collection of Dylan covers as you are going to find, but do not mistake it as an adequate introduction to the Byrds because it accounts for neither their original compositions nor their covers of other artists. The Bryds were one of the most influential groups of the Sixties, making folk-rock immensly popular by taking the lyricism of contemporary folk music with the energy of the British Invasion. Singing songs written by Bob Dylan was only part of their magic.
As a historical document, this record is priceless. Just as some parents are wont to gauge their children's development by posing them yearly with a department-store Santa Clause, fans can witness both the development of this seminal Southern California band and the evolution of what was to become called folk rock by listening to them tackle the various stages and permutations of Bob Dylan--sometimes even, as with "Mr. Tambourine Man," before Dylan released the songs himself. Urged originally by their then manager and producer Jim Dickson to interpret the folk bard's work, the Byrds never seemed to grow weary of the exercise, even recording the rather simplistic and anachronistic "Paths of Glory" when they reunited briefly in 1990. However, the bulk of the recording was done between 1965 and 1971, and not only shows the Roger McGuinn-led band arching toward psychedelia on their dark and gothic rendition of Dylan and Rick Danko's "This Wheel's on Fire," but also documents the apex of their flirtation with country music during Gram Parson's tenure with the band in 1968. Both their choice Dylan covers--"Nothing Was Delivered," and "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"--and the buttons, bows, and leather chaps that they dressed the songs up in during Parsons time with the band is a revealing snapshot of the Byrds in transition. After all is said and done, the debate is still running on who got more out of this synergistic relationship. After listening to this collection, one is tempted to believe Dylan did. Were it not for the Byrds taking their fey and poppy version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" to the top of the charts in 1965, the man some of us refer to as Mr. Jones would have not come to the public's attention quite so soon. But the Byrds did much more than merely interpret Bob Dylan songs. Really, the band soared much higher performing their own material, and whether they melded jazz, raga, country, or psychedelic rock, they showed a fearlessness, an agility, inventiveness, and purpose that belied the constant personnel shifts.

Bob Dylan- Nashville Skyline

Nashville Skyline

I've always been a huge Dylan fan, in fact I have most of his albums, but this one I had always kind of held off on, thinking, "Hmm, Dylan doing a pure country album, this might be one to hold off on for a little while." I was absolutely shocked. While the lyrics might not be as profound as Bob's greatest and the music not as groundbreaking, the album is positively infectious. I heard that this was a happy album and always kinda cringed thinking on other disasters that artists had created in "happy" moments. This is far from a disaster, in fact, it is an absolute triumph. Nashville Skyline is as good as country gets and then some. The slower songs, like the haunting remake of "Girl From the North County" with Johnny Cash are touching and the more upbeat and playful songs like "Country Pie" and "Peggy Day" are fun like they should be. The musicianship is superb and Dylan's vocals are smoother than usual. Maybe not top 5 Dylan, but an excellent album, even a classic in my opinion.

Bob Dylan- Bootleg Series #5

Bootleg Series #5- Rolling Thunder Revue

This fifth entry in Dylan's much hailed Bootleg Series chronicles the his legendary carnival like 1975 tour, the Rolling Thunder Revue. Legend says that Dylan wanted to do something fresh so he got together a new group of people, some new and some old, and set out to re-invent himself with new energy and purpose. This set, which was taken from shows in the early parts of the tour, displays Dylan at some of his most free and open, feeding off his assembled band.
Once of Dylan's best qualities is the fact that no matter how old, new, bland, or ballsy a song of his is, he has the power to change it to be whatever he wants it to be. He can re-invent everything from the mood to lyrics without making the song any less powerful. Anyone who has seen him on tour lately can attest to that and it's just as obvious here.

Featuring some, at that time, new material the tour had to be a treat for fans because I can't imagine the songs can sound anymore passionate than they do on the record. A good bunch of songs that ended up on the 'Desire' record (which I do not yet have) are quite spectacular. Many thanks to the splendid violin work of Scarlett Rivera, which adds some extra flavor to already great songs. "Isis" is Dylan at his most passionate, "Sara" at his most open, and "Hurricane" at his most political.

Songs like "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" are that much more touching with Dylan injecting spirit into them with his voice being in top form. "Tangled Up in Blue" can stand side by side with it's studio counterpart, this time Dylan's coming across even more personally part of the song. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is even more tense and dramatic here than the original with Roger McGuinn of Byrds fame lending a hand.

Folk singer Joan Baez contributes vocals to a couple of tunes and her vocal performance is the perfect compliment to Dylan's rough voice. Being an old friend of Dylan, she fits naturally into songs from his early career like the classic "Blowing in the Wind" and one of his more well known unofficially released tracks "Mama, You Been on My Mind".

Although bootlegged many times over, this will easily stand as the definitive issue from the legendary Rolling Thunder Revue. A treat for Dylan's newest fans and longtime fanatics alike, it captures the freewheeling, loose feeling that the tour was supposed to be all about. One only can hope Columbia keeps pushing these Bootleg Series releases out as they've been nothing but universally hailed as worthy releases (a sixth one is already slated for next year). The 2 video and one audio bonus DVD adds that much more to the set, allowing the viewer to grasp the collective feel the tour was about as well as getting a glimpse of Dylan in one of his more unique looks with his mysterious white face paint.

Bob Dylan -Self Portrait

Self Portrait

It's ironic that most of the albums the public chooses to label as the "worst ever recorded" are often made by those who are acclaimed giants in the music world; like John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Unfinished Music" sound collages, or Creedence Clearwater Revival's underrated, hated "Mardi Gras." And like a majority of albums critics hate, Bob Dylan's "Self Portrait" actually turns out to be a very worthy listen, even if it takes a few listens to get used to for the average Dylan fan.
Released as a double album in 1970, "Self Portrait" was condemned by both reviewers and fans, who were shocked that the spokesman of their generation had not lived up to their standards. But if a performer can release a record that is regarded as a pitiful disappointment after a decade of publicly-embraced masterpieces, but with a grin on his face while doing it, it's not such a bad thing--the album saw critics claiming Dylan had somehow turned his back on his principles and was indulging in a "commercialization" of his music; critic Ralph Gleason even called for a boycott of Dylan's albums. But the bottom line was that Dylan was fed up with being hailed as a leader; in a biography by Anthony Scaduto, Dylan was quoted about this era: "I wasn't going to fall for that, for being any kind of leader...and because I wanted out, they all started to rap me." And that's the goal that makes this album so enjoyable. Didn't he tell us not to follow leaders in the first place?
The title suggests that "Self Portrait" will resemble some kind of personal diary, but rather it's more of a curio, featuring some lesser known original material, a few ragged live cuts with The Band from the Isle of Wight festival, and covers of songs by the likes of the Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, and the equally brilliant singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. The album often finds Dylan in a musical limbo--there's pieces of his folk period, his rock period and even his country period; it's almost like he can't decide which style would be best to use, so he employs them all. Strings and overdubbed vocals tread through the album. There's even that honky-tonk voice that first appeared on "Nashville Skyline" that comes straight from Dylan's nasal tones--it sounds like a mix of the voices of Warren Zevon, Hank Williams Jr., and Supertramp's Rick Davies. But it's an enjoyable voice nonetheless, and Dylan offers some very good music; songs that resemble the "Basement Tapes" like 'Woogie Boogie' or 'Little Sadie' add a loose feeling that suggests Dylan wanted to have as much fun as he could, knowing "Self-Portrait" would be despised. Despite any bizarreness, the album is packed full of fine moments like 'Days of 49,' the absolutely delightful 'Bell Isle,' and infamously dogged covers of 'Early Morning Rain,' 'The Boxer,' 'Blue Moon,' 'Let it Be Me,' and an exquisite if eyebrow-raising version of 'I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know.'
Consider it as Bob Dylan's own experience of "Stage Fright;" his former backing group The Band released the album of that name the same year, their reaction to the dregs of being made a public figure. But it only took them two years to reach that disdain, while if Dylan had taken ten to reach his, it certainly didn't show until in shocking confrontational form when "Self Portrait" was released.
"Self Portrait" may always be recognized only as an infamously disappointing release, but it's actually one more reason to ignore the widely accepted opinion. "Self Portrait" is more of a statement than most people choose to recognize; Bob Dylan wanted desperately to discourage those who saw him as a prophet. And that's not a bad reason to make an album if you think about it.

Bob Dylan-Tell Tale Signs

Tell Tale Signs

Maybe this is not considered Country Rock, But any country rock fan, is sure to like this. I sure do

Bob Dylan's unpredictable nature has always kept his audience on their toes. Given his mood, a song performed on one day can seem like an entirely different composition on the next. On the two-CD Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8--certainly one of the most riveting of the Minnesota bard's collections of unreleased recordings, studio demos, alternate takes, and live tracks--two versions of "Mississippi," which Dylan originally wrote for Time Out of Mind, bear that out. The first, where he is backed only by producer Daniel Lanois' poignant electric guitar, finds him wistful in his memories of Rosie. But by disc two, where he reprises the song with a whole band, his reading of the same lyric is dispassionate, as if he were recounting the experience of "the stranger that nobody sees," as he puts it. While the second rendition disappoints, the 27-song album, which covers material from 1989's Oh Mercy through 2006's Modern Times, offers a king's riches. In replacing the banjo with cranked-up electric guitars on a blistering live performance of "High Water (For Charley Patton)," he makes the song nearly an angry manifesto. (Another live song, "Ring Them Bells," thrills with the stunning raw power of his early performances, and renders the studio original utterly bland.) Not everything seems up to Dylan's remarkable standards (conjuring a black R & B voice for "Can't Escape From You," an homage to early rock and roll, seems off kilter and silly). But the breadth and scope of the material (from sneering and tender folk originals, to covers of Jimmie Rodgers and Robert Johnson blues, to a collaboration with bluegrass king Ralph Stanley, and side excursions into ragtime and waltz) reinforce his position as the premier songwriter of his generation.

Bob Dylan-Planet Waves

While on sabbatical from Columbia, Dylan played with The Band and "Planet Waves" appeared in very early 1974. Some rather exciting things followed. Dylan, in seclusion for years, toured for the first time since 1966 (and with the very same band). So, once again, fans had yet another "comeback" on their hands (1970's "New Morning" was also called a "comeback" as well as 1975's "Blood On The Tracks"; this speaks volumes about Dylan's repertoire). But this time the tour wouldn't stop. "The neverending tour" continues unabated to the present day.

On its appearance, "Planet Waves" divided fans and critics, and continues to do so. Some listeners outright hate it, calling it "rushed", "sloppy", and "obsessive". Others hail it as a hugely underrated masterpiece, calling it "edgy", "rough", "personal", or "from the heart". Most would probably agree that it isn't one of his worst, while conceding that it stands a little distant from his absolute best work.

A number of moods pervade "Planet Waves". The bouncy opener "On a Night Like This" will cause all still feet to twirl with glee. But the suicidal follow-up, "Going Going Gone" will plant those feet in concrete while perking up ears and brains. And then the very heavy and sandpaper rough "Tough Mama" (with the classic line "Today on the countryside it was hotter than a crotch") kicks the tempo up again, but in a very different way than "On a Night Like This." The album appears uneven but it actually conjures up a collective mood after repeated listenings. A straight reading of the lyrics reveals obsessions with love, death, the past, and youth. Dylan pleads with countless lovers on this album: "Tough Mama", "Hazel", "You Angel You", "Never Say Goodbye", "Wedding Song". Arguably, the songs on "Planet Waves" may explore the complicated dimensions of his deep love for Sara, his ex-wife. Perhaps all of the referents point to one person? After all, who hasn't felt both a deep passionate love and a self-deprecating hatred for the same person? "Dirge" demonstrates the latter, spewing invective such as "I hate myself for loving you." This intense love finally gets fed steroids on "Wedding Song". Here Dylan turns the phrase "I love you" into a dizzying mantra. And it's obvious by this point that he's hurting. Thematically, "Planet Waves" sits comfortably in front of, and in the shadow of, "Blood on the Tracks". That album also explored the many aspects of emotional and existential love (though "Planet Waves" arguably showcases more of the physical side).

Of course one exception shouts out: "Forever Young". And why do two versions sit side by side on this album? Apparently some friends of Dylan made fun of the slow version, and he decided to keep it off the album. But the engineer loved it and insisted that it remain. So maybe the two versions remained a compromise? Also, side one of the original vinyl lp ended with the first "Forever Young", so the CD somewhat ruins the affect of flipping sides. In any case, "Forever Young" has joined the ranks of classic Dylan.

"Planet Waves" stands as yet another complicated, sophisticated, and stratified Dylan project. His work always invites heaps of discussion that, for some people, never ceases. Not only that, "Planet Waves" was Dylan's first number one record (which seems impossible), though sales weren't as impressive as expectations. Though Dylan never regained the heights he attained in the 1960s, it doesn't seem like he really wanted to. In "Wedding Song" he sings "It's never been my duty to remake the world at large, Nor is it my intention to sound a battle charge." Dylan had openly abdicated the throne imposed on him by some of his fans. He instead retreated into the personal and complex world that "Planet Waves" continued to explore. And he kept going going. 



Bob Dylan- John Wesley Harding



When this record came out a lot of Dylan's fans were upset, because that singer of songs so complex with images that stayed with you long after the song had end, seemed to have gone country. But it didn't long before they realized that the complexity was still here, even thought the backing musicians had changed. The stories, those incredible stories were still here. Just give a listen to "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" and you'll see what I mean. And the word weaver is still doing his magic here as well, again listen to "Frankie & Judas."

Yes, gone are the rock musicians, replaced by country guys, Charlie McCoy on bass, Kenny Buttrey on drums and they help Dylan deliver a kind of haunting sound that has lasted through the years, making this record sort timeless, holding up as well now as it did way back then.

My personal favorite on this masterpiece of music is "As I Went Out One Morning." To me it seems like Dylan is singing about America and how Tom Paine would be so disappointed if he were alive today. And what would Rock have been like had Jimi not been able to cover the excellent "All Along the Watchtower." Then there is that landlord, that wicked messenger, that lonesome hobo and that escaping drifter. Mr. Dylan conjures images with words the way Van Gogh did with a brush. This album, though a change, is one of the best.

Dylan's-Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid Review



Most people see Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid as nothing more than a really long super-maxi-single for "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" with several unnecessary re-mixes of the B-Side, "Billy". While it's hard to argue that there are any other songs on this album (or any other album by Dylan or not) as good as "Knockin'", if you're only interested in Bob for his words you're going to miss a whole lot here. It is easily Bob's most instrumental heavy album (and since it's really a soundtrack, that's too be expected). Most people can't even really tell these songlets apart. Which means they miss all the fun goofy humor in the banjo-laden "Turkey Chase" (my second favorite song on the album). And of the songs that do have words, you get three different vocal versions of "Billy" (numbered 1, 4 and 7 for some reason) as well as another instrumental. Sure, all three offer up pretty close to identical lyrics - all which are little more than dumbed-down Cliff's Notes versions of the plot of the movie. Musically they do each convey a subtly different mood. Okay, "Billy" is not a particularly great song, but despite its reputation as an all-time classic, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" actually is. And regardless of Eric Clapton or Axl Rose's attempts to steal this song, the Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid version remains the definitive one. Sure, this album is a lost great classic, but it's certainly worth more than just that one song.