Reviews (page 2 of 15)
No skips, a classic. His brazen attitude and swagger are on full display in every lyric and cord...it's part fuck-boy ballads, part soulful blues, part funk, and 100% 60s genius.
Sweet poetry in my ears
This was my first time really listening to a whole Dylan album. He's an artist that I like, but don't love like so many of his fans. That being said this was a very good album for me and I look forward to hearing more in the future.
Great album. Great combo of folk, rock and blues. I love all the instruments and interesting sounds as well as the genius lyrics.
As much as people like to poke at Dylan for his voice, the music and lyrics well make up for any singing deficit, if there even is one. I personally like the distinct sound and enjoyed another album from him.
Bob Dylan hit his stride with this album. It is mesmerizing and very insightful. requires a listen many times to absorb the beauty and artistry.
Another Bob Dylan banger. This one in particular was recorded soon after he went electric, so there's a lot of pressure for this one to be good, and thankfully this ends up being one of his strongest. The storytelling is once again on point, the lyricism is sheer poetry, and I found myself unable to stop listening until it was over. That's a sign of a great album in my eyes, when I can just listen back to front without thinking about how much time has passed. Superb.
I wanted to dock it for its length, but man, what a masterpiece! What songs, what scope, what ambition...
10/10 Another level. It must have blown everyone away, and I don't think even Dylan could ever get his head round the awesomeness of what he had created
Erg lekker plaatje Bobby
(*Bob Dylan-gemompel over de vrouwekes*) (*een halve minuut aan schelle mondharmonica die net iets te hard in de mix ligt*) - herhaal bovenstaande 400 maal Blonde on Blonde wordt omgeschreven als 'het eerste dubbel album in de rockmuziek' en alleen daarvoor verdient het al straf. Er zal ongetwijfelt wel een mooie tekst tussen deze nummers zitten, maar 1. ik versta Dylan niet op ~80% van zijn lines en 2. als ik hem versta knalt er een mondharmonica overheen. Verre van mijn favoriete Bob Dylan album. Sterker nog: dit viel me echt tegen.
Oh yes, boba dylan
Decent in spite of Dylan’s performance on it. The delivery is a bit like a not entirely flattering tribute act but he is a master of its craft and it’s decent in its fundamentals. Took two attempts as there’s only so much you can listen to him drawl.
Musically is a reasonably strong package and those occasional blues injections provide a great backdrop, but Bob Dylan himself is the issue here. Because he insists on driving the central theme with zero vocal dynamism, his complete lack of energy prevents the music from wrapping around him with any comfort or interest. The musicians are doing all the heavy lifting, but Dylan's dry, flat presence ultimately deflates what could otherwise make the album. I continue to believe Bob is a great songwriter but not a great artist. I did listen to this album alot and as it had a passive interest throughout despite my issues I will therefore give it a generous 3. I also think some credit is due as this is dated in many ways but in spite of this it still had some appeal to me so for that it deserves some credit.
This isn't the type of Dylan I find tolerable for a whole album, let alone a double. His mastery of song writing in his early folk albums is overshadowed here by the bigger rock band production. The harmonica, once used for the occasional highlight, is employed in long waffling ear bleeders which I got really tired of. The song writing is solid with some real classics, but I don't think Dylan is the best person to be delivering them. He has already started to become a self caricature, leaning even into the Dylan drawl to the point of farse. A prolific artist that peaked high and early and then started on a multi decade decline.
I feel bad about this one. I know it's legendary and I know he is a progenitor of modern music. That said, I struggle to get past his voice.
Sounds like a Swedish porno.
I've been going over this for a few days now. When i see these song titles I'm impressed - tracks we've all heard and know and my initial impression was this will be another 5/5 The good: Most of these songs are good/great by normal person standards. Classic tunes like Just Like a Woman, Stuck Inside Mobile, pill box hat etc. Couple too many blues romps. But when i dig into this I really don't enjoy it. This feels like Dylan at his most annoying, particularrly as a romantic partner. If you were a woman and got mixed up with this fella, thats on you, but god damn. He's either stalking/worshipping you or throwing you out like a piece of trash and blaming you for it. He's also playing up the signature Dylan vocal affect, which can also be annoying. Last thing in the instrumentation. Prettyyyy loose. I think on Visions of Johanna I heard a straight up miss on a chord change. Robbie Robertson giving it his all on a couple tracks, but low key stinks at playing guitar. This feels like a more hastily made and less grounded version of Blood on the Tracks. Last last thing is I'm not a huge fan of cryptic lyrics that can be interpreted multiple ways. More of a math/science guy. Final thought - do not get romantically involed with Bob Dylan, regardless of the number of times he tells you hes outside your window beating his trumpet.
I was listening to ‘visions of Johanna’ while waking the dog and I looked up at the sky and the clouds had parted into this bizarrely perfect circle of blue with a wisp of clouds inside that were in the exact shape of th Virgin Mary RIGHT at the point in the song where Bob starts singing about Madonna and it was the closest thing to a religious experience I’ve ever experienced. It was insane. It was moving. I texted Sean about it and he said ‘haha that’s sick’ but I could tell he didn’t mean it. Anyway I’m not even then biggest Dylan fan but there is something that feels close to sacred at times in his verses. I don’t think any other artist could have put me in the mindset where I’m interpreting clouds as signs from god.
Its a great album. The obnoxious Rainy Day Women ranting and harmonica in the first two tracks is the ding thats holding this from a perfect 100/100 for me This is the default Dylan album for me. Hits, 73 mins and full of rockers.
Is it blasphemous to say I think I’m an electric Dylan guy? It’s just way more fun. I really didn’t think I was much of a Dylan fan but this has to be in my top surprise favorites. Just so much going to hear in the arrangements. Absolutley love the piano songs with the meandering honky tonk changes. Feels like a New Orleans band. Listened to this a bunch while walking around the Dylan motherland of Lower Manhattan on a fall day. Not a bad time!
rym 4.14 Folk Rock/Singer-Songwriter 这一张年轻的时候听过，熟悉的鲍勃迪伦，熟悉的口琴和钢弦吉他。这张感觉更注重私人化的感情，甚至不少曲目都是关于情情爱爱，像暖洋洋的秋日阳光。 pick: I Want You, Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
60s folk. Blues, sultry. Great Dylan album with fun songs.
Bob Dylan has never been a musician I've sought out but I gotta say this blues rock album has some moments. Not surprised this is lauded as a classic.
From a distance I appreciate Bob Dylan, but I generally do not feel the urge to listen to his music. Nashville Skyline and Blood on the Tracks have got some bangers, but I missed that on this one. Favourite part of the album: harmonica high note in Pledging My Time.
Bob Dylan isn't one of my favorite artists, so I wasn't exactly eager to hear this album. But I have to admit I liked it. Yes, there's his voice, which I don't care for, and there's the harmonica, an instrument that really gets on my nerves. Even so, the end result was surprisingly positive!
Great album. Weird and wonderful lyrics and some great songs. Has there been another album like this? Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands is about twice as long as it needs to be, and Rainy Day Women is not nearly as funny as he thinks it is but otherwise excellent.
bas mi se ne slusa ovo
Good album. Some standouts
Although I was worried with the direction the album began in with probably my least favourite song on the album “Rainy day women”, I must say that there are some absolutely brilliant songs on here: “Visions of Johanna”, “one of us must know”, “Stuck inside of mobile with the Memphis blues”, “Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands”. Whilst I have only listed four songs I must say I am quite happy to have been proven wrong.
Track By Track Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 - Quite a honky beginning with that marching band feel. Sounds like it was recorded in a convivial, loose kind of session. Like it when he laughs or ad libs on a song. Singing about the establishment it seems in his very witty and slightly dry way. Quite decent, didn’t love though. Pledging My Time - Very screamy Dylan harmonica. He’s really getting into it on this one. Like those bluesy stabs and riffs in between the verses. Slow rambling vibe, quite good. Visions Of Johanna - The lyrics are so lovely here. Beautifully mysterious and poetic. Weaving lots of dream-like vignettes throughout the whole narrative. Great melody. Liking the organ on this as well. Hadn’t noticed it before. Favourite one so far. One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) - Never heard this. Nice intro, again with that organ. It works really well in the mix. Enjoying the melody of this as well. Good chord changes too. I Want You - This sits well in the listing, nice up tempo following the slightly slower previous track. There’s a sunny brightness to this one. Very sweet. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again - I’m very much into the Dylan vibe at this point. I loved this. The poetry, the narrative, the music. His lyricism is really in its own world, so unique & surreal and somehow universal too. Brilliant performances all round. That organ again shining in the background. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat - I think I was introduced to this either by my friend from school or my step-dad, so there’s some fond memories there. I do like the bluesy rockin’ stomp. A fun one. It sounds like Dylan in his cheeky or funny mode. It’s got a slight honky tonk vibe. Just Like a Woman - I mean it’s really lovely. Beautiful song. It’s been covered by so many, Jeff Buckley, Nina Simone. This original is great. The acoustic picking in the breaks is a lovely touch. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine) - Liked the bluesy dissonance in the opening. It has some grit, this one, but also with a pretty melody. Temporary Like Achilles - Like strolling into a bar somewhere with a honky tonk piano. A good vibe on this one. Similar structure to ‘Pill-Box Hat’, but softer. Absolutely Sweet Marie - Larger, driving sound for this one. Another weaving story, almost epic in length. Big harmonicas also. Didn’t stand out as much for me, but it’s got some powerful company. Fourth Time Around - Very lovely beginning, pretty guitar. Liking a lot. I almost recognise it! Gorgeous melody. There is also a cheekiness in the romantic lyrics. Obviously Five Believers - Another mover. Great smokin, almost rock n’ roll vibe. Fun, tight playing from the band. Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands - An epic ballad. Really quite lovely. Nothing more to say really. Could’ve swum in it for longer actually; just took me away. Overall Review: I had obviously heard of this before, but never listened all the way through. A little like the cover photo, this album feels very loose and frayed at the edges but also has a bunch of heart and a good dollop of his acerbic wit thrown in there. The playing is brilliant. The band was tight. There’s an almost ethereal magic running through the musicians on many tracks. And Al Kooper’s organ really was a highlight for me. It was previously not my favourite of Dylan’s, but by the last track, I was really quite charmed. It has so much to offer, this album - I thoroughly enjoyed diving into its world. A pleasure to review this classic. 4.5/5 Favourite Songs: Visions Of Johanna, One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later), I Want You, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands
I've been listening to music actively for the last 7ish years, and on and off for 10+, and I've never heard someone defy and one-up himself like Dylan did in the 60s. He started as a guy who played covers, then on Freewhelin' he showed his penmanship, on Bringing It Back Home he bent over critics and added an electric facet to his musicianship only to add a fierce backbone on Highway 61. That leads us to Blonde on Blonde, on which he combines the fierce, endurance, poetry and the venomous backbone that made him lovable. To make a double album this engaging from start to finish is a marvel that's rarely, if ever, achieved. The songs have immense staying power, be it in it's intimacy, humor, or irony that draws you in. Everything tells a story, and at the end of each song, I'm sitting in my chair, waiting for an applause to come barreling in. Those songs where Bob sings about the women in his life are my favorite off of this one. Be it "Visions of Johanna", "Just Like a Woman", "I Want You" or "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" (only Dylan could make an 11 minute singer-songwriter song be compelling all-throughout), they all make fire run through my veins. I guess it's a disservice to other songs, like "Rainy Day Women", "One of Us Must Know", "Memphis Blues" and " Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine", to name a few, but some songs have to stand out, even on a star-studded album such as this one. One more thing to add: I love the expansiveness of the sound on Blonde on Blonde. It's not your regular singer-songwriter album - it has a lot of blues and country in it, and I'd wager that because of this album, I developed a love for said genres without even knowing it. I can't think of closing words for a majestic album such as this one. It's 70 minutes of pure fun and poetry. That's all.
Dear god please no more Bob Dylan. I can’t stand his voice
Bob Dylan...after this album, I had to re-examine how I felt about him. As a songwriter, he's undeniably talented. Sure there's some pretty weak efforts, including the opening track but the fact is he is about as talented of a songwriter as there is ranging from corny, almost Neil Young level rhyming for the sake of rhyming, to Michael Stipe, cryptic nearly undecipherable hidden meanings. And for that, this is a great album. The Proto punk noise level of this album is significant. There's points where he knows. Exactly what he's doing And he's just making sound to make sound. Sometimes, though it really works in the song. And sometimes the song comes together feeling well, composed and constructed. But those vocals are trash. There's no way you can slice it better. They are off key. They are pitchy and it's not even intentional. You can tell that he either doesn't care about how he sounds. Or he doesn't know. He sounds the way he sounds either way. The fact that people love his singing tells me that there is a whole level of humanity that doesn't need harmony or Melody in their vocals. That tracks if you listen to modern rap. Am I saying that Bob Dylan is the first rap artist? Absolutely not. But I will say that I can see the road from Bob Dylan to Jay-Z.
Ok
Some songs the harmonica was unbearable but enjoyable otherwise
Finally, a Dylan album. Of course, I have heard it. This was released when Dylan was at his peak influencing pop culture. After this, Dylan went into seclusion after his so-called motorcycle accident. First when talking about Dylan you have to do with his singing. He is not a good singer. In fact, he is a terrible singer. You just have to get used to it. On the other hand, he is an excellent songwriter. During his 1965-6 period he was writing a lot of surreal poetry that was hard for the average listener to understand. It is brilliant but only some people can see its brilliance. This is the difference between him and the Beatles. Lennon and McCartney wrote songs that almost everyone could understand. They were true pop artists. He recorded this in of all places Nashville with a very good band. Let’s look at some of the individual songs. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35: a lively beginning. One of those Dylan songs that nobody is sure what the title or the song is about. Visions of Johanna: one of Dylan’s most beautiful lyrics. Ain’t it just like the night/ to play tricks on you/when it is so quiet. I want you: a straight forward love song. Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again: another surreal song that most listeners can’t figure out. For example, what does the title means. Just like a women: A put down song. I don’t think feminists would like it. The third side of the album has a lot of filler. No songs stand out. Sad eyed Lady of the lowlands: a beautiful song about his new love Sara his first wife. This is a good album but not a great one: four stars.
Not for me, but fun how he whines on so!!
Classic
clasico
Fine, not really for me
Best Of Bob
This has some of my favorite Dylan songs on it but I can say the same thing about most of his albums.
I really liked this album. Some of it was toe-tapping music out of a honky-tonk, some was bluesy, and some had me parsing the lyrics like I was trying to decipher a TS Eliot poem. Sometimes it was 2 or 3 of those at the same time. This is the first Bob Dylan album I’ve heard, and I’m looking forward to the others on this list.
J'ai bien aimé ++ en fait on s'y fait à sa voix de merde
Wonderful and dense. I have no idea what descriptions such as: with your mercury mouth in these missionary times, or your cowboy mouth and your curfew bells mean. I don't have the time or patience to find out. But I'm at peace with my ignorance and I still love this album. Partly, because Bob Dylan is one of the few people I know who is a worse singer than I, but mainly for the strength of the unfathomable songs. They may be gibberish and he may just have pulled random words from a tombola made from a leopardskin pillbox hat, but none the less I'm going to give this 5 stars.
For me, this is the album where Dylan goes from great to good, swapping firey folk protest anthems for much more prosaic riffs and themes from straightforward blues-rock that don't entirely fit the interestingly cryptic lyrics. Also suffers from double album bloat, paticularly the atrociously sentimental 11-minute slog that closes proceedings.
The lyrics were good but it was very same-y
Fourth double-album randomly in a row. Two of them live and no one I like; this website is trying to boot me off this project. As for this album: Another Bob Dylan record, another befuddled yawn. How was this ever popular music?
This is good. I am not blown away, as maybe I expected to be. I like Bringing it all Back Home more I think.
I do not need a gun to the head to name Dylan as my favorite artist. For that reason even though Blonde on Blonde lands at about number five in my Dylan album list, it certainly deserves the worship it deserves. This listen I noticed a distinct triad of approaches. Dylan’s state of the relationship songs get the loud, and majestic HIghway 61 Revisited treatment. While the tender songs with their dream-like images get gentle acoustic, almost Elizabethan plucking. Lastly, the numerous blues-based songs feature a ribald Dylan delivering comedic lines that are a combo of Lenny Bruce, Your Show of Shows writing room and Lightnin Hopkins. The rotation provides the variety of emotions that all great records master. Oddly the best known songs fall near the bottom compared to others on the record. I can’t get past the stupid-sing-along quality of the chorus in “Rainy Day Women #12 and #35”, nor the annoyance from the blaring marching band. Sometimes “Just Like a Woman” hits me in “A Natural Woman” manner, however it can also become schmaltz. “I Want You” has a chirpy guitar refrain that interferes with another round of memorable characters Dylan created. Those shortcomings just keep the record from the top on my list. Blonde on Blonde reaches high ground on enough levels to be a classic. Dylan seemingly effortlessly tosses off put downs, future aphorisms, absurdist juxtapositions and touching odes. The gathered studio musicians, plus Al Kooper and Robbie Robertson, sound like a roadhouse, then play with beautiful understatement on tracks like “Visions of Johanna” and “4th Time Around.” This near elegance meets shotgun blasts from Robbie Robertson, most notably on “Obviously Fiver Believers” characterizes the record, which means producer Bob Johnston deserves a healthy dose of credit. Hard to think of non-Bob Dylan records that combine endlessly fascinating lyrical stories and live music excitement. Blonde on Blonde continued the tossed off brilliance of his previous two records
Bob Dylan lovers love this album because it is Dylan at his Dylan-iest.
Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Ganz okay.
I'm quite sure in 1966 cameras had manual focus
Listened to this on a flight from MSP TO NYC, felt right lol. Best Bob D album?
Really like the loose band sound. Great storytelling and some lovely guitar parts.
I liked the jazzy bits in the beginning, but the rest started to blend together a bit. I do like his lyrics though.
Guy on a buffalo.
I like his story telling a lot. My favorite of his albums that I have listened to.
Enjoyable at first great opening song but its the same song over and over after the 5-6
I know it's a classic but it really doesn't hold up
Lowkey overrated. It's got good tracks to be sure, but not my favorite bob. I will say '66 is crazy for this stuff.
Fine but not really my thing. I wish he could sing.
I really enjoyed this album, definitely the best Bob Dylan I've heard. The instrumentation was really lush and Bob had some great melodies in there.
Entspannter Rock 3/5
2026.10.21
Definitely not my favourite Bob Dylan album. It was ok.
Classic Dylan showing the diversity on the last of the rock album trio. Utilizing Nashville musicians for dynamic sound mixed with his storytelling makes for a great double album.
Jag tycker likt det förra Bob Dylan albumet att det inte tilltalar mig särskilt mycket. Jag har hört om texterna och budskapen och Nobelpriset och allt annat men jag tycker faktiskt inte att Blonde on Blonde är så bra. Det är långt och ofta inte så intressant, vissa låtar är för långa och tråkiga och låter som de innan. Det tilltalar mig inte heller musikaliskt eller sångmässigt. Jag kanske är bitter och inte på Dylan-humör men jag gillar det inte helt enkelt. Jag ger det 6/10.
Jag tycker om albumet mycket, dock tyvärr tycker jag inte om varje låt, jag gillar främst låtarna som handlar om kärlek eller är lugna. Tycker albumet är liiiite för långt, fattar att de är det första dubbel album i rock historien men ändå. Alla munspels solos är extremt dåligt mixade. Mina favorit låtar är: Sad eyed lady of the lowland Just like a woman Visions of Johanna One of us must know Jag ger detta album en 8,5/10
Total classic! (Thanks Jack Black!)
I like Dylan and I'm a big fan of his body of work however this album didn't hook me as much as others. Some songs on it are great and the lyrics are fantastic I just didn't take to it as I have others.
Not my favourite of his albums. Some good tunes
3 - decent
Before this, my experience of Bob Dylan was very much his early folk music. This album changed that. An amazing album with heartfelt lyrics from the best era of Bob Dylan. Probably wont listen daily but definitely a vibe
I am coming to realize that Bob Dylan is best enjoyed in small doses. There are some great songs here - I particularly liked I Want You. But 70 mins of Bob is quite a sonic assault that gets in my bones and teeth and makes me angry. Little 3 min hits are fine. A double album is too much.
Blonde on Blonde One of the albums I had on officially released MiniDisc, that I got alongside my minidisc player, and it still sometimes reminds me strongly of Christmas 1999, particularly the stellar Visions of Johanna. The bass on that song is absolutely superb, pushing and prodding the acoustic guitars and organ while Robbie Robertson’s fills sit in the gaps in the vocals brilliantly. It’s surely one of his greatest songs, and then it's followed by the superb One of us Must Know, a great song with an incredibly disdainful and uncaring lyric. I love the tune and tunefulness of I Want You, surely one of the patient zero’s for Dylan parodies with its organ grinders and undertakers and piercing harmonica. Stuck Inside of Mobile was probably my favourite song on here for a long while, and I still love it, the organ and guitar are great foils for each other and it’s another pariodable Dylan lyric with Grandads, gun-toting senators and Shakespeare. Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat and Rainy Day Women always felt cut from similar cloth to me, even though the former is more mean spirited than the silliness of the latter. Most Likely You Go Your Way and Absolutely Sweet Marie feel like cousins to Memphis, with a nice bluesy exuberance and a great hooks. The piano really is excellent on Temporary Like Achilles, giving the slow moving bluesiness an excellent atmosphere. I love that 4th Time Around is related to Norwegian Wood, and you can hear echoes of the former and not a little light derision and sarcasm to some of the lines - I’ve always thought the line ‘gallantly handed her my very last piece of gum’ was pointed at Lennon. Obviously 5 Believers is a nice bit of sequencing, a relatively throwaway bit of blues before the genuinely epic Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. I do love this song, but it sometimes depends on my mood how great I think the lyrics are. Maybe it’s because it was pretty groundbreaking in its imagery, similes and metaphors, but does a geranium smile actually mean anything? But does it have to mean anything other than being a literary device to conjure two ideas simultaneously? That’s the problem with doing these reviews about Dylan, you can easily come across as pseud, but equally you want to acknowledge the quality of the wordplay and imagery, even if ultimately it might not mean what you want it to mean. But anyhow this is obviously a 5, a superb album with some all time classics of western post war pop music. 👱👱👱👱👱 Playlist submission: Visions of Johanna
This is such a fecund period for Dylan that any album in the 60s (aside the debut) is arguably a 5 star, and I wouldn't argue. Compared to 'Highway 61 Revisited' the sound is looser and sometimes bluesier, with honky-tonk piano, swirling organ, twanging guitars. Dylan seems to regard this as the gold standard for his sound, but I find it to be so incredibly tinny at times - 'Pledging My Time' really is the worst offender, and a very dull song to boot, in 8-bar blues. The harmonica is unbearable. Aside from lazy blues numbers which don't float my boat, the rest really is a run of excellence, not least 'Just Like a Woman', 'Visions of Johanna', 'Fourth Time Around' and 'Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands'.
No es mi estilo Bob Dylan, pero me ha parecido un álbum muy coherente.
Pretty good album, I thought it was ok and there were some good songs on the album, I did find that it dragged on a bit.
Good one , not into folk music tho
I’ll admit I’m not much of a Dylan fan outside of the most popular songs. This is easier to listen to than some because of the bluesiness outweighing the folk influence a good bit of the time but it’s still pretty rough.
good
Never forget that Rolling Stone Magazine once named Bob Dylan the 7th greatest singer of all time... ...I'm still upset
Not an album I know, but some good tunes on here, without being amazing
This is my second Bob Dylan album on this list, and it has made me realize something. Bob Dylan is an artist that is best enjoyed in small doses. This may sound like a backhanded compliment (and it kind of is), but I find my experience listening to Bob Dylan is that I put on his work, am impressed by the lyricism and musical skill for a few songs, and then his voice and harmonica make me want to rip my ears off. It may have taken a few days, but I got through this album and liked it. I am not listening to the whole thing in one sitting though and you cannot make me.
A classic
...More Dylan, when he's balls-deep into blues-rock territory and very far from his traditional folksy roots. And while it's never been my favourite record by him, it's still pretty damn great. It feels more tender, melodic, and easily digestible in a lot of ways when compared to some of his other albums. I mean, songs like 'I Want You', 'Fourth Time Around', or 'Just Like a Woman' are some of Dylan's most entry-level tracks, and the closest he gets to pop accessibility. Yet those songs go over exceptionally well, especially the latter, which is one of the greatest Dylan love ballads out there. I just love how quaint and soft the instrumentation feels, with that rolling organ and hooky guitar melody, super intimate mood on this one. There is a very noticeable bluesy edge to this record that wasn't *really* as present on his previous album - songs like 'Pledging My Time' and especially the progression of a song like 'Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat'. Those more standard tracks I've never been a huge fan of, to be honest. A song like 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35' with its messy, clunky, drunken sway, on the other hand, is totally up my alley and is such a strange opener for Dylan; it feels like him at his loosest - lyrically, compositionally, and vocally. 'Stuck Inside of Mobile' is easily my favourite song here; I love that descending organ line in the hook, and the little monotonous stories that lead Dylan to the existential dread in the refrain are always just so fun to listen to. I do think this would've been Dylan's best if it was just the first disc, but as it stands, the second disc is hit-or-miss for me. Nothing bad at all, just not his most memorable. Still, some great highlights, most notably the incredible closer 'Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands'. But I've always found this album ridiculously front-loaded, at least when it comes to my favourite tracks. But still, so many highlights here and such a warm and cozy listen. And, funnily enough, it's the most Dylan seems to be trying in terms of vocal melody and pop accessibility.
I like the harmonica. So far, this is spoken not sung. The music is great. I don't like most of the vocal choices The lyrics are poetry. I would enjoy this so much more if the vocals were pleasant.
I feel similar with this to a lot of Bob Dylan records. The songwriting and talent is undeniable but a barrier for me is Bob Dylan’s voice, which I don’t really enjoy for the most part.
Its in Vogue to hate on Dylan, the problem with that is he is *very* good at what he does. 4/5
I don't know man. I know he's lyrically gifted but the voice? And can't we get blues by Black artists?
Dylan is a dick. But his music is good in small doses.
Good songs but his voice is rough
To this day I have yet to find a more perfect transition than Visions of Johanna < Sooner or Later < I Want You < Memphis Blues. Just Like a Woman is another beautiful ballad but rest of the tracklist is alright tbh, not as good as the two previous releases. I dont rly get the hate for Dylan's voice, it's not egregious and the lyricism make up for it. Intro track is awful tho
Another very good one
Honestly pretty enjoyable, I even got the singing for a few of those songs
Much better than the last one. He still can’t really sing at all but the songs were good
Just an all-time great record.
13 songs too many. I just want to listen to the new Mastodon album anyway..
Знову Боб! Михайло Попов вилітий)))
Correct mais je commence à être tanné de la sélection, c’est vraiment pas assez diversifiée
Blonde on Blonde ("BoB" for short) has never been a favorite Dylan album of mine. The hype surrounding it only made it worse! So, when I got it again today, I said, "Let's give it another go." Maybe it's all the stress I have to deal with right now in life as a new parent, with a new job and a new home, but in a way, it helped me understand what Dylan was going through when looking into this album. There's so much written about this album that it's hard to compress everything into a single review. So, to summarize, Dylan was having a lot of difficulty getting the results he wanted for this album. Tensions with some of his band members were high (Mike Bloomfield left the band, Al Kooper told him that he didn't want to tour with him anymore), and manager Albert Grossman was busy getting him to embark on a nine-month world tour, which I don't think he was too hot about. He called over the Hawks, then backing Ronnie Hawkins but soon to become the Band with Levon Helm, to back him on the album. Alas, the sessions in New York that he did with them were not to his liking, with take after take being repeated to no avail. On top of that, his second child, Jesse, was about to be born (sessions had to be paused as a result). The solution? Producer Bob Johnston, fresh from his work on Highway 61 Revisited, recommended that they move to Nashville to finish the album, against Grossman's wishes. The result? Thirteen out of the fourteen songs recorded in Nashville sessions made the final cut. The result is a Dylan album that is the most diverse he had done to date, and the Nashville session musicians, such as Charlie McCoy and Kenneth Buttrey, add so much to this album in terms of quality and delivery. The fact that everything was recorded live in-studio, with no overdubs, only adds to the quality. While this story is interesting, it also explains why this album feels so tiring and disjointed at times, in spite of my admiration for its lush and often festive sound. So, for starters, I'd like to say that I'm not a huge fan of novelty tracks such as "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" and "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat," or of a lot of the twelve-bar blues tracks, though they do make me smile from time to time (especially "Obviously Five Believers"). I'm actually more impressed by the honest-to-God sentimental and poppy tracks like "I Want You," "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)" (listen to Paul Griffin from "Peg" fame on piano here!), the heartbreaking and sardonic "Just Like a Woman" and "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again," as well as ethereal meanderings of "Visions of Johanna" and folk masterpiece "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" (done in a single take at 4am - amazing!). I simply love Kooper's organ work here as well, especially the final track. It's so haunting and soulful, and adds just the right amount of mystique that this album needed. As for the rest, it's perfectly fine. Maybe a bit too long, maybe a bit too loaded, but Dylan was packaging everything he loved about American music and putting it to his poetry. This was a very modern, new type of music for the time. Apparently, it was the album he was most proud of, which probably confirms that Dylan is either more down-to-earth than we give him credit for, or truly mysterious with his comments that the sound on this album is the closest to the sound his mind, reminding him of "wild Mercury" (whatever that means). Either way, we'll never know, but at this point, he was truly unchained to do what he wanted and seemed to have fun no matter how tough the recording was. 3.5 stars, could grow over time.
I don't know if he's nobel laureate material, but damn if this wasn't fun to listen to. 4/5.
I learned to like Bob Dylan later in life and increasingly I find that I like him selectively.
I liked the last Dylan album i heard more than this one, but it’s still a solid listen
That was a great album but I’m not sure I think it’s the best of Dylan’s albums even though other critics disagree.
What’s with the album cover? He looks like he’s got trapped wind! I’ve never really wanted to put on a Bob Dylan album to listen to. It’s just not a pleasant experience overall. Sure, the lyrics are good, but the delivery isn’t. Most of the songs on this are also indistinguishable from one another. Oh, some don’t have a harmonica so I suppose they are distinguishable to an extent.
4/5
some of these songs fucking draaaaaag, especially in the first half. i had the urge to skip the album but i'm glad i stuck through because the closer is amazing. i had high hopes after i listened to Bringing It All Back Home (my first Dylan album) yesterday since i really enjoyed it (4 stars), but i struggled with this one. this album was too long and also felt kinda redundant, especially the section with nothing but cringeworthy horny songs (and i've listened to a lot of hair metal, and even that didn't usually give me such an ick). i'll never listen to this album whole but some of these songs are going to my playlist. best songs: "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"
Wow, I wasn’t expecting this, so many people to thank. I’d first like to thank the world. It’s been such a shitshow for the past decade that I really had to learn perseverance and resolve. I’d like to thank my parents. They both had hard lives in different ways and I am inspired on how they pushed through and tried to make the best of everything. Thank you to my kiddo. I know that I have to be a good role model and that it’s important to honor your commitments. But here I am, standing before you as someone who listened to a full Bob Dylan album. A double album at that. Lots of time to think. At times I wondered what I should have for dinner. Other times I was curious if it was a recycling week. At no point did I think that I was glad this was playing. This album did not change my opinion on Bob Dylan. He could be saying the most profound things but I wouldn’t know because it’s being masked by the most irritating vocal choices ever. Does he know he sounds like that? Someone should tell him. 2 stars just for the musicians. They did a pretty good job keeping me sane.
Late last week, I receive Highway 61 Revisited. I didn't like it at all. But I gave it two stars. I admit there is obviously something there, that while I cannot hear it, other people hear mastery in it. I cannot be so charitable with Blonde on Blonde. This is awful. It's a 1 star album. I'd give it zero if I could. This album is so bad that it seems like a parody of Bob Dylan. The first half of the album especially is full of songs that are ALL HARMONICA SO LOUD IN THE MIX THAT YOU CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING ELSE PLAYING AND HOLY SHIT NO ONE NEEDS THAT MUCH HARMONICA THAT LOUD ALL THE TIME. All through this album, Bob Dylan sings like a person doing uncharitable mimicry of Bob Dylan's whii-HINEEEEEY vocal affectation. This album is way too long. Wikipedia has the runtime at over 72 minutes, owing to every single song on the album being too long by minutes. If there is a story to be told, or a feeling to be felt in these songs, it gets lost on me due to impatience, boredom, and the general malaise that comes from listening to more than an hour of this stuff. Even the packaging is annoying. Just a portrait of Bob Dylan, but him looking like a curmudgeonly old man, even though he's only in his mid 20s in the shot. And it's shot slightly out of focus. The whole package is supposed to be ARTISTIC, but it just comes across is pretentious and wearisome.
Another Dylan album. Not bad. Not good. Middle of the road. Alright I guess. Must listen to? Not really sure.
Lovely, perfect album. Dylan in a joyous state. The arrangements are lush. The lyrics are fun. Dylan seems like he’s having a good time recording and singing them. They’re romantic, funny, celebratory, thoughtful. Doesn’t get much better than this!
I enjoyed this album. Its 4 stars for me. I enjoyed it more than the last Bob dylan album that I listened to
10/10
This may be my favourite album of all time. Absolutely epic, not a single skip. so good. oh my goodness
Why did Bob Dylan actually get this big? I get the poetry and the penmanship, it's great! But the obnoxious singing is unbearable to me.
Sometimes a bit too jazzy. Loved some songs. Glad i listened to it, but i wouldn’t likely listen to the whole thing again.
Can’t stand his voice. While production was nice, not my type of music at all.
Как писал ранее, Боб Дилан больше поэт, чем музыкант. Без знания английского, без понимания канвы американской культуры тех лет не понять всей глубины таланта. Что касается альбома - на пару прослушиваний. Не очень мне Дилан нравится.
the lyrics writing certainly is strong (when they can be discerned), but their delivery is loose and idiosyncratic, and while the individual playing is generally tasteful, the overall effect is of a more or less monotonous block.
Getting past Dylan's voice remains a challenge for me. A few songs on here weren't too bad -- I Want You, Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again and Fourth Time Around might come around for another listen. But a few songs on here were just loud. Rainy Day Women and Most Likely You Go Your Way are two examples... and in each song that was noticeably loud, it was the harmonica that was the culprit... just way too live in the mix.
I continue to be so fond of what I hear from Dylan, despite it sounding like nothing I’ve been interested in before. This album was the most consistent and enjoyable I’ve heard yet. I love the songwriting and the musical choices and ideas he introduces, crafting an excellent crop of tracks. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: I Want You, Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
This 60-year old album of Bob Dylan's, whom I am not a fan of, is actually pretty good.
I guess I just don’t like Bob Dylan…
Peak Dylan, I would not recommend to anyone with a harmonica aversion.
An excellent double album from the wordsmith. One of his better ones but not the best.
Que buena colección de rolas. Muy buen disco!
Started off and I was like ehhh, but by the end I was like ok not bad. Not my favourite Dylan tho
Can't imagine why this would be an album to remember, I did not connect with it or BD in general at all
Favourite Track(s): Visions Of Johanna I Want You Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again Just Like A Woman Fourth Time Around Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands
Bob Dylan's "singing" was never my thing, but the music is nice. I like harmonica and the rest of the instruments, but to be honest the whole album sounds mostly the same. I can listen to it, it's decent, but I always feel the urge to turn on something more creative.
It’s a little whiny
What a uniquely terrible experience the overwhelming majority album was. Like, even compared to other Bob Dylan albums (of which I liked 1). Bob Dylan became popular during a moment of surging counterculture, and I think he owes his success to a group of people who who would eat a (musical) shit sandwich if it meant someone else had to take a bite. This is the sonic equivalent of that Scandinavian fermented fish dish you have to open under water so you don't have to burn your house down for the smell. People say they love it, but they're just fucking with you and want to watch you squirm and vomit. Dylan got lucky being a shitty musician in a time when shit sandwiches were becoming popular. Y'all win. I took my bite. Do I have to listen to the rest of the 40 garbage Dylan albums on this list? This is my 4th Dylan album from this list, and I'm absolutely done trying to like him and trying to understand what people see in him, or why they think his songwriting abilities are too notch because I figured it out: they just want to believe it's true, even if it isn't. They're like the conspiracy theorists who believe insane shit because they have nothing that makes them feel special, other than having claim on the secret knowledge of the "real" truth. They're fucking cranks, should be ignored, and they can have their flat earth and lizard people, but no more of my attention. Anything that was remotely inoffensive to the ear had its score brought down by the exceptionally terrible songs before and after it. Also, harmonica torture ⭐.25 Afterward Maybe I'm an idiot and I just don't "get" it. Could be so. However, I submit when you hide the fundamental truth of life inside the wood chipper, it's going to stay there; I'm not climbing in the certain death machine to find out what it is. I'll just live my stupid little life far away from the cacophony of the wood chipper and be happy to not be near it.
I have listened to this album so many times and this is the first time I've been old enough for it to make sense. This is Bob Dylan at his most fun and accessible with all the JUDAS electricity.
Gyu
Highlights: Just Like A Woman, I Want You, Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat, One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later), Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine. In a nutshell: how does it feel? I think I'm coming around to Bob Dylan's music. An odd start to the album - kind of a drunk night at a supper club feel. It's heavy on the blues influence, but that's Dylan's shtick. There's a certain vulnerability in the lyrics here, specifically Just Like A Woman (one of my favourite Bob Dylan singles). It's good to hear Dylan break into laughter during songs and the producer decides to keep the part in. And it's a double album that didn't feel like a slog. Shout out to the musicians who joined Dylan in recording this album, they were a pleasure to hear: Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Charlie McCoy, Al Kooper, Wayne Moss, Joe South, Kenneth Buttrey, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Henry Strzelecki, Bobby Gregg, Paul Griffin, Mac Gayden and Wayne Butler. Bravo. Overall: 7/10
Not gonna lie I hated this.
- Oh great. Apparently I am one of those dudes who thinks folk Dylan is the only Dylan worth listening to. - I am probably being harsh here, but 1) I find folk Dylan so poignant that this just feels disappointing in comparison and 2) this album is very self-indulgent. Way too long, some tracks are never-ending, and many of the lyrics are essentially nonsense. That would not usually bother me, but Dylan's main strength is often his lyrics. - I despise "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35", so I was already starting on the back foot.
There's the right amount of blues funk on this one to anchor the rambling of Dylan. This is a fun a gorgeous record and easily my favorite of his.
Southern blues album. Different from what I thought of Bob Dylan's music.
Always loved Dylan, but had never listened to this album in its entirety. So good!
Rainy Day Women is the only song that I am immediately familiar with, though I may have heard a couple others. Everyone talks about Dylan's terrible singing voice, but if you can get past that, the music and lyrics make it worth it.
bit repetitive and special way of singing, but nice background music and good protest-like lyrics
JL : 2, I couldn't tell apart a single song I'll be real
I don't hate Dylan's voice like many here, but that album was boring as shit.
Some good tunes some fillers.
Didn't like the harmonica, but I like his voice and some of the songs
The harmonica was hurting my ears. Sorry bob
Not a Dylan fan
Classic Dylan
Surely up there as one of the greatest albums ever. I think “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” is possibly the best love songs ever so I added that to my playlist. But not before being tempted by at least five other tracks.
I'm always excited to explore Bob Dylan's discography in a deeper, more intentional way, so Blonde on Blonde has been fun to dive into. For the most part it's a delta blues heavy record, which is great news for fans of the style (I am not), but Dylan is a mastsr storyteller regardless of genre. There are standouts and very little in the way of akippable tracks (if any, really), but Blonde on Blonde could've used some editing. You've got 14 tracks and one of them is almost 12 minutes long by itself. I love Dylan as much as the next guy, but it's just too much. Overall my biggest takeaway from Blonde on Blonde is how crazy it is that it came out in 1966. You don't realize how many people borrowed from Dylan until you listen to him and realize he predates trends, often by a decade.
I'm supposed to like this and I kind of do but also I always kind of don't.
So, I saw Bob Dylan in concert. He did a co-headliner show with Phil Lesh at Deer Creek back in 2000. My sister and I both thought we better go see Dylan before it was too late. So we drove all the way out there, did the show and drove all the way back same night (in torrential rain) (Today me thinks we were crazy to do that in one night). It's 2026 and he just toured. Our fears of his imminent passing in 2000 were overblown.
I mean, this is a no-brainer 5 star album, obviously. But it's long been a bit of a frustrating listen for me. The best tracks are some of the best of all-time from anyone anywhere-Visons of Johanna, One of Us Must Know, Stuck Inside of Memphis, etc. But the album also grinds to a halt when the boring bluesy numbers pop up--Pledging My Time, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, Temporary Like Achilles. But between the iconic cover and the majority of the fabulous songs, this one is undeniable.
one of the all time great albums that can be appreciated even by me, someone who doesn't really enjoy Dylan
Bob Dylan is an amazing song write, who is difficult to listen to in long doses ... this dose was a little too long
I struggle with Blonde on blonde as I know canonically it's the "best" and it's super strong but it's not very fun.
la verdad es que quede muy sorprendido con este album. nunca fui de escuchar a bob dylan (tampoco creo serlo ahora) pero este disco me gusto bastante, de igual manera siento que me hubiera parecido una obra maestra si en vez de ser un sudaca argentino fuera un yanki blanco de clase media... destaco el cuarto tema "one of us must known (sooner or late)"y el ultimo "sad-eyed lady of the lowlands" como los que mas me gustaron.
Las únicas cosas “malas” que puedo decir son: Es largo. Hay canciones que pueden sentirse menos memorables. La voz de Dylan puede cansar. La armónica puede llegar a ser muchísimo. No tiene la estructura tan inmediatamente accesible de Highway 61 Revisited. Fuera de eso es un albumazo, con mucho Groove y está llenísimo de personalidad Visions of Johanna mi favorita 8/10
oh boy i miss when i knew bob dylan only from the video of him reading a store sign and messing it up in a fun way, i would've thought he made interesting music, which is ?perhaps? true but not good sounding music... not to say every music has to sound pleasant AT ALL but i just fucking can't with the. damn. harmonica. it was the first and one of the only real instruments i ever owned and it never made anything other than hit my brains and ears the wrong way (also storage everyone's spit permantely). i'll give it to it though when it keeps that very long note in the second track, it almost sounded badly good. it also stops appearing and then it is just... country music? i don't know what's worse. the vocals arent as bad as i previously knew from him, but this is still a big big noo. i see how one star can be tough i've messed up my rating system and this fed my algorithm so fuck it !!
Not my cup of tea normally but I understand the magnitude of the greatness of this record. Not perfect for me but an incredible record that everyone should listen to at least once.
He just never sounds like he cares what he sounds like. Which is a major turnoff for a musical act.
I’ll never like.Bob Dylan’s voice, but I enjoyed this album. I want a leopard skin pill box hat.
Classic with a lot of great songs
This one I know already, an absolute classic!
Dylan har alltid varit lite 50/50 för mig, men detta var bra
Utvilsomt blant mine topp-10 Dylan skiver. Farlig nært en 5'er. Kanskje ved neste gjennomlytt.
Nok en perle fra Bob. Tror jommen jeg liker fyren. Er endelig kommet over tidenes verste konsert på Roskilde 2007.
Klassiker som ikke satt helt denne gangen. For langt? For dårlig synging?
Dylan #2 Preferred this to Highway 61 but there's a lack of energy that prevents from fully investing in Dylan, maybe this one just needs to marinate or something might be wrong with me?
Full of gibberish, good natural vibes, kinda catchy ones time to time
DNF i couldn’t stand the harmonica and bob dylan trying to do a higher octave. it was anathema to my ears. i liked visions of johana but at 1:31 the harmonica came in and i fell to my knees. i decided to stop there, because i know i wouldn’t enjoy the rest of the album. every song i was looking at the playtime to see when it’d end. what a cruel fate!
Another Dylan album wishing it would end and that the harmonica was never invented.
Bob Dylan rules. Lots of harmonica, great poetry.
Nope
Дилан выступает на чилле, дайте все премии этому кучерявому, пока он продолжает кряхтеть на своем бесконечном туре - 60е ещё живы
Последний из знаковых альбомов Дилана в 60-х, но уже менее интересный на мой взгляд. Он уже отточил свой стиль, но не написал для этого альбома по-настоящему запоминающихся шедевров. Тем не менее, звук здесь действительно классный.
Впервые заболела голова от этих гармошек. Аналог зубной боли. Хуже волынки.
вроде и приятно местами, но 3.5
His absolute best
Some real classics on here. I am one of those people who doesn't love Dylan's singing style, but I can't fault the lyricism or musicality of the album.
headache inducing 0/14 added to liked songs
One of his best executed albums with many of his best songs.
Bob Dylan feels like an artist I should love more than I do. Everything about him & his reputation points to being an accomplished, legendary artist, but his music never fully lands with me and I’m left questioning why his music is so revered. There are plenty of high points on this album - I Want You & Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again are fantastic tracks - and the instrumental work is solid throughout the record. A good half of the songs on the album just feel very middle of the road to me, and I’m pretty sure I’ll forget them by tomorrow. Overall it’s a decent listen with a few high moments, but too much of the album feels lacking to me. And it’s too long. 6/10.
Clasico
Some enjoyable stuff on here, but I didn't really love it.
Double albums contain bloat more often than not. Even Bob Dylan himself can't escape this fact. There probably is a perfect album buried somewhere here. I still consider it a classic though. Visions of Johanna and Just Like a Woman are all-timers. 8/10
A classic from a classic. But not from my experience or enjoyment. But it is OK.
Me esperaba mas de bob dylan, medio pelo. 5,5/10
Do not like Bob Dylan hahah
2nd best Dylan album I’ve heard so far Very strong throughout Visons of Johanna through I want you is a super legendary 3 song run Sad eyed lady of the lowlands is obviously iconic So many good songs I really like the way his voice sounds in visions of Johanna 4/5 Favorites: visions of Johanna, one of us must know, I want you, just like a woman, sad eyed lady,
Sounds how it looks pretty much..
Okay I’m convinced you all just want to torture me. This is the second Dylan album in one week. I’m certain that I’ve already heard at least 2 others before this. No more BOB Dylan PLEASE. 😭😭
Love this album.
si el run de visions of johanna a stuck inside of mobile with the memphis blues again fuera una sola cara del disco sería sin duda la mejor cara de la discografía de dylan (y con duda la mejor cara de cualquier discografía)
one of my fav dylan records
Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
well personally i like the harmonica
I spent a long time in my youth trying to get past Dylan’s; I succeeded in doing so, mostly because of his lyrical and musical genius. He is a Nobel Prize winner, fer Chrissakes! He is The Master, and this is a top effort. I’ll save my 5 rating for Blood on the Tracks.
I'm sorry but I just cannot stand bob dylan's voice. And I had to listen to it for over an hour. The rest of the music was fine, I guess. Favorite Track: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
Pretty standard Dylan
I've discovered that I don't really like Bob Dylan's music.
Dob Bylan
Kas ir trakāk, ka viņs nobel prize uzvarēja literatūrā vai, ka viņš ir no Lietuvas?
fav songs: rainy day women #12 & 35 i want you leopard-skin pill-box hat just like a woman lyrical, blues, playful 70/100
Sooner or later, one of us must knoooooow
This is the third Bob Dylan album within the last 10 ish days and it’s been the third Bob Dylan I’ve struggled to get through. I at least had a better time with this one than the previous 2. Unlike Highway 61 and Blood on the Tracks this one actually had a decent songs I wouldn’t mind playing again. Unlike the others that only had 1 song each. 6/10
Too much for me
5/5. In my estimation, Blonde on Blonde is Dylan’s second best album (only barely behind “Bringing it All Back Home.”) It sees him really perfect the transition to folk-rock that he committed to on Highway 61 Revisited, creating a double album that’s one banger after another, one of the few double albums that doesn’t feel bloated. Plus you get all sides of Dylan here, “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” is one of his more humorous tracks, “Pledging My Time” gives you his classic ear-shattering harmonica, “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” is a massive 11 minute epic”, etc. The stretch from “Visions of Johanna” to “Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat” though is maybe the single best stretch of songs in Dylan’s entire career, five all-time great songs in a row. Also near the end of the album there’s “Fourth Time Around” which sees Dylan poking fun at the Beatles by emulating the riff/delivery of “Norwegian Wood.” But yeah, Blonde on Blonde is an album that showcases everything that made Dylan great and “the voice of a generation” with nearly an hour and fifteen minutes of classic song after classic song.
A Visions of Johanna stan for life
Bob Dylan once said that Blonde on Blonde is the closest any of his studio recordings have ever gotten to the sound he heard in his head. Is that because he ditched his live band for the Nashville A-team in the studio? It it because of the surreal, stream-of-consciousness lyrics that Dylanologists and music historians have spent decades and millions of words decoding (largely in vain)? It it because the album is just THAT damn good? While it doesn't get my vote for the best Dylan album of all-time, I won't really argue with anyone who says it's theirs. One of the best, most complete albums of the 60s.
This is The Business
Cool album, love hearing the sounds that inspired so many modern artists. I did get sick of the harmonica though. I really really enjoyed sad-eyed lady of the lowlands, and One of us must know and i want you were also very good. I really enjoyed this album, giving it a 4 with 9/10 stars.
Some days you’re in Mobile and you got the Memphis blues.
If listening to Dylan is like reading the Bible (and it is) then for me this album has been like reading the prophetic books of the Old Testament: either impossibly vague or full of metaphors for which I lack context, and if you tell a believer that you don't get it they'll inevitably respond that you just need to keep reading until you do. I’ve tried half a dozen times in my life to get my consciousness to lock into place on the right wavelength to get this, with little success. And so I had resigned myself to writing a contrarian review in which I speculated about the degree to which Dylan’s real trick is his ability to keep up the kayfabe of his inscrutable genius, leaving his listeners to fill in their own blanks like astrology devotees reading a horoscope. So I’m excited to have had something of a breakthrough with this over several days of listening. It began when I started to suspect that what really signifies here is primarily musical - the loose, informal, liberated vibe of Dylan and his band. Turns out I have been hearing this all wrong; I had been equating “heartfelt” and “meaningful” with “dark” and “brooding,” then concluding that the former weren’t present because the latter weren’t. I had bought the tortured genius mythology, even though Dylan wasn’t selling it. He might have the blues on “Pledging My Time” but he doesn’t sound miserable - just resolute about what he wants. That is the great secret of this album - Dylan’s preternatural ability to take his experiences and turn them into art without flinching, his knowledge that he can bear whatever he must bear to be who he is. It’s that confidence in himself that fuels the persona, not the other way around; like a prophet, he knows what’s going to happen, and that makes it easier to accept what’s happening now. Even when he’s surrounded by decadence, as on “Visions of Johanna,” he seems less disgusted and more just disinterested; the saint he keeps seeing is more important. It’s also why he can occasionally quit talking in code with such power, unafraid of his desires or what they say about him (“I Want You”). And of course it all comes together on “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands,” which I have misheard probably the worst over the years. Dylan isn’t morose here - he’s in awe of his love, of his child wrapped up in her arms, of the fact that he chose her and she chose him back. It is beautiful in a way that makes me tear up, kind of like a couple passages in Isaiah that I’m sure I don’t understand but love anyway. I’m glad I didn’t give up on this, and I intend to keep reading.
I actually preferred "Bringing It All Back Home" over this album. The music here felt too country and harmonica-infused (there were a couple parts where the harmonica screech hurt my ears). The pieces that had the strongest classic folk sound were the best. "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" was probably the best song, and almost perfect despite the length. Dylan comes across as a fantastic lyricist overall, and his stories were what captivated me when I listened to "Bringing It All Back Home".
Litt kjedelig, litt for repetitiv, hørte lite på teksten da.
Started off fine, but quickly got annoying. Stop with the harmonica already!
I listen to this regularly but always up for going through again. The best of his 65-66 streak in my opinion. "Visions of Johanna" is one of the most specific emotional conveyances I've heard. Highlights: "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35", "Visions of Johanna", "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again"
Classic Dylan
Not for me
Sort of became background...not sure
I’m just not a Dylan fan, he’s so annoying
quarter chub
nomegustó sig pregunta
Such a good opener, and then it just starts to drag.
Heard some before; 4.5; Really incredible lyrics and storytelling set against relatively sparse folk backing music. Feels like everything just fits together perfectly, and there's little folksy/blusey riffs or bits interspersed throughout. And as an album, every song is great. While the songs sound similar, with regard to the instrumentation especially, they all manage to be distinctive. Favorite Track: Visions of Johanna
Fantastic.
Fantastic album - great songwriter - lots of classics, but all strong - I’m a fan of his voice in the context of his music and lyrics - a definite 5
Already one of my favorite albums of all time - listened to it hundreds of times
Mid
Turns out I can't tolerate a full album of his voice combined with harmonica
Back to back Dylan. I liked this one more than Bringing It All Back Home, but not as much as Blood on the Tracks. So, it's a 4.
In the running for greatest album of all time, clearly 5*
Relaxed, ironic and reflexive. I understand now why they call him 'the voice' of that generation. Even tho it's not really my sound, I like his lyrics and the way he is 'publically intimate'
This is going to the relisten playlist. I think it needs more than one pass to review.
4/10 pretty bad tbh
Okay
3.66
Do not get the hype hey.
I gave this an honest listen, 3 times. I am convinced that a young Bob Dylan witnessed a record executive murder a child in an alley and his music career was manufactured by powerful people to keep it quiet. Hopefully this is the last Dylan record on this list as it feels like I have heard 18 of these piles of shit already.
I can appreciate Bob Dylan's importance in the music canon of the 20th century while also wincing every time he sings because his voice is just not it for me. He's significantly better than Nico, the New Order guy, and the lead singer of The Flaming Lips but still not enjoyable to listen to. He's tied with Leonard Cohen for me on the 'your lyrics and instrumentals are impressive, I just wish someone else was singing your songs' spectrum. Fourth Time Around also sounds like it's trying too hard to be Norwegian Wood (I just googled it and that's apparently exactly what it was mimicking ... I remain on team John Lennon/the Beatles in this petty conflict).
I am coming to realize that Bob Dylan is best enjoyed in small doses. There are some great songs here - I particularly liked I Want You. But 70 mins of Bob is quite a sonic assault that gets in my bones and teeth and makes me angry. Little 3 min hits are fine. A double album is too much.
Dylan can get a bit much listening to an entire album of his, but not with Blonde on Blonde. Some good pop songs, interesting blues songs and some good folk melodies.
Always struggle with Bob. Nice back band here though.
It’s rated as one of his best but it dragged a bit. Eventually the singing becomes stale. Enjoyable in smaller bites.
Not very melodically interesting. I don't think I'm much of a lyrics person.
Classic
I know Bob Dylan and have 50 songs liked by him on Spotify - with 6 songs from this specific album. Liked songs are "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35", "Visions of Johanna", "I Want You", "Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues", "Just Like a Woman", "Fourth Time Around". Hoping to discover more today. Also like "One of us Must Know (Sooner or Later)", "Most Likely You Go Your Own Way (And I'll Go Mine)", "Obviously Five Believers", and "Sad Eyed of the Lowlands". I'll admit I'm not exactly sure what all of these songs are about - but I know that upon many repeated listens I always discover more interesting ideas and themes in Bob's songs. So I'm excited to listen to these more going forward. Not really digging the "pure blues" songs like "Pledging My Time", and "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat". So I ended up discovering 4 "new to me" songs. Pretty cool. This probably could have benefited from a little editing and been only a single album instead of a double album. Liked songs on Spotify: 10/14 Rating: 4/5
Possibly the most irritating Dylan album yet. That bloody harmonica shreds the ears and his vocals are as bad as I feared. It’s not even boring and forgettable, it’s straight up annoying.
Fitting end to Chapter 1 of the Bob Dylan story, in which he delivers on the promises first put forth in “Bringing It All Back Home” and “Highway 61 Revisited”. He bends and breaks the existing forms and creates a new sound and language for rock ‘n’ roll. Absolutely essential.
Sorry, Bob Dylan isn't my thing...
enjoyed it a lot, hadn't heard it for years and had forgotten how good it was.
Only had Dylan 3 days ago and I said my tolerance is about 20 minutes. So this feels like an insult. Too long, but probably the most listenable of his so far.
Bob's golden rule still upholds: AlbumRating ∝ HarmonicaUptime
This album has Sad Eyed Lady and Memphis Blues again, therefore making it one of the best of all time.
I didn't hate it as much as I thought I might, but it wasn't really my thing either. I can understand why it's so great and influential. I just didn't enjoy it.
An absolute classic. I love everything Dylan did in the 60s, but this was the pinnacle of all his output (imo). Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat is one my favorite tunes.
People say Bob Dylan is an acquired taste, but personally I actually hate him more the more I listen
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 - 4/5 Pledging My Time - 4/5 Visions of Johanna - 4.5/5 One of Us Must Know - 5/5 I Want You - 5/5 Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again - 4.5/5 Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat - 4/5 Just Like a Woman - 4.5/5 Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) - 4.5/5 Temporary Like Achilles - 4/5 Absolutely Sweet Marie - 4.5/5 4th Time Around - 4.5/5 Obviously Five Believers - 4/5 Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands - 5/5 I was a bit apprehensive about this being a double album, but somehow it all just flew by. I can totally understand why he won a Nobel Literature Prize, the songwriting is immaculate and immediately makes this arguably his best album with 72 minutes of no filler. I would kill to have that kind of production on an album. Overall: 5/5 Favorites: One Of Us Must Know, I Want You, Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
And at last we have reached the last Bob Dylan album to make the list, and what an album it is. The first rock double album. Just an incredible achievement in songwriting. Masterful use of the harmonica. Bob invites you into his world and gives you time to soak in every good idea he has. 10/10 no notes.
favs: pledging my time visions of johanna i want you leopard skin pill-box hat obviously five believers sad-eye lady of the lowlands rating 2.2/5
Probably Dylan's best work on this list, overall very good 4/5
I don't quite like country but his style of music I don't like even more. I don't know what it is but is not for me 1/5
Bob Dylan is timeless
So many great tunes. I had this from father’s vinyl collection and loved it then. Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again is a highlight.
es un buen album pero no mucho de mi estilo supongo
In the year that we got Pet Sounds, Revolver, Aftermath and sounds of silence, Dylan needed to maintain momentum. To produce a double album was unique for its time and to mix the poetic invention with the ever expanding options of having Robbie Robertson, Al Kooper, Rick Danko and Charlie 'Nashville' McCoy on the album, this was going to be something special. With Rainy day women, I want you and Just like a woman adding to the standalone Postively Fourth Street as singles, Dylan's commercial fortunes were at their peak. This completed his rock trilogy (the other two are BOUND to be in this list) and went out on tour to be called 'Judas' - its part of rock history and one of the finest examples of the album form.
i'm going on memory here from like, a year ago, but i remember thinking it was not that good
This is a great album. Bob was a master songwriter.
I think this is a very solid album with beautiful lyrics, a fun musical atmosphere. This is probably the most polished of the 3 album run and I think it is his best 60s album (I think overall Blood on the Tracks is my favourite dylan album). I think for the first time listener it could be a bit of a hard ask to get into, I know many who are put off by his voice and especially his damn harmonica, and the long run time of the album. Once you get past that, its a very rewarding and interesting album. I think visions of johanna is one of the finest songs in his entire catalogue, and i will give praise to tracks 4, 6, 7, and 12. 4.75
My god was this good. I’m long overdue to do a complete scrub of his discography, and this was the spark. I know a good handful of his stuff, of course. The movie was really good too. Bob Dylan was a guy who saw the world through a really unique lens, felt very deeply, and articulated it in an equally singular way. It’s all over his music, and it’s all over this album. That long, stream of conscious, seemingly nonsensical, rambling lyricism is just his flavor of poetry and expression. He’s one of the only, maybe the only, musicians to win a Nobel prize for literature. And when you listen, like really listen, you understand. The sound on this is so full and bright. I love the blues influence throughout. Since it’s a double album, it has nearly equal amounts of the newer, fuller rock sound he transitioned into, plus a matured display of his more traditional folk style. I haven’t listened to the two albums before this, but to compare it to how he started, this feels like he found the rest of it. It feels like he made exactly what he’d been trying to make. I loved it. I think it’s a perfect album. It’s a must have on vinyl. Itll become a fixture in my listening without a doubt.
folk. dylan. catchy?
Ok
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Amazing classic
Love Dylan. Nuff said.
Books have been written, prizes given and monuments made to Bobs genius and i'm not qualified to say anythiny novel here. What i will say is a thank you to Max Broadys dad for introducing me to Dylan when i got a lift somewhere in my early teens. Im still a fan now. This is part of his best era and whilst its not my favourite album of his, it is still a great.
great album, pretty high level all the way through
Meget lækker rå lyd på især trommer men også alle andre instrumenter. Mange blues sange
Honestly really liked this Bob Dylan album, especially compared to the other one. The vocals and lyrics were catchy and drew me in, especially as someone who didn’t consider themselves a fan of his music before.
Not a bob Dylan fan but he not trash I just don’t listen to em.
I might give it a 4 if he didn't have such an annoying voice and vocal delivery style. He al
Okayish. I think I liked the songs on this more when I was a teenager. Now, they just remind me of bowls smoked and time wasted.
To be honest, there's not a lot of standout tracks for me, but the whole thing just vibes in a way most Dylan albums don't. It’s got this rich, sprawling vibe that mixes blues, rock, and folk into one long, carnival-like trip. Instead of feeling like a random mix of tracks, the lush instrumentation, with its warm organs, sharp guitars, and crisp piano, creates this whole immersive world you just have to dive into. Sure, you’ve still got to deal with his classic nasal, wandering vocals and a ton of harmonica that can get a bit much at times. But on this record, those quirks actually work. They tie in perfectly with his surreal, poetic lyrics and killer storytelling to capture that legendary sound. Even if I can't name a single favorite track, the sheer weight of the writing and the undeniable groove of this double album make it a total masterpiece.
ну боб дилан - унылая хуйня, начинает тупо бошка болеть
Es muy folk-country. Chill. Me gustó bastante
Oh BOB. Already know this ain’t my favorite of one of my least favorite artists. But I still respect the Bob. To a degree. And I will try this again today. See how it sits. So: I respect the lyricism. I do. But. Musically this is, and continues to be, painful. It’s not just Bob’s voice or his, at times, affected delivery. It’s the heavy leaning on blues tropes that don’t feel authentic. It’s the harmonica and all the treble terror it conjures. It’s the pace that often makes me feel that I’m supposed to be stoned on something far stronger than marijuana. And songs that pick up the pace make me itchy more than groovy. So, I just can’t go higher than 3. 3 Boolean: true, ok?
Some catchy tracks but I'm not super into the style or vocals
The issue with this project is that if I only have one day for each album then I'm probably only going to listen to it once and that's usually while I'm working. It seems that the main attraction with Bob Dylan is the lyrics rather than the music and that's not something that you can easily pick out first time. The music was fine, nothing that blew me away, no riffs or arrangements that I thought were incredible and I couldn't really pick out any lyrics. I'm sure if I was more familiar with the album or any of the songs I might be rating it higher, but based on one day it's just ok
Didn't want to give this a 5 but it was really quite good
Great album! I’m a big Dylan fan and this is one of my favorite albums. Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again is a standout favorite.
There are Bob Dylan songs I like, but I do not like Bob Dylan. My attitude toward Dylan has vacillated between skepticism and hostility for 40 years. This album's fame and daunting reputation to me are an intractable mystery. Just as hit or miss as other electric Dylan albums of the Sixties. It's not a famous song, and I've never listened to this album in full before, so I was not familiar with Obviously Five Believers, but for my money, that is the most successful song on this album. It is difficult to capture in words how much I dislike Rainy Day Women. #blahblahirritatingpretension. I thought it was dumb and annoying when I first heard it on WBCN Boston in the early 80s, and it hasn't improved any since.
This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Eternal gratitude to Elise Richer, and her family's taste in music, for sharing this evergreen chalice of renewal. I don't care too much for the marketing hype of its genesis, reception, and reverberating influence on what rock became not too many years later... IMO Timothee Chalamet does a great job telling that story. I suppose we have to be grateful to Pete Seeger and the leftists of the late 50s for being so annoyingly moral and... staid, as they apparently provoked Bob into creating a really great FUCK YOU for them. I do love his punk attitude. Some elephants in the room on this album, for me personally: -- Bob's misogyny. -- his penchant for cruelty. -- his glee in deliberate, sarcastic obfuscation. Bob is clearly a very intelligent dude who spends a LOT of time alone. I think he's also a dude with mental health problems. As a fellow traveler with that stuff, I feel those complexities add to his life, his art, and his legacy's importance, value, majesty even. He would hate that.
Being a lifelong Dylan fan is a challenge. For someone who was awarded a Nobel Prize he sure puts out a lot of garbage. People bitch about his singing, and you can't even really argue with them. People laugh at his live shows, and they are right. (Last time I saw him, about 15 years ago, was so crushingly terrible that I swore I would never see him again.) Basically, everyone gets to make fun of something you love and you can do nothing but turn the other cheek. Other people can be sensitive about their favorite musicians (my former Swiftie coworker comes to mind), but a Dylan fan just can't be, because he's been so prolific, and so much of what he has produced is objectively bad. Fortunately Blonde on Blonde is a great record and I'm relieved this was the first Dylan one we encountered. This isn't even one of my top five favorite Dylan albums (at least not this year... they do shift around a bit) but I still love it. (Despite the presence of Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands which has always been a mystery to me. And not in a good way.) The existence of Visions of Johanna makes up for a multitude of sins. "Lights flicker from the opposite loft/ In this room the heat pipes just coughed/ the country music station plays soft/ but there's nothing, really nothing to turn off...." I think about those lines a lot.
The first song almost made me turn this album right off, but I stuck with it because I wanted to give it a fair chance. It’s definitely a slow, gradual album, but in the end only three songs really stood out to me. One of my biggest issues was that the harmonica felt way overused. His voice also came across as very nasal to my ears. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if he sang a little less and let the instrumentation breathe on its own, because the music itself had some really cool moments. Overall, I genuinely tried to give the album a chance, but it just wasn’t for me.
Tem um bocado de harmonica a mais, mas mesmo assim bom