Dan and Sam count down their 28 favorite albums of all time via e-mail conversation. Click the tag "The 28" for the rest on the list so far. (I wouldn't do that yet, as you'll only get this post, but, hey, whatever floats your boat.)
#28: Bringing It All Back Home, Bob Dylan (1965)
Quick overview:
Place on personal list: Sam--25; Dan--27; average--26
Favorite song:
Sam--"It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"
Dan--"Subterranean Homesick Blues"
Favorite line(s):
Sam--"He who is not busy being born is busy dying." ("It's Alright, Ma"); "She's 78, but she says she's 24." ("Maggie's Farm"--sort of)
Dan--"Get born, keep warm, short pants, romance, learn to dance, get dressed, get blessed, try to be a success." ("Subterranean Homesick Blues")
Dan:
What a fun album to start our discussion of our favorite 28 albums with. This is one of my favorites because it was such a seminal record for Bob, demonstrating not only his remarkable folk songwriting/performing ability of the Freewheelin' era, but his ingenious discovery of what I would say was a completely new sound, not an easy task for anyone. Here's a track listing with ratings on a 10 point scale and comments on each song, followed by my thoughts on the album as a whole.
Side One:
1. Subterranean Homesick Blues (10+) I know you're supposed to give yourself some slack when you judge early to make sure you don't look like an idiot when you rate everything really highly, but this is no joke. This song is amongst a group of maybe 10-20 that I confidently say transcend any form of rating system. It says so much, beyond just the words, that it is almost impossible to describe its power. At the beginning of an album I think an artist should be setting the tone, making a statement, etc., and few album openers, if any, can compete with this (Good Times, Bad Times is the only one I can think of off the top of my head that I would say can compete and ISN'T on an album we rate above this). Literally the ONLY things I can think of that are wrong with this song are the slightly whiney harmonica tone (probably should have had some treble taken out of it in the mixdown) and what appears to be a slight miscommunication in the band about how many measures are left before the next verse around 1:40, which doesn't really affect one's enjoyment at all, just a little awkward. Musically this song is brilliant in its simplicity. A simple rock style blues is necessary in a lot of Dylan songs to communicate in some way the influence of the folk-blues era a la Robert Johnson, and this one is probably where it works best because of how remarkably complex and un-folky the lyrics are; the music provides the perfect down-home counterpoint to the text. I really like the lead guitar tone, not too overbearing. The whole song really makes you want to move. I don't even know where to begin with the lyrics. Its just like an avalanche of unbelievableness. You do not need a weatherman to know that this is one of the best songs of all time.
2. She Belongs to Me (7) I think on a lot of these albums I'll be throwing around 6s and 7s for songs that are pretty weak compared to the rest of the album, which is a testament to how good these albums are. She Belongs to Me is a really pretty song, its just not quite in the upper echelon for me. I like the chords he uses at the end of the verse, its not really a deceptive cadence but you certainly aren't exactly expecting it to work out that way. Similar guitar tone in the lead part to Subterranean, and I like how it fits here too. I guess my only problem with this song is that it kinda just is there, which means that it lacks drive for me. Sounds great in context when you're listening to the whole thing, but I rarely go out of my way to listen to this one. The lyrics are sound and nice, but not enough to put it over the edge and neither is the fairly rudimentary, although quite nice, music.
3. Maggie's Farm (6) I really love the lyrics to this tune. They're so simple, yet at the same time so powerful. Unfortunately, there aren't too many lyrics and the song is a little on the long side, which is a bad combination. Like the previous track, sounds great in context, not something I actively seek out (although I recommend everyone check out the really cool jungle-beat type thing they do with it at the infamous Newport performance, my personal hero and Jewish legend Mike Bloomfield playing lead guitar there). Its basically just a slower, less energetic Subterranean without anything to carry it like a guitar solo or interesting bridge. Its not that its too simple. Songs like James Brown's Cold Sweat are as simple and twice as long, yet somehow they are way better. I think its because it lacks the subtleties that can carry a simple song past the 3 minute range. Still, a solid track.
4. Love Minus Zero/No Limit (7.5) I think my commentary on this is pretty much the exact same as for She Belongs to Me, except I give this a slight edge because I like the lyrics (both actual text and flow) better and it is more musically interesting.
5. Outlaw Blues (5.5) My stance on Bob’s harmonica has always been kind of uncertain, but in this song I definitely like its use as more of a rhythmic addition to the piece. Unfortunately I find his vocals a little weak in this piece. I mean, I know his voice is “whiney” or something, but he doesn’t usually actually whine, and there are a couple parts in here I just can’t really get behind. Also having this shuffle-feel piece right before another one doesn’t flow too well, the songs are too similar and this one is weaker. They even both feature an instrumental break at the end of every verse. Not a great song in my opinion, but when Bob makes a weak song its still better than like 97% of songs.
6. On the Road Again (7) This is a really nice song, I like the straight-ahead shuffle feel and the lead guitar ornaments. Nothing extraordinary about it, but it’s a very good and well done song.
7. Bob Dylan's 115th Dream (8) A personal favorite of mine. I love the surreal lyrics and ruckus blues format. It’s a tad too long I think, but the interplay of the instruments keeps things fresh. This same interplay, by the way, is what would become in future albums Bob’s “sound,” and I’m surprised how few people I meet who list this as among their favorite songs when it is really very clearly the musical forefather of everything on Highway 61. Lots of energy, great way to finish off the side and also gives it some nice symmetry. Also, wouldn’t it be kind of cool if they did an actual acoustic version like the first 10 seconds?
Side Two:
1. Mr. Tambourine Man (9) One of the most beautiful songs he’s ever written. Adding the second guitar on top of the rhythm part really adds a lot, even though it’s quite soft. It reaches a place I really like a lot in music where its sound is somewhere in between happy and sad that you can’t describe (or maybe just I can’t). I also like the theme of music as a living thing flowing throughout the lyrics. The final harmonica part is really quite good.
2. Gates of Eden (6) Not my favorite. The lyrics are pretty solid, and I like the melody and changes, but the vocals are just a little too harsh for my liking. It’s still a good listen though and is a good sound after Mr. Tambourine Man.
3. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (8) This is one of my favorite acoustic Bob pieces. The chromatic descending guitar line during the verse is awesome, and the changes and melody that come at the ending climax of each verse are incredible. As usual, the lyrics are very good. My only beef is not that it’s too long, but that he doesn’t keep the music itself interesting enough to drive the piece to the end. There should be more of that really great ornamentation like there is at :07-:09. Also, the last line I find really annoying, the flow doesn’t work at all in my opinion. Basically all the other final lines of verses after he says its alright etc. are about four syllables each, and the last one (it’s life and life only) is very clearly six (very clearly as in he doesn’t even attempt to slur it into four) and does not work at all in my opinion. Too bad, cause a weak ending can really kill a great song, and although this one doesn’t kill it it certainly hurts.
4. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (7.5) I think the vocal tone is leaning more towards Gates of Eden tone instead of Mr. Tambourine Man tone, but it doesn’t hurt this song too much. It’s a great way to finish the album up, a more personal warning song instead of the broadly-themed tracks that proceed it. Simple and nice, leading to a strong finish.
Overall this comes out to a very solid album behind one unfathomably good track. This is not a bad thing at all. If I had written and performed Subterranean Homesick Blues I probably would just cut my losses and never write another song again. To create a great album, that still sounds great even after you listen to the first song is really incredible. Although, as the few people who tolerate my rants on the subject know, Mike Bloomfield is the best guitarist to ever live and his indomitable skill makes Highway 61 Bob’s best, I like John Hammond and Bruce Langhorne’s guitar work here. Although no one in these sessions has the skill of future Dylan sidemen like Bloomfield, The Band, etc., they don’t play beyond their abilities, and play the simple stuff extremely well. I think it’s a well constructed album; the two distinct sides work well instead of trying to fit those acoustic songs in between the rest. Not enough extraordinary work to put it above other albums on the list, but its way above virtually every other album ever released.
Sam:
I'm very conflicted about Bringing It All Back Home, in much the same way that I suppose the album itself is. Obviously, I love it. I believe I actually had it as 23rd [editor's note: actually, 25th] on my personal list. Also, it is clearly one of the most important albums ever made. That said, as you've more than implied as well, it's a lot less consistent than some of Dylan's best work. I also like that he broke it up into two distinct sides, but you can feel the tension between them.
This is close to the platonic idea of a transition album, and it comes with all the pitfalls that go along with that. It has, I think, two truly great songs, two of the 25 or so best I've ever heard by him--"Subterranean Homesick Blues," and "It's Alright, Ma"--and a couple of other favorites of mine. But it also contains more forgettable songs than Highway 61, Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks put together (which, to be fair, is probably like 3).
I don't have quite the appreciation for "Subterranean" as you do, but I can recognize just how important it is, and it really is the defining song of the album--surreal, original, powerful and loud, daring you to tell him he can't make this kind of music. I can just imagine listening to Freewheelin' and Another Side and getting really excited for the new Dylan album. You run out to the store, put it on the turntable, and it must have been just absolutely shocking. I'm sure that was Bob's intention, and he obviously succeeded with one of the most seminal songs ever written.
On the other hand, I disagree with you pretty strongly about "It's Alright, Ma." I see that you like it a lot, but it's my favorite song on the album, and though it clearly doesn't have the significance of "Subterranean," I think this is the best epic he's written, even better than "Desolation Row." Some of the lyrics are spectacular--"He who is not busy being born, is busy dying;" "Even the President of the United States must sometimes stand naked." I understand the complaint that the music doesn't stay interesting long enough, but it's not an issue at all for me. It's like "Desolation Row"--one awesome verse and chorus of music repeated over and over. By keeping the music repetitive, he puts the focus squarely on the lyrics, and this is a song that deserves to be understood.
As to the last line, I actually like that he breaks the meter a lot. Dylan is a genuine poet, and poets understand when to break their own rules they've imposed on themselves to draw attention to a particularly important line. Now, if you are consistently are lax with meter (see: Sufjan Stevens) it becomes a problem, but if you do it intentionally every once in a while at the right time, it can really add something, and I think that's the case here. "It's alright, Ma, it's life and life only" is a clear climax of the song, and maybe the most important line. Breaking the rules willy-nilly is stupid, but the great writers are the ones who know when and how to break them. (Also, the normal line is five syllables, not four (I'm-on-ly-sigh-ing vs. It's-life-and-life-on-ly), so it's not even that big a change.)
My other favorites from the album are "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Baby Blue." "Mr. Tambourine Man" is, like you said, an incredibly beautiful song. It feels almost like it's swirling and eddying all over the place. I don't know if that means anything, but do you have some sense of what I'm saying? It's a very calming song, and, for a change, his surreal lyrics create a sort of peace instead of hilarity.
I think I understand what you're saying about the vocal tone in "Baby Blue," but I like the harshness. I think the almost guttural sound gives his voice a lot of character. This is another one, actually, that I disagree with you pretty strongly about, as I think it's every bit as good as "Mr. Tambourine Man." When I'm in the mood for mellow Dylan, this song is near the top of the list. I can understand why you wouldn't like it that much though.
"Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" is one in a long line of Dylan songs that are hysterical in their absurdity. I particularly love the image of him finding a parking ticket on the mast of the Mayflower and ripping it up. Having said that, I think these lyrics, as opposed to, say, "I Shall Be Free," are more just a series of crazy things rather truly clever. It works, but it's not his best. And as a piece of music, I don't love it either. It sounds right on the album, but I think it's a good example of Bob not having refined this new electric sound yet. It's obvious, I think, as you listen to the whole album that Dylan's been playing acoustic folk for forever and is only now learning how to be a commercial electric musician. It's a good song, just not my favorite.
I didn't think about "Maggie's Farm" that way until you said it, but you're right, it's really just a longer, more repetitive, less interesting version of "Subterranean." That still gives us a damn good song, particularly with the wondefully rebellious lyrics, but it's not a high point of the album.
Everything else is more or less forgettable, at least by Dylan's incredibly high standards. The main problem with them is that they tend to be very repetitive and they don't have any characteristic that carries them above that the way "It's Alright, Ma" does. I think you're right to group "She Belongs to Me" and "Love Minus Zero" together, and I also prefer the latter, which really reminds me of his later composition, "If Not for You," which I love. "She Belongs to Me" is just so repetitive and not that musically interesting. It'd still be the best song on most albums, but for Bob, it's a let down.
"Outlaw Blues" is, again, just too much of the same over and over (though I do enjoy the lyric "I may look like Robert Ford / But I feel just like Jesse James"). "On the Road Again" is a little better, but it doesn't do that much for me either. "Gates of Eden" is, I think, the best of this group, but its placement next to another repetitive, extremely long song with a focus on lyrics that is frankly much better ("It's Alright, Ma") diminishes its impact a lot.
So all in all, BIABH is one of the more uneven albums on this list but still extremely solid even beyond the two masterpieces that hold it up. And really, even the songs I call "forgettable" are only forgettable because there's very little point to bother with them in the face of brilliance. Outside the context of the most fertile period of one of the greatest artists of all time, they're way above average.
Dan:
I appreciate that you got that I really like It's Alright, Ma even though I was critical, but I don't think you fully understand my critique. First, I do agree with your assertion that purposely changing meter is an effective means of highlighting important text, which that last line clearly is. Nevertheless, change in meter doesn't mean you can just get away with things sounding bad, and that sounds bad to me. In that time and place and with the music, all things considered essentially, it just doesn't work for me right there. Just my opinion I guess, apparently you like it a lot. Now to you're point that repetitive music can highlight text. Again, I think you're both right and wrong. You're right in general, but in this particular instance I think you're wrong. I'm sorry you chose an example that plays into my argument so well, but Desolation Row?! Remember that lead guitar part that improvises throughout the whole song? Keeps things really fresh.
I think a better way of expressing your sentiment is that simple music can highlight text well, because repetitive music is really a poor way of putting it. Jazz? Any jazz piece is simply a chord structure that is repeated indefinitely, its not really essentially related to highlighting things. The simplicity of the music is a better way to examine how it highlights text, and here obviously I think that is an intention. Still, even with this change in wording, I don't agree with you. Yes, it highlights the text, but it's not really like even subtly different music every verse, its like virtually the same music every verse and it just can't keep me interested for that long. Anyways, that's really my only point of serious contention, you can respond and we can move on.
Sam:
I think you only think it sounds bad because you're expecting it to be something different. Taken independently of the formula he's set in place, it sounds absolutely fine. I suppose you could say that about any lyrical meter, but I think it's especially true here. And he wants you to be jarred by it. I think we're probably just going to have to agree to disagree because I think it sounds really good, and you think it sounds bad, and that's hardly reconcilable. Your point about "Desolation Row" is well-taken (though to my untrained ear, it doesn't sound like the lead guitar part is changing all that much), but I guess it's just that I think the one verse and chorus of music is so spectacular on "It's Alright, Ma", that I want to hear it for 7+ minutes. Again, this is probably an irreconcilable point.
As to simple vs. repetitive music, I think you're right that simplicity highlights lyrics too, and "It's Alright, Ma" has both, but I don't think repetitive is an inaccurate way to put it. "Desolation Row" isn't musically simple, but it is repetitive (even with the flourishes there is no major change over 11+ minutes unless you count the harmonica), and that's why its lyrics are so much more accessible. In fact, I think you prefer it because it's more complex than "It's Alright, Ma," not because it's less repetitive, which of course it is too. Your jazz example is irrelevant because my point isn't that the purpose of repetitive musically is invariably to highlight lyrics, but that that is one possible result of it. Also, I'm woefully ignorant of jazz, but isn't the repetitive structure used to highlight the solos?
What a fun album to start our discussion of our favorite 28 albums with. This is one of my favorites because it was such a seminal record for Bob, demonstrating not only his remarkable folk songwriting/performing ability of the Freewheelin' era, but his ingenious discovery of what I would say was a completely new sound, not an easy task for anyone. Here's a track listing with ratings on a 10 point scale and comments on each song, followed by my thoughts on the album as a whole.
Side One:
1. Subterranean Homesick Blues (10+) I know you're supposed to give yourself some slack when you judge early to make sure you don't look like an idiot when you rate everything really highly, but this is no joke. This song is amongst a group of maybe 10-20 that I confidently say transcend any form of rating system. It says so much, beyond just the words, that it is almost impossible to describe its power. At the beginning of an album I think an artist should be setting the tone, making a statement, etc., and few album openers, if any, can compete with this (Good Times, Bad Times is the only one I can think of off the top of my head that I would say can compete and ISN'T on an album we rate above this). Literally the ONLY things I can think of that are wrong with this song are the slightly whiney harmonica tone (probably should have had some treble taken out of it in the mixdown) and what appears to be a slight miscommunication in the band about how many measures are left before the next verse around 1:40, which doesn't really affect one's enjoyment at all, just a little awkward. Musically this song is brilliant in its simplicity. A simple rock style blues is necessary in a lot of Dylan songs to communicate in some way the influence of the folk-blues era a la Robert Johnson, and this one is probably where it works best because of how remarkably complex and un-folky the lyrics are; the music provides the perfect down-home counterpoint to the text. I really like the lead guitar tone, not too overbearing. The whole song really makes you want to move. I don't even know where to begin with the lyrics. Its just like an avalanche of unbelievableness. You do not need a weatherman to know that this is one of the best songs of all time.
2. She Belongs to Me (7) I think on a lot of these albums I'll be throwing around 6s and 7s for songs that are pretty weak compared to the rest of the album, which is a testament to how good these albums are. She Belongs to Me is a really pretty song, its just not quite in the upper echelon for me. I like the chords he uses at the end of the verse, its not really a deceptive cadence but you certainly aren't exactly expecting it to work out that way. Similar guitar tone in the lead part to Subterranean, and I like how it fits here too. I guess my only problem with this song is that it kinda just is there, which means that it lacks drive for me. Sounds great in context when you're listening to the whole thing, but I rarely go out of my way to listen to this one. The lyrics are sound and nice, but not enough to put it over the edge and neither is the fairly rudimentary, although quite nice, music.
3. Maggie's Farm (6) I really love the lyrics to this tune. They're so simple, yet at the same time so powerful. Unfortunately, there aren't too many lyrics and the song is a little on the long side, which is a bad combination. Like the previous track, sounds great in context, not something I actively seek out (although I recommend everyone check out the really cool jungle-beat type thing they do with it at the infamous Newport performance, my personal hero and Jewish legend Mike Bloomfield playing lead guitar there). Its basically just a slower, less energetic Subterranean without anything to carry it like a guitar solo or interesting bridge. Its not that its too simple. Songs like James Brown's Cold Sweat are as simple and twice as long, yet somehow they are way better. I think its because it lacks the subtleties that can carry a simple song past the 3 minute range. Still, a solid track.
4. Love Minus Zero/No Limit (7.5) I think my commentary on this is pretty much the exact same as for She Belongs to Me, except I give this a slight edge because I like the lyrics (both actual text and flow) better and it is more musically interesting.
5. Outlaw Blues (5.5) My stance on Bob’s harmonica has always been kind of uncertain, but in this song I definitely like its use as more of a rhythmic addition to the piece. Unfortunately I find his vocals a little weak in this piece. I mean, I know his voice is “whiney” or something, but he doesn’t usually actually whine, and there are a couple parts in here I just can’t really get behind. Also having this shuffle-feel piece right before another one doesn’t flow too well, the songs are too similar and this one is weaker. They even both feature an instrumental break at the end of every verse. Not a great song in my opinion, but when Bob makes a weak song its still better than like 97% of songs.
6. On the Road Again (7) This is a really nice song, I like the straight-ahead shuffle feel and the lead guitar ornaments. Nothing extraordinary about it, but it’s a very good and well done song.
7. Bob Dylan's 115th Dream (8) A personal favorite of mine. I love the surreal lyrics and ruckus blues format. It’s a tad too long I think, but the interplay of the instruments keeps things fresh. This same interplay, by the way, is what would become in future albums Bob’s “sound,” and I’m surprised how few people I meet who list this as among their favorite songs when it is really very clearly the musical forefather of everything on Highway 61. Lots of energy, great way to finish off the side and also gives it some nice symmetry. Also, wouldn’t it be kind of cool if they did an actual acoustic version like the first 10 seconds?
Side Two:
1. Mr. Tambourine Man (9) One of the most beautiful songs he’s ever written. Adding the second guitar on top of the rhythm part really adds a lot, even though it’s quite soft. It reaches a place I really like a lot in music where its sound is somewhere in between happy and sad that you can’t describe (or maybe just I can’t). I also like the theme of music as a living thing flowing throughout the lyrics. The final harmonica part is really quite good.
2. Gates of Eden (6) Not my favorite. The lyrics are pretty solid, and I like the melody and changes, but the vocals are just a little too harsh for my liking. It’s still a good listen though and is a good sound after Mr. Tambourine Man.
3. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (8) This is one of my favorite acoustic Bob pieces. The chromatic descending guitar line during the verse is awesome, and the changes and melody that come at the ending climax of each verse are incredible. As usual, the lyrics are very good. My only beef is not that it’s too long, but that he doesn’t keep the music itself interesting enough to drive the piece to the end. There should be more of that really great ornamentation like there is at :07-:09. Also, the last line I find really annoying, the flow doesn’t work at all in my opinion. Basically all the other final lines of verses after he says its alright etc. are about four syllables each, and the last one (it’s life and life only) is very clearly six (very clearly as in he doesn’t even attempt to slur it into four) and does not work at all in my opinion. Too bad, cause a weak ending can really kill a great song, and although this one doesn’t kill it it certainly hurts.
4. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (7.5) I think the vocal tone is leaning more towards Gates of Eden tone instead of Mr. Tambourine Man tone, but it doesn’t hurt this song too much. It’s a great way to finish the album up, a more personal warning song instead of the broadly-themed tracks that proceed it. Simple and nice, leading to a strong finish.
Overall this comes out to a very solid album behind one unfathomably good track. This is not a bad thing at all. If I had written and performed Subterranean Homesick Blues I probably would just cut my losses and never write another song again. To create a great album, that still sounds great even after you listen to the first song is really incredible. Although, as the few people who tolerate my rants on the subject know, Mike Bloomfield is the best guitarist to ever live and his indomitable skill makes Highway 61 Bob’s best, I like John Hammond and Bruce Langhorne’s guitar work here. Although no one in these sessions has the skill of future Dylan sidemen like Bloomfield, The Band, etc., they don’t play beyond their abilities, and play the simple stuff extremely well. I think it’s a well constructed album; the two distinct sides work well instead of trying to fit those acoustic songs in between the rest. Not enough extraordinary work to put it above other albums on the list, but its way above virtually every other album ever released.
Sam:I'm very conflicted about Bringing It All Back Home, in much the same way that I suppose the album itself is. Obviously, I love it. I believe I actually had it as 23rd [editor's note: actually, 25th] on my personal list. Also, it is clearly one of the most important albums ever made. That said, as you've more than implied as well, it's a lot less consistent than some of Dylan's best work. I also like that he broke it up into two distinct sides, but you can feel the tension between them.
This is close to the platonic idea of a transition album, and it comes with all the pitfalls that go along with that. It has, I think, two truly great songs, two of the 25 or so best I've ever heard by him--"Subterranean Homesick Blues," and "It's Alright, Ma"--and a couple of other favorites of mine. But it also contains more forgettable songs than Highway 61, Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks put together (which, to be fair, is probably like 3).
I don't have quite the appreciation for "Subterranean" as you do, but I can recognize just how important it is, and it really is the defining song of the album--surreal, original, powerful and loud, daring you to tell him he can't make this kind of music. I can just imagine listening to Freewheelin' and Another Side and getting really excited for the new Dylan album. You run out to the store, put it on the turntable, and it must have been just absolutely shocking. I'm sure that was Bob's intention, and he obviously succeeded with one of the most seminal songs ever written.
On the other hand, I disagree with you pretty strongly about "It's Alright, Ma." I see that you like it a lot, but it's my favorite song on the album, and though it clearly doesn't have the significance of "Subterranean," I think this is the best epic he's written, even better than "Desolation Row." Some of the lyrics are spectacular--"He who is not busy being born, is busy dying;" "Even the President of the United States must sometimes stand naked." I understand the complaint that the music doesn't stay interesting long enough, but it's not an issue at all for me. It's like "Desolation Row"--one awesome verse and chorus of music repeated over and over. By keeping the music repetitive, he puts the focus squarely on the lyrics, and this is a song that deserves to be understood.
As to the last line, I actually like that he breaks the meter a lot. Dylan is a genuine poet, and poets understand when to break their own rules they've imposed on themselves to draw attention to a particularly important line. Now, if you are consistently are lax with meter (see: Sufjan Stevens) it becomes a problem, but if you do it intentionally every once in a while at the right time, it can really add something, and I think that's the case here. "It's alright, Ma, it's life and life only" is a clear climax of the song, and maybe the most important line. Breaking the rules willy-nilly is stupid, but the great writers are the ones who know when and how to break them. (Also, the normal line is five syllables, not four (I'm-on-ly-sigh-ing vs. It's-life-and-life-on-ly), so it's not even that big a change.)
My other favorites from the album are "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Baby Blue." "Mr. Tambourine Man" is, like you said, an incredibly beautiful song. It feels almost like it's swirling and eddying all over the place. I don't know if that means anything, but do you have some sense of what I'm saying? It's a very calming song, and, for a change, his surreal lyrics create a sort of peace instead of hilarity.
I think I understand what you're saying about the vocal tone in "Baby Blue," but I like the harshness. I think the almost guttural sound gives his voice a lot of character. This is another one, actually, that I disagree with you pretty strongly about, as I think it's every bit as good as "Mr. Tambourine Man." When I'm in the mood for mellow Dylan, this song is near the top of the list. I can understand why you wouldn't like it that much though.
"Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" is one in a long line of Dylan songs that are hysterical in their absurdity. I particularly love the image of him finding a parking ticket on the mast of the Mayflower and ripping it up. Having said that, I think these lyrics, as opposed to, say, "I Shall Be Free," are more just a series of crazy things rather truly clever. It works, but it's not his best. And as a piece of music, I don't love it either. It sounds right on the album, but I think it's a good example of Bob not having refined this new electric sound yet. It's obvious, I think, as you listen to the whole album that Dylan's been playing acoustic folk for forever and is only now learning how to be a commercial electric musician. It's a good song, just not my favorite.
I didn't think about "Maggie's Farm" that way until you said it, but you're right, it's really just a longer, more repetitive, less interesting version of "Subterranean." That still gives us a damn good song, particularly with the wondefully rebellious lyrics, but it's not a high point of the album.
Everything else is more or less forgettable, at least by Dylan's incredibly high standards. The main problem with them is that they tend to be very repetitive and they don't have any characteristic that carries them above that the way "It's Alright, Ma" does. I think you're right to group "She Belongs to Me" and "Love Minus Zero" together, and I also prefer the latter, which really reminds me of his later composition, "If Not for You," which I love. "She Belongs to Me" is just so repetitive and not that musically interesting. It'd still be the best song on most albums, but for Bob, it's a let down.
"Outlaw Blues" is, again, just too much of the same over and over (though I do enjoy the lyric "I may look like Robert Ford / But I feel just like Jesse James"). "On the Road Again" is a little better, but it doesn't do that much for me either. "Gates of Eden" is, I think, the best of this group, but its placement next to another repetitive, extremely long song with a focus on lyrics that is frankly much better ("It's Alright, Ma") diminishes its impact a lot.
So all in all, BIABH is one of the more uneven albums on this list but still extremely solid even beyond the two masterpieces that hold it up. And really, even the songs I call "forgettable" are only forgettable because there's very little point to bother with them in the face of brilliance. Outside the context of the most fertile period of one of the greatest artists of all time, they're way above average.
Dan:
I appreciate that you got that I really like It's Alright, Ma even though I was critical, but I don't think you fully understand my critique. First, I do agree with your assertion that purposely changing meter is an effective means of highlighting important text, which that last line clearly is. Nevertheless, change in meter doesn't mean you can just get away with things sounding bad, and that sounds bad to me. In that time and place and with the music, all things considered essentially, it just doesn't work for me right there. Just my opinion I guess, apparently you like it a lot. Now to you're point that repetitive music can highlight text. Again, I think you're both right and wrong. You're right in general, but in this particular instance I think you're wrong. I'm sorry you chose an example that plays into my argument so well, but Desolation Row?! Remember that lead guitar part that improvises throughout the whole song? Keeps things really fresh.
I think a better way of expressing your sentiment is that simple music can highlight text well, because repetitive music is really a poor way of putting it. Jazz? Any jazz piece is simply a chord structure that is repeated indefinitely, its not really essentially related to highlighting things. The simplicity of the music is a better way to examine how it highlights text, and here obviously I think that is an intention. Still, even with this change in wording, I don't agree with you. Yes, it highlights the text, but it's not really like even subtly different music every verse, its like virtually the same music every verse and it just can't keep me interested for that long. Anyways, that's really my only point of serious contention, you can respond and we can move on.
Sam:
I think you only think it sounds bad because you're expecting it to be something different. Taken independently of the formula he's set in place, it sounds absolutely fine. I suppose you could say that about any lyrical meter, but I think it's especially true here. And he wants you to be jarred by it. I think we're probably just going to have to agree to disagree because I think it sounds really good, and you think it sounds bad, and that's hardly reconcilable. Your point about "Desolation Row" is well-taken (though to my untrained ear, it doesn't sound like the lead guitar part is changing all that much), but I guess it's just that I think the one verse and chorus of music is so spectacular on "It's Alright, Ma", that I want to hear it for 7+ minutes. Again, this is probably an irreconcilable point.
As to simple vs. repetitive music, I think you're right that simplicity highlights lyrics too, and "It's Alright, Ma" has both, but I don't think repetitive is an inaccurate way to put it. "Desolation Row" isn't musically simple, but it is repetitive (even with the flourishes there is no major change over 11+ minutes unless you count the harmonica), and that's why its lyrics are so much more accessible. In fact, I think you prefer it because it's more complex than "It's Alright, Ma," not because it's less repetitive, which of course it is too. Your jazz example is irrelevant because my point isn't that the purpose of repetitive musically is invariably to highlight lyrics, but that that is one possible result of it. Also, I'm woefully ignorant of jazz, but isn't the repetitive structure used to highlight the solos?
4 comments:
Ok, so you're point was that the structure in this instance is used to highlight text, not that it is an invariable outcome. But to answer your question, its not an invariable outcome in jazz either. There are many different reasons for having a repetitive structure, like providing clarity in construction for example. You are right though too, basically we just both thought the other was saying something different, we're on the same page with this point. Repetition isn't always used to highlight text, but it frequently is. STILL, I am not sold that a little more color could help the song deal with its length. Remember, the ornament I alluded to and said I wanted more of occurs when there are no words being sung, so its not like it would necessarily detract from the obvious and important emphasis on the text here.
We're still misunderstanding each other--I don't think it shouldn't have more color, just that it doesn't need it to be a great song.
And perhaps I was hasty saying it was better than "Desolation Row."
Yeah I think you were. But that's just one man's opinion.
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