Bob Dylan Sings About Stuff That He Didn't Write

Overall Album Score: 7.9 out of 10

I reviewed this album once a looooong time ago. (Well, 2003 was a long time ago in my "rock music appreciation years" considering 2001 was the year I bought my first rock album.) I wasn't too impressed with it, and even pretty rabid against some aspects of it. I'm listening to this today, and I think it's great! Something happened between 2003 and 2007. It must have been all of those Joan Baez records I was listening to in 2005. (Tasteful but ultimately exhausting.)

OK, I'll amend that a little bit. I think this album is great, but with severe reservations. And probably the most severe reservation of them all --- This thing is pretty cheap. OK, all folk albums are cheap (to record), but this is just Bob Dylan singing covers. The music he would write starting in The Freewheelin' are some of the most profound folk compositions known to mankind... This isn't.

But at the same time, this definitely has value. You get a nice look at Bob Dylan's influences. Even the only two original compositions here, "Talkin' New York" and "Song to Woody" explore Dylan's past. The latter is a sincere tribute to Guthrie (of course!) but the former is the tale of Dylan moving to New York to make a record!

I'll also say I really love hearing Dylan's singing voice. A few times, it gets a little irritating (even as someone who has listened to all of his mainstream studio albums and loves hearing his unconventional singing), but other times he sings it so passionately and with so much humor --- he even twists his voice sometimes in ways that you might not have realized was physically possible. Well, this is a wholly entertaining album for that reason. Whether he was joking or not, the record comes off pretty effective.

I like to think of Bob Dylan as the forward to Dylan's fascinating discography... It explores his influences and illustrates his excitement to be recording music.

Overall Album Score: 7.9 out of 10 (The folk fan should have this in his or her collection. It's an enjoyable set of tunes from someone to recording his first album... It's just a precursor to the great stuff though...)

Average Song Score: 8.2 (Some great tracks here and there. I'm guessing this is much more enjoyable than the average folk album from 1962. Bob Dylan is so fun to listen to!)

Album Tilt: 8.0 (There are the hits and there are the duds. For some reason the inconsistency doesn't bother me much.)

Artist Tilt: 7.5 (He's at his best when he's writing his own songs --- duhhh.)

Track Reviews

You're No Good 9/10

The best thing about all these tracks is Bob Dylan's vocal performances. Hard to imagine since it's so difficult to hear at first... I'm guessing why these songs all rubbed me the wrong way when I first heard it. Well, "You're No Good" is a rather brief composition but Dylan sings it with conviction (and he even does a little 'chuckle' in here, I do wonder what that was all about ... maybe it was just a trip-up!) Lovely that he has all this passion in his voice. He certainly knows exactly how to strum that guitar. Good rhythm changes. Plus, the melody is very catchy, so ... you know. Great song!!

Talkin' New York 8.5/10

No surprise that the Dylan originals also rank as among the best. "Talkin' New York" sort of proves that Dylan was on top of his game right when he started. The guitar melody is wonderful. Dylan talks the lyrics so it's easier to understand. They're not the most profound he's ever been responsible for (so, my 'top of his game' argument might fail to hold water), but they're entertaining and they read pretty well. It's about Dylan's arrival to New York city where he landed a record deal... It serves as a nice prelude anyway!

In My Time of Dyin' 9/10

'Ere is a really old-timey song. It's so old that it's credited to "Traditional" or, "Hans Traditional" as I like to call him. Dylan sounds so danged convicted. Something about the vocals seem raw and unpolished (apart from the general sound), but passionate, and that's all it's about right? I could care less for the melody, but I love the performance.

Man of Constant Sorrow 7.5/10

Well, Dylan's vocal performance is less likable in "Man of Constant Sorrow" and even slightly annoying (even in this time as I've gotten very used to it). It took me awhile to get that this is the same song from O Brother Where Art Thou?, but it's barely recognizable. It sounds so different and Dylan alters the lyrics. (Then again, I'm not sure what the "real" lyrics are.) I don't have a problem with that, but this track is less enjoyable.

Fixin' to Die 7.5/10

A nice blues song. Dylan performs it with passion again, though he's probably trying a bit too hard. Or maybe he's being a bit aimless. He's trying to be wild (delivering a guttural sound at crucial times), but he's not sure if that would work or why it would work. Nice to hear him committed! (Maybe you can use the term 'committed' two different ways...)

Pretty Peggy-O 8/10

I like this. Dylan seems to be having fun with it. (Well, if you're going to say "woohoo" in the middle of a song, you've got to be having fun, right?) The source material is OK with me. The melody is rather trite, but I guess that comes with the territory, you know...

Highway 51 Blues 8/10

I guess he visited "Highway 51" before he revisited Highway 61. Or maybe he got the numbers wrong. I don't know. The source material is OK. The singing is raw and undisciplined as ever. He's really trying to create a bluesy raspy tone, and it's funny to hear him try that! Not laughably funny, but respectably funny. Hell, I could never do that... He's like Batman...

Gospel Plow 9/10

Ohhhhhhhhh, yeah. "Gospel Plow" recreates the raw, unyielding energy of the opening number. Dylan's passionate performance seems more constructive and convincing here (not just silly). He's furiously strumming that guitar, playing that harmonica and singing like there won't be a tomorrow... Or pretending that anyway. Well, it's fun just the same.

Baby, Let Me Follow You Down 6/10

Yikes, I should quit listening to this with my headphones... my eardrums are achin' ... Well, "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" is certainly the weakest of the bunch. Not a big fan of anything that's here really. He starts out by saying where he found this song. And he lethargically sings, plays guitar and harmonica. Really under-enthusiastic. So, the melody of the source material isn't received well at all... Sorry, dude...

House of the Rising Sun 9/10

A good ole classic. The Animals are much more famous for their version of this song, and it's quite a bit better to be honest. That shouldn't be surprising, because I think you gained the impression that Dylan is just a young guy with a lot of spirit and a sense of humor. Of all the songs, this is the one with the greatest melody and chord progression. Dylan tries his hardest to make his voice sound world-weary. Not sure if he was kidding or not, but I guess that's part of the fun.

Freight Train Blues 8.5/10

Bob Dylan is hilarious. "Freight Train Blues" is a highly spirited song that he sings with a lot of humor. He rattles off the lyrics as fast as he can, but then he sings "freight train bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuues" as long as he can. It's hard to not chuckle there.

Song to Woody 9/10

It's exactly what you think it is. A song for his favorite folkie... It's a rather heart-warming tribute. Dylan sings it very sincerely ... and this is probably the most sincere track of the album. Nope--- No goofiness for his hero! The melody is pretty catchy, and I like it!!

See That My Grave is Kept Clean 8/10

And the good old final song from the album. "See That My Grave is Kept Clean" is middle-of-the-road as far as songs have been going on this album! Again, it's fun to hear Dylan's performance, which he goes all out to make sound committed and guttural!

Do you think this review was good? Or, was it equivalent to cow patty? Leave your comments here