Revisiting the Highway of the Opossum's Destruction

Overall Album Score: 9.8 out of 10

I HATE COMMUNISTSTSTS!

But I like this album!

If Bob Dylan used Bringing it All Back Home just to tread the waters, Highway 61 Revisited is where he dives into the electric deep-end. (This is where all the electric eels are, of course, which is exactly why Bobby's hair is sticking up like that on the album cover.)

You could technically argue that this album is basically a copy-clone of Bringing it All Back Home and doesn't offer anything new. However, this album is quite a major improvement, regardless! Dylan's melodies still aren't the most original things on the planet. However, there are fewer songs on there that I would call particularly derivative. Plus, Dylan's brand new electric approach to folk music sounds much more developed and refined on here ... overall, this is a much more enjoyable record for me.

Even though I enjoyed Bringing very much, Highway 61 is the first time I enjoyed a Bob Dylan album *A LOT*. It's a pure classic!

Considering that it was released in 1965, it continued to influence and shape and the direction that rock-and-roll music was taking during this time period. It was released a whole four months before The Beatles Rubber Soul ... and it's conceivable to assume that the Beatles would have also been inspired after listening to this. (John Lennon was a major Dylan fan, as such is common knowledge.)

Bob is as strong as ever on the lyrical front, as always. But when is he going to give up smoking? When is he going to settle down and start writing songs about an avenue? When is he going to take off his shirt and PARTAY? When is he going to put on a glitter suit and platform boots? Will he ever cut an album called Blonde on Blonde? (Probably not.) What is he going to do next? Only time will tell... Zzzzzzzzzzzzhap!

(Sorry about that. There was a grasshopper hopping around inside my head. The bug-zapper finally got it.) Now where was I? Oh...

Lastly, if I were to choose a good place to start listening to Dylan albums, this is the place. Blonde on Blonde is also a good place to start ... but the reason I'd recommend an interested individual to start here might only because it's shorter and easier to digest.

Overall Album Score: 9.8 out of 10 (This is merely two beans short of the perfect bowl of chili ... THAT JUST HAS CHILI PROPOGANDA WRITTEN ALL OVER IT! HAH! ... and this album shall remain, for all time, one of rock-and-roll's greatest achievements.)

Average Song Score: 9.5 (This is quite a nice collection of Dylan songs! There ain't a weak one in the bunch. There are also many certified 10-earners in the pack.)

Album Tilt: 10 (I enjoy this album A LOT. And I like listening to it A LOT ... a lot, a lot ...)

Artist Rating: 10 (Mmmmmm... I was going to give it a 9.5, but I decided to go full-fledged and give it a 10. While this might not be as 'revolutionary' as Bringing It All Back Home, this is still an album that shows considerable artistic maturation. Also ... the deep lyrics and moments of true sincerity and passion in these songs really do make the album shine.)

Track Reviews

Like a Rolling Stone 10plus/10

YES! Not only does this song fully utilize all the fringe benefits of using electronic instruments, it's HELLA GOOD! How is it "HELLA GOOD" do you ask? Well! I'm glad you asked! The song (which is about, what I'm guessing, is a BAD man who was on top of things who loses everything) is a passionate, moving, and utterly engaging affair. Not only that, but the melody also kicks major butt! In a nutshell, that's why this track fully deserves this 10plus. FULLY! It's one of early rock's finest creations, in fact.

Tombstone Blues 9/10

This one is still very fun to listen to (Yes ... Dylan has almost enormously improved on this aspect for me since the folkie days), but that's probably just because the song is played really fast and there's this big banging noise that's always fun to listen to. ...And that's not to mention a few inspired licks on the electric guitar. Perhaps this one could have been shorter. (I still feel like I'm enjoying myself during the final moments of this six-minute song, however.)

It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Lot to Cry 9.5/10

This song really benefits by some inspired instrumental arranging. The actual melody isn't wonderful ... the lyrics don't do that much for me ... but Mr. Dylan sings it so passionately and the instrumentals escalate the cause THAT much. Splendidito!

From a Buick 6 9/10

Structurally, this is an R&B number ... yet, by just listening to it and comparing it to the generic 50's R&B number, it's obvious simply by the way it sounds that Bobbie could really put some major depth into them. He makes them much more interesting than they would be otherwise. And that's not even to mention the lyrics! (These lyrics don't do a whole lot for me, anyway. But they're well written as always.)

Ballad of a Thin Man 10/10

C'est more classic Dylan! This one has a very interesting melody attached to it ... and that organ in the background! While it may be playing very simple chords, it does manage to work perfectly well. Why do we need complicated Rock anyway? Do you, Mister Jones? Mr. Jones says NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (The lyrics here are particularly awesome. It ain't perfectly clear to me what it's about, but the lyrics very interesting to read.) And Dylan also turns in a particularly good vocal performance on this one. (I guess that makes this a particularly good track!)

Queen Jane Approximately 10/10

Chalk in another one for the Dylan-man! The melody here isn't quite as special, but Dylan really wins out on this one with the excellent instrumentation. Also, Dylan turns in another excellent (and moving) 5-minutes of vocal delivery. The lyrics are interesting, as well! I'm guessing it's about a woman (a queen of some sort, presumably) who's finally giving up on life and people are starting to resent her. CLASSSSSSSIC.

Highway 61 Revisited 8/10

Okay ... that slide whistle thing (or whatever) all throughout of this one is too much, but this is yet another good song by Dylan. Unfortunately, however, this track isn't quite as exciting as all these other ones ... and, if the album has any throwaway material, it would be this one. (The lyrics are pretty funny, however!)

Tom Thumb's Blues 9.5/10

This is an interesting one alright! It's all much more enjoyable to listen to compared to the title track. The melody is pretty good, albeit I've heard much better from this album. The lyrics are excellent on this one. They're full of illustrative imagery and it's passionately sung by THE MAN. Good stuff.

Desolation Row 10/10

The album ends with what's the longest track by far! It moves along at a leisurely pace and it's utterly beautiful! Throughout the whole thing, Bob does a sort of interchanging with a beautiful acoustic guitar. (This beautiful acoustic guitar is really what makes this song so utterly great.) The lyrics, to me, are fairly cryptic ... but they are intensely interesting. (Dylan does a lot of alluding to characters of literature and history.) Overall, I'd say this was a perfect song to end the album with. It leaves me with an enchanting feeling that *gasp* makes me want to listen to this album AGAIN! (I won't this time, though, 'cause I've got to study for a Geology test. ...That I might just be in the right mind to flunk, actually... Oh well ... it's happened before and it'll happen again ...)

Leave your unintelligible comments about "Highway 61 Revisited" here

slb23@shaw.ca (Simon B.) received August 15, 2004

This is my favourite Dylan album (so far), and IMO, easily one of the top 5 albums of the 60's. Like you said, it's "a pure classic". This is one of those classic albums that I can listen to all the way through, like DARK SIDE OF THE MOON or LED ZEPPELIN IV.
Song Ratings:
1. Like A Rolling Stone (9)
2. Tombstone Blues (8)
3. It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry (9.5)
4. From a Buick 6 (8.5)
5. Ballad of a Thin Man (9)
6. Queen Jane Approximately (9.5)
7. Highway 61 Revisited (9)
8. Just Like Tomb Thumb's Blues (9.5)
9. Desolation Row (10)
Album cover rating: (7.5)
Total Album rating: 92/100 (92%)