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Among the Greatest Rock and Roll Records Dec 24, 2009
This album is Dylan at his most despairing, at the bottom of a pit of confusion. The album has some of the greatest images ever put in songs. This album is about Dylan the poet. The lyrics beg to be interpreted and then run away from any single view of what they mean. Some people think they just convey an emotion and that is enough. For those who like to try to understand Dylan's lines, this album is the exemplification of his most inspired efforts.
Just "Desolation Row" alone would make a songwriter's reputation. It's an incredible way to end an album, filled as it is with hopelessness. And yet Desolation Row also seems to be the best place to understand the world.
Of course, the album begins with "Like a Rolling Stone" with its insistent beat, its lyrics almost spit out, its raw emotion. The song rattles listeners with its mockery of its subject, whoever that might be.
The album is an absolute must for anyone who wants to be literate about rock music history.
--Lawrence J. Epstein, author of Political Folk Music in America from Its Origins to Bob Dylan
 Is too much overrated Nov 06, 2009
Five stars... I can't see (neither understand) the reason why. I've given many oppotunities to this album (in this very moment I'm giving it one more), expecting each time to hear what is in it that makes a lot of people happy-yelling about it... For me it's got one good song followed by another boring one. The goods are WONDERFUL indeed, and the borings are crispy and extremely poor arranged... For me it's a long long way between this album and the almost perfect "Subterranean Homescik Blues" or the glorius "Bolde on Blonde". Anyway, there's no account for taste.
Helped Shape My Love For Music & Dylan! Oct 07, 2009
This album mean's so much to e word's can't explain man..... My introduction to my favorite artist was this grand cd my second favorite of all time my gosh I am in love with the one.....
Just a musical masterpiece
Like A Rolling Stone- Um... do I really have to comment on this song? It's Dylan's most known and played song said by Rolling Stone to be the greatest song of all time this is a masterpiece with a powerful message there's noting I can say that hasn't already been said about this one 5/5
Tombstone Blues- Ow boy. The first time I was listening to this and heard the lyric `'Mama's in the factory ain't got no shoes daddy's in the alley he's looking for food I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues''
It was then I realized Dylan was on another planet the lyrics for this song are incredible and I love this song it's very near and dear to me 5/5
It Take's A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry- It start's off with the infamous Dylan harmonica and a strange drum breakdown this a great song bluesy song very down by the bayou with Dylan type with some great lyrics of coarse and great musicianship 5/5
From A Buick 6-
`'You know there's this graveyard woman you know she keep's my kid's''
After hearing that opening I was convinced Dylan really was in his own world I love this song very upbeat and Rock N Roll with 5/5
Ballad Of A Thin man-
That dark and consuming piano intro, The talk-rap Dylan spews into you know what time it is it's one of Dylan's most classic song it's haunting and just fantastic the piano in the song is beautiful and dark, Dylan does an almost rap here I love the way he tells his story just a great classic Dylan song 5/5
Queen Jane Approximately-
Another Dylan Classic with some moody vocals and guitar rifts along with Dylan's strange and haunting lyrics
Highway 61 Revisited-
I Actually got to see him perform this one live!
Great song tells a worldly story in under five minutes and has some great drum beats 5/5
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues-
This sound's like a type of Blue's Robert Johnson or John Lee Hooker would do just very moody with some great bass and guitar love Dylan's vocal and chorus here just wonderful 5/5
Desolation Row-
One of the top ten greatest written song's of all time, This is a perfect album closer one of the greatest song's ever crafted you must hear this one, MCR Did a mediocre remake but this 11 minute original is a masterpiece of music 5/5
Dylan is my favorite artists I got this a little before my junior year was over and it changed a lot of my perspectives on music I love this album to death it's worth a listen for any music lovers
Music, History, English Class in one convenient package for 21st Century Kids on the Go Sep 13, 2009
Bought for my 14 year old son at his request, its as good a summary of mid 60s state of the union as you're bound to find for the nano second attention generation. It still retains that sense of kick butt,tension-release exuberance. Demonstrates the value of alternate renditions of songs found on later bootlegs and live releases - nuances abound from version to version, all to our musical enjoyment. Assigned listening for this decade's students.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Revisited for the first time. May 10, 2009
Only recently, more than four decades after its debut have I discovered this amazing album by Bob Dylan. The only song familiar to me is "Like a Rolling Stone", which I remember from the radio when I was a kid. It must sound incredible to longtime Dylan fans that someone who appreciates this music could have remained unaware of it for so long, but such things happen. And truthfully, at my age, it's importance in my life is going to be limited. But I have to say I was blown away by the originality, intelligence, and latent ideas contained in the lyrics of these songs. I think they are definitely poetry, many of them dream-images with symbolism to be pondered. There is something jarring rather than soothing about this poetry, but rather than being jarred into irritation, I felt as though I was being jarred into a more comprehensive and perceptive state of mind. The music which Dylan devised to go with these unique lyrics seems to serve the same purpose of prompting, not too gently, a state of mind receptive to some sort of unconscious communication. These are the impressions I experienced when I first listened to this album. Besides "Like a Rolling Stone", my other favorites were "Desolation Row", with its incredible cryptic lyrics which never seemed to end(but which I didn't want to end), and "Ballad of a Thin Man", a strange, strange little song which seemed to invade my psyche and take up residence. All this interest in Dylan was prompted by a more or less random curiosity which led me to watch the documentary, "No Direction Home". I'm not sure how I feel about Dylan as a person. Some web research I've done leads me to believe some of these songs were inspired by the desire to exact vengeance on those who have offended him. One of my favorites on this album, "Ballad of a Thin Man", is said to be a put-down of a newspaper interviewer who irritated Dylan with foolish questions. If so,I find that a little disappointing. But how I feel about such matters as that is not really pertinent to the quality of the songs and music, however they were inspired, except maybe as a caution against going overboard with reading meaning into them. Whether he was inspired by visionary insights or more mundane causes, he was very adroit at adapting these inspirations into imagery that leaves a strong mental impression on the listener. Dylan refused to let his fans force him into a niche, and quite rightly so, in my opinion. If, as has been said, he has constantly invented himself, then this album was one of his outstanding inventions.
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