Highway 61 Revisited

Part five of the DYLAN VINYL collection which is a brand-new collection of every single Bob Dylan album on high-quality 180-gram vinyl plus a collectors’ magazine

I don’t know if it was the greatest music ever made, but it certainly was the most spontaneous.
Harvey Brooks – bass player on Highway 61

Highway 61 Revisited, released in1965, is one of the most revered albums of Bob Dylan’s career. The album’s title refers to the highway that runs from Dylan’s hometown of Duluth, Minnesota down to New Orleans, Louisiana. The album features some of Dylan’s most iconic and enduring songs, including “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Desolation Row,” and “Ballad of a Thin Man.”

The album marked a significant shift in Dylan’s career, moving away from the acoustic folk music that had made him famous and embracing a more electric sound. This change was controversial at the time, with some fans accusing Dylan of selling out. However, the album’s impact on rock music cannot be overstated. The album’s use of electric guitars and keyboards influenced countless musicians and helped to usher in the era of rock music that dominated the late 1960s and early 1970s

Side 1
Like a Rolling Stone
Tombstone Blues
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry
From a Buick 6
Ballad of a Thin Man

Side 2
Queen Jane Approximately
Highway 61 Revisited
Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
Desolation Row

My Top Three

1) Like a Rolling Stone
The track was a departure from Dylan’s earlier, more acoustic sound, and featured an electric guitar and a driving beat. The lyrics, which tell the story of a woman who has fallen from grace and is now destitute, are widely regarded as some of Dylan’s best. The song’s chorus, “How does it feel, to be on your own, with no direction home, like a complete unknown?” has become one of the most famous lines in rock history.

It’s the first Dylan song I analysed the lyrics of and as a teenager no other song resonated with me as much as this did. Easily in my Top Ten Dylan songs of all time.

2) Desolation Row
Desolation Row is a masterpiece. The song features surrealistic imagery and a cast of characters, including Cinderella, Einstein, and the Phantom of the Opera. The lyrics are cryptic and thought-provoking, reflecting on societal issues and the human condition. The song’s acoustic guitar and harmonica instrumentation are complemented by a haunting organ melody. Desolation Row is considered one of Dylan’s greatest works and a highlight of the1960s counterculture movement.

3) Ballad of a Thin Man
A satirical song that questions the narrow-mindedness of conventional society. The lyrics are filled with cryptic references and surreal imagery, and the song is driven by a haunting piano riff.