Last time, we left off with my love of the Kinks in 1965. I’m going to focus here on the next couple of albums released in 1965. I was going to start by writing about The Beach Boys Today! since it is chronologically next. However, I didn’t find much to love on my first few listens so I kind of skipped over it and now that I’m listening to it again, I dont think I’ve given it enough spins to truly get a good picture.
Instead I’d like to move right on to Bob Dylan’s next release! I’m not going to lie I’ve been very excited to get to this point in Dylan’s career. Bringing It All Back Home marks the first album in which a full band backs Bob’s music. The album also has a more rocking flavor to it and is Bob Dylan’s first real effort to distance himself from the folk scene of the early 60’s. After having met the Beatles, Bob Dylan began experimenting with a full rock band. The resulting album can be easily separated into two distinct sections. The first 7 tracks make up Side 1 which features Dylan in a rock and roll mood with a full band and a sound that I would describe as early Rolling Stones meets Bob Dylan’s stream of consciousness poetry.  Side 2 features only 4 songs and represents the culmination of all of Bob Dylan’s acoustic work. A swan song before his move into full on rock music. Side 1 is a struggle for me to review. I like it a lot.  I think that its very good, especially lyrically. What holds it back is a lack of variety for his band. I’m a firm believer of using any and every instrument possible, as long as there is purpose to those instruments. I just found that a lot of the time, the band was simply keeping the beat behind Dylan and that the songs would have sounded just as good in an acoustic fashion. The band just feels a bit like background noise. I’m not saying its bad, just that I could take it or leave it. Now that isnt always the case, with the most specific example being “She Belongs To Me” which I think is the best track on Side 1. Lyrically, Bob is in full on imagery mode and writing some really great stuff. The aforementioned “She Belongs to Me”, the wonderful “Love Minus Zero/ No Limit”, and especially Dylan’s goodbye to the folk movement “Maggie’s Farm”.
Side 2 is the actual bread and butter of Taking It All Back Home. Each (mostly)acoustic number is equally engaging and wonderful with amazing guitar work and beautiful lyrics. Side 2 solidifies my view that acoustic Dylan is my favorite Dylan. That being said, I haven’t heard much of electric Dylan yet so I’ll just have to see where Dylan takes his new found electric love. My hope is that Taking It All Back Home serves as some sort of test run before he dives head first into rock and roll. I’m definitely excited to see where Dylan takes his talents from here on out, I just hope he remembers his acoustic routes and writes more music like that as well.
1965 – Taking It All Back Home – Top 5 Highlights
She Belongs to Me – Dylan breaks out the band while maintaining his soft charms. Dylan’s voice has never sounded sexier, completely avoiding his nasal whine and the soft drums and oh so quiet electric finger picking guitar add real layers of beauty to an already great song. I hope this is the direction he continues on for his future electric releases. No instrument is taken for granted here and no sound wasted. The harmonica interludes just add to the overall wonder. A perfect Dylan tune.
Mr. Tambourine Man – Once again, Dylan’s voice is sounding beyond wonderful. The soft electric guitar part  reminds me of the best of Indie Rock Music. There is just something about this song that demands you shut up and listen to its beauty. We’ll get to the Byrds a bit later which I’ve been listening to a lot lately, but I think its pretty widely regarded that the Folk Rock scene began with this song.
Gates of Eden – Tragically I couldnt find a version of this from the album so I had to post a live version. Please please find the studio version! Don’t get me wrong, Bob Dylan can at times be better on his live work than his studio work but in this particular case, it is the production on the studio version that I adore. I think that Bob’s acoustic guitar is captured perfectly. I also love the way that Dylan sings the line “The gates of Eden”. It is the repetition of that line coupled with the acoustic guitar that lends a lot of power to this new epic about the loss of innocence in the generation of the 60’s. I definitely like this song MUCH MORE than the similar “Chimes of Freedom”
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – Bob’s voice is a bit harsher on this track but man is that guitar epically beautiful! One of the best goodbye heart break songs I can think of.
It’s All Right, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) – Which brings us to quite possibly my favorite Bob Dylan song to date. Once again I could only find a live version but for this song, any version will do.  “It’s All Right Ma” is a masterpiece! This is Bob Dylan doing something no one else would dare do. The way that Bob Dylan sings this song is mindblowing! He has these little stream of consciousness rambling lines that go on far too long for a normal song to the point that the music is forced to fit in around them. His guitar just kind of hangs out waiting for him to finish and then has these beautiful strumming sections between each run on statement. Each individual statement is chock FULL of images. I’ve probably already listend to this song 20 or so times and I’m still hearing new images. There is just a general disregard for all things that define how a song should be written. Even now as I listen to the song again, I’m  enraptured by the lyrics and style and music. The song basically combines the musical style of “Masters of War”, the lyrical delivery of his “Talkin Blues” songs and the imagery laden lyrics of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”.  This is a genius at work. An artist who looks back on his catalogue of work and brings forth something that takes the best parts of all that came before to create a piece of music no one has ever heard or even dreamed they ever would here. I find it hard to believe that Dylan will ever write a song better than this. I really hope he proves me wrong!
In summary, I still like Bob Dylans first two albums best. I think that Bringing It All Back Home contains Bob Dylans best single work to date but overall, I want something more.
Now I want to move onto an artist that took me COMPLETELY by surprise: Bert Jansch! Bert is a scottish musician who moved to london in the early 60’s to join the folk scene there. In 1965 he released his self titled debut and I am so happy that I listened to it! Wow. I complained a little earlier about Bob’s movement into rock and roll and away from acoustic folk, but as long as artists like Bert Jansch step in to fill the holes left by Dylan, I will have no problem! Lets start with the obvious. Bert has a beautiful voice. I love Dylan’s vocals for what they are but pretty is never a way that I’d describe them. I already touched on this with Simon and Garfunkel but its never been more apparent than in hearing Jansch sing along while strumming a guitar. He still has a twangy kind of folk friendly voice but it is much more pleasing to the ears. Most importantly, this man is a wonderful acoustic guitar player. Every song is beautifully finger picked. This is especially noticeable in that he doesnt simpley strum the same three chords for four minutes. Each song is essentially a duet between Jansch’s wonderful voice and his guitars finger dancing. He even includes multiple instrumental tracks that focus directly on the beauty of his guitar playing. According to a friend, Neil Young once referred to Bert as the Jimi Hendrix of acoustic guitar. If you’re still not convinced, listen to these great examples from his album!
1965Â Bert Jansch – Top 5 Highlights
Smokey River – This is a fine example of one of Jansch’s instrumentals. Unfortunately the original wasnt available so I had to pull this cover of it instead. Not to knock the play in this song but Jansch does play the song better. Still, it does give a great idea of the more technical nature of his guitar playing on the album. Very different from Dylan.
Oh How Your Love Is Strong – Once again I could only find a cover. This guy is pretty faithful to the original. I still think if your choices are this version, or never hear this song and never seek out the album, than this is better! I love the melancholy sound of the guitar on this song and Jansch’s voice has a bit of a haunted tone that I love(and that is captured here)
Needle of Death – Finally a video with Bert. Now you can get an idea for his actual beautiful voice. Tell me this song doesnt immediately mesmerize you!? The whole album has this same beauty!
Do You Here Me Now? – My personal favorite on the album sees Jansch exploring the boundaries of his voice even letting it crack just so he can infuse some extra emotion into the song.
I Have No Time – This one reminds me of the best of Joan Baez! It just has this mind capturing nature about it where you are literally taken out of your brain and forget all other thought for the entirety of the song.
So basically, both the albums I just talked about are excellent and you should definitely pick them up. Some of the best music of the 60’s so far. I was planning to also write about The Byrds and Them but the wonder and excitement of these two albums has tired me out so they’ll have to wait till next time. Thanks for continuing to follow along with me on my journey!
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