The Journey Back Entry 8: Things get Kinda Kinky and the Siren Returns

The year is 1965! The first album I was interested in came around in February with the release of the Rolling Stones third album (creatively named as usual for the 60’s) The Rolling Stones, Now! I must point out here that I did also listen to The Rolling Stones No. 2 the UK release but seeing as it was mostly made up of a combination of the tracks on 12 x 5 and The Rolling Stones, Now! I decided to discuss this album instead. The album continues to produce their now classic rhythm and blues sound and this is probably their most consistent record to date. The production has definitely come a long way from their wild debut. While this album doesn’t excite me as much as their debut did, I think that it does a great job of showing of the Rolling Stones as musicians. I think Mick Jagger kind of stole the show on their debut album. 12 x 5 saw the focus turn more towards the rest of the band but the track were not as solid and put together as they are here. Strangely “Mona” appears again on this album. I’m not sure why this choice was made but seeing as its my favorite Rolling Stones song so far, I have no problem with it appearing again. Overall, while the album is good and shows off that the Rolling Stones can be civilized, I miss the frantic energy of the debut and I hope they bring some of that up in the future.

1965 – The Rolling Stones, Now! Highlights

Everybody Needs Somebody to Love – It’s a shame I couldnt find the version that appears on the album on youtube! This live performance still shows off the badns charisma but if you can find the version on the album definitely go for it! It starts of with Mick just talking to the audience while one of the other members sings some amazing back up falsetto over his talking. Then when Mick finally comes in, his vocals have just the right amount of grit. The song makes me very happy.

Heart of Stone – I love this song’s lyrics and the way those lyrics are delivered! It has this really relaxed pace while he sings about what a womanizer he is and how he has a “Heart of Stone” and this girl wont be able to break it. I love the “Never break, never break” call backs and the guitar and bass parts are phenomenal. The fact that this song isnt a cover but a Stones original gives me great hope for the future of the band.

Mona – I know I already mentioned my love for “Mona” on the debut but since they offered it up again, so will I. Still my favorite Stones song at this point.

Now lets talk about my favorite surprise of 65 till this point! The second release of the Kinks is wonderful! You may remember that I called their first album boring and that I only wanted to check out their next album because the original album was mostly covers and their original “You Really Got Me” was fun and exciting. Kinda Kinks takes everything I liked about “You Really Got Me” and extrapolates it to album length with wonderful results! Gone are the tedious boring covers and the copycat Rolling Stones sound. These guys have definitely come into their own on this second release. It’s funny because while I originally compared them to the Rolling Stones, I’m definitely feeling much more of a Beatles vibe on this second album in terms of song writing while still maintaining the more wild nature of the Stones. The best part is that the album was rushed and released in an unfinished form because the band was relentlessly touring at the time. If the band can release something this fun on that time frame, they’ve moved to the top of my anticipation list for future releases. If the latest Rolling Stones release felt a bit tame, Kinda Kinks is more than making up for it. If I could describe the album in one word it would be: FUN! The biggest highlight is their vocals that fall halfway between the Beatles cool harmonies and Mick Jagger’s rough and tumble vocals. The band isnt always wild though, my favorite track on the album is actually fairly quiet and yet rivals my favorite Dylan songs for top song of the 60’s. I just find myself listening to it over and over. So… lets get into the highlights!

1965 – Kinda Kinks – Top 5 Highlights

Look for Me Baby – The song is simple enough but I love the backing vocals. The best part is at 0:34 but appears at other times too where the drums kinda crap out and Ray Davies does this thing where he says way too many words for the amount of beats. It’s made even better at 1:45 when it is overdubbed slightly off so it sounds like there’s two of him one saying it again half a second behind the first. It makes me crack up every time and also shows off what I love about this album. The band is trying things that other bands of the time aren’t (weird things) and I find that daring.

Got My Feet on the Ground – I love Ray Davies voice on this track. Once again I find it to just be a very simple and fun little ditty. I love the “I dont neeeeed nobody else” part but the most important part of the song appears at the end. Ray Davies starts yelling “I dont need no one!” to this point where is voice is cracking in the most ridiculous way and they left it in the track! Once again, singing like this had to be daring. I love how he doesnt take himself too seriously.

Nothin’ in the World can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout that Girl – An emo song title 40 years before emo! I just complimented Ray Davies for not taking himself too seriously but it is his ability to take himself seriously on this song that elevated this album beyond simple and silly to amazing. This is the song I was referring to when I talked about liking it as much as my favorite Dylan songs in the sixties. The lyrics are deep and honest and the guitar work is perfect. Ray Davies beautiful and painful falsetto perfectly gets across his sadness about being cheated on. What a perfect song.

Naggin’ Woman – And then right afterwards we get this straight up hilarious blues marvel about a nagging woman. Seriously just go listen to this album. Here Davies goes full on whiney in the best of ways.

Tired of Waiting – More competition for the Beatles. Here’s another serious number with some great vocals. The “It’s your life and you can do what you want” gives me chills every time!

Basically this album is just wonderful. Go listen to it!

Finally, I’m going to take it back to 64 to play a little catch up on Joan Baez. I talked about how her second live album Joan Baez In Concert, Part 2 was a pretty big disappointment and I feared she may have run out of good songs to cover. I thought I might as well at least check out her next studio release to give her one more chance to change my mind. I’m glad I did because the siren is back! I mentioned that Joan Baez’s debut was so perfectly mesmerizing that I couldnt separate out the original elements. It was like 45 minutes would pass by and I’d wake up from a blissful dream. Thankfully that Joan is back here on Joan Baez/5! I put it on in the background while trying to write this and I had to turn it off again because it was so mentally mesmerizing that I couldnt think to write these words. At one point she even breaks out into full on classical belting. This album definitely sees her going in new directions while still conquering my brain with her voice. I still think her debut is a bit stronger as this album breaks the trance near the end with a couple songs that aren’t as good. Overall I highly recommend it. With the debut I didnt really share any of the music so I figured for this one, I’ll share a couple of the songs in case you want a listen. Just know that like the debut, I dont have much to say about them. I think they really just speak for themselves in their utter beauty and ability to take control of your brain.

1964 – Joan Baez/5 – Some Examples

There But for Fortune –

Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5 –

 Birmingham Sunday –

1965 promises to be an interesting year! The Rolling Stones are finessing their sound, the Kinks are revolutionizing theres and if Joan Baez’s 64 release is any indication, 1965 will be a good year for her as well! I for one cannot wait!

 

The Journey Back Entry 6: LOTS more in 1964!

Its been exactly a month since I last documented my time machine activities. While some of it was due to my fiance visiting and some due to 2 weeks of bronchitis, I was definitely still listening to tons of music. I’m going to start off with a release I was very much looking forward to, Bob Dylan’s second release of 1964 Another Side of Bob Dylan! I spoke last time about the fact that I wasnt too crazy about Bob Dylan the political activist on The Times They Are a-Changin’  so you can imagine my excitement about an album that advertised another side of him. It turns out Bob Dylan wasnt too crazy about “Bob Dylan the political activist” either. This was probably mostly due to the fact that his political stuff was encouraged by his girlfriend Suze Rotolo, and since they had finally ended things by the release of this album, Bob was free to write whatever he wanted. And that is EXACTLY what he does here. Recorded in 1 night, in a hotel room, while drinking, Dylan tried to recapture the raw sound of his debut album. Unfortunately, drinking isnt exactly the best way to produce your best work (at least not for Dylan here). So how does it compare to Times?  Times has a few songs I like MUCH more than the stuff on this album, but overall, while underwhelming, the joy that Bob seems to be experiencing here in recording this makes it a much more fun listen. Most of the songs have little to no depth but its an album I can easily put on and enjoy. It’s fun rather than technical. A perfect example is “All I Really Wanna Do” which I absolutely adore. Its nowhere near Bob’s best but his little “ooo ooo” sounds cant help but make me smile. Try to frown while he sings that part. It isnt possible. I found myself singing it the other day in my head  but for some reason my lyrics were “All IIIIII…. REAlly…. Wanna Dooo oooo. is baby have sex with you. ”  That would be the version I’d record.

Another example of Dylan’s “Not giving a damn” attitude is “I Shall Be Free”. The song is horrible but in a completely lovable way for me. It sounds to me like those parody songs people do of Dylan where they just sing in “Dylan” voice while talking drunken gibberish and blowing into the harmonica occasionally. But its Dylan! Its basically him saying “I dare you to try to apply a political banner behind this one!”

I dont think the album is Bob’s best work but I do appreciate it and I especially like that he decided to recapture the Bob Dylan raw style even if it didnt work out exactly as he had hoped. If he had spent months recording this, I think I would be more disappointed in the album.  Because the album instead perfectly captures this one night of Bob, drinking in the hotel room, I really enjoy it. It makes me smile and laugh wish I could hang out with Bob unlike on Times where the heavy themes and the downer nature of the album made me not want to be around Dylan.

1964 – Another Side of Bob Dylan Highlights

All I Really Wanna Do – See my description above. I LOVE the chorus of this song and Bob being silly

I Don’t Believe You – My other favorite song on the album. I love the lyrics and that frustration when someone completely ignores you

It Ain’t Me Babe – Couldnt find a version by Bob Dylan to lunk from youtube. I was told that this song was written in part as a response to the Beatles “She Loves You” who”s “Yeah Yeah Yeah” chorus is reflected back negatively by Bob Dylan with his “No No No” response. A great song.

I did check out Joan Baez’s 1963 release and fourth album, the creatively titled Joan Baez In Concert Part 2. Unfortunately I was disappointed once again in her “Part 2” titled album with this one paling in comparison to Part 1. One interesting change however was a few Dylan covers that appear on the album. The one that surprised me was her cover of “With God On Our Side”. This was a song I could not stand when Dylan sang it. For some reason, (Probably Joan’s voice)  this version was a huge improvement. While I still dont like the lyrics much, it was nice to hear a more melodic and beautiful version of this song.

Moving away from the folk scene for a while, I next checked out the debut album of The Animals, The Animals. I must confess, I was pretty excited for this one. Their version of “House of the Rising Sun” was the first version I’d ever heard and it also happens to be an excellent version. I loved the production of their guitars and their organ definitely adds some cool layers to their music. At the end of the day, I wouldnt say I was too impressed with their album. That isnt to say its a bad album, just that I didnt find too much original sounding material here. Maybe it’s because I heard the Rolling Stones debut first but all I could think of was that the band fit into mostly the same R&B sound. Where the Animal’s shined most on this album was in their more unconventional covers. Changing folk music into rock music rather than covering older R&B sounds. “House of Rising Sun” is the best example of this but not the only one. The band also does their own version of “Baby Let Me Follow You Down” titled “Baby Let Me Take You Home”. These additions stop the Animals from simply sounding like Rolling Stones clones and I did enjoy the album, I just wish it had more music like “House of The Rising Sun” on it. The bands blues music is simplistic to the point of comical. At one point, the same blues melody is used for 2 songs in a row! Literally the same exact music with different lyrics. Why place those songs back to back?  I guess Ill have to wait for their next album to see which direction the band heads in.

1964 – The Animals Highlights

House of the Rising Sun – A classic, this version of the song is definitely one of the most recognizable and features one of the coolest organ parts of all time. Plus Eric Burdon’s howls are damn sexy

Baby Let Me Take You Home – One of the reasons I decided to go on this journey was to discover the rock and roll roots of the music I listen to today. The first time I heard this song, I was smiling ear to ear. My first experience where I heard the song and immediately thought “This melody comes directly from another song I know!” It was a great feeling. I also like that they changed the lyrics for a more optimistic perspective. The Animals seem more in their elements when converting folk music to rock.

Talkin’ Bout You – My other favorite on the album is this Ray Charles cover. Once again I reward bands for experimentation and the 7 minute version of this song that converts at the 4 minute mark in a “Shout!” cover is truly awesome. I also love the songs opening clapping part.

I then moved onto another english rock group, The Kinks. Here I found yet another band joining the rock sound of the Rolling Stones and the Animals. Its hard to tell which one of these groups originated the sounds and who copied from who. At the end of the day, I found most of the Kinks debut to be a bit boring. The obvious exception is “You Really Got Me” which happens to be an excellent and addictive pop song. Maybe I’m just getting a bit of R&B rock fatigue. I just think most of the covers didnt have the power of other similar artists. I will definitely continue to check out the Kinks in the hopes that their sound evolves in a separate direction.

1964 – Kinks Highlight

You Really Got Me

Apparently the year of british R&B rock music, next in 1964, I took on the Rolling Stones second album of the year and their career 12 X 5. I was a huge fan of their debut so I was definitely looking forward to this one. Mick Jagger’s voice was refreshing. I just think it fits the music so well. 12 X 5  is definitely more toned down and instrument focused than it’s vocalist centric debut. The band is definitely having fun. Still, there was definitely less take home music for me here in comparison to their debut. Listening to this album did however get me very excited for one reason. After hearing the Animals, the Kinks and the Rolling Stones albums, one after another, one thing became abundantly clear. While each of the albums is in the same vane, all three had slightly varied sounds. I’m very excited to see how the bands will separate, change and evolve. I feel like these albums are helping to establish the bands beginnings in my mind so that I can more greatly appreciate the evolutions of each band. I just hope they dont disappoint.

1964 – 12 X 5 – Highlights

Time Is On Our Side – Mick Jagger sings this song in a way that just begs to be sung along with. The band just seems to be having so much fun!

Good Times, Bad Times – I just love the guitar and the harmonica on this track

Under the Boardwalk – I love this cover. I could listen to Mick sing “Down by the See-hee” over and over

If You Need Me – I love love love the backing vocals on this track. It’s like Mick’s trying to tell this girl something and his creepy friend is standing right behind him repeating what he says trying to encourage his buddy. “I still love love love, always thinking of you”. I love singing along as the back up dude.

Finally, I also did check out the debut album of the Impressions. I did it mostly to check out Curtis Mayfield. While I did enjoy the album, I didnt feel very fit to analyze its music. The sound is definitely more under the vain of doo-wop and soul. I felt like I would need to go back and listen to a lot of music from the ’50s to truly understand it. That isnt a bad idea and I do intend to check these genres out eventually. I just think that for now, I want to stick more clearly to rock and folk music.

So, after a very long entry, what do I have to show for it? Bob Dylan seems to be on the right track, giving up on his boring political side. The Rolling Stones, the Animals and the Kinks all try to do the same thing with varied results. I think a large part of it is also due to the fact that most of their current songs are covers. I can only hope they will forge new genres and continue to diverge creating more unique music as they stop playing covers and start writing their own music. Joan Baez has disappointed me again but I always seem to like her odd numbered albums so maybe her fifth album will change my mind again about whether there’s more to be gotten from her. I’m nearing the end of 1964 at this point. I believe the only two albums I have left to check out are the debut of folk legends Simon & Garfunkle and another release from the Beatles! I have high hopes for both. Then it will be time to move on into 1965 and I’m sure a ton more wonderful music. Only time will tell. Thanks for continuing to follow along with me on this crazy journey through musical time. Once again, fill me in on albums you think I might of missed or ways in which you hope I can improve my tales of the past

The Journey Back Entry 5: More on Dylan, Joan, and the Beatles Mostly

The Rolling Stones were definitely the highlight of the first half of 1964. I will say that in the meantime I was still in my catch up phase on Joan Baez. I stated early my dislike of her 1961 album Joan Baez Volume 2 but I decided to give her 1962 release Joan Baez In Concert. (someone seriously needed to give her some help in the album titles department.) Im sure she’ll name her 5th album #5! Oh wait… she did? Nevermind. The point is I was happily pleased with this album. The important change in this album over the previous two is that its a live album. I complained that her second album sounded like she phoned it in and that she didnt seem very excited or passionate. The live performance definitely brings back some of that magic from the debut. I still think the debut is my favorite as this one has some moments in it that both add character and bring down the album. A good example would be “Kumbaya”. She asks the audience to sing a long with her and makes a joke about how they shouldnt be nervous but all this is being recorded. On the one hand it made me like her better. On the other, it took me out of that magical place of being entranced in her music the way the debut captured me. I definitely enjoyed this one more than the last so I will continue to listen to her follow up. Can you guess what its called? If you said Joan Baez In Concert Part 2 then you are starting to understand her creativity.

I will share this one Highlight from Joan just in case you’ve never heard her and want to get an idea.

While I move forward through this journey, I must share the fact that I dont put down the old stuff. I’m in a place of continually listening to everything that comes before while adding new albums on a regular basis. I mentioned before that the story of Bob Dylan’s The Times they are a-Changin’ wasnt finished and I’d like to pick that up again here. I got really sick last week. When it gets bad enough I dont even like listening to music anymore. The first day I started feeling a bit better, I took a drive and put on Times again, this time starting with a selection of songs on the album that my friend Jacek told me I should focus on. Something about being in a weakened, tired state helped me understand the darkness better. Bob’s soft grating voice seemed the perfect soothing melody for my tired worn down body. Listening to songs like “North Country Blues” about the death of a mining town or the passive angst of “Boots of Spanish Leather”. They just reached in deeper this time around. The album is still my least favorite of the three since I desperately miss Bob’s playful and wild nature. Though I wish he was having more fun, I do appreciate this album a bit more now. 

1964 – The Times They Are a-Changin’   Top 5 Highlights

One Too Many Mornings – Bob Dylan heart break songs are still the highlights for me.

Only a Pawn in Their Game – The music is a  little more playful than the rest of the protest songs and its short length makes it much easier to stomach

North Country Blues – It’s really dark but I like the guitars and the story

Boots of Spanish Leather – My favorite on the album. Like I said, those broken heart songs. (This is the only version I could find on youtube)

When the Ship Comes In – A true revenge song. Yikes this one bites.

My next step after The Rolling Stones debut was the Beatles release to once again put themselves on top. A Hard Day’s Night was released as a soundtrack to go alongside the movie of the same name featuring the Beatles. I did watch the movie once many years ago but I want to watch it again now for full affect. I have listened to the album quiet a few times both on this journey and before. There is so much growth hear and I think the major love goes to the chords! The Beatles just know how to create these amazing unique chords and chord changes in the middle of songs that add this extra wow factor to their music. I stated before that I already have a pretty wide love for the Beatles work but that I’ve never gotten down into the nitty gritty of who wrote what and who sings what. Once again, it seems that I’m a big McCartney Fan, with most of my favorites being sung and/or written by him. That doesn’t mean I dont like Lennon. I also like Harrison’s vocals once again on his feature track and I’m interested to see where he goes.

1964 – A Hard Days Night – Top 5 Highlights

A Hard Days Night – The opening chord still sends chills down my back every time. I also just really love this song. The idea of working really hard all day and having the worst time and then coming home and having the woman you love hold you and make everything feel all right. So perfect. My favorite Beatles song at this point. Also worth pointing out the awesome guitar part at 1:20 and also COWBELL!

I Should Have Known Better – My favorite Lennon track on the album. I think listening to Dylan has given me a much greater appreciation of the song because that harmonica is wonderful!

If I Fell – I love the intro to this song. Something I think the Beatles continue to do well is create little sections of their songs that are extra special and elevate the song for more listens.

And I Love Her – What a beautiful love song. The combination of McCartney’s voice and that finger picking guitar makes this one of my favorite Beatles love songs.

Can’t Buy Me Love – One of the first Beatles songs I loved. I like the simple walking bass line and the lyrics. And of course the guitar solo.

So in summary, Joan Baez takes a step towards her initial glory, Dylan reminds me that he is still awesome and the Beatles cement themselves as solid song writers. Next time, I’ll be adding in some more new bands. Thanks for continuing to follow my journey.

The Journey Back Entry 3: The Beatles Write Songs! Joan doesn’t…

I promised I would talk about the next Beatles album here and I refuse to disappoint. Coming off my Joan Baez high, I thought it appropriate to check out the Beatles second 1963 release With the Beatles. This album dropped at the onset of Beatlemania so just picture thousands of screaming female fans around the Beatles while they play these songs. I was surprised by the general step up in some of the song writing on this one. Only six covers this time and a lot more Beatles originals which of course is good news. Their originals are always the highlights. The biggest difference for me on this album was the music itself which I think is already showing more depth than the simple pop songs of Please Please Me. Im a huge fan of minor keys and the Beatles have started to go a little further down that route. My favorite on the album is “All My Loving” which I find to be an absolutely lovely song. Maybe its because I’m in a long distance relationship myself. I thought it was funny that John Lennon was quoted as saying he was sad to admit he hadnt written it because it was a “a damn good piece of work”. The other standout for me is “Don’t Bother Me” which is apparently George Harrison’s first foray into song writing. I loved its darker nature and its anti-love song quality considering how much of the Beatles work was love songs at this point. Speaking of George Harrison as song writer, I’m sorry to say this but as much as I’ve heard the Beatles in the past, I’d never payed attention to who wrote or sang what. It is still hard for me to differentiate who is singing from song to song! That is why it is my goal during this journey back to make sure to pay attention to the individual artists. At this point Paul is my favorite writer.

So overall, I think With the Beatles is above and beyond Please Please Me, with better song writing and better performances. Each instrument feels so necessary well placed. That being said, the album still contains some lack luster stuff as well as covers so I’m still looking forward to the bands growth from this point. Hopefully The Freewheelin Bob Dylan will ignite their song writing hearts in new ways since I can only imagine the Beatles had to snatch that album up right away.

Also interesting to note, McCartney and Lennon wrote “I Wanna Be Your Man” while hanging out with the Rolling Stones and ended up giving them the song which would go on to become their breakthrough hit! I stumbled on to this quote and just started laughing:

“It was a throwaway. The only two versions of the song were Ringo and the Rolling Stones. That shows how much importance we put on it: We weren’t going to give them anything great, right?” – John Lennon

Ringo really doesnt get any love does he? I’ll definitely be checking out the Stones 64 debut soon enough.

1963 – With The Beatles Highlights

All I’ve Gotta Do – I love the bass on this one which I hear was a very important part of the writing process for the song as well. Probably my favorite Lennon track on the album.

All My Loving – Probably the fact that its about a long distance relationship is probably what gets me. Plus I love the guitar work, and the ooh oohs, things that really hold the beatles up in my mind. Plus Harrison’s solo.

Don’t Bother Me – As I mentioned earlier, Harrison’s first writing credit. So dark and wonderful. Cant wait for him to write more.

Not a Second Time  – I really like the piano parts on this one. Another one by Lennon. Apparently this is the song that made people start looking deeper into the Beatles song writing abilities. I just like the song.

Money – And finally the album closer. Yes it’s a cover but I really like this one. Its got this happy playful feeling while also having these really cool verses where the guitar drops out. I smile every time.

After such a wonderful experience with Joan Baez’s debut, I decided I should check out her 1961 follow up effort Joan Baez Volume 2. (Gotta love the creative album titles) Everything I felt about the first album was unfortunately completely lost on me this time around. Instead of being sucked in, I felt that I analysed every minute detail of her performance and came up wanting. Once again, all the songs are covers so maybe she just picked all her favorites for the first album and her second favorites here. I just wasnt as attached to the songs. I felt there was more emphasis on the stories and less on her voice and the music. To me, it sounded like she wasnt as passionate here, more going through the motions and she has a backing band of sorts that I didnt find interesting at all. Still, it didnt take away my love for her debut. It is possible that because Dylan evolved so much from his debut to his second album, I expected something similar from Joan. Instead I just got what felt like a B-sides record. Still this is only 1961 in her career so its possible her style will evolve once she hangs out with Bob and sees what he’s up to. I do plan to check out her 1963 live album which may better capture some of the debut’s passion I loved so much. (One can only hope) If not, I may give her a few years to cool off and check back in a few years down the road. For now, I can only say, dont miss out on the debut.

I’m pretty sure this will end my time in 1963 other than Joan’s live album. If there is one album I didnt check out fully in 1963, it would probably be the Beach Boys. I may wait a couple years to check them out. If you’re a fan of 1963 and see an album I overlooked, feel free to leave recommendations in the comments. 1964 is definitely going to get more expansive as I dive into the Rolling Stones, more Dylan and the Beatles. I’m very excited about it.

Overall 1963 was an interesting year. Bob Dylan released my favorite work of the year. I definitely think The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is an excellent album and some of the songs will enter my permanent playlists. The Beatles released two albums I had mixed feelings about but the second was better than the first and I love the direction they are heading in. Still I think this is all just set up for the late ’60’s when a ton of new rock music will be unleashed on the masses. This journey shall be epic!

 

The Journey Back Entry 2: Bob Evolves and Joan is a Siren

With Please Please Me firmly taking me into the year of 1963, it was time for me to see how Bob Dylan developed since his debut. With excited hands, I put on The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. I cant lie and say I didnt have huge expectations for the album. After the wonder that was Bob Dylan, I couldnt wait to see what Bob would do with his own songs rather than covers. My first listen came up both rewarding and disappointing. The album has a different feel to it that is immediately apparent. Bob’s passion seems a bit more reigned in here. Maybe it’s that he was more sheepish now that he was performing his own works. The album is also a bit more disjointed.  It is strange how the album  can go from really playful to REALLY dark on a dime and seems to happen at random. I learned that it was originally supposed to be two albums and that in order to show the full breathe of his work, he combined them together. Unfortunately this makes the album feel overlong.

The first major change was the political nature of some of the work. Where Bob Dylan tackles some universal hundred year old folk tune topics of love and hardship, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan has songs like “Masters of War” that strike right at the hearts of warmongers or “A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall” which may or may not be about communism. This new politically charged side of Dylan has a lot to do with his relationship with one Suze Rotolo who’s family was very political. What’s more important to me about Suze Rotolo is that she broke Bob Dylan’s heart and packed up off to italy. This heartbreak paved the way for Dylan to write some truly amazing songs of love lost (my favorite parts of the album). Then there is the “Talkin’ New York” style blues songs on the album with a variety of topics. These are more topical and also not very fully realized songs. The stories are worth  a laugh but I think that ultimately, they are what holds the album back from true greatness AS AN ALBUM. I think I would have been happier if Dylan had indeed released the blues and folk works separately as more cohesive albums.

All of that being said, with each additional listen, the songs I did love on this album got better and better! And since I’m more about finding songs I love than albums I love, The FreeWheelin’ Bob  Dylan is a goldmine! Also just to clarify, I didnt find any bad songs on the album, just some I could take or leave and others I had to have.

1963 – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Top 5 Highlights

Girl From the North Country – He wrote this one for a girl from the old west but the passion comes from his breakup with Suze. This song is phenomenal! I think I got into Bob Dylan just so I could hear this song. I’m a huge fan of heartbreak songs and folk is maybe the PERFECT medium for this kind of music. I think it is really beautiful, i love the lyrics, and I can FEEL Bob’s emotions melting my heart.

Masters of War –  OH MY GOD! CHILLING!! Especially the last minute or so! I mean holy shit! Just insanely dark in the best of ways. Especially how such a cold song comes right after his heart break song. Thats why I really like the song  order of the beginning of this album. “I hope that you die and your death will come soon. Ill follow your casket on a pale afternoon… Ill stand over your grave and Im sure that youre dead.” Wow!

It is an absolute tragedy that this song is not up on youtube! I may have to find another outlet for streaming music…

Down The Highway This is my favorite of the bluesy ones and I think it has to do with the lyrics which are less talky and more awesome. And I love blues songs sung to the Lord. This one is also about Suze Rotolo as he references her taking his heart to Italy. Plus he does do some pretty cool things with his voice on this one!

Yet another song not on youtube. I guess its copyright issues…

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall – This one is  a longer song with lots of lyrics so I feel like its been growing on me with every listen and that it still hasnt reached its full love potential. The songs lyrics are said to have been written with the fear that the world might end and Dylan might not be able to record all the music he dreamed of. Each line is meant to convey a separate song he might have wrote. The overarching story involves a man describing his journey over the world and lamenting some great calamity(which could have referenced anything from the cold war to the Devil)

Yet another without a video… I may need to think of a new approach to the actual music.

Dont Think Twice, It’s Alright – I really like the simple fingerpicking here. Really beautiful song. Its the kind of song I could just lie back, stare at the ceiling and listen to all afternoon. Amazing. I love the harmonica on this one a lot too.

Any Bob Dylan fan out there will probably notice immediately that I’ve left off “Blowing in the Wind”. The song is awesome, but also feels a bit untouchable. You know those songs that are so classic(and parodied) so that its almost just a part of life? Thats how it feels. Its not a matter of like or not like. It just is. The closest song I can think of off the top of my head would be “Amazing Grace”. Like people dont talk about their love of that song, cause of course, everyone loves that song. And if you dont like it for whatever personal reason that you dont, your opinion does not matter. Its not a matter of opinion. The song is great so shut up.

 So in summary, there is some really amazing stuff on this album. I actually think the songs I love on this album , I love more than those on Bob Dylan! However there are also ones I dont like as much and because of the albums overall length, I still think Bob Dylan is more of a personal favorite(AS an ALBUM).  All that being said, I’m still loving the fact that I’m loving Bob. Still want to listen to Freewheelin more deeply since theres a lot more lyrics and lyrics is always something that takes me the longest to understand and get into.

Around this time, another name just kept popping up over and over. Joan Baez. I could not escape it no matter where I looked for material of Dylan in the early sixties. Thankfully for me here in 1963, it was no problem acquiring a copy of her 1960 debut Joan Baez (apparently artists in the 1960’s folk scene are not very creative with naming their debut albums.) To say that it took my breath away wouldn’t even come close to how I felt about that first listen. The album was beyond words. Like Bob Dylan, it features mostly covers, including an excellent take on “House of the Rising Sun” (I think I just really like that song). What touched me most was both the power and beauty of her voice. Maybe it was also after listening to hours of Dylan’s soft raggedy folk voice, Joan’s came out all the stronger. It shook my speakers. She was so much more commanding. It’s like I wasnt listening to her, she was TELLING me how it was. At this point I can hardly differentiate the tracks and Ive heard the album probably 4 or 5 times. That isnt because the album is monotonous. It’s because it takes my mind into some kind of trance. For 45 minutes my brain becomes lost. Entranced in her power, I forget all else but the sound of her voice and the gentle guitars. After the first listen (I just lay in bed), I drew a bath, lay down in the steaming water and just listened to the album again from start to finish. I want to recommend individual songs but I really think you should just pick up the album so you can get the whole experience. An excellent album. I cant say whether or not its better than Bob because I CANNOT analyse it. My trance like state prevents me from getting any farther than “This is beautiful…”

I’d love to talk more about the Beatles but I think I’ll leave that for my next entry. Until then, thanks for continuing to follow my journey.