This is it, the first real landmark number, album number fifty. This marks that I am now 1/20th of the way though the 1001 project and aside from the occasional hyperventilation and headaches this has thus far been relatively painless. Personally it is a surprise that I made it past one month let alone to fifty albums, it makes you wonder why certain projects just fall flat after a few starting hurdles (and let’s face it there were a few of those in the early stages of this blog) while others really do have staying power. Maybe it’s because there have been some definite surprises and discoveries that have been made and as such has further cemented my love for music whilst simultaneously shaping my opinions. If that is truly the case then I can think of no artist more apt for this landmark number than Bob Dylan.My experience of Bob Dylan previous to Bringing It All Back Home boils down to the album I have previously reviewed, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, and Modern Times which I gave a go two years ago and gave up after listening to two tracks. So my knowledge of his music was nothing if not underwhelming and rather different. This is why I can always appreciate when I hear a familiar track or two on his albums as it makes me feel more musically savvy than I am in reality.
When stacking up Bringing It All Back Home against The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan there is no contest for me, the former is better and here’s why. There has been a considerable improvement in his guitar and harmonica playing abilities, ok the voice hasn’t really got any better but I guess that’s part of his charm. Also there is a progression in the arrangement in the first half of the album with him employing a actual backing band, with there being an acoustic second half. It won’t take much to guess which of these halves I preferred.
That isn’t to say that the acoustic half isn’t good though, as Mr. Tambourine Man is by far the best song on the album and a bit reminiscent of the older Bob Dylan material, but the first half marks a new step in his sound. He continues with his self-named tracks in the form of Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream which is in essence a random surrealist flight of fancy regarding the discovery of America by a fictional character reminiscent to Captain Ahab from Moby Dick (here named Captain Arab).
Also worthy of mention, not just because it is one of ’those’ songs, is Subterranean Homesick Blues. This quick-fire opener is one of the reasons that you can tell that this is a step forward from his previous incarnation as the voice of acoustic folk rock protest. Here he still has some of the lyrics that one would come to expect from him but this time it is executed in a far smarter way by giving it the sheen of a fast-paced folk-rock number whilst still throwing in references to causes and struggles. The same can be said for Maggie's Farm, which was later used by protesters against Margaret Thatcher, as this once again utilises a hook and more fast-paced blues structure whilst still maintaining the heart of protest.
In the end Bringing It All Back Home is a very apt name for this album for as an artist this marks his maturation and his ability to tie all the loose ends together to make a cohesive album. With the exception of the overly long It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) this is a consistently long album which makes me look forward to the albums of his to come which are considered his masterpieces.
8.0/10
Fab Four:
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Maggie’s Farm
Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream
Mr. Tambourine Man
