ALBUM OF THE MOMENT:
Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan
Some say that Bob Dylan has a terrible voice. I find that some need to sort out their musical priorities. If the general public are ever to escape the bland, uninspired pop music of today, composition, emotion and originality should be valued over catchiness and vocal range (especially now due to the common use of autotune in pop music.) If it weren't for the music industry and shows like the X Factor, perhaps more people would value artists such as Bob Dylan over the latest pop diva to be hyped into oblivion. As for the album, Blonde on Blonde is generally calmer and more reflective than its predecessor (Highway 61 Revisited) and it has its fair share of catchy choruses but it's the melodic complexities, the emotionally charged and often ambiguosly pitched vocals and the abstract lyrics that keep it from becoming monotonous. Basically, when you listen to Blonde on Blonde for the 27th time, there will always be something you've not picked up on. Not to mention that this is one of the first recorded double albums so you'll never be short of music. Visions of Johanna and Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands are the album's calmest and most profound songs whereas One of Us Must Know is life affirming in a shouting from a hilltop kind of way. The lyrics are as good as they get and Dylan's voice is as unique and soulful as ever. The songs sound even less like folk tunes and more like epics. Blonde on Blonde is truly one of the first masterpieces of rock music.
Some say that Bob Dylan has a terrible voice. I find that some need to sort out their musical priorities. If the general public are ever to escape the bland, uninspired pop music of today, composition, emotion and originality should be valued over catchiness and vocal range (especially now due to the common use of autotune in pop music.) If it weren't for the music industry and shows like the X Factor, perhaps more people would value artists such as Bob Dylan over the latest pop diva to be hyped into oblivion. As for the album, Blonde on Blonde is generally calmer and more reflective than its predecessor (Highway 61 Revisited) and it has its fair share of catchy choruses but it's the melodic complexities, the emotionally charged and often ambiguosly pitched vocals and the abstract lyrics that keep it from becoming monotonous. Basically, when you listen to Blonde on Blonde for the 27th time, there will always be something you've not picked up on. Not to mention that this is one of the first recorded double albums so you'll never be short of music. Visions of Johanna and Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands are the album's calmest and most profound songs whereas One of Us Must Know is life affirming in a shouting from a hilltop kind of way. The lyrics are as good as they get and Dylan's voice is as unique and soulful as ever. The songs sound even less like folk tunes and more like epics. Blonde on Blonde is truly one of the first masterpieces of rock music.
Highlights: Visions of Johanna, One of Us Must Know, Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
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