Search - Bob Dylan :: Blonde on Blonde (Spkg)

Almost obnoxiously brilliant

Ryan E. Doyle | 03/06/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The music and lyrics to this album have such a swaggering, defiant, playful brilliance that it might have even embarrassed Bob himself. Notice how he followed this up with the much quieter, humbler John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline? It's almost as if Dylan was saying, "Okay, I'll be a nice, sweet, down to earth boy from now on".



People praise Dylan for his lyrics, but the music itself on this album is almost impossibly catchy with it's swinging, piercing, galloping sound.



And people say Dylan is political......there isn't one political song on his masterpiece. Every song is about women. Yes, Rainy Day Women is not really about pot; he's just using a drug metaphor to diss fickle, backstabbing women.



But of course there is the lyrics and this record has some of the coolest one liners ever known to man. "You say my kisses are not like his / But this time I'm not gonna tell you why that is". "But to live outside the law you must be honest". And last but not least, "I saw you making love with him / You forgot to close the garage door". Ladies, do NOT get on Bobby's bad side!



Which is of course what makes Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands so breathtaking. The guy who seems to diss everyone and everything and not believe in anything.........and he comes out with the most beautiful love song ever written to close the album. Most love songs are not about the girl, they're about the singer and how HE feels. Sad Eyed Lady is incredible becuause it paints a picture of a girl and you can almost imagine what she's like! It's Dylan's lyrical and musical Mona Lisa. Who....of course....had the highway blues. You can tell by the way she smiles."