This was Dylan's
fifth studio album and it was the first to crack the US top ten Pop Albums
chart (it peaked at #6). It also topped the UK chart and the lead-off track,
"Subterranean Homesick Blues," was his first single to chart in the
US (it peaked at #39).The first half of the album, the electric half, blows folk music open: "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a stream of consciousness based on Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business"; "She Belongs To Me" and "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" are surprisingly tender love songs. This move alienated Dylan from his former peers in the folk song community. So, you would think that flipping the album over for the acoustic set would help. Not so much. Instead of protest songs like "Blowin' In The Wind" or "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," there were more personal and abstract songs like "Gates Of Eden" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." It was at this point that Dylan made it safe for singer-songwriters to express themselves personally through lyrics, as well as the music.
There are a total of seven Dylan albums on the list, so I have five more to go. I'll be interested to see which one will be my favorite. I have to admit that it's a very close race right now.
Track Listing:
01. Subterranean Homesick Blues
02. She Belongs To Me
03. Maggie's Farm
04. Love Minus Zero / No Limit
05. Outlaw Blues
06. On The Road Again
07. Bob Dylan's 115th Dream
08. Mr. Tambourine Man
09. Gates Of Eden
10. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
11. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
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