“A unique album, bursting with intelligence, creativity, and shining musicianship”: Bob Dylan creates a watershed in the history of music with Blonde On Blonde

Widely acknowledged as the first studio double LP by a major artist, Blonde On Blonde is one of the defining records of the 60s and of Bob Dylan’s career. It was, Dylan said, “the closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my head” – something he described with a typically poetic turn of phrase, “that wild-mercury sound.”

With this album, Dylan completed a transition from folk to rock artist, a journey begun on his two albums from 1965, Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited. Save for one track, the whole of Blonde On Blonde was recorded in just seven days spread over two sessions in Nashville, with Dylan backed by a loose ensemble of high-class musicians including keyboard players Al Kooper and guitarist Robbie Robertson.

And among the 14 songs are a number of era-defining classics: I Want You, Just Like A Woman, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, the stoner anthem Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 and the stunned post-apocalyptic love story that is closing track, Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands.

It also marked the end of an era, followed as it was by the near-fatal motorcycle accident that sent Dylan into semi-permanent exile. He survived, but the “wild mercury sound” didn’t.

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Other albums released in June 1966

• Soul Sister – Aretha Franklin
• Gettin’ Ready – The Temptations
• Freak Out! – The Mothers of Invention
• Red Rubber Ball – The Cyrkle
• Animalisms – The Animals
• The Incredible String Band – The Incredible String Band

What they said…

“Blonde On Blonde is an album of enormous depth, providing endless lyrical and musical revelations on each play. Leavening the edginess of Highway 61 with a sense of the absurd, Blonde On Blonde is comprised entirely of songs driven by inventive, surreal, and witty wordplay, not only on the rockers but also on winding, moving ballads like Visions Of Johanna, Just Like a Woman, and Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. (AllMusic)

“The combined presence of trusted hands like organist Al Kooper and Hawks guitarist Robbie Robertson with expert local session men including drummer Kenneth ­Buttrey and pianist Hargus “Pig” Robbins created an almost contradictory magnificence: a tightly wound tension around Dylan’s quicksilver language and incisive singing in barrelhouse surrealism.” (Rolling Stone)

“One point which both sceptics and believers can all agree on however is the extent to which Dylan is utterly at ease with himself here. Credit also, should go to the crew backing him up. And if their backing is at times a little hurried or patchy, the improvisatory nature of their trying to keep up with the man at the microphone is also a part of this album’s overall charm.” (BBC)

What you said…

Steve Pereira: This is “my” Dylan album. The first Dylan album I owned, and the first I really got into. I have loved it over the years, and I am reluctant to concede its number one spot in my heart to any other Dylan album, though Blood On The Tracks, Highway 61, and Freewheelin’ are all contenders these days. However, for many reasons, this is the best Dylan album.

It is the pinnacle of his first, most sustained, most important, and most significant creative period. After recording this (with some difficulty, until switching studios to Nashville, and mostly using Nashville session musicians plus a few trusted musicians such as Al Kooper and Robbie Robertson) Dylan went on the infamous 1966 tour where he was subjected to abuse from his audiences, particularly in the UK, the country where he had been most respected, and never again would he work and produce with such free and inspired creativity. He entered a long and lean period, notwithstanding the occasional charming release such as John Wesley Harding, until the brief creative surge in the mid-Seventies starting with Blood On The Tracks.

Sad Eyed Lady was my way into the album, and my way into Dylan. I was seduced by the haunting, hypnotic music, the melancholic and beautiful organ, the repeating, insistent, drum tapping, the sways and weaves, the little pauses and retreats, only to come back again, like a gentle tide on the sand. And I was enthralled by the lyrics. Nobody had written a love song like this before (or since). It was utterly audacious, stunningly intelligent, and literate. It came from the past – from the Romantic poets, from Rimbaud, from folk songs going all the way back to the Anglo-Saxon “Wulf and Eadwacer”; and it was of the very present – a trembling, heart felt offering, written in the Chelsea Hotel for his wife Sara; and it pointed to the future – a future in which writers would take seriously the writing of “pop” songs, rather than dashing off another simple boy loves girl rhyme during the 9 to 5 hours in the Brill Building. It’s not for nothing that Dylan received the Nobel Prize for Literature – the only songwriter to do so. The richness of the lyrics, like a tapestry of love and longing, was unique then, and is still unique now, despite many writers having taken up Dylan’s challenge, and paid more attention to themes, images, structure, literary influences, and sheer bravado with the language.

I was bowled over by the combination of the music, the lyrics, Dylan’s crooning voice, the confident, easy skill of the musicians, and the chemistry of the moment. Something that other serious musicians, like Neil Young, have paid attention to. Playing live in the moment in unison in connection with musicians that “get it”. They don’t have to be skilled, as Neil Young, and The Kingsmen, have proved. But it helps if they are. As the musicians on the album were – legendary Nashville session men. The most respected and admired session players in the business.

Blonde On Blonde was started in 1965. A stunning year for Dylan. He had recorded and released Highway 61 and Bringing It All Back Home that year. He was at the height of his creativity and confidence. He had moved from acoustic folk into electric folk-rock. He was the voice of a generation, and the true future of rock and roll. There is the pop and rock world before Dylan, and there is what comes after, totally inspired by him. At the top of his game, brimming so much with confidence and ideas that, even after creating two classic albums that year, he still has enough energy to make another – indeed, so much that it spills over into a double album of new and original songs. Something that had only been done once before, and that was Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Ballads back in 1940.

The individual songs on Blonde have become familiar classics in their own right, but it is the sprawling and timeless entirety of the album that impresses. That we get song after song after song which is bright, playful, cutting, inspired, funny, and reflective. It is a generous offering. Dylan’s voice so well matched to his songs. His singing, understated but powerful. It’s a voice that comes from you and me. Proud, cynical, questioning, mocking, delighted to be alive. It’s a masterly voice of timing and stress – matched only by Sinatra.

With all his confidence and creativity he produced the greatest album of the Sixties, one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time. From here he could go anywhere. But, unfortunately, he went on tour to the UK, and encountered such bitter hostility that he was never the same again. That moment in Manchester Trade Hall when an oik shouts out “Judas”, hit him hard. He reels back. He doesn’t know what to do. He shouts back “I don’t believe you”. But he knows that’s not enough. He comes back to the mic -”You’re a liar”. And he knows that’s not enough. So he turns to his band and says to them, defiantly, with the true spirit of rock, “Play it fucking loud!”, then launches into a blistering Like A Rolling Stone.

But he’s been hurt. And he will withdraw totally from touring, and largely from recording. And when he does start to come back, he is a lost force – as evidenced by the appalling Self Portrait album. That it’s almost ten years before he’s able to make another great album (Blood On The Tracks) shows how damaged he had been. Who knows what would have come after Blonde if the Brits had not been so shitty to him. Maybe nothing. Maybe he was exhausted anyway. After all, how many people can record eight sides of timeless classic songs in little over 12 months without feeling a little bit spent.

Anyway, of course, I am giving this 10. It is a unique album, bursting with intelligence, creativity, and shining musicianship, and it is a watershed in the history of music. There are not many albums as brilliant, as historic, and as influential as Blonde On Blonde.

Dale Munday: The third album of an almighty groundbreaking trilogy. Dylan was so prolific at this time, which also found him at the top of his game.

Chris Elliott: For a long time I had a Greatest Hits album and thought that was more than enough. As I got older I slowly discovered Dylan via the sales. In reality it wasn’t until I reached 50 I really got Dylan.

Between 63 and 69 there isn’t a bad album and his reputation was built – this one took the longest to really appreciate. For a long time I thought it was a self-indulgent poor cousin to Highway 61 – and to a degree I still do – the difference being I realised there’s a truly great album in there as well. The first signs of believing his own myth are creeping in – lose 10 minutes and there’s a magnificent album.

This improves with each listen.

Greg Schwepe: For the longest time my perception of Bob Dylan was formed by the most unlikely sources. Every documentary I saw about the “turbulent 60’s” and all that was going on at the time in the U.S. included some clip of Dylan playing, or one of his songs in the background while you saw a scene of a helicopter taking off in Viet Nam. And if not that, it was some goofy morning DJ bit or some comedian with their imitation of Dylan. Probably the one I remember most on the radio was a “commercial” for a fictional Bob Dylan Unplugged album. You heard a nasally out-of-tune “Dylan” singing, then a bit of a ruckus and the sound of a mic being unplugged, and then him singing again; but now you could barely hear him. Get it? I got that joke, but never really “got” Bob Dylan at that point.

Then came the Traveling Wilburys, and while I bought the album mainly for George, Tom, and Jeff, turns out I really liked the Bob Dylan songs way more than I thought I would. Like, a lot. So finally took a deep dive a few years ago to really check out Bob Dylan. And found out that there’s way more to him than what I’d thought. “What? This guy with the nasal voice is supposed to be this great lyricist and voice of a generation?” Turns out, yeah, he is!

In listening to Blond On Blonde again for this week’s review I again realized what I found out during my Dylan deep dive a few years ago. There’s a lot more to like than dislike. If you really give the guy a chance and don’t let your Dylan stereotypes get in the way, he has a lot to offer.

A big part of the Dylan style is acoustic guitar and harmonica. And while I like harmonica (but more in a J. Geils Band or Huey Lewis & The News vein), the songs I liked the best on the album seemed to have less harmonica. I seem to have the same ‘harmonica meter’ in my head just like my ‘pedal steel meter.’ I reach a point where it gets a bit too much for my tastes. Good thing is that Blonde On Blonde contains enough songs that don’t trip that meter.

While I enjoy memorable lyrics and like how writers can express something, I’ve never been one to really sit down and try to exactly determine the mindset of the writer. “Why did they write this? How were they feeling? What emotions are they trying to convey? What are they really trying to tell me?” Don’t care! If it’s something clever that sticks in my head, that’s enough for me and that’s what Dylan does here.

Favourite tracks on this one are Visions of Johanna, Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands, Absolutely Sweet Marie, Temporary Like Achilles and One Of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later). And I’m thoroughly convinced that radio stations around me played Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 just so listeners could giggle while hearing “…everybody must get stoned…”

I listened to Blonde On Blonde about three times before writing this review, and each time I grew to like it a little more. Each time more stuck with me and maybe my harmonica meter didn’t get triggered as much. But overall, I’ve found I was more of a fan of his 70’s output more than the 60’s stuff. A lot of the “folkie stuff” from the 60’s not as appealing. 7 out of 10 for me on this one.

Jim Carson: Blonde On Blonde is a monumental achievement, showcasing Bob Dylan’s unparalleled lyrical brilliance and groundbreaking sonic innovation. It captures the essence of Dylan’s creative zenith and redefined the boundaries of rock, folk, and blues with seamless finesse.

Tracks like Visions Of Johanna,” with its haunting imagery, and the epic Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands, an ode brimming with emotion, epitomize Dylan’s mastery of intricate wordplay and vivid storytelling. The album’s eclectic soundscape and enigmatic lyrics invite listeners into a world where poetry and music intertwine effortlessly.

Blonde On Blonde has earned its place as a timeless masterpiece, leaving an indelible mark on generations of musicians and fans. Whether you’re a devoted Dylan aficionado or discovering his work for the first time, this album is an essential journey into the heart of his innovation and expression. Oh, and it was done in 1966!

Philip Qvist: I’m not a huge fan of Bob Dylan. A great songwriter but not a great singer in my opinion, so I was initially going to give this week a miss. Needless to say though, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to give it a listen.

While it doesn’t alter my view of the artist’s singing or that he plays too far much harmonica for my liking, I liked large parts of Blonde On Blonde. I was also quite familiar with many songs on the album; such as Rainy Day Women, I Want You, Just Like a Woman and One Of Us Must Know.

Visions Of Johanna and Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat are probably my favourite tracks on the record, while the album finishes on a high with Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands. The lyrics are quirky, as are some of the song titles – and with musicians such as Joe South, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Al Kooper and Kenneth Buttrey around, you can’t go wrong with the backing music.

I get why so many people have rated this album so highly, and I expect many will give this one a 9 or a 10 this week. Having said all of that, I will put this one down as a pleasant surprise and award a 7, mainly due to the songwriting and musicianship

Mike Fildes: Up there with Exile On Main Street and the White Album as the best double album of all time, flawless.

Wesley Winegarden: Blonde On Blonde is easily a 10/10 album which is amazing considering it doesn’t have any of Dylan’s best songs and isn’t even his best album. It’s unfair how good of a musical craftsman Bob Dylan is.

Mike Canoe: Bob Dylan has reached the point in his career and life where he is more myth than legend. His music has been reinterpreted by hundreds of artists in hundreds of genres. As we used to say in the news biz, the recent Dylan biopic provides a “news peg” to actually appraise Dylan doing Dylan. And as some t-shirt slogan somewhere reads, “Go big or go home.”

So the double album Blonde On Blonde seems a logical choice. It’s namechecked as the first double album of the rock era as well as the first rock album to devote a full side of vinyl to one song, the gentle and elegiac Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands, clocking in to modern ears at a suspiciously short 11:23. But at this point in his career, it seems that what Dylan wanted, Dylan got.

The truth is that Blonde On Blonde doesn’t have as many hits as I thought it did. A big part of that is because I’ve gotten used to Dylan song titles often having no relationship to the actual song – see below. Side three is a mystery to me although Absolutely Sweet Marie and Obviously Five Believers stand out for me on repeated listens, as does Visions of Johanna from side one.

The album does contain five bona fide classics, starting with opener, Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 aka the lurching, ramshackle “Everybody must get stoned.” Part of the album’s charm is that the musicians do sound stoned – but still intuitively connected. I Want You indicates Dylan could write brilliant pop songs at will and Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat has him out-Stonesing the Rolling Stones. Side two closes with the musically sweet, lyrically misogynistic ballad, Just Like a Woman.

But the ultimate reason I chose Blonde On Blonde out of a discography of forty studio albums is the second song on side two, Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again. While it generally doesn’t break into the top 40 when publications rank Dylan songs, I think it’s his best and most definitive song and encompasses everything I love about Dylan. It has the rambling storytelling full of metaphors and allusions sung in a weary and bemused rasp and backed by a band that, as mentioned above, can miraculously sound tight and shambolic at the same time. The lyrics convey a feeling of finding one’s self, literally and figuratively, like they are in the wrong place at the wrong time – most of the time. It could be a metaphor for my twenties. Heck, I feel that way sometimes now.

While there are arguably more easily digestible Dylan albums, none make me feel the way Blonde On Blonde does.

Andrew Cumming: One of the best and most iconic rock albums of all time. Just classic after classic. Rainy Day, Johanna, Stuck Inside of Mobile, Leopard Skin, Just Like A Woman etc etc. One of those albums that’s almost a Greatest Hits in its own right. Classic.

Final score: 7.42 (52 votes cast, total score 386)

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