Dylan was so done at this point that he had to bring in Jacques Levy to help with the lyrics. And the lyrics were atrocious - and not just "bad for Dylan", these were the kind of cheap rhymes Uriah Heep would've rejected. Plus this turdpile has Scarlet Rivera's gotdamn gypsy violin "stylings" ALL OVER it, rendering it annoying as well as inferior. I had a girlfriend in highschool who loved this album, which subsequently became my introduction to the concept of the grudgefuck.

Desire is pretty mediocre. I also like Durango and think Sara is quite beautiful. Most of these songs were much better in live versions though.

Rads' bile is thinning.

Yeah, I bought Hard Rain when it came out, but that was the absolute, final, grinding, screeching stop to my willingness to lay out any money for anything Dylan. From this point on bile is replaced with disinterest.

Disinterest is one thing (and completely understandable, hey everybody's got opinions) but to say that "Dylan was done" is another weak generalization completely laid to waste by the Rolling Thunder Revue.

Like it or not, the Revue was at least a relevant reinterpretation of his work.

The nearly 16 min punch of Hurricane/Isis has always been tough, but by Mozambique/One More Cup, I'm all in and ready for the rest. But then it's Oh Sister/Joey and I'm done and usually can't make it through his Marty Robbins impression. Too bad, because I really like his voice at this point, it's like he's finally grown into that old man croak he had back in '62.

I suspect I'll be in a small majority on this one, but I've always really liked this album. There's a broad range of diverse emotions being displayed in these songs- from as snarly and sour as he ever got to questioning relationships to symbolic rebirth. In my opinion, the review's thematic complaint regarding disjointed lyrical content on some of the songs could be applied just as easily to a shitload of other Bob Dylan albums- how often did he really make things straightforward and simple? While a tidal wave of disco was washing over the world, Dylan wasn't having any part of it. And there's not a single song on it that comes anywhere near to being the turd that Buckets Of Shit is on BOTT.

For my money, the definitive version of "Changing of the Guards" has always been by Frank Black & The Catholics



Having always been a big fan of Live at Budokan, I've never really minded the sound/arrangements on this one and it's actually sounding pretty damn good this morning.

Plus "Senor" is a flat out fucking awesome song: Great lyrics, great arrangement, great performance.

An uneven work, unappreciated because of the dated production (and no Disco for Dylan? Jokerman is coming, right?). This Dylan delves deep into his Cassandra role, but now the born-again Jew is more bilblical in his apocalyptic whining.... the is the subset of the two spheres of anti-social revolutionary black flag punk and the critical old evangelical Jesus freak. His faith confirms his angry depression. He'd just as soon have that fucking rapture he believes in get here pronto. Dylan is stepping into his mid-life crisis with bad style.

Most of the songs are much better live in other decades and usually by other bands (the Willie Nelson/Calexico version of Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power) is the definitive verson of that song).

We Better Talk This Over
This situation can only get rougher
Why should we needlessly suffer?
Let’s call it a day, go our own different ways
Before we decay


Señor is one of my favorite Dylan songs... in keeping with the woe-tracking sadness and righteous depression of this Dylan and the hypersensitive disillusioned dreamer hiding in all smart people:

Señor, señor, let’s disconnect these cables
Overturn these tables*
This place don’t make sense to me no more
Can you tell me what we’re waiting for, señor?

*Jesus overturning the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple.

Maybe it's a case of low expectations, but this isn't the horrorshow I've been led to believe. The massed backing vocals are hard to take, the songs aren't particularly memorable, but it doesn't make me openly scoff either. Funny that jebus was just around the corner from this one.

I've always hated the backing vocals. I have a feeling I'm going to wake up in a cold sweat later on tonight with "HOW MUCH? HOW MUCH LONGER? HOW MUCH? HOW MUCH LONGER?" And if that happens I'm gonna be in a fucking bad mood for his stupid Jesus record.

In caese you didn't notice, Jesus has been running through the last several works...

Oh it's been duly noted. But there's a difference between biblical references and out-and-out born again fundamentalism. At least, I think there is.

Yeah, he may have been running through the last few records but in the next couple he sets up camp on the couch and starts eating with his hands out of the fridge.

Yes, of course I noticed I'm not deaf, but a few Christy lyrics here and there are a lot fucking different than 'When He Returns'. You can give me that at least.

I like that version a lot (and another i've got of just Calexico from 12-02-06) but this one will always be plenty definitive for me, closely followed by the Garcia Band's version from this album where John Kahn puts on a clinic and Jerry almost perfectly sells the vocal.

Two more notes from this one on this last two songs...

"We Better Talk This Over" is so f-ing godawful, I can only imagine Bob trying to write something in what he imagines to be the style of JJ Cale in the hope that Eric Clapton will cover it and bring in a new revenue stream. Terrible.

"Where Are You Tonight", on the other hand, is really good. It's fairly close to a style of production that I despise but doesn't cross the line into Glossy Sheen Land. I could see Van the Man circa this same era (with Dr. John) ripping this song a new one.

For Garcia's vocal on that alone I can forgive Jerry everything...

He only misses really letting go on the "This place don't make sense to me no more" line. Otherwise, it's great.

For me it was often his "misses" that are his charm.. the fat addicted loser. But that's for that other thread I avoided. Toxic relationship w/Dead (seeing them on Saturday golden gate park).

I'll be interested to hear a report--I've purposely avoided all the post-Jerry projects but this latest one seems to have more promise than the others.

I do like 'Gotta Serve Somebody'.

I like the groove on that song, but this album's the start of another VERY hard-to-swallow run.

I kind of wish he had been inspired by HP Lovecraft instead of the Bible. It would have made from some interesting lyrical avenues and made the album much more palatable.

I'm a day behind - agree with everything Bloor and Harry said about Senor. Just a fucking great song.

I actually really like the way the back up singers and the horns work on "Changing of the Guard" but "New Pony" makes me want to kill myself.

Not sure I've ever listened to this all the way through, so I'll re-post final thoughts after a full run through this morning.