The Album Review Club - Week #147 - (page 1942) - Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan

Whatever else I ultimately will or won't say about this nomination, the production is bang on for me. There's just about enough of it to make sure it all comes through without stripping it of any of it's source energy. Compared to some of the imo over production we've heard on recent stuff it's properly good. I'll wait till I've listened a couple more times before reading a bit more about it but though I'm no expert on rock, to me this is how a rock band should be recorded and in that sense it's timeless.

I know @OB1 mentioned this is one of the things that's good about it, couldn't agree more.
 
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threespires said:
Whatever else I ultimately will or won't say about this nomination, the production is bang on for me. There's just about enough of it to make sure it all comes through without stripping it of any of it's source energy. Compared to some of the imo over production we've heard on recent stuff it's properly good. I'll wait till I've listened a couple more times before reading a bit more about it but though I'm no expert on rock, to me this is how a rock band should be recorded and in that sense it's timeless.

I know @OB1 mentioned this is one of the things that's good about it, couldn't agree more.
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The production is very good indeed. And the length is spot on too, of both the album and its individual songs. Similar to J.J Cale (I said as much then too), enough to keep interested and wanting more. Feel a bit of a hypocrite after not particularly enjoying the stones album (while appreciating it), but I love this so far.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
More when I write this up, but this is no “Toys In The Attic.”
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I listened to Toys In The Attic earlier today. I'm going to make a, possibly entirely wrong, assumption that you think it's stronger in terms of the song writing and things like the hooks etc. If so I can completely get why someone would feel like that and it's my understanding that this album suffered in comparison to TITA when it was first released. However putting aside relative song quality I really like the overall sound of this album. It's just got an energy that is very appealing.

Comparing the two albums it struck me that if you weren't told, you might assume that Rocks is earlier in their development than TITA which sounds more polished and mature in some ways. But that's what I'm really beginning to like about this album.

It's often the case that early in a bands career what they lack in finesse they make up for in raw energy and excitement and then they transition to a more masterful sound and maturity but in doing that they inevitably lose some part of the goodness of being new and raw. But this album strikes me as a band who have pulled off that trick of having a moment in time where they have the best of both worlds, they are experienced enough to entirely know what they are doing but not at the expense of the excitement and rawness and energy you get from a new band.

At one level this album might seem like a regression but in terms of 'feel' and sonics I think this is getting close to a lightning in a bottle moment and they've done something that a vanishingly small number of bands manage to do.
 
threespires said:
I listened to Toys In The Attic earlier today. I'm going to make a, possibly entirely wrong, assumption that you think it's stronger in terms of the song writing and things like the hooks etc. If so I can completely get why someone would feel like that and it's my understanding that this album suffered in comparison to TITA when it was first released. However putting aside relative song quality I really like the overall sound of this album. It's just got an energy that is very appealing.

Comparing the two albums it struck me that if you weren't told, you might assume that Rocks is earlier in their development than TITA which sounds more polished and mature in some ways. But that's what I'm really beginning to like about this album.

It's often the case that early in a bands career what they lack in finesse they make up for in raw energy and excitement and then they transition to a more masterful sound and maturity but in doing that they inevitably lose some part of the goodness of being new and raw. But this album strikes me as a band who have pulled off that trick of having a moment in time where they have the best of both worlds, they are experienced enough to entirely know what they are doing but not at the expense of the excitement and rawness and energy you get from a new band.

At one level this album might seem like a regression but in terms of 'feel' and sonics I think this is getting close to a lightning in a bottle moment and they've done something that a vanishingly small number of bands manage to do.
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You have nailed it there.

“Toys” does have a more polished sound and 2 or 3 tracks that are outstanding in a way that is not mirrored on “Rocks”.

I should probably give “Toys” a spin before saying too much as I’ve not listened to the whole thing for ages; that is not the case for its stand out songs. “Sweet Emotion” is a playlist staple for example.

I prefer “Rocks” as an album. I think the song quality is more consistent but it is the sound that makes such a difference. The band wrote and then recorded most of the album, using a mobile, at their rehearsal facility The Wherehouse. It gave the music and performances their cohesiveness, and they managed to pull off the trick sounding live and raw whilst being produced in a sophisticated way.
 
Just googled the artist for the Polestar car advert as I recognised the song - female vocalist Sarah Klang with a cover of ‘Dream On’ by Aerosmith- great song that and sounds different to most of their other catalogue especially Tyler’s vocals on that track.
 
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