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

[Coatigan]

Excess is probably the wrong word, I used it to indicate lack of restraint but that probably doesn't help either! I suppose I'm saying it's not trying to dial in up to 11 (or even 10) in any particular aspect. I think it's quite a restrained record, almost polite, and whilst that would normally be considered an insult, it isn't meant to be in this case.

No real reason for Future specifically was simply the next one that was offered up. Am watching the lockdown recording session but might have a listen to the studio recordings at some point; think you might be being a bit overly harsh on the other tracks but then have only listened to it once.

I am a sucker for subtlety, that much is true.

Maybe harsh, on my part in futures. Maybe that my expectations after Clarity and Bleed American were high, and the novelty wearing off. It is a good album, I just feel it is carried by a handful of songs. But then this one has no such 'stand-out' handful, so maybe the strength of those songs works against the rest.

 

[bennyboy]

A weird album for me.Nothing good and nothing bad bar the singers voice.
Might sound daft but a unique album in this sense.
Going for a 5 a point off due to the singers voice.

 

[GornikDaze]

A weird album for me.Nothing good and nothing bad bar the singers voice.
Might sound daft but a unique album in this sense.
Going for a 5 a point off due to the singers voice.

I guess the Biff similarities didn’t help! ;)

 

[bennyboy]

I guess the Biff similarities didn’t help! ;)

A far higher mark than that mob.lol

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

After a few listens, I got a bit of Biffy Clyro here too, which was a band I knew nothing about but enjoyed some songs of when I first encountered them here. Similarly, I hear enough hooks and clean production but kind of wonder what the point is as the vocalist emotes but doesn’t really say much whereas I found the best BC stuff moved me to think a little.

The opener is pleasant enough if a trifle dull, but Lucky Denver Mint, whatever this means, has a kick in the ass (arse) backbeat that I enjoyed (splashy high hats and snappy snare fills are my thing). Reading about the cryptic title I found out it’s about a coin (uh, okay) but also KROQ in LA broke it big. A quick diversion to my time in LA in the early 90s where radio was still a thing and KROQ was pretty much where I heard just about everything I liked.

The next two are solid enough power pop filler but I am starting to notice a pattern of kind of banal lyrics and guitar that’s holding things together. Then comes A Sunday — hmmm, well God rested on Sunday and maybe Jimmy Eat World should have too. Not my favo(u)rite. Crush steals Sum 41’s guitar but isn’t as funny lyrically (what does “Simple discourse keeps you clean” mean? Cuz the singer seems to think this important).

But then comes 12.23.95 (you Brits must be irritated by this very American title), which is a change of pace that I actually found really interesting. Odd guitar effects, a Xmas song, heartfelt feelings expressed simply — cool. Ten I found similarly off-kilter, but not as interesting. I hear the guitar crunch disappearing for a bit but it comes back on Blister (“the West Coast has been traumatized” — I’m not sure by what, but he’s probably right — perhaps he was anticipating the rise of Donald Trump) — more my speed, this one. As is Clarity, which brings back the hooky, crunchy wall of noise (despite a lame and unnecessary guitar solo). The closer sounds like Yes — I CANNOT be the only one who hears this — and is therefore a bit of all right to finish.

All this seems a bit of a music class exercise and I wish the lyricist thought a little more before committing words to paper. But there’s enough here that I’d pick 3-4 to listen to again, despite the nagging flaws, so I’ll go 6/10. Not bad at all.

 

[Coatigan]

After a few listens, I got a bit of Biffy Clyro here too, which was a band I knew nothing about but enjoyed some songs of when I first encountered them here. Similarly, I hear enough hooks and clean production but kind of wonder what the point is as the vocalist emotes but doesn’t really say much whereas I found the best BC stuff moved me to think a little.

The opener is pleasant enough if a trifle dull, but Lucky Denver Mint, whatever this means, has a kick in the ass (arse) backbeat that I enjoyed (splashy high hats and snappy snare fills are my thing). Reading about the cryptic title I found out it’s about a coin (uh, okay) but also KROQ in LA broke it big. A quick diversion to my time in LA in the early 90s where radio was still a thing and KROQ was pretty much where I heard just about everything I liked.

The next two are solid enough power pop filler but I am starting to notice a pattern of kind of banal lyrics and guitar that’s holding things together. Then comes A Sunday — hmmm, well God rested on Sunday and maybe Jimmy Eat World should have too. Not my favo(u)rite. Crush steals Sum 41’s guitar but isn’t as funny lyrically (what does “Simple discourse keeps you clean” mean? Cuz the singer seems to think this important).

But then comes 12.23.95 (you Brits must be irritated by this very American title), which is a change of pace that I actually found really interesting. Odd guitar effects, a Xmas song, heartfelt feelings expressed simply — cool. Ten I found similarly off-kilter, but not as interesting. I hear the guitar crunch disappearing for a bit but it comes back on Blister (“the West Coast has been traumatized” — I’m not sure by what, but he’s probably right — perhaps he was anticipating the rise of Donald Trump) — more my speed, this one. As is Clarity, which brings back the hooky, crunchy wall of noise (despite a lame and unnecessary guitar solo). The closer sounds like Yes — I CANNOT be the only one who hears this — and is therefore a bit of all right to finish.

All this seems a bit of a music class exercise and I wish the lyricist thought a little more before committing words to paper. But there’s enough here that I’d pick 3-4 to listen to again, despite the nagging flaws, so I’ll go 6/10. Not bad at all.

An interesting read that I can see pretty much all of. Apart from stealing sum41 which it predates by at least two years. The rest, yeah totally fair and I like the observations. Incidentally the christmas song is for me the only one on the album I'm not that keen on, found your take on it intriguing.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

An interesting read that I can see pretty much all of. Apart from stealing sum41 which it predates by at least two years. The rest, yeah totally fair and I like the observations. Incidentally the christmas song is for me the only one on the album I'm not that keen on, found your take on it intriguing.

Yeah, I didn't mean they copied them, and I wasn't sure which came first, but I could have chosen a number of bands with not dissimilar sounds (Lit, Offspring e.g.) -- not stealing, just similar.

I don't know why that Xmas song was so interesting; would be curious how they created those (guitar?) loops.

 

[threespires]

I am a sucker for subtlety, that much is true.

Hang on, I never said it was subtle ;-)

It's been a fun pick for me cause I haven't quite found the right (positive) adjective to describe it. Albeit very different I had a similar issue with Rocks. I might give up on trying and join the 'shite' 1/ 'genius' 10 school of reviewing.

 

[threespires]

I don't know why that Xmas song was so interesting; would be curious how they created those (guitar?) loops.

I was going to be fatuous and say is the song about being excited that in two days time Santa is going to bring another delay pedal :-) Like you I quite liked the song and it does seem popular with their fans other than the bah humbug Scottish ones.

I've decided the best way of describing this album for me is "the acceptable face of emo".

 

[BimboBob]

Hmmmm...

3 listens in now and I'm still of the opinion that this is really not my bag.

It's the music to the tv series 'Friends'. Which I fucking hate. Badly acted, scripted by hundreds and quite bland. Oh my God...see how one of them suddenly 'smokes'. The horror of it all.

It's the music to the 'Friends' generation. The girls who had a certain haircut, the girls who thought the nasally tall one who voices a giraffe was 'sensitive' and the boys who thought that the two daft lads in it were funny. See how they move in together. Watch how they use facial expressions to convey a complete lack of acting talent. Stare in awe at how 4 such gormless individuals can afford to live in central Manhattan.

Now gasp at how their acting careers plummeted after the show finished. And the winner of the best actor goes to...none of them. Obviously.

Oh yes...the album.

Although not dull, nothing really happens. The blokes voice is probably the most inoffensive voice in the history of music. And yet annoying in a lot of places. And also very samey. It sounds like he's moaning about everything.

The music washed over me, pleasant enough in the background but I don't listen to music that way...I want it to jump out at me, a loud chorus here, a guitar solo there. This does nothing like that. Ever. It's full of whiney vocals and same old same old guitar work.

Any positives? All very talented musicians. I like the drumming on a few songs. The guitar on Your New Aesthetic is not bad. Believe In What You Want has a very strong start...hmmm...very recognisable...and then the whole song drops a level when the inoffensive singing starts. Goodbye Sky Harbour. Jam session filler alert.

I'd have loved to have my ears suddenly pricked up by something when it was blaring around the house yesterday but apart from the Believe In What You Want/No One Knows start nothing else did.

It's nothing to get all riled up about but the whole album just drones on and on and on and on and...you get the picture.

Bit like this review.

4/10