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

Found it hard to be inspired by this week's choice and like last week's Black Sabbath there were preconceptions of a sort in play. Although having said that I don't think I'm totally country phobic but (and I have said this before) I don't know where the line between country and Americana is. Somene did put a useful definition of that for me once before but I've forgotten it.

I edge into country with Neil Young, more recent stuff like the Rose City Band and Israel Nash but they are a world of difference away from this. I did try delegating out the responsibility to my country loving son who when I mentioned the name to him said "oh is that the guy who did the original of Copperhead Road?". He hasn't reported back to me on any further lstening though.

I gace it a few listens but I'm afraid they weren't particularly engaged listens. Nothing particularly bad about it but to me it is what it is which is country and I find myself sympathising with BomboBob's post up.But I can't be as harsh with my scoring. Not quite. Sorry only a 5
 
BimboBob said:
I've given it the three listens but as I've said before, this is very much in the traditional country style and as such is very formulaic. Guitars twang, Mr Earle moans about his lot and the whole thing tumbleweeds itself into mediocrity.
It's got lonely man at bar, sipping from a bud lite, whilst the slightly interested barmaid asks 'what's up hun' hoping to get a cut down version of his life story and a lift home later.
This record is so steeped in its own history that it could be from any previous decade. There's no invention. No get up and go. Just plodding along country music. Generic.

My trouble is I like a pick up truck. I've owned a Dodge Ram. I like a rimmed hat. In my head I like to tip it and say 'little lady' at passers-by. I like a few country based acts. I like a well crafted sob story told through the voice of the protagonist.

But this album is just dull. It's standard, plod along country and will be scored as such.

3/10
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Jeez that ‘rimmed hat’ comment took a couple of re reads to not sound very very bad!!
 
Mancitydoogle said:
The reasons I chose this album was twofold.One because it’s personal to me and secondly because I wanted to nominate a country album.I was actually going to go for something even more country!
Although I knew there were a few SE fans on this thread I was really interested in the response from the country haters especially Bimbo and Coats.It would have been much easier to nominate CR if I was looking for a higher score although I don’t see CR as a full country album.
However those new to SE didbt appear to be that enamoured with that either.
The irony is when this album was first released there was a backlash from mainstream Nashville as this was considered too rocky, after all nobody’s dog died,it’s not an easier album to line dance to, not that I do! and at the time SE didn’t wear hats.

Anways thanks for listening Y’all.
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I don't hate country. That's a massively sweeping statement. I just struggle with a lot of it as it's very samey and formulaic.
 
Mancitydoogle said:
The reasons I chose this album was twofold.One because it’s personal to me and secondly because I wanted to nominate a country album.I was actually going to go for something even more country!
Although I knew there were a few SE fans on this thread I was really interested in the response from the country haters especially Bimbo and Coats.It would have been much easier to nominate CR if I was looking for a higher score although I don’t see CR as a full country album.
However those new to SE didbt appear to be that enamoured with that either.
The irony is when this album was first released there was a backlash from mainstream Nashville as this was considered too rocky, after all nobody’s dog died,it’s not an easier album to line dance to, not that I do! and at the time SE didn’t wear hats.

Anways thanks for listening Y’all.
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It was a brave choice.

I think the issue here is that there's a "heard it all before" comments, but like you say, this was something different in 1986. It's easy to look back on any older music and say there's not much that's different about it. Jimi Hendrix probably doesn't sound particularly special when you listened to 30, 40 or 50 years of guitar-based rock music, but back in the late 60s, I'll bet it was revelatory.
 
RobMCFC said:
It was a brave choice.

I think the issue here is that there's a "heard it all before" comments, but like you say, this was something different in 1986. It's easy to look back on any older music and say there's not much that's different about it. Jimi Hendrix probably doesn't sound particularly special when you listened to 30, 40 or 50 years of guitar-based rock music, but back in the late 60s, I'll bet it was revelatory.
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Correct.

recent Black Sabbath nomination also. i always try to take that into context.
 
RobMCFC said:
It was a brave choice.

I think the issue here is that there's a "heard it all before" comments, but like you say, this was something different in 1986. It's easy to look back on any older music and say there's not much that's different about it. Jimi Hendrix probably doesn't sound particularly special when you listened to 30, 40 or 50 years of guitar-based rock music, but back in the late 60s, I'll bet it was revelatory.
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The issue for me (and [some] others here?) is that we don't know how different this was than other country at the time, because that's not something I/we? have a reference point for.

Whereas for Jimi, we all can hear that guitar and know this is something we've not heard played like that before. There then becomes a line in the sand on when that was first heard. Same to a degree with Sabbath and Zep and loads of others in rock that when the sound comes out, we know it's breaking new ground.

I didn't and maybe still don't have a reference point for how different this album was in the country space. I know from the YT videos on how Earle wasn't accepted into the country family per se given his sound wasn't "traditional country", but its hard for me to have the realization why without listening to all those other bands and albums, and that my friends, simply isn't going to be happening.
 
It seems that country is not that popular in this neck of the woods. Steve Earle's Guitar Town was enjoyed by a few of us, but not by the majority: 14 votes at an average of 5.39. Thanks to @Mancitydoogle for a brave nomination.

OK, @threespires, if you're still in reach of a transmitter, away you go.
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
The issue for me (and [some] others here?) is that we don't know how different this was than other country at the time, because that's not something I/we? have a reference point for.

Whereas for Jimi, we all can hear that guitar and know this is something we've not heard played like that before. There then becomes a line in the sand on when that was first heard. Same to a degree with Sabbath and Zep and loads of others in rock that when the sound comes out, we know it's breaking new ground.

I didn't and maybe still don't have a reference point for how different this album was in the country space. I know from the YT videos on how Earle wasn't accepted into the country family per se given his sound wasn't "traditional country", but its hard for me to have the realization why without listening to all those other bands and albums, and that my friends, simply isn't going to be happening.
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Yeah, it's a fair point. There's some stuff on here that I don't care for and won't be putting the effort in to understand the context.
 
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