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

[Bill Walker]

Don't find the music very interesting or adventurous but I'm guessing the overall point is the lyrics. These are kind of EMOtional and agree with Fog about the (what seem a bit pointless to me) screaming.
It's not really my kind of music, nothing I would listen too again. I imagine a lot of young women would succumb to this emotional heart rending lyrical pain but you won't see many FOC's in his audience.
I was just listening to Leave, in it's quieter moments it was quite nice, and reminded me of Cat Stevens on his acoustic songs, but then he got all worked up and started screaming again.
Falling Slowly I quite liked but he keeps reminding me of Cat Stevens. I cant get away from it....but I think Cat's songs have more depth and he is a better singer....I could well imagine this on the album. :) 5/10

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Fair enough. I've read a few say after one listen won't go back etc, so was just wondering. The alcy is a good touch.

I won't write if I can't listen to the whole thing almost always twice, with time to go back to the bits I like and dislike most at least a few times. I had a work-imposed hiatus for a month or so and actually was listening to the Maccabees record a bit today (holiday in the US) cuz I missed it a bit ago.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Don't find the music very interesting or adventurous but I'm guessing the overall point is the lyrics. These are kind of EMOtional and agree with Fog about the (what seem a bit pointless to me) screaming.
It's not really my kind of music, nothing I would listen too again. I imagine a lot of young women would succumb to this emotional heart rending lyrical pain but you won't see many FOC's in his audience.
I was just listening to Leave, in it's quieter moments it was quite nice, and reminded me of Cat Stevens on his acoustic songs, but then he got all worked up and started screaming again.
Falling Slowly I quite liked but he keeps reminding me of Cat Stevens. I cant get away from it....but I think Cat's songs have more depth and he is a better singer....I could well imagine this on the album. :) 5/10

Cat Stevens is my kind of background music on a Sunday morning, or was, since I don't play him much anymore. Our teen guitar trio used to sing "Morning Is Broken" and "Sing Out" in my church as a kid (not me, I was a boy -- it was mid-70s San Francisco -- hippy teenage Catholic girls with acoustic guitars). I always liked "Wild World" best.

 

[journolud]

Liked half the songs but none are great.
Some terrible stuff as well.
Nothing special vocal wise and as the album went on the more interest I lost.
The Spotify version had 2 Van Morrisons songs on at the end - And the Healing Has Become and Into the Mystic.Nothing came close to them on this record.5/10

To be fair not much comes close to Van when he’s in the sort of form he is on those tracks.

Pedants corner- it’s And the Healing has Begun…

 

[RobMCFC]

Out of interest, how many times did you listen to it? And did you listen to the songs (note not the album) in full?

I know everyone has things that make them tick and tick them off. What I have found surprising on here, is how often people completely miss the point though. I'm saying this as a response to you but it is an accummulated thought, yours just happens to be the latest. Looking for 'excitement', in an album based around various life struggles, looking for 'grit' in a melodic mood album, looking for sorrow in a happy electro-pop thing, or 'character (undefined)' with no actual meaning, comparing artists like cohen or gallagher to bands erc etc. Quite often feels like there is a preconceived expectation and if it isn't met, albums are judged on that.

I have had my own gripes with some that do nothing for me, or have large chunks that do nothing for me. Not afraid to say that. I do feel giving every one a chance, in different settings, moods or split into chunks when I found them tedious helps. Maybe this is one if those, that needs it.

You are right, there is filler. The film doesn't play all aongs in full, some.are just cut elements, sonthe album suffers for it in sheer number. There is OTT shouting, he has a typenof voice, she has another. A lot of the songs aren't actually new for the album or film either, they are reworked from previous albums with his band. But there are some relly good and well developed songs imo. I hadn't listened to it in years, gave it one whirl, and have had a few stuck in my head the last couple of days, so there is strength there. I may have joined after your nomination, but I'm really curious to see what your thing is now.

I wouldn't look for excitement in an album of songs about life's struggles, but as a musician, you've got to at least make it interesting. This album may be interesting for some - there's definitely an audience for this kind of music - but it's not me.

Ultimately whenever we listen to music, at a basic level we either like it or we don't. But that's not very interesting from a discussion perspective, so I like to say why I like or don't like something and if I don't like it, give examples of what could be different to make me like it.

Most of the Once soundtrack is a guy down on his luck and taking to his acoustic guitar and moaning about it. Fair enough, this has been the basis of a lot of music for many years. But, to quote one example, Bob Dylan did it far better on Blood On The Tracks - similar subject but the difference is performance is startling.

 

[mancity1]

Don't find the music very interesting or adventurous but I'm guessing the overall point is the lyrics. These are kind of EMOtional and agree with Fog about the (what seem a bit pointless to me) screaming.
It's not really my kind of music, nothing I would listen too again. I imagine a lot of young women would succumb to this emotional heart rending lyrical pain but you won't see many FOC's in his audience.
I was just listening to Leave, in it's quieter moments it was quite nice, and reminded me of Cat Stevens on his acoustic songs, but then he got all worked up and started screaming again.
Falling Slowly I quite liked but he keeps reminding me of Cat Stevens. I cant get away from it....but I think Cat's songs have more depth and he is a better singer....I could well imagine this on the album. :) 5/10

I thought as much as well but this album cannot compare IMO with Cat Stevens particularly when he had the likes of Alun Davies and Jeremy Taylor while he was on his Fender Rhodes or playing acoustic guitar himself.

 

[Coatigan]

And while I'm venting. There isn't a term I detest more to describe music, than, 'nice background music'. Man I find that so insulting, give me Bimbo's review over that any day.

Right that's me got it all off my chest now , thanks for listening. 2/10.

 

[Bill Walker]

I thought as much as well but this album cannot compare IMO with Cat Stevens particularly when he had the likes of Alun Davies and Jeremy Taylor while he was on his Fender Rhodes or playing acoustic guitar himself.

Yes
I agree

 

[Saddleworth2]

I wouldn't look for excitement in an album of songs about life's struggles, but as a musician, you've got to at least make it interesting. This album may be interesting for some - there's definitely an audience for this kind of music - but it's not me.

Ultimately whenever we listen to music, at a basic level we either like it or we don't. But that's not very interesting from a discussion perspective, so I like to say why I like or don't like something and if I don't like it, give examples of what could be different to make me like it.

Most of the Once soundtrack is a guy down on his luck and taking to his acoustic guitar and moaning about it. Fair enough, this has been the basis of a lot of music for many years. But, to quote one example, Bob Dylan did it far better on Blood On The Tracks - similar subject but the difference is performance is startling.

Thats the way my mind works as well. Listen to a piece of music, decide what genre it fits best into, compare it to your favourite artist/band/albums from that genre. Score accordingly. Singer/songwriter is a very broad genre but still...

 

[Bill Walker]

And while I'm venting. There isn't a term I detest more to describe music, than, 'nice background music'. Man I find that so insulting, give me Bimbo's review over that any day.

Right that's me got it all off my chest now , thanks for listening. 2/10.

I disagree, I think there is nice background music like at a dinner party or gathering, or Sunday morning while you're doing other shit.