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

[mancity2012_eamo]

:(

Stick to your guns Bill.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

I’m on my second listen. There is nothing wrong with it. Nothing I can put my finger on anyway. I don’t know if you have to be a true Dylan fan though to get anything out of it. I’m just waiting for it to end. It is doing nothing for me.
I thought the opening few songs were complete messes if I’m being truly honest. His voice ruins a lot of the new arrangements. It’s just not suited to rocking some of his classics.
I don’t have a problem with his vocals on most of his classic albums. They are vocals as opposed to singing. But they can carry the style of song he wrote.

Here though? I’m just not getting it. It’s not even a case of leave well enough alone. I’m all for a live performance doing something new with material, but most of what I’m listening to here does not suit his voice.
There are exceptions. As I said earlier I’m coping better with songs I wasn’t familiar with to start with.

Example; I’m listening to him destroy Rolling Stone now. I love Hendrix version, but I also prefer the original by Dylan himself. It was perfect with his vocals.
This arrangement is leaving me cold.
And I’ve over and hour of this left.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

In the interest of balance and fairness, I will say that much like yesterday I am enjoying the second album a lot better for some reason, even the classics like Watchtower. I think I read before that Dylan was so impressed with the Hendrix version that he actually re-recorded it more in that fashion.
That would seem evident with his live rendition here. Quite liked it.
Knocking on Heaven’s Door is more reggae-ified too (official musical term) and it’s quite pleasant. Probably still prefer the original but it’s not bad.
His voice seems to suit this album better than the first.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

I owned this album for a short while a long time ago and it was one of those that I don't really know why I kept it because I never played it in full, so today's first complete listen (in about 30 years) was probably a first for me.

To be honest, I'm no fan of Dylan, but I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would, maybe my tastes have changed from when I was younger or maybe it was familiarity with the album. I will never understand how he gets away with those vocals though, worse than karaoke.

 

[BlueHammer85]

Wish people would stop going on about his voice - Would Dylan be as big as he is for all these decades if he had a nice squeaky clean X factor voice ? It’s authentic, it works perfectly to his lyrics and he’s a folk rock star - who cares! Jagger, Lennon, Bowie so many legendary artists never had great voices. There’s more to an artist than just how they sing.

 

[RobMCFC]

Wish people would stop going on about his voice - Would Dylan be as big as he is for all these decades if he had a nice squeaky clean X factor voice ? It’s authentic, it works perfectly to his lyrics and he’s a folk rock star - who cares! Jagger, Lennon, Bowie so many legendary artists never had great voices. There’s more to an artist than just how they sing.

It always amazes me how people moan about his voice but think that the likes of Bowie, Ian Brown, Sean Ryder or <insert name of just about any British indie singer> are any better!

Like you say, it suits his material. I’d rather hear Dylan sing “Make you feel my love” than whoever that famous woman is who covered it.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Wish people would stop going on about his voice - Would Dylan be as big as he is for all these decades if he had a nice squeaky clean X factor voice ? It’s authentic, it works perfectly to his lyrics and he’s a folk rock star - who cares! Jagger, Lennon, Bowie so many legendary artists never had great voices. There’s more to an artist than just how they sing.

I mentioned his vocals but for exactly the same reason you are outlining.
I think it is quite pertinent to the discussion of the completely new arrangements of the songs.
His vocals (he’s not a singer) in his early years were perfect for the songs he wrote and the message he delivered.
I’m not so sure his vocals suit the new arrangements however.

The bottom line is, if this is what was on offer, I’m not sure I'd be buying tickets to see him in an arena.

I’d rather see him in the corner of small club with just his guitar to accompany him.

 

[threespires]

I’m not so sure his vocals suit the new arrangements however.

Two listens in and that is pretty much where I am.

On a number of the songs I quite like the arrangements but his vocal delivery (which I don't have an Intrinsic problem with) seems a mismatch, so it feels a bit dislocated.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

Wish people would stop going on about his voice - Would Dylan be as big as he is for all these decades if he had a nice squeaky clean X factor voice ? It’s authentic, it works perfectly to his lyrics and he’s a folk rock star - who cares! Jagger, Lennon, Bowie so many legendary artists never had great voices. There’s more to an artist than just how they sing.

It was a compliment in a way, personally I think he’s very poor vocally, but he still produces something I enjoy.

 

[Coatigan]

Wish people would stop going on about his voice - Would Dylan be as big as he is for all these decades if he had a nice squeaky clean X factor voice ? It’s authentic, it works perfectly to his lyrics and he’s a folk rock star - who cares! Jagger, Lennon, Bowie so many legendary artists never had great voices. There’s more to an artist than just how they sing.

Why? It is unpleasant. Therefore, I can't listen to it. I may or may not find other voices irritating. It's the leonard cohen factor too, some people like it, some don't mind it, some outright hate it. It is not 'wrong' to dislike Dylan's voice. What does Authentic mean. What do Bowie's voice or others (some much more palatable) really have to do with his, there isn't a matrix to jusdge it by.