Search - Bob Dylan :: Blood on the Tracks/Another Side of Bob Dylan

A Couple of Bob Dylan's Best

Tiffany Ann | Black Diamond Bay | 06/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I read somewhere that "Another Side was recorded in one night while Dylan and crew were drinking cheap wine. I don't know if that's true, but I have to admit sometimes on this record Dylan does sound like he'd been drinking a bit, especially during "All I Really Want to Do" and Dylan's piano playing on the record does remind me a bit of Honky Tonk, the sort of thing you might find in an old western salon. Still, it's a great album that showcase's not only Dylan's piano playing, but his humor as well, which you can see in "Motorpsyho Nitemare." And if you've got a free seven minutes or so, you should give them up and give a good listen to "Chimes of Freedom" a song that's like so many of Dylan's songs, as relevant now as it was back then.



And also, still very relevant is Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks." I must have worn out a dozen copies of the record before I got the CD and I've gone through a couple of those. "Blood On the Tracks" simply never gets old. It's as fresh now as the day Bob Dylan recorded it. It sends chills up my spine every time I hear it and I can't hear it enough. I play it in the car, at home, have it on my iPod and on my iBook. This is the kind of record that sets the standards for all the rest. It's on the top of the heap, rivaled only by Dylan's own "Highway 61 Revisited", "Blonde on Blonde," the Rolling Stones powerful bootleg "LiveR Than You'll Ever Be and the Beatles' two wonderful records, "The White Album" and "Abbey Road." That's a pretty powerful group of records. You should own them all, "Blood On the Tracks" especially."

We Were All So Much Older Then

Danielle Lane | Horseshoe, North Carolina | 06/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I cannot describe the words and imagery conjured up by Bob Dylan in the song, "The Chimes of Freedom" on "Another Side." This is certainly on of the best songs, he or anyone has ever penned. You can find as much or as little in this song about America then and now, yourself then and now, things too numerous to mention walk through the phrases, words fail me, but they didn't fail the young Bob Dylan. Get this record, play this song, you'll see what I'm talking about. "I Shall Be Free No. 10" is a humorous rendition of Dylan's view of America. Some of the images and people mention might not be known by the children or grandchildren of the Boomers, but you can Google Barry Goldwater and the like if you want to get this funny song. At times, because Dylan goes between humor, protest and love songs, this record might seem a little uneven, because, for example, you're still laughing at "Motorpsycho Nitemare" when all of a sudden you're jerked right into the very serious, "My Back Pages." Didn't we all know more than our parents, weren't we all so much older then.



From the first chord of "Tangled Up In Blue" on "Blood on the Tracks" you know you're listening to something special. The song draws you in, sends chills up your spine, it's so good. Then it chews you up and spits you out right into "Simple Twist of Fate", another chiller of a song. I've read that Dylan was going through rough times when he recorded this record and in typical Dylan fashion he's put his life on his sleeve for all to see. He's in pain and you really feel it when you listen to these songs."

Two Very Good, Gut Wrenching Records

Ophella Paige | Reno, Nevada | 06/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are so many sides to "Another Side" that I hardly know where to begin, other than to say that I absolutely loved it. There is a lot to learn here about the times then and how they haven't really changed all that much, but you get that a lot in early Dylan records. Also, traveling salesmen should never, ever take a shower with the farmer's daughter. How could you not like a song where a farmer accuses a salesman of being an "unpatriotic, rotten, doctor, commie rat." Then of course there is the haunting, "To Ramona," the prophetic "Chimes of Freedom" and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention "I Don't Believe You," a song about a lad who has been recently dumped, but can't get over the girl even though "She acts like we never have met." I'm not very fond of "All I Really Want to Do." For some reason I keep picturing Sonny and Cher when I hear this song. I loved all the other stuff on the record though. There are many sides of Dylan here, his protest songs, which we won't be seeing very many more of after this record. His humor, which we well see more of later on. His piano playing, which also we'll be seeing more of and his ability to turn out a love song, which we will certainly be seeing more of.



"Blood on the Tracks" is an album of broken love. There is so much sadness here. But there is also the best cowboy ballad on this record since Marty Robbins' "El Paso" and "Big Iron." "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" just goes on and on, seemingly without end, then poof, it's over and the Jack of Hearts has gotten away with all the cash. You need a refreshing, uplifting song like this to balance out all the heartbreak. Once again, Bob Dylan has proven that he is the absolute best at whatever he attempts. Once again he's turned out a record that once listened to, becomes a part of you. It seems he's done that a lot, is still doing it."