Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
Album Info
On the slow train time does not interfere & at the Arabian crossing waits White Heap, the man from the newspaper & behind him the hundred Inevitables made of solid rock & stone -- the Cream Judge & the Clown -- the doll house where Savage Rose & Fixable live simply in their wild animal luxury . . . . Autumn, with two zeros above her nose arguing over the sun being dark or Bach is as famous as its commotion & that she herself -- not Orpheus -- is the logical poet "I am the logical poet" she screams "Spring? Spring is only the beginning!" she attempts to make Cream Judge jealous by telling him of down-to-earth people & while the universe is erupting, she points to the slow train & prays for rain and for time to interfere -- she is not extremely fat but rather progressively unhappy . . . . the hundred Inevitables hide their predictions & go to bars & drink & get drunk in their very special conscious way & when tom dooley, the kind of person you think you've seen before, comes strolling in with White Heap, the hundred Inevitables all say "who's that man who looks so white?" & the bartender, a good boy & one who keeps the buffalo in his mind, says, "I don't know, but I'm sure I've seen the other fellow someplace" & when Paul Sargent, a plainclothes man from 4th street, comes in at three in the morning & busts everybody for being incredible, nobody really gets angry -- just a little illiterate most people get & Rome, one of the hundred Inevitables whispers "I told you so" to Madam John . . . Savage Rose & Fixable are bravely blowing kisses to the Jade Hexagram Carnaby Street & to all the mysterious juveniles & the Cream Judge is writing a book on the true meaning of a pear -- last year. he wrote one on famous dogs of the civil war & now he has false teeth & no children . . . . when the Cream met Savage Rose & Fixable, he was introduced to them by none other than Lifelessness -- Lifelessness is the Great Enemy & always wears a hip guard -- he is very hipguard . . . . Lifelessness said when introducing everybody "go save the world" & "involvement! that's the issue" & things like that & Savage Rose winked at Fixable & the Cream went off with his arm in a sling singing "summertime & the livin is easy" . . . . the Clown appears -- puts a gag over Autumn's mouth and says "there are two kinds of people -- simple people & normal people" this usually gets a big laugh from the sandpit & White Heap sneezes -- passes out & rips open Autumn's gag & says "What do you mean you're Autumn and without you there'd be no spring! you fool! without spring, there'd be no you! what do you think of that???." then Savage Rose & Fixable come by & kick him in the brains & color him pink for being a phony philosopher -- then the Clown comes by and screams "You phony philosopher!" & jumps on his head -- Paul Sargent comes by again in an umpire's suit & some college kid who's read all about Nietzsche comes by & says "Neitzsche never wore an umpire's suit" & Paul says "You wanna buy some cloths, kid?" & then Rome & John come out of the bar & they're going up to Harlem . . . . we are singing today of the WIPE-OUT GANG -- the WIPE-OUT GANG buys, owns & operates the Insanity Factory -- if you do not know where the Insanity Factory is located, you should hereby take two steps to the right, paint your teeth & go to sleep . . . . the songs on this specific record are not so much songs but rather exercises in tonal breath control. . . . the subject matter -- though meaningless as it is -- has something to do with the beautiful strangers . . . . the beautiful strangers, Vivaldi's green jacket & the holy slow train
you are right john cohen -- quazimodo was right -- mozart was right. . . . I cannot say the word eye any more . . . . when I speak this word eye, it is as if I am speaking of somebody's eye that I faintly remember . . . . there is no eye -- there is only a series of mouths -- long live the mouths -- your rooftop -- if you don't already know -- has been demolished . . . . eye is plasma & you are right about that too -- you are lucky -- you don't have to think about such things as eye & rooftops & quazimodo.
Notes By Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan -- Guitar, Harmonica, Piano and Police Car
Michael Bloomfield -- Guitar
Alan Kooper -- Organ and Piano
Paul Griffin -- Piano and Organ
Bobby Gregg -- Drums
Harvey Goldstein -- Bass
Charley McCoy -- Guitar
Frank Owens -- Piano
Russ Savakus -- Bass

Comments
desolation row
No Rating
This is the 7th Dylan's album that i've heard. What can i say ?
This is 1 more great record. What a a sound! what a lyrcs! My favorite songs from this 1 r ..ballad, queen,highway, desolation & like a ........ Now i'm listenin' desolation row & tryin' to translate this lyric.
Dylan's forever
A Bunch of Great Songs
The background music is some of the best ever created, with his vocals not exaggerated. Like a Rolling Stone is Rolling Stone's #1 song of the top 500 songs of all time. I could listen to Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues over and over again, because the way Bob sings combined with the variety of instruments.
Purely amazing.
No Rating
Purely amazing.
This is realy big
There's no need to waste words on this album. You can just bow and listen grateful because he do it for you to enjoy. My favorite is Ballad of a thin man.
Like A Rolling Stone
Like many albums of Dylan this one also got a special place in my life !!
choo choo
mmmmhmm i never wanted to ride a train till i heard it takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry and now i want to sooo bad. maybe i will soon. i feel like im in desolation row right now. i am trying to escape.
Dylan's Best Album
And probably the best album of all time
Poet (and storyteller)
No Rating
Bob Dylan isn’t just a poet, but a storyteller. He tells a story in poetical fashion, but amazing and fantastical stories, none-the-less. “Tombstone Blues” is a perfect example of this.
Happy Birthday, H61R
Released 44 years ago today (August 30, 1965).
One of the albums that defined the 1960s.
Still sounds as good as ever.
Amazing, Bob, amazing!!!
holy crap
i first heard this album four years ago on a road trip with my dad through south texas and it completley changed my outlook on music, it wasn't just catchy courses and four piece combos, now ten guys could walk around in a studio swapping instrumentsand singing prooufnd nonsensities and contradictions to two chord progressions.
Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
My favourite songs on the album are:
1. Tombstone Blues
2. Desolation Row
3. Like a Rolling Stone
The January 2007 issue of 'Mojo' rated this album Dylan's 2nd best album - I consider it to be his 3rd best album. I think it's great!
2nd in a classic trilogy.
SLUMDOG
Classic.
Brilliant!
Invigorating from start to finish... from the classic "Like a Rolling Stone" to my personal favorite, "Desolation Row" - this is definitely one of Dylan's best albums.
God Said To Abraham "Kill Me A Son"
Highway 61 revisited is perhaps the difinitive Dylan 60s album. It has his greatest 60s hit, "Like A Rolling Stone," (or at least the song that gets the most radio play).
It's also a sort of prequel to Blonde on Blonde with its use of adverbs in the song titles:
"......Approximately" and "Positively......" (from an outtake)
compare to Blonde On Blonde's "Obviously......," "Temporary....," "Most Likely.....," and "Absolutely....." as well as to a lesser degree "Sooner or Later,"
It's perhaps closer to Bringing It All Back Home than to Blonde On Blonde in content. Compare "From A Buick 6" to "Outlaw Blues," or "Desolation Row" to "Gates Of Eden"
The album covers are also very similar to each other. But all three albums really form a trilogy, and are pretty much equally important in forming the expressive backbone of Dylan's 60s rock music. Each one is a must-have for collectors of Dylan, and this one is no exception.
Best songs here for me are:
Like A Rolling Stone (Duh!)
Tombstone Blues
From A Buick 6
Queen Jane Approximately
Highway 61 Revisited
Desolation Row
As I stated in earlier posts, great albums are often defined by their opening and closing songs. This album has masterpieces at both ends, and several inbetween, so it's pretty much a perfect album. Or at least, how more perfect could one get?
A Masterpiece
"like a rolling stone" is an amazing song, but not the best song on this album. if anything, it must be "it takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry." there is also "ballad of a thin man" which, unlike most dylan songs, we can interpret. "queen jane approximately" and "just like tom thumb's blues" bear a resemblance a little. the title track is just a fun song. "desolation row" is wonderful. it is a bit of a nostalgic visit to his acoustic roots, although less than a year after he went entirely electric. "tombstone blues" is awesome. you can listen to it non-stop for hours. "from a buick 6" is a great song, but is my least favorite on this album.
SUPERB!
Before I have bought this album. I have not listened to music, and I got 7,000 songs on my iPod. (I know I have no life). Anyway, this album is absolutely INCREDIBLE. This is the album of all albums. Favorites would be the rockin' "Tombstone Blues", "From A Buick 6", "Queen Jane Approximately", "Highway 61 Revisisted", the 11 minute lyrical "Desolation Row", and of course, probably the greatest song of all time, "Like A Rolling Stone. I would give this album 20 stars out of 5 if I could. I will convince the whole world if I have to that Bob Dylan is the greatest music artist ever, even better then "The Beatles".
After all, "It's not about how you sing, it's about what you sing". I think that's what Bob Dylan was trying to tell everybody. You can still make it big, even if you are a horrible singer. Bob Dylan wasn't going to be one of those artists that write songs for singers who could sing good but couldn't write their own songs like Elton John or Elvis Presley. If Dylan did that he wouldn't even have a name to the public.
20 STARS OUT OF 5
KEEP ON WRITING GOOD SONGS DYLAN!
Steven Smith Jr.
SUPERB!
Before I have bought this album. I have not listened to music, and I got 7,000 songs on my iPod. (I know I have no life). Anyway, this album is absolutely INCREDIBLE. This is the album of all albums. Favorites would be the rockin' "Tombstone Blues", "From A Buick 6", "Queen Jane Approximately", "Highway 61 Revisisted", the 11 minute lyrical "Desolation Row", and of course, probably the greatest song of all time, "Like A Rolling Stone. I would give this album 20 stars out of 5 if I could. I will convince the whole world if I have to that Bob Dylan is the greatest music artist ever, even better then "The Beatles".
After all, "It's not about how you sing, it's about what you sing". I think that's what Bob Dylan was trying to tell everybody. You can still make it big, even if you are a horrible singer. Bob Dylan wasn't going to be one of those artists that write songs for singers who could sing good but couldn't write their own songs like Elton John or Elvis Presley. If Dylan did that he wouldn't even have a name to the public.
20 STARS OUT OF 5
KEEP ON WRITING GOOD SONGS DYLAN!
Steven Smith Jr.
I remember,the song of was
No Rating
I remember,the song of was my first memorise.I'm just a poor boy in China.My friends like Pops,just like Westlife,Blue,Backstreet Boys and so on,but they don't know who is the most,I think I know,maybe I have a lot of syntax errors,but,I relly love Bob Dylan.
I'm wondering !
No Rating
I'm wondering !
impresionante
¿que tiene Dylan que se habla tanto de él?
esto
the masterpiece
The Greatest rock'n'roll album of all times !
Highway 61 Revisited...stop and ponder...
I think this album is beyond words....just stop and ponder how old this genius was when he wrote/recorded these songs. They're copyright 1965....he was 24 years old??? I find that truly amazing and beyond any realm of my comprehension. And he just became more brilliant from there....24 years old...utterly amazing....what were any of us doing at 24.....definitely not this....
Too much to comprehend
This album is the stuff of Gods. When Rolling Stone starts you know this is going to be an epic ride and it doesn't quit until the last strums of Desolation Row. All the songs are great especially thin man, rolling stone, and desolation. Imagine bringing together all the characters in Highway 61, that would be a crazy party!
It's the Other Songs
While Like a Rolling Stone will always be the torch bearer, I think this is a great album because all the other songs are so strong, particularly Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues and Desolation Row.
Dave
Another great album.
Another great album.
at the risk of loosing all credibility...
No Rating
sorry but in my opinion this album is not Bob's best. My feeling is that Like a Rolling Stone there set a bar which was vitually impossible to match. I would never put down this song, but I find a few others to be over-rated. It Takes Alot To Laugh is not a favorite of mine.Niether is Tombstone Blues or Buick 6.
I'm not a big fan of Desolation Row either, in terms of his lengthy songs I think Sad Eyed Lady from Blonde on Blonde is a better performance.
To me the outstanding tracks are:
Rolling Stone
Thin Man
Highway 61
Tom Thumb
thats just 4 out of 9. Blonde on Blonde and Blood on Tracks are both better albums in my opinion.
Quite simply, the greatest
Quite simply, the greatest album ever released, rock or otherwise.
The blues...
I really think that Bob was trying to make a straightforward electric blues album. Again, a step forward in terms of writing and arrangement. Besides any album with "Like A Rolling Stone", has to be something.
The first rock album
For me it's still not good-enough-sounding nowadays, as Bringing it all back home to have an easy listening. Anyway the songs are nearly all interesting, as proves the fact that it's probably the album more easily played live by Bob. It's really the first rock album, as there's no folk part in it.
Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited is not nearly as good as Bringing It All Back Home but still an amazing album. More fun up-tempo blues numbers: “Tombstone Blues”, the title track, “It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry”, and “From A Buick 6” (two more great titles!). “Like A Rolling Stone” deserves its reputation as an all-time rock’n’roll classic. Bob is stretching with “Ballad Of A Thin Man” and it works. Creepy and funny, it’s my favorite song on the album. Side two is a problem though. Other than the title track, it’s filled with somewhat tedious, mid-tempo, too long excuses for clever lyrics: “Queen Jane Approximately”, “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” and “Desolation Row”. “Desolation Row” even features the return of that incessantly jamming slightly off-key guitar from “It’s All Over Now”. Sure, nothing could be as good as it, but Highway 61 Revisited is still a worthy follow-up to Bringing It All Back Home.
highway 61 revisited
No Rating
This is probably Dylan's best album, every track is a masterpiece and his voice is on top form. Opens with Like a rolling stone and ends with Desolation Row. What more do you need?