Dylan Goes Electric!#
Bob Dylan’s first album of 1965 is one for the books. It’s his first recorded instance of him “going electric”, or leaving the traditional folk songs behind in favor of a more rock-based sound. Bringing It All Back Home is often overshadowed by Dylan’s next masterpiece, Highway 61 Revisited, but BIABH absolutely should not be counted out, as it can easily hold its own against any of other Dylan’s other numerous classic albums.
Opening with the classic track Subterranean Homesick Blues, you can immediately tell that Bob’s taken quite a turn since his previous album, Another Side of Bob Dylan, which was similar to his first few releases. SHB is a very fast song that features frantic rhymes, setting it apart from everything else Dylan has released up to this point.
The third track, Maggie’s Farm, represents issues with working for unjust people that you can’t stand. While this original version is very good and a must-hear, I highly suggest Rage Against the Machine’s cover from Renegades that completely changes the tone of the song into something much heavier.
Later on the record, we’re treated to Mr. Tambourine Man, another Dylan all-timer. This song has surreal lyrics that are still open to interpretation to this day- some believe the Tambourine Man is a drug dealer, while I tend to disagree and think that it’s a pretty lame and simple explanation for a song of this caliber. I personally believe it’s about a man who’s alone after a long night of something, and is able to find comfort in the Tambourine Man’s surreal music.
The second-to-last song is It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding). If you ask me, this is Bob Dylan’s best song. It’s a song that’s relevant even today, sixty years after the album was first released, detailing the struggles of making it. I won’t talk about this one very much, as it’s something that everyone should experience for themselves.
All in all, this is a must-listen album if you like folk music, rock music, or good music. It’s my personal favorite Bob Dylan record, not to discount his other releases which I will review sometime this summer! I’ve been listening to all of his stuff basically nonstop lately, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on them with everybody.
Favorite Track: It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)