Considered an unprecedented magnum opus when it arrived on two records in May of 1966 (1997's Time out of Mind is actually only about a minute shorter), Blonde on Blonde featured Dylan continuing to demonstrate remarkable powers over the course of 14 new numbers. Working in Nashville with session men and a few conscripted recruits (Al Kooper, Robbie Robertson), Dylan continued to bend minds with his warped lyrics and phrasing. Even dashed-off numbers such as "Obviously 5 Believers" and "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" contribute to the crazed, fun-house ambience. Dylan will never be this wild again. --Steven Stolder

Blonde on Blonde

When you've had a rubbish week and the hum-drum routine is starting to get you down, put this record on and be reassured. I love all of Dylan's work but not all of it is as joyful and pleasurable as this. Like fine food and wine, Blonde on Blonde is one of life's great indulgences.

Probably the best album ever easily up there with anything by the beatles or radioheads ok computer or anything else you want to name. This may not be instantly likeable but then anything that is is always likely to be forgotten as quickly. The lyrics are like nothing else and so is the sound. Dylans voice is something of an aquired taste but once you understand it you cant see how anyone else could sing in his place. This really is an awesome album.

For me, Bob Dylan's status is built on the period from 1962's 'Freewheelin'' to 1968's 'John Wesley Harding'. Everything else he did is second class at best, including the overhyped 'Blood On The Tracks'. That early period covers the full range of his rapid development and by the time of this album he'd left the more direct folk-protest genre behind. Perhaps, though, my expectations of 'Blonde On Blonde' were too high. There's no doubt that Dylan was on a lyrically-creative high, but he chose to be a musician rather than a poet and that's where his inconsistencies lie. One of the major strengths of this album is undoubtedly his band of Nashville sessioneers, who would record in their own right as Area Code 615 and Barefoot Jerry. Thanks to them, this is about as close as Dylan ever got to rocking out convincingly, especially on 'Absolutely Sweet Marie'. Dylan himself, however, chose to deliver his lyrics in a tuneless style which worked fine on 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue', but which across a 70-minute album sounds like a tedious gimmick.

There are, as a result, great songs which should have been better, notably 'Visions Of Johanna' and 'Stuck Inside...' The blues numbers meanwhile owe almost everything to the performance of Buttrey, McCoy and co. 'I Want You' and 'Just Like A Woman' are a reminder that Dylan can turn his hand to a pop tune sometimes. 'Rainy Day Women...' though is a joke, only not a very amusing one. Does anyone really enjoy listening to this?

Certainly, Dylan was still breaking new ground with his songwriting at this time, but this is not one of his best albums, let alone a top 100 album of all time. My advice to anyone thinking of buying this is make sure you hear it before you decide.

To me Blonde On Blonde is one of those cherished masterpieces so high and held aloft by esteemed rock critics that you can feel a little guilty saying to yourself that you don't think it quite deserves it's undisputed Heavyweight Champion Of Rock status. But to me it's one of those albums that works better as an historical artefact of the 60's era rather than the timeless epic it is now thought of as sacriligeous to taint. In it's time it was no doubt a groundbreaking masterpiece and as a representation of classic rock history I would have given this album five stars but I just can't pretend that we haven't moved on and that lines such as 'Everybody Must Get Stoned' from 'Rainy Day Women' haven't dated terribly and now sound mildly irritating and tired. I'm sure back then the nudge and wink allusion to the green leaf was cool and rebellious but in today's era it sounds like the ramblings of a sixth form college Tutor trying to be cool and to 'Get Down With The Kids'. None of this is Dylan's fault of course and there is much to love and admire here, mainly 'Memphis Blues', 'I Want you' 'Absolutely Sweet Marie' and 'Visions Of Johanna'. But take these out of the equation and you are left with one of Dylan's weaker albums. I too prefer Dylan from Wesley Harding onwards and believe that 'Blood On The Tracks' is the true summit of Dylan's monumentous career. Blonde On Blonde, though undoubtedly a record that helped define an era, is not one that fares well when taken outside it's comfort zone and judged on it's own merits. Like 'Music From The Big Pink' and 'SGT Pepper' 'Blonde On Blonde' has in reality had it's time and has not dated well even if there are doubtless many who refuse to believe it has lost it's aura of invincibility.

It always galls me how much time is spent praising this and the preceeding Dylan albums. Personally, I have no time for this era. Give me anything from 'John Wesley Harding' onwards. It may go against the grain, but the likes of ' Time out of mind', 'Desire' and Oh Mercy!' knock the pants off the 1962-66 period.