Pg. 37
After his current break-up Rob now has to go to work. It's understandable that he's now a bit bummed, though he's still sort of numb at the moment, but the dude owns a dingy, hole-in-the-wall record store that makes no money. What more could you want?
All is not entirely peaches and cream though. His break-up with the aforementioned Charlie Nicholson (1977-1979) left him in sort of a bad way: he hung out outside her dorm until her friends kicked his ass, wrote letter after worrying letter to her, plotted her new boyfriend's death in graphic detail, listened to terrible break-up song after terrible break-up song, and when he finally came to his sense two months later he'd flunked out of college, went to work in a record store, bought his own after several years, and now wallows full-time in self-pity. And now he's been dumped again. But at least he gets to sell Stiff Little Fingers and Bob Dylan records to music snobs who live in their mothers' basements.
The Music
F
uck me. First a slew of God awful break-up songs, and now Bob Dylan's revered double album,
Blonde On Blonde. Not that I have anything against ol' Bob, but it's just sort of a daunting task for someone who isn't really a lyrics man and isn't really that familiar with Bob Dylan. Aw well, here we go...
Bob Dylan Blonde On Blonde
I love how first song, "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35", sounds so spontaneous. Bob Dylan laughs at the beginning of the song and it doesn't sound at all scripted. Different band members can be heard hooting and hollering in the background and it also sounds genuine. Along with the energy of the music it all gives the feeling that the entire band is playing at a hoedown just for the fun of playing.
I keep hearing the riff on "Pledging My Time" all the time these days. First on "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood of course, and then on a song by John Lee Hooker. It's no wonder, since it's a kick ass f
ucking riff. The wailing harmonica in the background is just gravy. S
hit, that harmonica is gravy all over the album. If (when) I ever go to prison I'm totally gonna learn to play the harmonica.
Bob Dylan's voice definitely takes some getting used to, but even now I can hear his charisma. I could totally come to love this dude. I'm also really digging the drummer. Even at mid-tempo he keeps a constant level of energy that is definitely some thumbs-up-level rock'n'roll goodness.
Alright, "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" is definitely too much to take in one sitting. Unless it takes a nosedive in quality from the rest of the album though, I'm sure I'll come to appreciate it in time.
Well that wasn't nearly so hard as I feared. I'm sure I didn't do it any particular justice, but I'm at least satisfied for a review of a first listen. I guess it gets easier when you're working with such a quality album. Whenever I'm in a country mood, I'm definitely gonna have to throw on some Dylan now.