Thursday 12 November 2015

Bob Dylan – BOB DYLAN****

You’re No Good/Talkin’ New York/In My Time Of Dyin’/Man Of Constant Sorrow/Fixin’ To Die/Pretty Peggy-O/ Highway 51/Gospel Plow/Baby Let Me Follow You Down/House Of The Risin’ Sun/Freight Train Blues/Song To Woody/See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

Self titled debut album from the folk singer who would transform the popular music landscape. Consisting mainly of traditional folk and blues standards, sales of Bob Dylan peaked in the UK during his British tour of 1965. (UK:13)

“These covers are played with such great passion remarkable for a twenty year old youth. With the two original compositions Talkin’ New York, about his experiences in Greenwich Village, and the homage to his idol Woody Guthrie with Song To Woody, there is hardly any doubt about what would come in the next few years.”

“Dylan exudes the purest kind of enthusiasm on this album. He sounds generally excited to be in the studio cutting songs, no matter who wrote them. The tracks are generally quick in tempo and Dylan's voice is wild and unrestrained. As a result, the album moves briskly, yet manages to be constantly engaging.”

“This album has some extreme Woody Guthrie influences, and for the most part pulls it off. However, the lack of original and insightful material, while understandable given it is Dylan’s first, does not meet the expectations he always seems to surpass, and hasn't aged well.”

“A great blues/folk album but not a classic Dylan one, it's almost like he's playing a character on this one. There are still some hints of genius here and the Dylan original Song To Woody is the best song on the album.”

“Here, we see the beginnings of Dylan and his music, with wonderfully charged covers of folk songs and original compositions. This includes a beautiful tribute to Woody Guthrie in Song To Woody and the raucously loud Highway 51.”

“Even though Dylan only penned two tracks on his debut, he makes all the other cover songs his own by imbuing them with a passionate vocal delivery and stellar arrangements. Of his originals, the autobiographical Talkin' New York gives us a glimpse of the master storyteller Dylan would become, and Song To Woody pays heartfelt tribute to his musical hero.”

No comments:

Post a Comment