Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: March 22, 1965
• Label: Columbia
• Copyright: Originally Released 1965 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file metadata contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 46:51
• Genres:
  • Rock
• ASIN: B00138CXJY
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (169 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,959 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dylan's signature LP December 27, 2004

By hyperbolium

Format:Audio CD

By the time of this 1965 release, Dylan had already proven himself a lyrical master and a new legend in the folk universe. With his electrified performance at the Newport Folk Festival, and this half-electric/half-acoustic LP, he showed that he was not only far from done with pushing the envelope, but that he'd really only begun. In particular, his music and subject matter were now catching up to his revolutionary words and lyrical structures.

The album opens full-bore with the blistering word-puzzle "Subterranean Homesick Blues." Backed by a vamping electric blues band, Dylan is at once a protesting outsider, a sardonic social critic, and a free-associating poet. It stands on its own as an incredible piece of rock music, but as the introduction to Dylan's fifth LP, it was something of a warning shot. The electric blues return for the near-rockabilly arrangement of "Maggie's Blues" and a Chuck Berry (ala "Memphis") styled "Outlaw Blues." In between, Dylan crafted extraordinary ballads, including the acidic "She Belongs to Me" and one of his best-ever love songs, "Love Minus Zero/No Limit."

Side two (tracks 7-11) retreats to mostly acoustic presentations, but even here Dylan expanded upon his earlier work, with the surreal story of "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" and the poetic folk-rock standard "Mr. Tambourine Man." The latter stretches to over 5-1/2 minutes and includes a trio of verses dropped by The Byrds in their hit cover. One of the album's most effective cuts is the 7-1/2 minute "It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding," a song Dylan had been performing live for several months before recording it. Though recorded with only an acoustic guitar, the venomous lyrics spare no target in their criticism, providing as much fire as any of the electric tunes on side one.

All in all, this is as good a portrait of Dylan's inventions as can be found. It's a showcase for his brilliant writing, his evolving musical exposition and his ability to parlay an unconventional voice into some of the world's most expressive and effective vocals.

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bob's first big shock... May 15, 2005

By ewomack TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Some Dylan fans in late 1964 were still trying to figure out why Dylan no longer sang protest songs. His most recent release, "Another Side of Bob Dylan", moved away from the overtly political and angst ridden lyrics of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan". Dylan began to write lyrics that probably seemed obscure and nonsensical to his fans at the time. Some are very funny. Some are so rich in imagery and layerings of meaning that even a few listens won't reveal what's going on. Or was the lack of obvious meaning the point? Nonetheless, "Another Side of Bob Dylan" still featured a Dylan playing accompanied by only an acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonica. Fans seemed okay with it until "Bringing it all Back Home" committed folk music heresy. Dylan went electric. And he didn't do it subtly.

The album opens with a blast. "Subterranean Homesick Blues" introduces the folk blues rock that would dominate the rest of Dylan's career. The lyrics read like a warning to young people who just entered the real world: "Lookout kid you're gonna get hit". "Maggie's Farm" continues the electrified onslaught with its 'take this job and shove it' theme. "Outlaw Blues", "On the Road Again", and "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" (complete with its bizarre false start) further explore Dylan's new blues territory. But blues rock doesn't exhaust this album's range. "She Belongs To Me", and "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" are beautiful ballads that explore the vicissitudes of relationships.

The second half of the album features a mostly acoustic Dylan (with some subtle accompaniment). "Mr. Tambourine Man" went on to become one of his best known songs after the Byrds scored a #1 hit with it in 1965. "Gates of Eden", "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding), and "It's all over Now, Baby Blue" continue Dylan's new approach to lyrics. All are amazing songs in the acoustic Dylan tradition.

One very interesting aspect about "Bringing it All Back Home" isn't preserved on the CD release. The vinyl LP release, like all LPs, had two non-continuous sides. Originally, side one ended with "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream". Side Two then began with "Mr. Tambourine Man". This had the effect of creating two separate worlds whenever one flipped the record. The electric Dylan on side one and the acoustic Dylan on side two. Dylan's folk fans probably wore out side two.

For all the reasons mentioned above, "Bringing it All Back Home" remains Dylan's most abrupt transistional album. It also represents the largest shift in style Dylan made in his entire career.

It's hard to imagine the shock the electrified Dylan sent through the folk scene of 1965. Dylan's set at The 1965 Newport Folk Fesitval is now legendary (his band was booed). Cries of "sellout" and even "Judas" rang from audiences (the latter can be heard on the 1966 Albert Hall Concert CD set). The film "Don't Look Back" from this era shows his folk fans questioning him why he "no longer sounds like himself". It caused an outright scandal in Dylan's main fan base. Despite this alienation, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" made the pop charts and greatly expanded Dylan's fan base. From this point on there was no turning back for Dylan. "Bringing it All Back Home" remains one of his best, and one of his most important, albums.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical and Brilliant September 16, 2006

By Erik

Format:Audio CD

This is a brilliant album: wonderful songs, beautifully executed. This can't be said for all Dylan albums.

It's easy to overlook, 42 years later, how original this material was when it came out. It was in the months leading up to this album's creation that the Beatles motivated Dylan to move on from his acoustic-folk music, and he motivated the Beatles to move on from their "Twist and Shout" type crap. They moved on to "Revolver" and "Sgt Pepper" and became a brilliant studio-only band, and Dylan moved on to "Highway 61" and "Blond on Blonde" and became an icon. It can be said that this album marked the beginning of modern rock music.

"She Belongs to Me" and "Love Minus Zero" are wonderful love songs; "On the Road Again" and "Dylan's 115th Dream" are hilarious satires; and "Gates of Eden" and "It's alright Ma" are dark, deep cynical masterpieces. How could a 23 year-old put all this together on one album?

People who have been introduced to Dylan by "Time out of Mind" and later material have no idea what a voice he used to have. It has never sounded as good as it does here, especially "It's all Over Now, Baby Blue". I will never get tired of this song.

I have a big part of Dylans output and I think this CD showcases his voice and his songwriting best. "Highway 61" has a kind of garage-band sound that you have to be in the mood for, and "Blonde on Blonde" has a bit of filler, but "Bringing it all Back Home" has no weaknesses.

Critics have been trying to interpret the songs on this album for over 40 years now, especially "It's all Right Ma" and "Gates of Eden", attaching huge significance to words that Dylan himself chose simply because they rhymed. He wasn't trying to change the world; he was just trying to write songs people would enjoy.

So get this CD and enjoy it - there isn't a weak song on it. Make sure you get the digitally re-mastered version, released in '03 - the sound is much better than on the older analog CD (ADD vs AAD). Look for the date on the back.