Second Chance_ ) Dylan's second LP, released in October of the same year, featured a handful of blues numbers, such as 'John Brown', which he wrote, played and produced himself, but the album was also a big step away from folk towards more electric sounds. With help from his friend Garth Hudson (who'd produced _The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan_ ), Dylan and his new band The Hawks played with the energy of rockers, including a number of electrified blues numbers that he'd taken from the Rolling Stones and The Who's _Aftermath_ album. At the same time, the band took on an edgier, harder sound than that found on _The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan_. Many songs were now sung by Dylan – including 'Maggie's Farm' – and this was his first record with harmonica-slinger Paul Griffin (later of Crosby, Stills & Nash) and drummer Bobby Gregg (later of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band). ## _Highway 61 Revisited_ (Bob Dylan/Columbia 1965) **Side one** 'Like A Rolling Stone'* 3:57 **Side two** 'Tombstone Blues' 6:14 **Side three** 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35' 3:31 **Side four** 'Absolutely Sweet Marie' 4:10 **Side five** 'I Want You' 4:49 **Side six** 'Desolation Row' 5:21 **Side seven** 'All Along The Watchtower' 6:02 Bob Dylan's most adventurous and psychedelic album was also his first to be made in Nashville. Produced by Tom Wilson (not the same one who worked with The Beatles on _Rubber Soul_ ), the record was a massive success, becoming a major hit and helping to consolidate Dylan's standing as one of the leading writers and interpreters of rock'n'roll. The tracks were recorded in various studios over the course of seven months. The main recording was done at Columbia's New York studios in August 1964, while tracks 'Just Like A Woman' and 'All Along The Watchtower' were laid down in Nashville. Another Nashville track 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35' was recorded by some session musicians, including Bob Johnston, at the Columbia studios there. The bulk of the album, including the vocal tracks, were recorded at two different sessions with The Hawks (see _The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan_ for more details). When they had finished the recording, Dylan went to a barbershop to get his hair cut. Dylan had a long, matted mane at the time and when he asked his barber how to keep it under control, the barber suggested spraying it with lighter fluid and then putting a hot iron on it. Dylan asked if the procedure could be reversed, which it could not, and then asked if he could leave for a while. He returned half an hour later to discover that the barbershop, one of the few places he could find for privacy, had burnt down. This left the album with a distinctive burnt-sugar smell that may be audible on the recording. The LP was Dylan's first great experiment in songwriting with lyrics, where he mixed autobiographical details with wild and sometimes surreal scenarios. At times he even toyed with his audience by putting words that didn't exist into his songs, while in 'I Want You' he told an imagined story of a woman who wants a 'rocking chair' baby. The album featured great musicality from the band, and it was a huge hit for Dylan, both artistically and commercially. The success of _Highway 61 Revisited_ saw Dylan become a superstar – he wasn't quite pop yet, but this gave him the confidence to move away from the folk scene that was still popular at the time. This coincided with the release of Bob Dylan's third album, _Blonde On Blonde_. ## _Bringing It All Back Home_ (Bob Dylan/Columbia 1965) **Side one** 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' 1:55 **Side two** 'It Ain't Me Babe' 4:01 **Side three** 'She Belongs To Me' 4:35 **Side four** 'Just Like A Woman' 3:20 **Side five** 'Maggie's Farm' 3:17 **Side six** 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry' 4:42 **Side seven** 'Fourth Time Around' 2:33 This double album represented a departure from the country and protest styles of Bob Dylan's previous records, to a more eclectic blend of folk, blues and rock. It was produced by The Beatles' longtime collaborator George Martin (who also worked on the _Rubber Soul_ album, and _Revolver_ ), and features the legendary session musician, pianist and drummer Ian Stewart. Dylan's lyrics were often surreal and very odd, with many lines being obscure even by Dylan's standards. However, he was able to create catchy melodies throughout and to create memorable songs, and even his darkest and most twisted lyrical moments, such as 'It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' are now among his most famous songs. It has become a part of many a list of the greatest albums ever made. The album starts with the surreal 'Subterranean Homesick Blues', which was written while Dylan was living in Woodstock, New York, having given up his apartment in Greenwich Village. It was on this trip that he went through a profound spiritual awakening which left him disillusioned with his previous belief in protest politics. The album was very much a statement of disillusionment, and even though there is an air of despondency throughout, it still has a very 'rock 'n' roll' feel. That's why the song about a 'man on the run from his woman' who is hiding from his 'other woman' is so good, and why the song about running a vacuum cleaner across the floor is so good. ## _Highway 61 Revisited_ (Bob Dylan/Columbia 1965) **Side one** 'Like A Rolling Stone' 4:12 **Side two** 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' 5:27 **Side three** 'Queen Jane Approximately' 4:06 **Side four** 'I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)' 4:35 **Side five** 'Just Like A Woman' 4:20 **Side six** 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry' 4:42 **Side seven** 'Bob Dylan's 115th Dream' 2:00 This would be Dylan's first double album, made in the wake of his triumph with _Bringing It All Back Home_. This album proved to be more of a commercial success than its predecessor, perhaps because it moved Dylan away from the type of protest songs featured on _Bringing It All Back Home_. It was recorded at Columbia's New York studios with his touring band The Hawks, which featured drummer Bobby Gregg, organist Robbie Robertson and guitarist Mike Bloomfield (later of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band). It was the final album of Dylan's electric period, and he would not record anything like it again. It marked the beginning of what was to become a long and fruitful relationship with the guitar of the time, which has had some of its finest moments on _Bringing It All Back Home_ and would continue with some wonderful albums in the mid-60s. The album's most famous song, the anthemic 'Like A Rolling Stone' was recorded by The Hawks at a Nashville session in the spring of 1965. The famous version recorded by Dylan and the Hawks, which turned a good song into a great song, came in the same year, and has been hailed as one of the finest performances by any group in the history of rock'n'roll. However, some people question whether it was really Dylan's song at all, since it was recorded by The Hawks. Dylan was so unhappy with the album that he refused to listen to it for seven years. As a result, he hasn't released any new recordings of this period since then. However, he has continued to perform old favourites from his pre-electric period in concerts. ## _The Basement Tapes_ (Bob Dylan/Columbia 1975) **Side one** 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' 5:25 **Side two** 'I Shall Be Released' 5:16 **Side three** 'Just Like A Woman' 3:15 **Side four** 'Maggie's Farm' 3:13 **Side five** 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' 4:08 **Side six** 'Sara' 4:06 **Side seven** 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight' 3:58 Like _Bringing It All Back Home_ , this album is a very unique record, not only in the types of songs that are featured on it, but in the way that Dylan decided to record it. The album was one of Bob Dylan's favourite records and was also the first Dylan record to be made by Dylan and his backup group, The Band. The album was recorded in the basement of a house that he was renting near Woodstock, New York. It was the only album to feature a band that had little or no interaction with the rest of Dylan's backing