I’m really… happy that some of my old posts continue to find an audience and continue to be looked at favorably. And for those of you who took, and take, the time to comment… Thank You. This will be a very brief post, I’ll just leave you with a recent discovery or rediscovery depending on your point of view: I mentioned Bob Dylan a couple posts back, and how I’ve been a fan of his mostly from his singles, catching his music on the radio or in film soundtracks (such as his brilliant score for PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID) but having not really listened to any of his albums all the way through. So this past week with the assistance of my local library I’ve been rectifying that. I started with his BLONDE ON BLONDE, an album whose title alone makes my pornographic brain smile, but that aside I was (given the raves this album gets)… underwhelmed. On first listen (with the exception of VISIONS OF JOHANNA which is an absolute masterpiece) I was pretty unmoved by most of the songs. And I realize you have to put what he was doing in the perspective of the times, I understand how revolutionary his blend of folk and rock was in a younger 1966 America, but importance is no substitute for timelessness and staying power, and I feel a lot of these songs lack staying power. So I can understand the criticism to this album, because I had them, and to an extent still have them (particularly when it comes to the 2nd CD). But i would say to the detractors put the album on rotate on your CD-player and just live with it for a week. Because that’s what I did. I gave the album several more listens, I understand some albums have to grow on you, and I did grow to quite enjoy the first half of the 2CD album. Especially the zany fun of LEOPARD SKIN PILL BOX HAT and just the addictive beauty of JUST LIKE A WOMAN, and of course as mentioned the highlight of the album… VISIONS OF JOHANNA. You could spend a lifetime decoding the beauty and imagery and meaning of that song, and find new beauty and imagery and meaning everytime. But for the winners the album had, there were still quite a few more that even with repeated listens I just didn’t like or engage with. So final verdict: an album definitely worth a listen for the ones that work, JOHANNA worth the price of the cd by itself. Just go in understanding it’s not a masterpiece (at least not an out the box one) and it will need to grow on you, and I think you’ll appreciate it. B/B-.