HBD Bob Dylan!
Bob Dylan turns 80 today. All due respect (and it’s well-deserved) but my favorite period of his music was 55 years ago, in 1965/1966.
This was when he turned away from the folk “protest songs” that made him famous and “went electric” embracing Rock ‘n’ Roll. His albums of this period, “Bringing It All Back Home,” “Highway 61 Revisited” and “Blonde On Blonde” are not perfect, but include the most dynamic work of his career.
His best tracks are the angry songs (“Like A Rolling Stone”), the absurd funny ones (“Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream”), and the combination of both (“Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat").
A live record of his show at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1966 captures the sense of an artist pushing outside his comfort zone, and that of his audience, to great effect.
HBD Mr. Dylan!
Illustration: “Dont Look Back” photo novel, signed by author D.A. Pennebaker.