Album #4: Another Side of Bob Dylan

 Release date: August 8, 1964.

I guess this is “another side” in the sense that these songs aren’t as pointedly political, deal with more general social issues and include more songs about relationships, but who knows what Columbia was thinking. There are also a few songs, like Chimes of Freedom, which have imagery hinting at what he’ll do later. This is the album that reflects his growing interest in Rimbaud, but also his disintegrating relationship with Suze Rotolo (I never want to hear Ballad in Plain D again; even Dylan himself said he probably shouldn’t have written it.) It makes for kind of a mishmash. 

I should probably say Chimes of Freedom is my favorite, because it’s considered one of his key works, but I’m going to be shallow and pick Motorpsycho Nightmare, because it’s hilarious. It uses the same structure and essentially the same melody as Bob Dylan’s 115th dream, coming up in the next album! 

Well, I couldn’t leave
Unless the old man chased me out
’Cause I’d already promised
That I’d milk his cows
I had to say something
To strike him very weird
So I yelled out
“I like Fidel Castro and his beard”
Rita looked offended
But she got out of the way
As he came charging down the stairs
Sayin’, “What’s that I heard you say?”


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