The Rewind Button: Highway 61 Revisited

(The Rewind Button is a group blogging project.  Every Thursday, we review an album from Rolling Stone’s Greatest Albums list.) 

I saw I’m Not There at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. It was a look at Bob Dylan’s life although his name is never mentioned. Six actors each played a facet of Dylan.

I didn’t get it. It was a brilliant film but I wasn’t a fan of Dylan so the film went completely over my head. Listening to Highway 61 Revisited helped me understand the movie.

While Dylan’s voice isn’t great and his singing can best be described as spoken voice, the lyrics on the album are amazing.

Highway 61 Revisited is like a road trip taking a road trip. Not a road trip where you’re in a nice car or SUV and you stay at nice hotels. No, Highway 61 is the road trip where it’s you, a battered car that might be leaking oil and a dry stretch of extremely flat road, maybe with a tumble weed or two. Possibly a scorpion. It’s not comfortable but once you’re settled in, it’s a great ride with a few stops so you can write down your experiences in a battered notebook.

The guitar gets you on the road and the bluesy tone keeps you moving. There’s bad coffee and even worse food but you know the views on the trip are more than worth it.

That’s Highway 61 Revisited.

Who Else is Pressing the Rewind Button:

http://zacharystevenson.com/?p=345

http://musicqwest.com/?p=862

http://1throne.com/rb/dylan61.html

http://www.pimplomat.com/2012/04/05/the-rewind-button-highway-61-revisited/