Bob Dylan • Highway 61 Revisited
Dylan • Highway 61 Revisited • 1965
Highway 61 Revisited. This record is a studio album (the sixth) by former folk music star, turned pop/rock artist, Bob Dylan. He named the album after the North-South American highway which runs from his birthplace of Duluth, Minnesota at the U.S./Canadian border, all the way South to Midwest and Southern cities which have rich musical heritages, including St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, as well as the Delta area in Southern Mississippi which was a breeding ground for the blues. Bob Dylan viewed Highway 61 as a sort of major artery running through the heart and soul of America and the deep heritage of blues, jazz, rock, country and pop music. All of these musical traditions grew up there.
The route passes the birthplaces of many music pioneers like Muddy Waters, Elvis Presley, blues legend Robert Johnson, blues artist Roosevelt Sykes, and a long list of many others.
A couple of years ago I read Bob Dylan’s memoir, Chronicles, Volume One, and he commented on this: “Highway 61, the main thoroughfare of the country blues, begins about where I began. I always felt like I'd started on it, always had been on it and could go anywhere, even down in to the deep Delta country. It was the same road, full of the same contradictions, the same one-horse towns, the same spiritual ancestors ... It was my place in the universe, always felt like it was in my blood."
This project was a dramatic turning point for Dylan’s career. Having just returned from a tour of England, he was exhausted and burned out on the music and the response of “fans.” Then he started work on this album, beginning with the song which changed everything! In his own words, “I was going to quit singing. I was very drained, and the way things were going, it was a very draggy situation ... But 'Like a Rolling Stone' changed it all. I mean it was something that I myself could dig.” Then came the rest of the album, and it breathed new life into the musical energy of Bob Dylan.
Highway 61 Revisited hit No. 3 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It was highly praised by critics, and has often been described as one of the greatest albums of all time, ranking No. 4 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was voted No. 26 in Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums.
Of its individual songs, “Like a Rolling Stone" was a top-10 hit in several countries, and was listed at No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Two other songs on the album, "Desolation Row" and "Highway 61 Revisited", were listed at No. 187 and No. 373 respectively.
Writer Michael Gray suggested that in one sense, the 1960s “started" with this album. I only started listening to Bob Dylan’s early albums within the last 10 years. In that process, I’ve come to realize why Dylan was virtually the most influential musical artist of the 20th century. I realize that people either like Dylan or they don’t, but if you lived your whole life and missed listening to this record, you’d be the poorer for it.
Below, check out some of these classic tracks for yourself:
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Here is a Highway 61 Revisited Playlist on Spotify:
Take a look at these videos to check out some live performances from this album:
Like a Rolling Stone • Live at the Newport Festival:
Highway 61 • Live Performance
For a more detailed analysis, check out this excellent Rolling Stone Review:
