Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde

 

Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde on numbered, limited edition Hybrid SACD from Mobile Fidelity

Recorded with one of the most Ear-awakening lineups ever assembled: Al Kooper, "Pig" Robbins, Joe South, Kenny Buttrey, and The Band's Rick Danko and Robbie Robertson among musicians

Vaudeville, pop, fiery rock 'n' roll, Memphis blues, folk-derived sagas among enriched palette of styles

Ranked No. 9 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

Blonde on Blonde: A double album that transcends time, defies space, suspends reality, and looks through the human soul and tells the listener characteristics about themselves they didn't know. Professor Sean Wilentz, historian-in-residence for Bob Dylan's website, comes as close to summing up its brilliance in his superb Bob Dylan In America as any who've tried: "The songs are rich meditations on desire, frailty, promises, boredom, hurt, envy, connections, missed connections, paranoia, and transcendent beauty-in short, the lures and snare of love, stock themes of rock and pop music, but written with a powerful literary imagination and played out in a pop netherworld." No lie.

As part of its Bob Dylan catalog restoration series, Mobile Fidelity is thoroughly humbled to have the privilege of mastering the iconic LP from the original master tapes and pressing it on 45RPM LPs at RTI. The end result is the very finest, most transparent analog edition of Blonde on Blonde ever produced. Forever renowned for what the Bard deemed "that thin, that wild mercury sound," the album's famed aural character lives and breathes on this superb version, with wider and deeper grooves affording playback of previously buried information and lifelike presentation of the studio sessions.

Prized for a unique sound that cultural critic Greil Marcus tagged "the most glamorous record imaginable; listening you [can] see the checkered jester's suit Dylan had worn on stage for the nine previous, furious months," Blonde on Blonde is to music, production, prose, and performance as what hydrogen is to water. The secret to its inimitable aural character partially stems from Dylan's request in Nashville to producer Bob Johnston to remove the baffles from the studio room, allowing the musicians to interact as well as the music to assume a more organic quality that drifts from one microphone to another. Mobile Fidelity's reissue captures this ensemble ambience, with echoes, resonation, and some of the most natural timbres you'll ever hear in plain sight.

The story of Blonde on Blonde is almost as compelling as the music within. Dylan, frustrated with how initial attempts fared in New York, relocating to Tennessee and pairing with Nashville's top session players as well as members of what would become the Band, feverishly chasing perfectionism while also arriving at an on-the-fly feel that remains a reference point for recorded music. The Bard sweated over lyrics, demanded his band get the exact sounds he heard in his head, and limited most takes to a handful at most. A majority of songs were recorded long after midnight, the post-A.M. vibe reflected in the nocturnal aura, woozy optimism, inversion of intervals, and spiritual soulfulness of the playing.

 

1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

2. Pledging My Time

3. Visions Of Johanna

4. One Of Us Must Know

5. I Want You

6. Memphis Blues Again

7. Leopard-skin Pill-box Hat

8. Just Like A Woman

9. Most Likely You Go You Way And I'll Go Mine

10. Temporary Like Achilles

11. Absolutely Sweet Marie

12. 4th Time Around

13. Obviously 5 Believers

14. Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands

Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 3 person(s) rated this product.

Prefer to Mono Mix posted on 04/27/2019 5 Stars Reviewer: Bob From Boston I have this in the mono mix from the box set, and I much prefer the MFSL stereo mix. There are enough instruments that it sounds right to have some separation of instruments. When it's just Dylan and his guitar, I prefer the mono.

A MUST HAVE FOR DYLAN FANS posted on 04/25/2013 5 Stars Reviewer: Clive No background noise so the listener can enjoy the music in detail. This recording captures excellent depth in the voice and the mouthorgan is sharp with no distortion. A must have recording.

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