Comments for Dylan, Bob, Street Legal

Changing of the Guards: Hey, Gen X was just about to be born. Senior - Bob's gettin' serious again. Pay Attention!

It's not that "Street Legal" is a bad album. The writing is very good. There are no weak songs on it at all. Just somehow - compared to "Freewheelin,""Another Side Of..," "Bringing It All Back Home,""Highway 61,""Blonde On Blonde," "JWH,""Blood On The Tracks,""Desire," and "Oh Mercy: just seem to like all those albums much better.

After the passion of "Desire," he sounds awfully tired here. Only "Changing of the Guard" jumps out with the energy of his earlier work.

The weak production sinks this album. A big band and a muddy mix don't make it - too bad, since there is some great stuff hidden on this album.

Just like with albums from any other Dylan phase Street Legal will grow on the listener if he/she listens to it enough. It is obvious that not enough time was put into some of the songs, but there still are a few jems (Changing of the Guards, Senor, Tales of Yankee Power). Most of the writing on this album is very high quality (No Time to think, Where are you tonight, Baby Stop Crying). And of course there is the crap (New Pony). The arrangements are very different from anythting before it, and I think that's the reason why it is so underrated. Something about Bob Dylan and soulful female backups plus a sax, and trumpet player make this album hard to catch onto.

This album moved me a lot when it first came out, but it hasn''t had the same staying power, for me, as his classics. I think it''s a very worthwhile album if you are a Dylan fan who is not familiar with it. "Changing of the Guard" plays with mythological imagery and paints an obscure picture that seems to portend cosmic import. It has some great lines like, "Better get ready for elimination, or else your heart must have the courage of the changing of the guards." The album does suffer, as has been noted, from a muddy production. It sounds a little overcooked. It also has the feel of desperation to it- Dylan just hanging on by the skin of his teeth to his mental and physical and spiritual well-being. Listen to "No Time to Think." I like very much "Is Your Love In Vain" which transcends its seemingly sexist, self-indulgent lyrics. The great song dor me on this collection has always been "Seņor" which hints at social apocalypse, but just as surely points to personal apocalypse.

One of the most underrated Dylan albums. The writing is in top form, only the artis suffers from a lazy band and production. There is a quality of "unfinished" with most of the songs. But all`n`all there really isn`t a real clinker in the bunch, and some borders on great Dylan. Favorites: Changing of the Guards, No Time to Think, Baby Stop Crying, and Is Your Love in Vain (4 of the first 5 songs). Good stuff - rating **** out of 5.