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The title is makeshift and rather ugly, not wanted by Dylan, but it is partly on point. The political song, queen of Dylan's first two authored albums, makes way for love and introspection. Only "Chimes of Freedom", a lengthy and extraordinary piece, echoes the themes of "The Times They Are A-Changin’". It's sixty-four, rebellion is raging outside, and Dylan says: hold on, I'm not the one you're looking for to sing, I have other things to say and a bunch of ideas. I'm not Woody Guthrie, let me be.
So those who bought "Another Side" were baffled until the fourth piece: but where is the anger? Here there is love, there is divertissement, there are three superfluous pieces ("All I Really Want To Do", "Black Crow Blues", Dylan’s first time on piano, "Spanish Harlem Incident", although this one has something special that captures me every time).
Then comes "Chimes of Freedom" and you think: Okay, he was pulling our leg, here’s the old Bobby. A few pieces slide by, among which the sweet "To Ramona", you turn the vinyl, and that’s it, no more explicit political songs are found, not until George Jackson of '71. Yes, Dylan can sing about other things as well: about himself, for example with an absolute masterpiece like "My Back Pages"; the electric version of the '78 tour is stunning, about ended love, "I Don’t Believe You" (adorable), "Ballad In Plain D" (a jumble of wrong chords but heart-wrenching) and "It Ain’t Me Babe", one of Dylan’s most performed songs in concert, one of his standout tracks. All recorded in a single overnight session, with a bottle of French wine, legend says, and without having reviewed the chord progressions. Thus comes out a great cluttered and random album: Dylanesque, in a word, highs and lows, or rather, very highs and lows.
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