Emily's Albums A to Z

Listened: Wednesday May 26

I have to start this review by saying I’ve always hated Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (aka Everybody Must Get Stoned). Potheads are the only ones who like it… it’s not a great song and it’s a crappy song to lead the album with!

I do love Visions of Johanna, One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later), I Want You, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, Just Like A Woman, and 4th Time Around.

I particularly love the lyrics from the latter song:

I stood there and hummed
I tapped on her drum and asked her how come
And she buttoned her boot
And straightened her suit
Then she said, “Don’t get cute”
So I forced my hands in my pockets
And felt with my thumbs
And gallantly handed her
My very last piece of gum

To me this always makes me think of a guy asking a girl what gets her off, she clams up and is too prudish to talk about it, so he gives up on being generous and suggests that they get down to the business of vanilla intercourse instead (gum = condom).

Otherwise, Blonde on Blonde is a lot of surrealistic rapping that’s fun to sing along to, but you really don’t know what the heck is being talked about most of the time. But that’s OK. Also I imagine the cover was quite shocking at the time – not a very complementary picture that’s also out of focus, which seems like a drug reference. I also had never noticed before – he’s almost wearing a keffiyeh scarf (a modern-day hipster accessory if there ever was one). Ahead of his time!