BOB DYLAN'S HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED

One of the most canonized rock LPs of all time, for good reason, Bob Dylan's HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED, released in the fall of 1965, was arguably the first "psychedelic" album. It's no exaggeration to say few artists had such command of an audience and the moment as completely as Dylan at that time. In Mark Polizotti's tribute to the LP, he uses quotes from Dylan, his collaborators, and noted rock scholars to paint a picture of Dylan's social and musical evolution to that point. Like most Dylan fanatics, he has a tendency to ascribe almost-saintly attributes to the maestro, and Victor Bevine's narration, brimming with resonance but infused with a haughty air, is the kind of studied performance a natural like Dylan would hate. J.S.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2009]