6. Mr Tambourine Man - Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeP4FFr88SQ One of the choice cuts from the acoustic half of Dylans landmark Bringing It All Back Home, Mr Tambourine Man saw the recently-converted electric musician fully embrace the surrealism that he hinted at on early folk tracks such as Talkin World War III Blues. Moving away from the political commentaries that lead him to be branded the voice of a generation, Dylans foray into the fantastical can be seen as a direct attempt to shed this heavy tag. A track with a hazy, dreamy vibe that compounds the artists rejection of the real, Mr Tambourine Man is a jubilant ode to the breaking down of barriers, of immersing oneself in ecstasy, of losing oneself to fiction, fantasy and music. Betraying the influence of noted and prodigious French poet, Arthur Rimbaud, this track is a mystical journey into the psyche and the very make-up of the soul; a spiritual voyage of self-discovery and a celebration of indulgence and freedom that really captures the essence of the 60s and its emphasis on experimentation and individual exploration. And the last verse, an uninhibited description of merriment and content, ranks amongst Bobs very best analyses of human emotion. High praise indeed, but listen, and youll understand why.
Dan Owens
Contributor
A 22 year old English Literature graduate from Birmingham. I am passionate about music, literature and football, in particular, my beloved Aston Villa. Lover of words and consumer of art, music is the very air that I breathe.
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