What if the record company had balked and told Bob Dylan to make Blonde on Blonde two albums instead of a double album.
The actual album has two distinct sounds to it. One is a heavy blues sound that occasionally veers off into a cacaphony.
If the color of those songs are “blue” then the other material in Blonde on Blonde is probably best described as “gold” – like a precious metal, these songs glisten in the light and are heavy in the dark.
Songs that are definitely “Blues”:
Rainy Day Women #12 & #35
Pledging My Time
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
Just Like A Woman
Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I Go Mine)
Temporary Like Achilles
Obviously Five Believers
Songs that are definitely “Gold”:
Visions of Johanna
One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)
I Want You
Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
Absolutely Sweet Marie
Fourth Time Around
Here are the side lengths of the original album:
Side 1: 20:53
Side 2: 19:02
Side 3: 20:39
Side 4: 11:23
Yes, Side Four is one song not included above – Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. How do we fit SELOTL onto our album? The sound of the song is easy to qualify as “gold” given these two choices. With an apparent limit of 21 minutes per side we simply move Absolutely Sweet Marie to Side Two of the “blues” album, giving it a length of 17:04. Blonde on Blonde as released averages 18 minutes per side. Making the “gold” version balanced in time on each side requires tinkering with the song order. Move Fourth Time Around to Side One of the “gold” album and here is what you get:
BLUES ON BLONDE
Side One:
Rainy Day Women #12 & #35
Pledging My Time
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
Just Like A Woman
(Total Time: 17:16)
Side Two:
Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I Go Mine)
Temporary Like Achilles
Obviously Five Believers
Absolutely Sweet Marie
(Total Time: 17:04)
GOLD ON BLONDE
Side One:
Visions of Johanna
One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)
I Want You
Fourth Time Around
(Total Time: 21:09)
Side Two:
Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
Sad Eyed Lady of The Lowlands
(Total Time: 18:28)
I made two separate playlists on Itunes with these.