Dylan's Greatest Record--and His Biggest Flop

"Highway 61" is still the greatest album by anyone ever. But a few months later his new single went nowhere. Too much cowbell?

Greg Mitchell is the author of more than a dozen books including “The Tunnels” “Tricky Dick and the Pink Lady” and “The Campaign of the Century” and now writer/director of three award-winning films aired via PBS, including “Atomic Cover-up” and “Memorial Day Massacre.” You can still subscribe to this newsletter for free. Watch the trailer for his new film “The Atomic Bowl: Football at Ground Zero & The Forgotten Bomb.”

Only two days until Bobmas Day with the release of the Timmy/Zimmy flick “A Complete Unknown.” We’ve been gearing up here with recent posts on my first Dylan concert (in 1965) and offering you 16 of the best cover versions of his songs. Now, below, I re-assemble, in the same running order—but using only alternate takes that you probably have not heard—what I consider (and many agree) is still the greatest rock ‘n roll album ever: Bob’s breakthrough “Highway 61 Re-visited” which must be where the new movie climaxes.

But first, if you missed, for the holidays, Hozier with the Pogues’ classic “Fairytale of New York” from SNL this past Saturday.

“Highway 61 Revisited” Revisited

Okay, here we go, all alt-takes, same running order. Of course they feature Mike Bloomfield on burning guitar, Al Kooper on organ, Paul Griffin with stunning piano etc. Nothing like most of this had ever been heard before on record, instrumentally and verbally. And it’s a real rock ‘n roll record—with so little real rock today making the year-end “Best of 2024” list it can also be considered a “throwback.”

Track #1: This brief piano-based fragment of “Like a Rolling Stone” has been around awhile but still a nice way to ease into things.

Now a full-fledged alternate version of same, perhaps startling in spots since you’ve heard the released cut so many times.

Just for fun—you can put this on a loop and play it all day in background—the entire song with isolated piano and bass only.

Track #2: “Tombstone Blues.” Bloomfield playing so hot that Bob has to end it a little early and jokes that maybe they need to “put a wall up” to block Bloomy’s sound a bit.

Track #3 “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” lies somewhere between other takes that were a little slower or faster.

Track #4 “From a Buick 6,” certainly one of the hardest-driving rockers ever.

Track 5 The “Ballad of a Thin Man,” fantastic until it breaks down at end. Somewhere is starting to happen here but we still don’t know what it is.

Most of a live version of same, with The Hawks (later The Band), as they get hooted by audience.

Track 6: “Queen Jane Approximately,” never my favorite cut but in a more sprightly version here.

Track 7: “Highway 61” blasts your ears off and still witty.

Track 8: And the classics keep on coming, with “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”

Track 9: Two versions of the epic “Desolation Row.” First, a short piano demo.

Now, an alternate electric version, with Al Kooper on electric guitar (versus the more acoustic “Spanish” guitar on the released version).

End of album, whoa, but below: an alternate version of his “Can You Please Come Out Your Window.” Near the end of 1965 it followed his hit singles of “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Positively 4th Street” and went…nowhere. Bob had recorded it with and without the Hawks. Allegedly, Bob famously threw Phil Ochs out of his limo when Phil had the nerve to predict it would not be a smash. Perhaps Phil agreed with me: Too much cowbell! And already a little too “Dylanesque.” But hell, I bought it, and still have it. Did not appear on an official release for decades. This alt-version below is better for its lack of cowbell….And here is link to little-known cover version by obscure group The Vacels that actually came out before Bob’s.