Highway 61 Revisited is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released by Columbia Records in August 1965. Having until then recorded mostly acoustic music, Dylan used rock musicians as his backing band on every track of the album, except for the closing 11-minute ballad, "Desolation Row". Critics have focused on the innovative way in which Dylan combined driving, blues-based music with the subtlety of poetry to create songs that captured the political and cultural chaos of contemporary America. Author Michael Gray has argued that in an important sense the 1960s "started" with this album.[1]Leading with the hit single "Like a Rolling Stone", the album features songs that Dylan has continued to perform live over his long career, including "Ballad of a Thin Man" and "Highway 61 Revisited". He named the album after the major North American highway connecting his birthplace, Duluth, Minnesota, to southern cities famed for their musical heritage, including St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans.Highway 61 Revisited peaked at No. 3 in the United States charts and No. 4 in the United Kingdom. The album was ranked No. 4 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. "Like a Rolling Stone" was a top-10 hit in several countries, and was listed at No. 1 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Two other songs, "Desolation Row", and "Highway 61 Revisited", were listed at No. 187 and No. 373 respectively.
Side one No. Title Length 1. "Like a Rolling Stone" 6:132. "Tombstone Blues" 5:583. "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" 4:094. "From a Buick 6" 3:195. "Ballad of a Thin Man" 5:58Side two No. Title Length 6. "Queen Jane Approximately" 5:317. "Highway 61 Revisited" 3:308. "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" 5:319. "Desolation Row" 11:21
Bob Dylan – guitar, harmonica, piano, vocals, police car noisesAdditional musicians Mike Bloomfield – guitar Harvey Brooks – bass guitar Bobby Gregg – drums Paul Griffin – organ, piano Al Kooper – organ, piano Sam Lay – drums Charlie McCoy – guitar Frank Owens – piano Russ Savakus – bass guitar
