Planet Waves

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Dylan had been working with The Band occasionally for almost ten years by the time Planet Waves, the first official release with the group backing him, was released in 1974. It's a solid effort with a brace of great songs ("Forever Young," "Something There Is About You"), even if the playing never rises to the fire and energy of The Basement Tapes or some of the combination's legendary live bootlegs. As he wrote Planet Waves, Dylan was at the beginning of the emotional powerslide that would result in Blood on the Tracks, so the songs veer from the bitterness of "Dirge" to the sweet hope of "Wedding Song." --Michael Ruby

Tracks:

On a Night Like This
Going, Going, Gone
Tough Mama
Hazel
Something There Is About You
Forever Young
Forever Young (Continued)
Dirge
You Angel You
Never Say Goodbye
Wedding Song

Customer Reviews:

So much potential, but sadly it's unremarkable.......2007-04-13

Yeah, it's a big shame that, despite their long history of collaboration, the only official studio album that Bob Dylan ever recorded with The Band is Planet Waves. Unfortunately, the best qualities of each entity didn't surface in this album. Just as unfortunately, though there's some worthwhile music on this album, and I love both The Band and Bob Dylan, I still can't rate it 4 or 5 stars--If Planet Waves deserves 5 stars, then how many stars do Dylan's true classics merit? No, compared to what Dylan and Bandmates were obviously capable of, Planet Waves is a 3 at best--worth checking out if you're a fan, but neither groundbreaking nor classic.

The most obvious predecessor of Planet Waves is New Morning--the songs are, for the most part, happy and focused on Dylan's family life and love for his wife and children, and the mood is loose and laid-back. However, New Morning had much more memorable songs. When it comes to Planet Waves, there are a few songwriting highlights--"Forever Young" is an obvious classic, though Dylan made the inadvisable choice of sequencing two different versions right next to each other (why???), "Something There is About You," is pretty good, and "Dirge" is an interesting, dark number that sounds atypical for Bob. Sadly, the rest is pleasant enough, but really not memorable--except for "You Angel You," in which Bob and The Band come out of their coma long enough to prove that they're not really zombie impostors. You can listen to the album a couple times, then look at the track listing and notice song titles that you don't even remember hearing.

Much as I love The Band, they don't really put on their finest show here either; the only member who really shines is Robbie Robertson, who lays down some pretty gnarly guitar lines on a few tracks. Where is Garth Hudson, who *made* The Band's first three albums pure magic, but here sits far back in the mix, only playing organ, rather than the excellent piano, sax, etc. that he was capable of? Likewise, Manuel's piano is pretty generic, Danko doesn't have strong songs to tie good basslines onto, Helm is stuck with boring mid- and slow-tempo songs, and, worst of all, Dylan only employs the amazing vocal harmony abilities of his backup band members on one or two songs. Add to that Dylan's harmonica, which sounds like it's playing in a different key from whatever song it's soloing in, and you're left with a mix that leaves little impression.

Planet Waves isn't a particularly BAD album, it's just not very memorable. When you know the breathtaking heights of which its musicians are capable of, such an album is a disappointment. Admittedly, there are a lot of people who find this album very enjoyable--more power to you if you do! I've tried to appreciate it and can't find an insertion point. If you're pretty new to Dylan's albums, this isn't a great place to start. If you're already a fan of Dylan's and The Band's music, check it out--you might be one of the people who enjoys its carefree, loose blend of folk rock. Probably the best way to appreciate it is not to expect anything too earth-shattering, and maybe you'll appreciate it as an album with some worthwhile small pleasures.

At Long, Long Last.......2007-01-16

This ol' rocker first heard Planet Waves in a Navy barracks out in Lamoore Naval Station, CA in the early 80s. I was particularly taken by two songs, the second version of Forever Young and the last track Wedding Song. Wedding Song goes back to the original Dylan-with-acoustic-guitar-and-harmonica era. I'll say one thing, neither version of Forever Young sounds like Rod Stewart's rendition, but then, what Dylan song ever sounds remotely like his when covered by anyone else anyway, know what I'm sayin'? I had to go through Helen Highwater to get this album, too. After I left Lamoore, I couldn't find it then forgot about it for a big bunch of years. When I started getting stuff from Amazon, I saw it listed in a Dylan list and ordered it. Well, I kept getting messages amounting to "we're trying to find it for you, please be patient." That turned into "there's a problem filling your order," wich I took for a bad sign. After a few months, Amazon had to admit defeat and cancel my order with sincere regrets, so I wrote it off with a sigh. A couple of years later, just for grins and giggles, I checked, and lo and behold, it was available, for real this time. I ordered it for Christmas, got it, wrapped it it up and put it under the tree. After we'd opened all the gifts and cleaned up the place, I put all the CDs I got together to file on the shelves later. Well, when I went to put them up, Planet Waves wasn't with the other CDs. It was simply gone, the one CD I craved the most. All that waiting and anticipation for nothing.... After searching throughout the house several times, I wound up reordering it and got it (again) rather quickly - whew! Needless to say, all that angst has caused me to enjoy it even more. To me, it was more than worth it and is my favorite Dylan CD. I highly recommend it as a transitional album between the "old" Dylan and his style of today. Every song comes from the heart, and considering the amount of music for which he's responsible, that's saying a lot.

Disappointing...........2007-01-15

The only song I really like here is On a Night Like This. This is a very sluggish Dylan album, which is strange, considering he hadn't made a legitimate studio album in almost 4 years (Dylan's last official album was in 1970 with New Morning). He did do a soundtrack (which is good), but it really wasn't an official "album". You'd think he have more energy after the long rest, but alas, no. It just seems like he's going through the motions here. Most of the songs here are average at best, with The Band and Dylan sounding like "let's get this over with". Dylan went on a tour (recorded for the far superior album Before the Flood) shortly after this album. Reportedly, he had some of these songs on the playlist, but as the tour wore on, he dropped them. Except for the song On a Night Like This, this is just very, very bland. It's now awful like Self Portrait or Knocked Out Loaded, just bland, boring, and disappointing.

(1.5 stars) You know what's ironic?.......2006-12-27

Bob Dylan's awesome. The Band, both as Dylan's backup group from the Blonde on Blonde sessions and as a group apart from Dylan, are pretty good too. So why is it that, when they come together, they make such near-unlistenable music?
In my mind, Dylan was drifting from '67 to '74 - after the excellent double-album Blonde on Blonde and the motorbike accident that followed, his music slipped in quality. His best offer was the mediocre Nashville Skyline, his worst the awful Self-Portrait. In other words, bad times for the guy, especially considering what he had made from '63 to '66. Anyway...
Now, Dylan's the best lyricist ever, but you wouldn't know it from this album: too often he suffers from the Attack of the Love Song Cliches (Never Say Goodbye; You Angel You, where he literally sings "If this is love/then gimmme more"; Tough Mama; On a Night Such as This; Wedding Song), all about as convincing as a Hallmark card. And the Band's backup is nauseatingly lush. There are a couple gems: the tender Hazel overcomes heavily cliched lyrics because of the emotion put behind it; the stately Forever Young is a classic, though the faster second part's a joke. Thankfully, this dry period would end right after this disaster, as Bob put out arguably his best album, Blood on the Tracks, a year afterward. But this is still a sign of the seven-year slump.

Ahead of its time.......2006-10-29

I love Planet Waves for its warmth, resolve in the face of uncertainty, and beautiful collaboration between Dylan and the members of The Band, who together create a kind of improvisational rock chamber music. The album's recording in November 1973 occurred precisely at a central turning point in Dylan's career--his reemergence as a touring artist after an interval of more than seven years. Dylan's decision to resume touring (with The Band) resonated with the source of his musicality, the "planet waves" underlying all of music, love, family, and history. Planet Waves is many things. It is the start of a narrative of departure into the unknown ("Going, Going, Gone") and a telegraphed message that "the prison walls are crumblin', there is no end in sight" ("Tough Mama"). It is a confession of self-hate for having loved a sinister enemy ("Dirge") and a ringing declaration that now "my hand's on the saber" ("Something There Is About You"). It is poems of winter and shared solitude ("On a Night Like This," "Never Say Goodbye") and of love anticipated and found ("Hazel," "You Angel You"). It is a blessing for Dylan's children ("Forever Young") and, above all, a letter of deepest love for his wife Sara ("Wedding Song"). In its entirety, Planet Waves is a summation of Dylan's life at the threshold of a new and better world.

In style and theme, Planet Waves and its successor, Blood on the Tracks, are near opposites. Planet Waves is photographic, with a focus on the present moment (the album's cover lists the exact recording dates). In contrast, the structure of Blood on the Tracks resembles a cubist painting. Blood on the Tracks makes time crystalline by reflecting against one another the past, present and future, the observer and the persons observed. Using this technique, Dylan tells anguished yet profoundly analytical tales of broken relationships. The lesson of Blood on the Tracks, as I understand it, is that love exists in a realm apart from, and not fully compatible with, the ordinary events of our daily lives.

Planet Waves and Blood on the Tracks each rank among Dylan's supreme achievements in their sweep, depth, and internal cohesiveness. Perhaps some day, as a culmination of his career, Dylan will harmonize the divergent visions of these two great works. Even if he does not accomplish this, I will always believe in the hope offered by Planet Waves.

Average customer rating:

Worth it for "Dirge"
Dylan Sings from the Soul, The Band Plays Their Hearts Out
Sexual Energy Oozes from the Pores of this Record
Bob Dylan Rocks with the Band
Love Songs for America

Planet Waves
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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New Morning
The Basement Tapes
Self Portrait
Oh Mercy
Empire Burlesque

ASIN: B0000025OP
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

On A Night Like This
Going, Going, Gone
Tough Mama
Hazel
Something There Is About You
Forever Young
Forever Young
Dirge
You Angel You
Never Say Goodbye
Wedding Song

Amazon.com

Dylan had been working with The Band occasionally for almost ten years by the time Planet Waves, the first official release with the group backing him, was released in 1974. It's a solid effort with a brace of great songs ("Forever Young," "Something There Is About You"), even if the playing never rises to the fire and energy of The Basement Tapes or some of the combination's legendary live bootlegs. As he wrote Planet Waves, Dylan was at the beginning of the emotional powerslide that would result in Blood on the Tracks, so the songs veer from the bitterness of "Dirge" to the sweet hope of "Wedding Song." --Michael Ruby

Customer Reviews:

Worth it for "Dirge".......2007-03-23

There are some fine songs here and many other reviewers have covered the most popular of them. However, very little has been said about what I consider the best song on the album and that's "Dirge" - With just a minimalist piano dirge for backing, Dylan sings this incredibly bitter song about the urge we all feel to love and the damage it does to us when it all goes wrong.

Is there anyone who cannot identify with that powerful opening line:
"I hate myself for lovin' you and the weakness that it showed" ?

Over the next few verses Dylan develops the theme of our love/hate relationship with love itself allowing the bitterness to spill over in lines like "I can't remember a useful thing you ever did for me" but then leaves himself open to love again in the last line.

Been there done that... thanks for expressing it Bob.

Then there is the added fun of trying to figure out who he is addressing. The images are of another performer... Is this Bob at the tail end of his marriage reflecting on where he stood with Joan Baez? Or is that reading the song too literally? The fact that it is open ended enough to allow people to interpret it their own way is another plus for the song. A mere "Dirge" it certainly isn't.

Dylan Sings from the Soul, The Band Plays Their Hearts Out.......2006-09-04

Bob Dylan has recorded with many bands over the years, but this record he recorded with THE BAND, a group who were intimately grooved into his music and it shows. They play their hearts out and Dylan sings from the soul. This is my absolute favorite Bob Dylan album. I have friends who think I'm a bit nuts, because I'm playing this CD all the time. "Forever Young," on the album twice, is an absolutely true song. All the songs on this record, in fact, ring true. Dylan's voice, always recognizable, has changed quite a lot from album to album, but here he is in top form. If you want a good intro into Bob Dylan, you couldn't find a better place to start.

Sexual Energy Oozes from the Pores of this Record.......2006-04-03

This is a great record for Bob Dylan and Band fans alike. To my way of thinking the Band does some of their best work here. As good as on their first album when they were raw and great. Bob Dylan's voice is in fine form on this album as well, whether he's spitting out the words in "Tough Songs" or singing them from his heart in "Wedding Song." I have this CD in my changer in the car and listen to it a lot. I've got it on my iPod too, my iBook as well. Garth Hudson is magical on the organ, Levon Helm is drumming to beat the band, Robbie rips with his guitar. Sexual energy oozes from the pores of this record.

Bob Dylan Rocks with the Band.......2006-04-03

Though Dylan and the Band had played together a lot before this record (the Basement tapes and the 1967 tour), this is the first recording of them together that was released and I must say the Band's playing on this record is vastly different than those times, different than the live "Before the Flood" as well. I get almost a loose, playful feeling from them here, driven by Garth's excellent keyboards and Robbie's stunning guitar work. Love songs, dirges, uplifting songs, tough songs and torch songs, this is a record for the ages. Yes, it was overshadowed by "Blood on the Tracks," but it's been years now and still "Planet Waves" stands the test of time. I really like this record.

Love Songs for America.......2006-04-03

There is kind of a honky tonk, funky type groove to this record that I really like. It's a stunning departure from "Nashville Skyline" and "New Morning." This is a rocker with a good time feel to it that I don't think is seen again by Bob Dylan till "Love and Theft" in about three decades. I love the accordion in "On a Night Like This," and also the way the Band punches up that tough love song, "Tough Mama." Robbie Robertson is certainly one of the best guitar players to ever come down the pike. Both versions of "Forever Young" are outstanding, but I like the longer version better. And I adore "Wedding Song," even knowing as I do that Dylan's happy marriage is about to be torn asunder. It's a beautiful song that caps a beautiful record.

Average customer rating:

Some are throw-away songs but...
Ahead of its time
Dylan Sings from the Soul, The Band Plays Their Hearts Out
Sexual Energy Oozes from the Pores of this Record
Bob Dylan Rocks with the Band

Planet Waves
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Oh Mercy
Desire
Infidels
John Wesley Harding
Street Legal

ASIN: B0000C8AW5
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Tracks:

On A Night Like This
Going Going Gone
Tough Mama
Hazel
Something There Is About You
Forever Young
Forever Young - Uptempo
Dirge
You Angel You
Never Say Goodbye
Wedding Song

Customer Reviews:

Some are throw-away songs but..........2007-01-10

Bob Dylan's throw-aways are as good as most songwriters ever write. I enjoy Planet Waves more than I did thirty years ago. Some classics, "Forever Young", "Hazel". The Band's playing is complex and interesting. The storm clouds gather for Blood On The Tracks.

Ahead of its time.......2006-10-28

Dylan Sings from the Soul, The Band Plays Their Hearts Out.......2006-09-04

Sexual Energy Oozes from the Pores of this Record.......2006-05-20

Bob Dylan Rocks with the Band.......2006-05-20

Though Dylan and the Band had played together a lot before this record (the Basement tapes and the 1967 tour), this is the first recording of them together that was released and I must say the Band's playing on this record is vastly different than those times, different than the live "Before the Flood" as well. I get almost a lose, playful feeling from them here, driven by Garth's excellent keyboards and Robbie's stunning guitar work. Love songs, dirges, uplifting songs, tough songs and torch songs, this is a record for the ages. Yes, it was overshadowed by "Blood on the Tracks," but it's been years now and still "Planet Waves" stands the test of time. I really like this record.

Planet Hollywood - Favorite Movie Tracks/

Average customer rating:

Planet Hollywood - Favorite Movie Tracks/
Katrina & The Waves , Blondie , George Thorogood & The Destroyers , Technotronic , M.C. Hammer , Al Green , The Chiffons , The Exciters , The Beach Boys , and Jackie DeShannon
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000ENQUJI

Product Description

Planet Hollywood - Favorite Movie Tracks// 1. Katrina & The Waves - Walking on sunshine 2. Blondie - One way or another 3. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Bad to the bone 4. Technotronic - Pump up the jam 5. M.C. Hammer - Pray 6. Al Green - Let's stay together 7. The Chiffons - One fine day 8. The Exciters - Tell him 9. The Beach Boys - Sloop John B 10. Jackie DeShannon - What the world needs

Average customer rating:

Dylan Sings from the Soul, The Band Plays Their Hearts Out
Sexual Energy Oozes from the Pores of this Record
Bob Dylan Rocks with the Band
Love Songs for America
Torch Song Lyrics

Planet Waves
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Street Legal
Infidels
Oh Mercy
Slow Train Coming
John Wesley Harding

ASIN: B0002J54J6
Release Date: 2005-01-04

Tracks:

On a Night Like This
Going, Going, Gone
Tough Mama
Hazel
Something There Is About You
Forever Young
Forever Young (Continued)
Dirge
You Angel You
Never Say Goodbye
Wedding Song

Album Description

Japanese remastered reissue packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. CBS/Sony. 2004.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.

Customer Reviews:

Dylan Sings from the Soul, The Band Plays Their Hearts Out.......2006-09-04

Sexual Energy Oozes from the Pores of this Record.......2006-04-03

Bob Dylan Rocks with the Band.......2006-04-03

Though Dylan and the Band had played together a lot before this record (the Basement tapes and the 1967 tour), this is the first recording of them together that was released and I must say the Band's playing on this record is vastly different than those times, different than the live "Before the Flood" as well. I get almost a lose, playful feeling from them here, driven by Garth's excellent keyboards and Robbie's stunning guitar work. Love songs, dirges, uplifting songs, tough songs and torch songs, this is a record for the ages. Yes, it was overshadowed by "Blood on the Tracks," but it's been years now and still "Planet Waves" stands the test of time. I really like this record.

Love Songs for America.......2006-04-03

Torch Song Lyrics.......2006-04-03

I believe that "Planet Waves" has been overlooked by so many because of the fact that "Blood on the Tracks" was Bob Dylan's next album. "Tracks" is certainly one of the greatest records ever released and it's not surprising that it over shadows "Planet Waves" or any other record for that matter. That said, this is an outstanding piece of work. I've read that this record was recorded in only three days and that to me is a testament of Bob Dylan's genius. Love seems to be the them that runs through this record and when you consider that that love is going to be totally shattered on "Track" not long after, then you can really appreciate how Dylan wear's his heart on his sleeve in his music. The band, despite the fact that they are a band that spends hours on their own stuff, is superb on this record, their music blending so fine with Dylan's torch song lyrics, much better than on "The Basement Tapes." Even better than the two live albums recorded with them. Highly recommended by me, but then I highly recommend everything Bob Dylan has recorded, so what's new?

Average customer rating:

Planet Waves

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000A3H6GI
Release Date: 2005-09-22

Album Description

Japanese pressing of the 1974 album has been fully remastered and features the original 11 tracks including 'You Angel You', 'Tough Mama', 'Forever Young', 'Wedding Song' & 'Going, Going, Gone'. Sony. 2005.

Average customer rating:

Planet Waves
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005G8QR

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