Planet Waves

Slothrop: Fuck you, Ass-Head. This is not the confession you're cloying to hear. It is, if Slothrop's count is correct, the 13th consecutive album for which Slothrop's cock is at full mast. What an uplifting comfort to listen to  "On a Night Like This" and the two versions (one plaintive, one resiliantly jubilant, much like the album itself) of "Forever Young". The precursory chill to "Idiot Wind" that is "Dirge" is crushing in its sadness and resigned acceptance; "Wedding Song" with its dark, jagged melody that attacks marriage and its lie that we can will love past all accident makes us believe we can, still, anyway. But for the first time, Slothrop discerns a gap between the great songs and the good ones as an actual shadowy presence on the album. Previous Dylan albums that had good but not great songs still sounded like part of a greater whole, they just fit right in there, much like the Dude. Yet on Planet Waves, they feel like small towns along the highway. This is the first Dylan album that doesn't seem to do anything new or moving, as far as the innovation of form is concerned, in itself or in the context of his evolution. It's just a great album of good and great songs. Or perhaps Slothrop can't quite listen to this on its own terms because he knows what's coming next. Either way, fuck you Ass-Head. 

There are those who worship loneliness, I'm not one of them,

In this age of fiberglass I'm searching for a gem.
The crystal ball up on the wall hasn't shown me nothing yet,
I've paid the price of solitude, but at last I'm out of debt.

Ass-Headed Bottom: Finally! A Dylan album Slothrop doesn't like.