" the monotonous melody and Dylan's expressionless intoning just cannot hold the interest for what seems like the six longest minutes since the invention of time. There are times when Dylan sounds faintly like Eric Burdon and, in fact, the song would be a much more suitable vehicle for The Animals than the the composer himself. My copy of the disc bears the legend 'Prod. by Tom Wilson.' Somebody should have prodded Mr. Wilson until he agreed to lock the backing group in the cellar until the session was over."
Later he says: "It is unlikely to appeal to pop fans because of its length, monotony and uncommercial lyric. Those lyrics are another problem. He seems to be getting more obscure--there is an almost surrealist feel about his recent stuff." And he finishes up with "... it is also the record buyer's privilege to reject sub-standard Dylan. And that is what 'Like a Rolling Stone' is."
What a hoot! I wonder what the reviewer would have to say now about that classic song.
There is a chance they'd say the same thing, though, since Dylan is an artist whose poetry really resonates with some folks but grates on the nerves of others -- not much middle ground.
