Knocked Out Loaded
Encyclopedia
Knocked Out Loaded is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan
's 24th studio album
, released by Columbia Records
in July 1986.
The album was received poorly upon release, and is still considered by some critics to be one of Dylan's least-engaging efforts. However, the 11-minute epic "Brownsville Girl
"— co-written by Sam Shepard
—has been cited as one of his best by some critics.
"True Confessions" tour in June. One song, "Maybe Someday", paraphrases a line from T. S. Eliot's
poem Journey of the Magi: Eliot's "And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly" becomes in Dylan "Through hostile cities and unfriendly towns".
sessions, receiving uniform praise. Robert Christgau
called it "one of the greatest and most ridiculous of [Dylan's] great ridiculous epics. Doesn't matter who came up with such lines as 'She said even the swap meets around here are getting corrupt' and 'I didn't know whether to duck or run, so I ran' — they're classic Dylan."
The album as a whole was generally (but not universally) panned, as was its followup, Down in the Groove
. "Knocked Out Loaded is ultimately a depressing affair," wrote Anthony DeCurtis
in his review published in Rolling Stone Magazine, "because its slipshod, patchwork nature suggests that Dylan released this LP not because he had anything in particular to say, but to cash in on his 1986 tour. Even worse, it suggests Dylan's utter lack of artistic direction." In the Howard Sounes book Down The Highway: The Life Of Bob Dylan, it is reported that Dylan said "if the records I'm making only sell a certain amount anyway, then why should I take so long putting them together?"
Sales for Knocked Out Loaded were considered weak, as it peaked at #53 on U.S. charts and #35 in the UK.
Dylan has played few songs from this album in concert; "Driftin' Too Far From Shore", with 14 performances (all but one in 1988), is the most frequently performed. Four songs remain unplayed, while the other three have together been aired only five times.
In recent years the album has gained a cult following among some Dylan fans who believe it is one of his least-understood works, but critical consensus remains negative, with recent reviews from Salon.com
to Rolling Stone Magazine calling it a "career-killer" and "the absolute bottom of the Dylan barrel" respectively.
Columbia has yet to remaster this album, but it is available on compact disc.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's 24th studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, released by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in July 1986.
The album was received poorly upon release, and is still considered by some critics to be one of Dylan's least-engaging efforts. However, the 11-minute epic "Brownsville Girl
Brownsville Girl
"Brownsville Girl" is a song from Bob Dylan's 1986 album, Knocked Out Loaded. It is notable for its eleven-minute and 5 second length and for being co-written by playwright Sam Shepard...
"— co-written by Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
—has been cited as one of his best by some critics.
Composition
The album includes three cover songs, three collaborations with other songwriters, and two solo compositions by Dylan himself. Most of the album was recorded in the spring of 1986 (several tracks built on instrumental tracks from 1985 sessions), but one track, "Got My Mind Made Up", was reportedly recorded during a one-day break in the Dylan/Tom PettyTom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
"True Confessions" tour in June. One song, "Maybe Someday", paraphrases a line from T. S. Eliot's
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
poem Journey of the Magi: Eliot's "And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly" becomes in Dylan "Through hostile cities and unfriendly towns".
Reception
The album earned mostly negative reactions, with only a rewritten version of an outtake ("New Danville Girl'", retitled "Brownsville Girl") recorded during the Empire BurlesqueEmpire Burlesque
Empire Burlesque is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 23rd studio album, released by Columbia Records in June 1985. The album peaked at #33 in the US and #11 in the UK....
sessions, receiving uniform praise. Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
called it "one of the greatest and most ridiculous of [Dylan's] great ridiculous epics. Doesn't matter who came up with such lines as 'She said even the swap meets around here are getting corrupt' and 'I didn't know whether to duck or run, so I ran' — they're classic Dylan."
The album as a whole was generally (but not universally) panned, as was its followup, Down in the Groove
Down in the Groove
Down in the Groove is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 25th studio album, released by Columbia Records in May 1988.A highly collaborative effort, it was Dylan's second consecutive album to receive almost unanimous negative reviews...
. "Knocked Out Loaded is ultimately a depressing affair," wrote Anthony DeCurtis
Anthony DeCurtis
Anthony DeCurtis is an American author and music critic, who has written for Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Relix and other publications.-Career:...
in his review published in Rolling Stone Magazine, "because its slipshod, patchwork nature suggests that Dylan released this LP not because he had anything in particular to say, but to cash in on his 1986 tour. Even worse, it suggests Dylan's utter lack of artistic direction." In the Howard Sounes book Down The Highway: The Life Of Bob Dylan, it is reported that Dylan said "if the records I'm making only sell a certain amount anyway, then why should I take so long putting them together?"
Sales for Knocked Out Loaded were considered weak, as it peaked at #53 on U.S. charts and #35 in the UK.
Dylan has played few songs from this album in concert; "Driftin' Too Far From Shore", with 14 performances (all but one in 1988), is the most frequently performed. Four songs remain unplayed, while the other three have together been aired only five times.
In recent years the album has gained a cult following among some Dylan fans who believe it is one of his least-understood works, but critical consensus remains negative, with recent reviews from Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
to Rolling Stone Magazine calling it a "career-killer" and "the absolute bottom of the Dylan barrel" respectively.
Columbia has yet to remaster this album, but it is available on compact disc.
Outtakes
The following songs were recorded during the Knocked Out Loaded sessions. None of the tracks are circulating. The tracks without writer credits may or may not be original Dylan compositions.- "The Beautiful Life"
- "Come Back Baby, One More Time"
- "I Need Your Love"
- "Lonely AvenueLonely Avenue"Lonely Avenue" is a popular song written by Doc Pomus that became a rhythm and blues hit for Ray Charles in 1956. The song drew the attention of the music business to Doc Pomus, who had previously had little success as a songwriter.-Covers:...
" (Doc PomusDoc PomusJerome Solon Felder, better known as Doc Pomus , was a twentieth-century American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lyricist of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category of non-performer in 1992. He was also inducted into...
) - "So Good"
- "Too Late, She’s Gone" (Tim Davis, Ricky Clinton Ryan)
- "Unchain My Heart" (James Freddy, Agnes Jones)
- "Wild & Wicked World" (J. D. Miller, George Sherry)
- "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" (Danny Small)
- "You'll Never Walk AloneYou'll Never Walk Alone (song)"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the...
" (Richard RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
)
Track listing
- "You Wanna Ramble" (Little Junior ParkerJunior ParkerJunior Parker was an American Memphis blues singer and musician. He is best remembered for his unique voice which has been described as "honeyed," and "velvet-smooth"...
) – 3:14 - "They Killed Him" (Kris KristoffersonKris KristoffersonKristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
) – 4:00 - "Driftin' Too Far from Shore" (Bob Dylan) – 3:39
- "Precious Memories" (Trad. Arr. Bob Dylan) – 3:13
- "Maybe Someday" (Bob Dylan) – 3:17
- "Brownsville GirlBrownsville Girl"Brownsville Girl" is a song from Bob Dylan's 1986 album, Knocked Out Loaded. It is notable for its eleven-minute and 5 second length and for being co-written by playwright Sam Shepard...
" (Bob Dylan, Sam ShepardSam ShepardSam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
) – 11:00 - "Got My Mind Made Up" (Bob Dylan, Tom PettyTom PettyThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
) – 2:53 - "Under Your Spell" (Bob Dylan, Carole Bayer SagerCarole Bayer SagerCarole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, songwriter, singer, and painter.-Introduction:Born in New York City, Sager graduated from New York University, where she majored in English, dramatic arts and speech...
) – 3:58
Personnel
- Britt Bacon – engineer
- Mike Berment – steel drums
- Peggie Blu – background vocals
- Majason Bracey – background vocals
- Clem BurkeClem BurkeClem Burke is an American musician who is the drummer for the band Blondie. Recruited by Chris Stein and Debbie Harry when they were first forming Blondie, Burke remained with the band through its first stage and later returned for its late 1990s reunion and then its extensive 2009 tour.Following...
– drums - T-Bone BurnettT-Bone BurnettJoseph Henry Burnett , widely known as T-Bone Burnett, is an American musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer.He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band on the Rolling Thunder Revue...
– guitar - Mike Campbell – guitar
- Carolyn DennisCarolyn DennisCarolyn Dennis , sometimes known professionally as Carol Dennis or Carol Dennis-Dylan, is an American singer and actor best known for her work with and marriage to Bob Dylan.-Early life:...
– background vocals - Steve DouglasSteve Douglas (saxophonist)Steven Douglas Kreisman , better known as Steve Douglas, was an American saxophonist, flautist and clarinetist. Douglas is best known as a Los Angeles session musician, a member of The Wrecking Crew, who worked with Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys...
– saxophone - Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
– guitar, harmonica, keyboards, vocals - Howie EpsteinHowie EpsteinHoward Norman Epstein , was a musician best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early life:...
– bass - Judy Feltus – engineer
- Anton FigAnton FigAnton Fig , known as "The Thunder from Down Under" is a session drummer, noted for his work in David Letterman's house band, the CBS Orchestra. Letterman often refers to Fig as "Anton Zip"or "Buddy Rich Jr."...
– drums - Lara Firestone – background vocals
- Greg FulginitiGreg FulginitiGregory Fulginiti is an American recording and mastering engineer.In a career spanning three decades, Fulginiti was nominated for the TEC Awards by Mix magazine 6 times, earned 175 Gold and Platinum Awards, 25 Multi-Platinum Awards, 100 Number One recordings, 135 Grammy nominees, including the...
– mastering - Milton Gabriel – steel drums
- Keysha Gwin – background vocals
- Don Heffington – drums
- Muffy Hendrix – background vocals
- April Hendrix-Haberlan – background vocals
- Ira Ingber – guitar
- James Jamerson, Jr. – bass
- Dewey B. Jones II – background vocals
- Phil Jones – conga
- Al KooperAl KooperAl Kooper is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears , providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to...
– keyboards - Stan LynchStan LynchStanley Joseph "Stan" Lynch is an American songwriter and record producer. He was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for 18 years until his departure in 1994.- Early years :...
– drums - Steve Madaio – trumpet
- Queen Esther Marrow – background vocals
- Larry Mayhand – background vocals
- John McKenzie – bass
- Vince Melamed – keyboards
- Larry Meyers – mandolin
- Angel Newell – background vocals
- Herbert Newell – background vocals
- John Paris – bass
- Bryan Parris – steel drums
- Al PerkinsAl PerkinsAl Perkins is a Texas-born American guitarist. The Gibson guitar company called Perkins "the world's most influential Dobro player", and even began producing an "Al Perkins Signature" Dobro in 2001 - designed and autographed by Perkins....
– steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use... - Tom PettyTom PettyThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
– guitar - Crystal Pounds – background vocals
- Raymond Lee Pounds – drums
- Madelyn Quebec – background vocals
- Vito San Filippo – bass
- Carl Sealove – bass
- Patrick Seymour – keyboards
- Jack Sherman – guitar
- Daina Smith – background vocals
- Don Smith – engineer
- Maia Smith – vocals
- Medena Smith – background vocals
- Dave StewartDavid A. StewartDavid Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
– guitar - Benmont TenchBenmont TenchBenjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
– keyboards - Annette May Thomas – background vocals
- Damien Turnbough – background vocals
- George Tutko – engineer
- Ronnie Wood – guitar
- Chyna Wright – background vocals
- Elesecia Wright – background vocals
- Tiffany Wright – background vocals