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Howlin' Wolf certainly changed Bob Dylan's way of thinking about music . Importantly, Wolf's influence did not stop or begin with "Change my Way of Thinking". Above, there's a video of Howlin' Wolf tearing down an old blues classic: "Meet Me at the Bottom". Beneath a layer of a groovy horn and slick drums, Wolf lays down a story of escape between guitar licks that sound like a soul yearning to be heard. The refrain here-meet me at the bottom-indicates the singer's desire for escape. When trains, planes, and automobiles are nowhere in sight, sometimes you have to strap on your running shoes and take to foot. It's easy to imagine that Bob Dylan's "Meet me in the Morning" is based off this ancient blues track. Blood on the Tracks did explore love and isolation from about 19 different angles, and the walking blues is one of them. Bob's desire to meet on a street corner- 56 and Wabasha , reinforces this walkin...

"Change my Way of Thinking" is a classic Bob Dylan gospel tune. The guitar attacks the listener up front, and in the midst of it's steady and slow assault Bob lays out his new paradigm for living. I believe that Bob used the Howlin' Wolf song "Change my Ways" as an inspiration that bled into "Change my Way of Thinking". About "Change my Way": Howlin' Wolf is clearly not afraid to document the roadhouse life he's been living all night. Importantly, there's no celebration of the party life here- only regret. He's certainly has a presence about him, almost as if when he walks the earth shakes a little, and a guitar busts out some skeletal blues chords. Meanwhile, there's no mistaking his vocals, he's all presence, all there, and doesn't leave anything to chance. He's a big man in the room and there's no ignoring what he has to say. It's no wonder Bob was inspired by this all night blues man who fe...