at a glance...

Hometown: Duluth, MN
First Recordings: 1962

Sidemen:
Tony Brown -bass
Buddy Cage -steel guitar
Paul Griffin -organ
Eric Weissberg -banjo, guitar

Notes:
Bob Dylan burst upon the Greenwich Village folk scene in 1961 and was soon rewarded with a record contract by Columbia Records. His first record showed a strong Woody Guthrie influence, but he soon added surreal elements and timely political and social commentary to his music. Folk fans were outraged when he added electric instruments to his music in 1964, but Dylan had merely created the most influential folk-rock ever recorded. No matter what he did, Dylan seemed to stay one step ahead of his adoring public. He'd all but abandoned the hopeful 1960s by the time that mentality grabbed the rest of the nation. While other bands (including the Beatles) had followed his lead by creating sprawling blues and psychedelic-influenced music, Dylan retreated to pared-down country forms.

After building walls around himself for the better part of a decade, Dylan composes an honest and deeply personal statement that is a powerful eulogy for a failed relationship. With mellow acoustic guitars strumming behind him, Dylan displays some bitterness, some sorrow, and some sympathy, but mostly he shows a deep appreciation for the beauty of what he once had.

"Tangled Up in Blue" sets up the story as well as the mood while "Simple Twist of Fate" and "You're a Big Girl Now" are poignant realizations of a partnership that's passed him by. He lets the anger come through on "Idiot Wind" and the blues on "Meet Me in the Morning." "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" and "If You See Her, Say Hello" are disarmingly innocent love songs, and "Shelter from the Storm," one of his greatest compositions, conveys the lasting memory from the relationship: the selflessness and generosity of the partner who took him in. Dylan's voice shows a full range of emotion as he searches for beauty and hope among the pain and disappointment. One of his most stirring and rewarding albums.

If you like Blood on the Tracks, check out:
Bob Dylan The Bootleg Series
Bob Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan Infidels
Bob Dylan Desire
Bob Dylan Blonde On Blonde
Elvis Costello King Of America
Flying Burrito Brothers Hot Burritos!
Woody Guthrie Woody Guthrie Sings Folk Songs
Joni Mitchell Blue
Neil Young After The Gold Rush
Vic Chesnutt The Salesman and Bernadette

-- Marc Greilsamer