at a glance...

Hometown: Duluth, MN
First Recordings: 1962

Sidemen:
Scarlet Rivera -violin
Dom Cortese -mandolin
Howie Wyeth -piano
Emmylou Harris -vocals

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.

Dylan shows a greater sense of the world around him on this follow-up to the more introspective Blood on the Tracks. Working with lyricist Jacques Levy, Dylan offers a work with rougher edges and greater urgency that is distinguished by the prominence of Scarlet Rivera's melancholy violin.

The album features two of Dylan's famous wrongly-accused-and-misunderstood-criminal sagas. The passionate and angry "Hurricane" tells the tale of Ruben Carter, a former champion African-American boxer who's falsely tried and takes the fall for a white man. This powerful statement puts the American justice system on trial, and although Dylan may have assumed many of the facts involved, there's no doubt that similar situations have occurred multiple times throughout history. "Joey" is a poignant excuse for a benign mob boss.

Exotic imagery meshes with simple melody and chords on "Isis," one of Dylan's most appealing rambles. The droning piano and plodding drums create the proper mood while his account of a mystical journey contains some of his most clever (and most ridiculous) lyrics about paranoia, trust, betrayal, and, of course, desire. ("What drives me to you is what drives me insane.") "Mozambique," a romantic tale of love in a "magical land," features Emmylou Harris' potent harmony vocals while Dylan shows no signs of being jaded by love's fickleness. Mandolin, trumpet, and accordion guide the terrific "Romance in Durango," complete with Spanish chorus. The sad violin plays against Dylan's harmonica on the moody "Oh Sister," while the delicate and heartbreaking "Sara," a gift to his ex-wife, eloquently recounts the wonders of a relationship, perhaps in an attempt to revive it.

If you like Desire, check out:
Bob Dylan The Bootleg Series
Bob Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan Infidels
Bob Dylan Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan Blonde On Blonde
Woody Guthrie ...Sings Folk Songs
Giant Sand Chore Of Enchantment
Flying Burrito Brothers Hot Burritos!
Neil Young After The Gold Rush
Vic Chesnutt The Salesman and Bernadette

-- Marc Greilsamer