I'm going back to the start
|
|
|
Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#27
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Bob Dylan - Christmas In The Heart
2009, Columbia
Track Listing
1)Here Comes Santa Claus
2)Do You Hear What I Hear?
3)Winter Wonderland
4)Hark The Herald Angels Sing
5)I'll Be Home For Christmas
6)Little Drummer Boy
7)The Christmas Blues
8 )O' Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
9)Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10)Must Be Santa
11)Silver Bells
12)The First Noel
13)Christmas Island
14)The Christmas Song
15)O' Little Town Of Bethlehem
You know, I love Christmas, so I have a soft spot for anything (and of course I’m not talking exclusively about Christmas music, when I say “anything” I do mean it) related to it and this album is no exception. First of all, aw, look at this album cover, after all these years it remains an indispensable part of my Christmas decoration. Unlike the vast majority of his album covers, this one has nothing to do with the man himself, but it’s so sweet, so cheerful and so exciting, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! However, that’s probably the only thing here that is reminiscent of Christmastide in the traditional sense. Actually, let me rephrase, the music is fine and the band plays as the concept would suggest, rich, cinematic, celebratory – and let’s be honest, extremely commercialised - music. His performance, on the other hand, hmmm, not what you’d play to your kids, it should come with a parental advisory logo (which by definition is the opposite of Christmas, lol). It’s not bad (to me anyway, if you aren’t fond of his vocals generally speaking, I don’t see how you could enjoy this one), but a bit creepy for sure, at points disturbing even, far from what you’d expect from an album with such a theme. This isn’t A Christmas Carol, it’s closer to the Nightmare Before Christmas instead if you will. I know more than a few people consider it a proud member of the “it’s so bad it’s good” category and I can see why someone would think that way, there are a few parts that will give you a good laugh.
There’s a decent variety of songs here, so in all likelihood there’s something for everyone. The opening track, Here Comes Santa Claus, is the most by-the-numbers (I don’t count that as a negative, since it’s the only track here to feature these characteristics) Christmas song, it’s definitely in the spirit and I’m sure kids would have no trouble playing it on repeat and thoroughly enjoying it. Hark The Herald Angels Sing and O' Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) share a chant-like quality, they really get you in the religious mood. Must Be Santa is an up-tempo track that rocks like there’s no tomorrow, it could easily be the most entertaining moment of the album. Not to forget the exotic Christmas Island that feels a bit out of place, but I’m sure everyone would like to visit it – also, there’s nothing in this album that plays by the rules or makes sense, so it would be kinda absurd to complain about something being out of place.
On a side note, no one bothers to bring it up when the discussion revolves around his Christian albums, not sure if that’s a good (it doesn’t reach the same embarrassing lows) or a bad (it’s totally forgettable and no one cares about it) thing. Maybe it’s none of the above and it has to do with the fundamental thematic differences, Bob Dylan had a specific goal in mind when he released Christmas In The Heart, which doesn’t compare at all with his infamous Christian trilogy, not to mention he finds himself at an entirely disparate point of his career.
Score: 6.7/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#26
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy
1989, Columbia
Track Listing
1)Political World
2)Where Teardrops Fall
3)Everything Is Broken
4)Ring Them Bells
5)Man In The Long Black Coat
6)Most Of The Time
7)What Good Am I?
8)Disease Of Conceit
9)What Was It You Wanted
10)Shooting Star
I’ve always felt bad about this album. As I’m sure you already know, it is usually given the backhanded compliment of being his best of the ‘80s, which translates as “best of the worst”. Now, it should be obvious that I don’t rank it as his highest moment of that decade – there are two releases remaining that will make an appearance at some point further down the road – but this doesn’t mean I dislike it, not at all, it’s just that I find the other two more appealing, not to mention this part of the countdown is highly crowded, as there are many albums sandwiched between a score of roughly 6.5 and 7.5 which leads me to constantly second-guessing my ranking, this could have easily ended up 3-5 spots higher.
Anyway, back to this, I guess the main reason it got almost everyone’s stamp of approval is because of how hard it rocks, the guitar is on the spotlight after a long time, the 80s are essentially over – talk about a welcome change. Great opening track, Political World, you can feel the wind of change blowing through Dylan’s assertive tone, it’s balanced enough to be sort of anthemic without getting annoying. Where Teardrops Fall is an 180 degrees turn, a soft, atmospheric song that allows you to catch your breath – and a cool sax that gives it an extra edge. Everything Is Broken continues the relentless protest against modern society. Some finesse wouldn’t hurt, but you can tell he is really into it and believes every word, that’s what I’d call a convincing performance. Also, its rhythmical exoticism - so to speak - makes it a refreshing listen. Ring Them Bells reminds us that Christianity is still here, though the somewhat creepy vocals give it an interesting twist. Man In The Long Black Coat (speaking of coats, I don’t like them black, I prefer one that’s of many colors 😉 ) – even though it’s not the most memorable thing here for me, whenever this record is brought up, it’s the 1-2 combo that instantly comes to mind - is probably the best sounding song of the album, listen to that harmonica, Dylan is on top of his game again. The dark mood fits the lyrical content, but I have to say it doesn’t click that much with the rest of the songs here, it’s like the odd one out. Of course that’s hardly a complaint, as this is by no means a concept album, so thematic coherence isn’t a top priority. Moving on, Most Of The Time is an example of a simple but sincere and powerful message, it’s a much better example of this type (when I say they are of the same type, I don't mean there's a similarity in lyrical content, just that they adopt a simple and direct approach) of song compared to Death Is Not The End of the previous (in chronological order) album. I can’t say I connect any personal experience with it, but still gets me every time. What Good Am I is a different, introspective take on social criticism, i.e. the responsibility of the individual, but the truth is that by the time this song comes into play, the album has already overstayed its welcome for me. It was good so far, but not good enough to keep my interest and have me thirsty for more, I’ve had enough. In short, I consider it an extreme example of a front-loaded album. The piano driven Disease Of Conceit is a majestic snooze fest. What Was It You Wanted comes with an idea that remains creative even though Dylan has explored it before, namely a person disconnected from the world, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. And of course the closing track, Shooting Star, a realisation that he‘s failed the expectations that were set from above. Unlike most of the other songs here – or in Slow Train Coming-, it’s entirely personal, he doesn’t bring up the wrong direction society has taken, he’s no more prophet Isaiah. I don’t think returning to these religious themes is a problem, one has to admit that songwriting in general isn’t that great here. For the most part, he plays it safe, no particularly big risks taken, especially if you take into account what this man has offered us through the years. Writing something like Blood On The Tracks leaves you traumatised for life, writing something like Oh Mercy is another day at the office, no big deal. Also, it has to be said that it’s surrounded by so many questionable records, that you could argue the comparison makes it seem even stronger than it actually is. One more major issue with this record is it lacks a signature track (Knocked Out Loaded has Brownsville Girl, Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid has Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, Infidels has Jokerman, Shot Of Love has Every Grain Of Sand, etc.). The greatest merit that is associated with this album is that it opened the door for what was about to follow, which is partially true, although I don’t necessarily agree with the opinion that it could be viewed as a prequel of sorts to his next - let’s call it “late Dylan” – trilogy. Love the album cover, though it would arguably fit some other records of his much better.
Score: 6.75/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#25
Bob Dylan - Infidels
1983, Columbia
Track Listing
1)Jokerman
2)Sweetheart Like You
3)Neighborhood Bully
4)License To Kill
5)Man Of Peace
6)Union Sundown
7)I And I
8)Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight
So, it’s 1983, the infamous Christian trilogy is (finally!) behind him, the rhythm section does its best to convince us that the gospel days are over. However, he keeps making biblical references right off the bat. Don’t worry, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Jokerman is easily the best song to appear in this countdown so far (and yes, that includes Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, sorry) and it emphatically shows he is back in form when it comes to songwriting – to be fair, Shot Of Love wasn’t half bad in that regard either. Jokerman is an intriguing and enigmatic character who seems to have the power to do anything he wants. He finds himself in a brooding, violent landscape and it is expected of him to act as a godlike figure (or simply a hero in the traditional sense of the word, considering that, apart from the Bible, he makes some references to ancient myths as well). In the end, he does nothing. How this song unfolds in front of our eyes - and ears- is fascinating, a poetic build up and then a devastating deconstruction, what a twist! Not to go down the rabbit hole, but a ton of possible explanations have been proposed. Maybe it could be a cynical look at how faith fools us, making us believe it has all the answers – and justifies the album title, Infidels? Or could it be a reference to Dylan himself and his relationship with religion? Another famous interpretation suggests that it’s about the artist who appears to enjoy full creative freedom and suddenly his limitations loom over him. Or perhaps an account of Dylan’s own artistic struggle? Anyway, much more can be said – and it would never be enough-, each of us can draw his own conclusion and that’s exactly what makes this an amazing song. The reggae influence is a nice touch as well, special credit goes to bassist Robbie Shakespeare and drummer Sly Dunbar.
The rest of the album is by no means horrible, but it absolutely pales in comparison. Sweetheart Like You is a decent effort, it’s interesting how it starts at one place and ends up at a completely different one, both in terms of lyrics and how it shifts from romantic mode to socio-political commentary and regarding its handling of the basic blues structure. Then disaster strikes, the combo of Neighborhood Bully (rocking in the ‘80s way like there’s no tomorrow) , License to Kill (the drums, man, the drums) and Man Of Peace (you thought a trilogy about Christianity was enough, no sir, here we go again. I have to admit, though, that it has an interesting progression – and again, that includes both lyrics and its “blues with a twist” sound. Of course, this doesn’t mean that it justifies its ridiculous length of 6+ minutes.) is beyond words. For some unknown reason I totally forgot Union Sundown, it belongs to the same category as the above trio, another example of “mindless” rock, even if we were to argue it had some potential (not really), production killed it. I And I is great, its narrative acts as a captivating character study. Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight is a good closer, nothing spectacular, but it’s one of the most ear-pleasing songs he released in the ‘80s, together with the previous track they form a duo that is reminiscent of - a poor man’s version – Blood On The Tracks. In general, the production and consequently the overall sound is a huge let down, (definitely a bigger one than the lyrics, which do offer us a few brilliant moments) the ‘80s have arrived – not as annoying or blatant as in his next albums, but they’re there. All in all, an album of two halves, tracks 1,2,7,8 are great and I would keep them without a second thought, the rest is bloody awful and I could easily throw it away. More or less equal to Oh Mercy in my book, so having the higher high sealed the deal. Oh, and the album cover is one of his worst - not that it matters, just saying.
Score: 6.8/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#24
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Bob Dylan & The Band - The Basement Tapes
1975, Columbia
Track Listing
1)Odds And Ends
2)Orange Juice Blues (Blues For Breakfast)
3)Million Dollar Bash
4)Yazoo Street Scandal
5)Goin' To Acapulco
6)Katie's Been Gone
7)Lo And Behold!
8)Bessie Smith
9)Clothes Line Saga
10)Apple Suckling Tree
11)Please, Mrs. Henry
12)Tears Of Rage
13)Too Much Of Nothing
14)Yea! Heavy And A Bottle Of Bread
15)Ain't No More Cane
16)Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood)
17)Ruben Remus
18)Tiny Montgomery
19)You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
20)Don't Ya Tell Henry
21)Nothing Was Delivered
22)Open The Door, Homer
23)Long Distance Operator
24)This Wheel's On Fire
Hey, did you miss a bit of controversy? Here we go.
To be fair, said controversy isn’t all about me ranking it so low – though it’s not easy to ignore that part as well. This album is problematic on its own and as a result I am not sure what to make of it. A part of me thinks I might have underrated it and another part of me suggest the exact opposite. It excels at some aspects that you usually don’t expect from Dylan’s work (especially the loose “you caught us in the middle of a jamming session” feel), but at the same time comes short of his (admittedly sky-high) standards regarding some fundamental elements (songwriting and his own performance) Of course, I can’t help but address the elephant in the room, the main issue here is that a Bob Dylan album features 8 songs of The Band without him. Intruder alert, who let them in? I can partially forgive them or at least give them a pass, since the rest is more than decent.
It’s worth noting – even though it’s extremely well-known - that these songs were recorded in 1967 during Dylan’s recovery after his infamous motorcycle accident (quick disclaimer: I’m talking only about the ones with Dylan, the others I’m not entirely sure, probably somewhere between 1967 and 1975 but who cares really). By no means should you expect a profound artistic statement, this is the sound of simply having fun without a single care in the world, everything else is almost irrelevant. It’s probably the only record of his where not only am I totally clueless if you ask me what’s going in terms of lyrics - I never felt an urgency to pay attention to what everyone’s favourite bard is trying to say here, let alone look up the lyrics or any kind of review or song analysis - but I’d have a hard time recalling which songs are included here, which is plain embarrassing. It’s been argued that you can find better versions of this style both in Dylan’s and in The Band’s catalogue. Even the other album they did together, Planet Waves, was much tighter. The thing is, this kind of music doesn’t need any sort of refinement, it works just fine the way it is. I can see why some dedicated Dylanologists would go as far as calling it a guilty pleasure, and it’s easy to tell that it’s one of his most addictive albums. This is the equivalent of being drunk or high, you don’t need any reason to explain why it feels good, you mindlessly enjoy it as it is.
Now, would it be even better had 3-4 tracks been removed? Probably, but only due to Dylan’s absence. 24 tracks might appear intimidating at first, yet most of them barely pass the 3 minutes mark and consequently the album clocks in at 77 minutes, which is a perfectly acceptable length (to put things in perspective, it’s only 2 minutes longer than Blonde On Blonde). The overall sound is way too tied to the roots of American music, which is not exactly my cup of tea. Yes, that's a direction he follows in most of his music, but when they - he and The Band I mean -work together it’s even more striking, especially the country vibes. Just as it is the case with Planet Waves – more on that later- , the Band doesn’t bring out the best version of Bob Dylan, his performance is kinda meh, if not outright boring. One might claim that it captures the spirit of the album and that would be a valid point. Still, knowing what Dylan can do, this can’t possibly compare with his best moments.
Score: 6.85/10
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#23
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Bob Dylan - Together Through Life
2009, Columbia
Track Listing
1)Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
2)Life Is Hard
3)My Wife's Home Town
4)If You Ever Go To Houston
5)Forgetful Heart
6)Jolene
7)This Dream Of You
8)Shake Shake Mama
9)I Feel A Change Comin' On
10)It's All Good
Say what, 2 albums in one year? Oh yeah! Ok, one of them was based on a special occasion (Christmas In The Heart), but it doesn’t matter, it’s been quite some time since he spoiled us like this. Coming to this album, I don’t know, I used to really like it, maybe it was the enthusiasm of a new release at a time he had been on a hot streak, I can reveal it dropped a couple of spots in comparison to where it was ranked before this countdown took place. It doesn’t take the next step that one might expect, yet no significant dip in quality is to be spotted either, if Modern Times was a tiny misstep, the same holds true here, it’s not completely unreasonable to suggest it stands comfortably next to his “comeback” trilogy, as it more or less follows the same formula, which was executed slightly better in those three. On the other hand, even if it had reached the same level, it wouldn’t have been enough, by now we needed something new, a series of three releases is usually enough for Dylan to move on to the next chapter, I guess age is a deciding factor that impedes his progress – or he’s not inspired enough to look for a new challenge. Old school (maybe it’s the accordion that has a magnifying effect, but some songs feel like relics, If You Ever Go To Houston being a prime example) blues is the core of the album. Apart from the above comparisons, another valid point of view would claim that it’s an aged version of his collaboration with The Band. This doesn’t have to do entirely with the sound of it, but it's used in the sense that it is an album which didn’t have too much thought put into it – sadly, lyrics included. Everything is free-flowing, not super professional or too perfect, not exactly how I like Dylan, but I know this spontaneous version of the man appeals to many fans and probably some non-fans as well. In general, the album is a downer – not a negative judgement, just an observation. What makes this great in my opinion is Dylan’s performance, he doesn’t have to try hard, the emotions reach the audience effortlessly, it’s like those old guys that tell you the most extraordinary stories but you never doubt them nonetheless, you can see the fire in their eyes. You know, that’s his 33rd studio album, it’s only fair to assume the 32 that came before – not to mention the countless live performances and stuff – have taught him a thing or two and he uses all of that wisdom and experience here. When it comes to stand out moments, nothing spectacular, no individual track steals the show – as I previously said, his songwriting leaves a lot to be desired. One part I’ve always found enjoyable is the combination of This Dream Of You and Shake Shake Mama. The infinite sadness of the former, immediately followed by the average as a standalone track, but fun and upbeat song that is the latter has a powerful effect. As you might have understood, I tend to associate this record with elders and this emotional up and down was in my mind a typical instance of how they have a fragile psychology that undergoes wild changes out of nowhere. The album cover is weird, hard to tell exactly how I feel about it, I can’t say I dislike it, it reminds me a bit of ‘80s/’90s alternative rock bands (probably U2 or R.E.M if I had to be more specific). Also, one noteworthy feature that this quartet of albums share is that they depend a lot on the mood of the listener. One day everything clicks and the very next one you are left wondering what were you thinking and why you liked this album in the first place. The last album to score below 7, which marks the end of the second section of this countdown.
Score: 6.9/10
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#22
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Bob Dylan - Good As I Been To You
1992, Columbia
Track Listing
1)Frankie And Albert
2)Jim Jones
3)Black Jack Davey
4)Canadee-i-o
5)Sitting On Top Of The World
6)Little Maggie
7)Hard Times
8)Step It Up And Go
9)Tomorrow Night
10)Arthur Mcbride
11)You're Gonna Quit Me
12)Diamond Joe
13)Froggie Went A-courtin'
A bit surprising considering how low I ranked World Gone Wrong, but I’ve always thought that this record doesn’t get enough love. He returns to his roots – or, I can’t resist the pun, he is going back to the start - an old man tired (just look at the album cover, he appears exhausted) of trying various things and returning home. Taking into account what happened throughout the ‘80s we can safely conclude that this was a sane choice. To be fair, Oh Mercy also showed some potential, but then followed Under The Red Sky – a career low, as bad as any of his ’80s releases -, so it was a clear case of one step forward, two steps back.
Despite following familiar paths and staying away from anything revolutionary or challenging, it doesn’t sound like his past takes on similar material due to his voice. His age shows in this album. A lot. Way more than anything that he’d done up to this point. Hadn’t I already known how old he was when this came out, I would have guessed we are listening to someone in his seventies. This is commonly brought up as a form of criticism, but for me it’s the opposite, it’s the deciding factor that elevates this record to next level. In all likelihood I am alone in that, but it contains some of my favourite performances of his – to be exact, not all of them, at some points it’s simply ok to good, but some of them are excellent - I just can’t get enough, it’s extremely addictive. One such example would be Jim Jones, it’s glorious, I wanna sound like that when I get old, lol. In that sense, I like thinking of this album as a new era – “senior” Dylan would be a sort of acceptable name I guess. Of course all the above could be taken as a warning: If his vocals irritate you on general principle, do yourself a favour and avoid this like the plague, else the post-traumatic stress disorder will be unbearable.
On top of his vocals, his guitar playing is some of the best of his career – acoustic Dylan can’t be wrong, but vocals and lyrics tend to steal the show more often than not, so it kinda makes sense that some of his earlier guitar work is underrated, here the other two elements don’t impress the average listener (don’t forget that it’s an album consisting of traditional folk songs, meaning that there are no Dylan lyrics, so the songwriting part goes out the window) leaving plenty of room for this aspect of him to shine. Another thing that I feel should be brought up is that I’m rather uneducated when it comes to traditional folk, so I’m not familiar with other versions of these songs and it’s hard to evaluate them in that regard – maybe explains why I think so highly of them and overrate this album. If I had to name a complaint, it could have been shorter, there are two or three tracks towards the end that could have been omitted. Not much else to be said really, his albums that lack original material aren't suited to any lengthy analysis.
Score: 7.1/10
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#21
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Bob Dylan - Street Legal
1978, Columbia
Track Listing
1)Changing Of The Guards
2)New Pony
3)No Time To Think
4)Baby Stop Crying
5)Is Your Love In Vain?
6)Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
7)True Love Tends To Forget
8)We Better Talk This Over
9)Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat)
That’s an album which tends to divide the audience. I’m with neither side, the boring me lies somewhere in the middle. That being said, if I had to choose, I’d have to go with the detractors, mainly because it’s the point where it all started going downhill. He starts where Desire left off – willing to experiment and add new elements to his music- and this went even further, which unfortunately proved to be a bit too far in the end.
The opening track goes full, unapologetic pop, with gospel like backing vocals and a saxophone for the ages. It may sound horrible, but it works like a charm, one of the two best songs here - and by quite some distance from the rest. When it comes to the lyrics, he starts hesitantly (the songwriting is ambiguous enough to keep you guessing, he does an excellent job in that regard) flirting with religious themes, it’s only a matter of time before he’d fully embrace them.
The rest of the album desperately tries to emulate its success, but it never (with one exception) comes anywhere close to it, it may use the same ingredients but the balance is way off. Production is questionable to put it mildly, his most polished so far – of course, if you go in chronological order, wait until you get to the ‘80s, this is child’s play in comparison. Nothing is too annoying or unlistenable for me, though I know some fans that really hate this. Anyway, it can’t be denied that part of the magic is gone, this album could have been so much more, talk about a wasted chance. And yes, the songwriting can be embarrassingly weak, e.g. in New Pony, but that’s an exception, there’s much more to it here. I’ve caught a couple of reviews comparing Street Legal to something Bruce Springsteen would release, not entirely unreasonable (considering that I’m not Springsteen’s biggest fan, I’ m not ready to take a stand, but I ‘ll tell you Dylan easily outbosses him either way).
I like the symbolism behind the album cover, looking left and right wondering which road to take. There’s a transition going on here in terms of lyrical content – from the emotionally-charged exploration of interpersonal relationships to religious matters. Señor (Tales of Yankee Power) is a song that showcases this duality. For the most part it’s used to deal with his religious interests – and at the same time, as he would do in Slow Train Coming, use religion as a device to give some socio-political commentary. The most convincing -in my opinion- interpretation suggests that it’s a dialogue between Jesus Christ and God, yet there are a few lines which point to the other direction and remind us he’s gone through a divorce (“And a gypsy with a broken flag and flashing ring Said ‘Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing’ "). As I said in the intro, Steet Legal also serves as a middle ground between his old and new sound. His vocals are great throughout this record’s entirety, every word that comes out of his mouth is music to my ears. He doesn’t have the commanding presence or assertive tone or emotional involvement of the past, he is somehow wandering in an intentional way as if he knows exactly where he should eventually land.
No Time To Think is an epic, a fascinating character study of a multi-faceted personality. Speaking of transitions, you know, I don’t particularly like the ‘70s (not talking specifically about Bob Dylan’s work, I mean in general). However, one interesting aspect of this decade lyrics-wise is how they cover what we’d call a grey area, they break free from the stereotypical one dimensional male archetypes that dominated the ‘50s and the ‘60s – some of the most notable examples would be the ”tough” guy, the painfully romantic and the devastated, heartbroken one. Even Dylan’s writing during the ‘60s, which is undeniably top-notch for many different reasons, rarely – if ever – presents us a character that suffers from lack of confidence. A struggling, betrayed, confused, humiliated figure like the one in No Time To Think is something else and should comfortably enter his hall of fame. (And yes, I understand that some lines of this album could be read as misogynistic, but I view them as further deprecating of the main character, a desperate cry due to the inability to establish his dominance, his bitterness is all that’s left). It is a very interesting transition(and again, it reflects a general tendency of this decade), especially if you combine it with the social developments on a wider scale, the rise of feminism, etc.
This review goes full circle and I'll repeat this is a polarising album. Asked on a different day, I could see this climbing a few spots higher, but right now I feel the artificial sound overshadows the great songwriting.
Score: 7.15/10
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Dylan: The Countdown
#20
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Planet Waves - Bob Dylan
1974, Asylum Records
Track Listing
1)On A Night Like This
2)Going, Going, Gone
3)Tough Mama
4)Hazel
5)Something There Is About You
6)Forever Young
7)Forever Young
8)Dirge
9)You Angel You
10)Never Say Goodbye
11)Wedding Song
Aaaand we made it to the top-20, it’s getting hot in here!
Even though I like his late ‘60s – early ‘70s period way more than the average listener, it has to be said: At this point in his career, Bob Dylan was going through a rough patch that was getting worryingly long - imagine being a fan back then, I'm sure more than a few would have given up on him. For this album, he collaborates with The Band. (Funny little story, as a kid I never knew they were actually named The Band, my initial impression was that they are too insignificant to have a name, as all that mattered was they were Bob Dylan’s backing band and as a result they gave them this generic name just to be able to address them, lol) I think this was a wasted chance, which is what I said about Street Legal as well, yet here it’s exactly the opposite: he’s in more than good company, but he isn’t firing in all cylinders - songwriting wise at least, his performance is more focused, brings more passion to the table and makes for a clear step up compared to The Basement Tapes. It’s fair to say the band comes close to outshining him, if there’s only one thing I could keep from this album it’s definitely the organ.
Thematically, it’s a very personal record, filled with love songs. He may not go deep in terms of being his usual poetic self, but his emotional involvement is beyond words (“Love you more than life itself, you mean that much to me” is a characteristic line). What I said while commenting on The Basement Tapes applies here as well: it’s more about the overall feel, the energy and the flow than it is about individual tracks or any kind of concrete considerations. Still, Going, Going, Gone is a stand out moment, standing helpless in front of your inescapable fate packs quite a punch – ok, it doesn’t reach the hopelessness levels of something like How To Disappear Completely (completely random comparison, not sure how or why it came to mind, haven't listened to it in ages, whatever), but its power can’t be denied. Hazel is another favourite of mine, a simple and infectious song, it gets its point across with ease. Forever Young is supposed to be the centerpiece of the album, but unfortunately it doesn’t do that much to me, the touching message to his son leaves me cold, not to mention the fast version could have been omitted altogether. Having the benefit of hindsight and knowing the absurd heights Blood On The Tracks and Desire would reach, there’s a danger of underrating this and viewing it as a transitional album, a mere harbinger of the greatness that was round the corner. But if we judge it from the 1974 perspective, as we should, this was the vehicle that drove him out of the slump and as a result deserves every praise coming its way.
Score: 7.2/10
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
While I'm really excited where the 1997 album will be ranked, I think the biggest nail bitter for this list is going to be for the infamous Self Portrait.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Luigii wrote: | | While I'm really excited where the 1997 album will be ranked, I think the biggest nail bitter for this list is going to be for the infamous Self Portrait. |
Yes, by now all eyes are probably on Self Portrait and Knocked Out Loaded, as I'm sure most people consider it a mystery how they've made it that far.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New topic Post reply
|
Topic Posters
All times are GMT
|
| Page 25 of 51 |
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
