Analysing the deep and dark corners of any man is hard, let alone Bob Dylan. Submerged, in a mist of myths and melodies that leave you dreaming, he remains detached from society living in a cave concocting his next cocktail of crafty lyrics. Despite his desperate withdrawal from the public eye, he is renowned as one of the most iconic figures within the wonderful world of music. Such a complex man has portrayed himself in several albums surrounded by just as much controversy as himself. One such album is Blood on the Tracks; each song leads your mind through a story that differs every time you hear it, gradually becoming more detailed and dramatic with every telling. To me the album reflects a break up between Dylan and his partner Sara Lownds.
Opening up with ‘Tangled Up in Blue’, a beautiful acoustic intro that slowly engulfs you, Dylan’s strange yet comforting voice wraps around your mind isolating you in another dimension. Dylan tells tales of a man travelling around all of America for the sake of a girl. Dylan sings “I drifted down to the New Orleans” and instantly an image of one man and a guitar working his way around the 1970’s America with little more than a few dollars is painted with fantastic detail right in front of you. This album drips with passion and soul, the lyrics have been delicately crafted ensuring every track has a tale to tell. Throughout the album Dylan seems to be addressing someone, not always directly but also passively gradually confessing his love, regrets and touches disappointment. ‘Idiot Wind’ is a prime example of Dylan’s anguish after his break up, lyrics such as “it’s a wonder you still know how to breathe” are a distinct indication of his bitter aftertaste regarding the break up. The album breaks out of its melancholic parameters with the track ‘Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go’ with an upbeat acoustic chord progression that elegantly guides the lyrics along like a skater on ice. Here it could be suggested that Dylan is relishing in his fond memories of the relationship. In addition to this it could be said that this was something Dylan composed after his long term wife had threatened to leave him.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixw6YUlkrn8&w=740&h=422]
Side two of the album kicks off with a track named ‘Meet Me in the Morning’, a laid back blues song, the title evokes the idea that this is Dylan’s attempt to reconcile with his wife after the break up. The song features the lyric “they say the darkest hour is right before dawn” personally I find this fascinating it builds a vivid image of Dylan lost in the “darkness” of the breakup which could imply he is stranded and desperately looking for a pathway out of this “dark” corner of his life. Meanwhile the electric guitar in the background slowly gathers momentum creeping its way into the fore front of the song while the rest of the band keep a steady rhythm for Dylan to lay his heart out. As the album presses forth we reach ‘Lily, Rosemary and Jack of Hearts’ Dylan sings the lyrics in the style of a play in which he focuses on various characters possibly based on a situation he had recently experienced. The true meaning of the song is constantly disputed over, however to me this makes it even more unique. It is a true reflection of Dylan: misunderstood, mysterious and quite simply marvellous. The song features Dylan’s trade mark harmonica weaving in and out of the verse gracefully like a gymnast performing the most complicated stunts with little or no exertion on the part of the performer. The album draws to a close with the two tracks ‘Shelter from the Storm’, another wonderful tune with classic Dylan lyrics and an addictive melody that will worm its way into your mind for days on end, and ‘Buckets of rain’ a song with a natural aura of finality amongst it. The guitar leads the main melody with the delicate picking of several notes that repeat throughout the song. It remains a very mellow song that leaves you in a pensive mellow mood letting you reflect on the true brilliance of the past 50 minutes or so of the album.
This album provides a close intimate understanding of Dylan’s life that somehow simultaneously enhances the complications of the character behind the sunglasses and guitar. The lyrics seem to fall out his mouth without having to force anything, a true example of talented song writing, transporting you into his shoes leaving you stuck gazing into the distance interpreting each track with a different angle each and every time you hear it. Albums don’t get much better than this it shall forever remain timeless and a key album in any self-respecting humans record collection.
By Elliott Godden