Bob Dylan's rise to fame in the 60s was astounding to all that witnessed it. By the 70s though, his fans were divided as to whether they liked his ever-changing style, or wanted him to go back to 1962 and do the protest thing all over again. Bob Dylan never tried to cater to anyone but himself, and expected his fans would understand and follow him. They all pretty much did, which led to one of his biggest, and most personal, albums of the 1970s (and his career):
Blood on the Tracks.
By 1974, Dylan's marriage to Sara was falling apart around him, and like most crisises in his life, he turned to music as a way to express himself.
Blood on the Tracks is a collection of songs revealing Dylan's thoughts about his wife who he loved dearly. Epics like "Idiot Wind" and "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts" are some of Dylan's finest, but it's also the simpler "Buckets of Rain" and "If You See Her, Say Hello" that are the most powerful.
The album kicks off with "Tanged Up in Blue," a song with an upbeat tempo about and heavy blues riffs in it to give the album a bouncy sort of start. It's about wondering a girl he used to know, and basically feeling the blues. Coming on too strong, and then splitting up, it's about a broken relationship. Dylan's voice, more polished now, has strong feeling in it as he cries about what went wrong.
"Simple Twist of Fate" and "You're a Big Girl Now" are also tracks about moving on and about a girl of his affections. About things not working out for one reason or another, just a "simple twist of fate." Again, lighter and bluesy numbers with some old Dylan coming back with his harmonica and simple guitar melodies.
"Idiot Wind" has a almost dark piano line and guitar melody with Dylan complaining about being misrepresented. Dylan complaining about being misunderstood and calling his "sweet lady" an "idiot, babe" because she began to accuse him of such things he's complaining about. The song is a bit harsher than most Dylan, but it was probably derived from the deep frustrations Dylan was dealing with at the time, and how even his closest friends seemed to know understand/believe him.
"You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" has a title that basically explains the entire song. A quieter song, without all the band (which was something Dylan had been incorporating a lot more), makes a nice song, but nothing really special. Still a very nice track to listen to.
Side 2, for those who still use vinyl (which is what I have), begins with "Meet Me in the Morning" a song that mixes blues and an almost bluegrass sound. The guitar with its mix of bluegrass/blues drives the song. It sounds like an old southern blues song about losing your loved one again: "Every day's the darkest since you've been gone." A very enjoyable blues track to listen to.
The other epic on the album, although many of the songs are longer than the 3-minute pop songs you hear today and back then, is "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts." I've always been impressed by Dylan's ability to tell narrative stories in songs, with such a tight rhyme scheme. He was a truly great poet and knew how to use words to convey a message and story. Another story-song with underlying message of loss, but more upbeat that most on this album.
"If You See Her, Say Hello" is one of Dylan's most agonizing and meaningful tracks on the album. It's about missing a girl he used to love, but not wanting her to know he still loves her. It's about how he never really got over the girl, and just tries hard to ignore all the signs. The track is pretty stripped down with mostly just Dylan's voice and guitar going. You can hear the hurt in Dylan's voice, who now exercises much more control over it to make the feeling really come out.
"Shelter From the Storm" is another low-key song about taking too much for granted and losing someone you love. That message seems to come through loud and clear on this album, which finishes with "Buckets of Rain." A nice guitar track with a fluttering guitar line of blues. Dylan's message is almost mixed here, telling someone she has "all the love" but at the same time "everything about you is bringing me misery." It's about loving somebody so much, but at the same time, it hurts so much to be with them, or without them. It just hurts.
Overall - 5/5
Yea, I know, I've given all my Dylan reviews a 5/5, not because I'm a fanboy. These albums are really some of his best works musically, lyrically, emotionally, and just about any other way. They impacted music in a big way, and was damn good music. Most anybody would be able to appreciate Dylan's music for its beauty and depth, and that's why these albums are 5/5.
