The twenty sixth studio album from Bob was a good one, some thoughts and tunes below.
Dylan has had almost as many comebacks as he has had album releases, and Oh Mercy is certainly not a comeback, more a flicker of greatness after a few years of bland to bad albums. You can't call it comeback since Under the Red Sky came next and the less said about that album the better.
Oh Mercy on the other hand is an oasis of Bob magic. "Political World" is a song that is only more relevant 35 years later while "Where Teardrops Fall" is fairly maudlin until John Hart's excellent sax work to end the song.
The real reason the album holds up is the mood and texture that recording in New Orleans with Daniel Lanois had on Dylan. He talks about it in Chronicles and there are critics who don't like the over production, but I am certainly not one.
That tone and feeling on "Everything is Broken" and "Man in the Long Black Coat" elevate mid-level Dylan lyrics into memorable songs. The spooky late night creole vibe that filters through the album is intoxicating and it is clear this album is linked with Yellow Moon by The Neville Brothers who Lanois also worked with.
Centerpiece and album highlight "Most of the Time" is one of the most underrated songs in Dylan's catalog as the production, songwriting, singing, layering of sound, and lyrics all make for a magical song...or maybe it is just that great bass line! Whatever reason, it is an RtBE favorite.
"What Was It You Wanted" was never a favorite until hearing Willie Nelson's version and revisiting the original, which is solid if not super memorable while "What Good Am I?" and "Disease of Conceit" are OK at best. Album closer "Shooting Star" ends the record on a positive note though with directness and easy strumming jangles that meld Bob's simple song writing with Lanois production blissfully.
So enough yapping. Let's enjoy the album on the 35th Anniversary of Oh Mercy's release.
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