Monday, January 20, 2025

Happy 50th Anniversary to Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks

Happy 50th Anniversary to Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks


One of the best albums of his storied career, Dylan mined his soul while dealing with a painful separation/divorce, recorded the album at least twice, and in the end produced a masterpiece.

From the song that took him "ten years to live and two years to write", "Tangled Up In Blue", until the sweet love song that wraps up the tumultuous record with a smirk, "Buckets of Rain", Dylan is following his muse. For this album Dylan credits painter Norman Raeben, who he was taking classes under, with getting him to see time differently and write with no linear connection to it. However, Dylan has also said the full album was inspired by the short stories of Anton Chekhov, so who knows what really was the inspiration, and who cares? 

The songs are wonderfully moving in varied directions, from the looming heartbreak of "Simple Twist of Fate" to the bombastic poetic anger of "Idiot Wind", relationships in decay are everywhere. How strong is an album if "Shelter From The Storm", might only be the fourth or fifth best song on it? 

Over the years, not enough credit has been given to the Minneapolis musicians who his brother David Zimmerman brought together on short notice to record. The group really kick up efforts like "Tangled Up In Blue" and "Idiot Wind" as the vibrantly flowing musicality on both songs is overshadowed by the dynamite lyrics but still critical to the overall recordings success. Those musicians give the album just enough oomph to match the words with Chris Weber – acoustic guitar, Kevin Odegard – acoustic guitar, Gregg Inhofer – piano, keyboards, Hammond organ, Billy Peterson – bass guitar, and Bill Berg – drums doing a damn good job. 

The romantic pain of the direct and breezy "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go", (especially coming right after the bitter "Idiot Wind"), is wrenching in its gorgeousness, while "If You See Her Say Hello" fits this same mold of resigned heartbreak. "Lilly Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" is an outlier on the album and while the story song is poetic and cinematic, it has always felt more suited to his follow-up Desire to these ears. 

Anyway you slice it though, it is a fantastic listen, made during trying personal times by an artist who had ebbed and flowed with his talent until that point, and continues to be relevant today.  

Today, Blood on the Tracks 50th Anniversary, put it on and enjoy the hell out of a great record. 


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