Over 10 years after the release of such acclaimed works such as 'Highway 61 Revisited" and "Blonde on Blonde," Bob Dylan once again reclaimed his throne as the poet laureate of rock and roll with "Blood on the Tracks." It was the crowning jewel of a major commercial and artistic comeback hinted by the hugely successful (though somewhat uneven)
"Planet Waves."
Inspired by his disintegrating marriage to Sara Lowndes, "Blood on the Tracks" is Dylan at his most honest and vulnerable. The gripping characters and vivid imagery that painted his most beloved works of the 1960s', but in a much more mature and accessible manner that makes "Blood on the Tracks" Dylan's most beloved and indispensable work to date.
Very rarely has there been a record where ever song is as perfect as the last. There is not a single bad line or gratuitous instrumental break that detracts from the quality. Even the lengthy "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" is a precise, cohesive tale despite its obtuse lyrical premise. Even a standard blues number like "Meet Me in the Morning" becomes far more special with the amount of soul Bob puts into it. "You're a Big Girl Now" and "If You See Her. Say Hello" have the best vocals Bob has ever layed down on record. While never a traditionally great singer, Dylan was certainly at his peak here, and the phrasing and emotion he pours into these song shatter notions he can't sing properly.
"Tangled Up in Blue," Shelter from the Storm," and "Simple Twist of Fate" remain the album's best known, "Tangled" in particular reaching the same fabled heights of "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Blowin' in the Wind." It houses one of his best vocals and most intriguing stories, a tangled, cryptic web of a couple whose paths intercross when they least expect it. "Simple Twist" is a heartbreakingly beautiful tale of missed opportunity, and "Shelter" is a bittersweet reflection. The closing "Buckets of Rain" tugs at the heartstrings" like no other song Dylan has ever written. The only song that stands out in a negative way is "Idiot Wind," which is lyrically as good any track on the album (or any Dylan song for that matter) but the album arrangement suffers from a flat arrangement that lacks the bite to make such an angry song come alive. Both the quiet, eerie acoustic version from the Bootleg Series and the raging live performance of "Hard Rain" blow it out of the water.
The sound quality on the remastered edition is absolutely terrific. "Blood on the Tracks" is an essential record from one of rock's most important voices. Anthony Nasti Tony
"Planet Waves."
Inspired by his disintegrating marriage to Sara Lowndes, "Blood on the Tracks" is Dylan at his most honest and vulnerable. The gripping characters and vivid imagery that painted his most beloved works of the 1960s', but in a much more mature and accessible manner that makes "Blood on the Tracks" Dylan's most beloved and indispensable work to date.
Very rarely has there been a record where ever song is as perfect as the last. There is not a single bad line or gratuitous instrumental break that detracts from the quality. Even the lengthy "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" is a precise, cohesive tale despite its obtuse lyrical premise. Even a standard blues number like "Meet Me in the Morning" becomes far more special with the amount of soul Bob puts into it. "You're a Big Girl Now" and "If You See Her. Say Hello" have the best vocals Bob has ever layed down on record. While never a traditionally great singer, Dylan was certainly at his peak here, and the phrasing and emotion he pours into these song shatter notions he can't sing properly.
"Tangled Up in Blue," Shelter from the Storm," and "Simple Twist of Fate" remain the album's best known, "Tangled" in particular reaching the same fabled heights of "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Blowin' in the Wind." It houses one of his best vocals and most intriguing stories, a tangled, cryptic web of a couple whose paths intercross when they least expect it. "Simple Twist" is a heartbreakingly beautiful tale of missed opportunity, and "Shelter" is a bittersweet reflection. The closing "Buckets of Rain" tugs at the heartstrings" like no other song Dylan has ever written. The only song that stands out in a negative way is "Idiot Wind," which is lyrically as good any track on the album (or any Dylan song for that matter) but the album arrangement suffers from a flat arrangement that lacks the bite to make such an angry song come alive. Both the quiet, eerie acoustic version from the Bootleg Series and the raging live performance of "Hard Rain" blow it out of the water.
The sound quality on the remastered edition is absolutely terrific. "Blood on the Tracks" is an essential record from one of rock's most important voices. Anthony Nasti Tony
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