Music is a universal language, and serves as an outlet for many musicians and listeners. The wide variety of artists and creativity throughout the music world has shaped a lot of different people.
In 1975, Bob Dylan, who is one of the most respected musicians of all time, came out with his fifteenth studio album, Blood on the Tracks.
In my review of this album, I will be taking into consideration the lyrical aspects of it, along with the instrumentation, and deeper messages behind the songs. I will be rating each song out of 10, with reasoning behind why I gave that score for my review.
Tangled up in Blue
This song has deep ties to Bob Dylan’s marriage troubles. He is an excellent storyteller, and you can tell through the lyrics that this song was deeply personal to Dylan. His guitar helps tell the story in many of his songs, and I think “Tangled in the Blue” is a prime example of that. The bass and the drums are mellow, and the guitar overpowers them. This is certainly one of the most popular tracks on the album. I give this song a 9/10.
Simple Twist of Fate
This song is a classic love song turned dark. The storytelling is once again brilliant. It follows a man who falls in love with a woman, and the woman ends up leaving him. At the end of the song he is sitting on the docks at the harbor and blames all the downfalls of his life on twists of his fate. The chords are unique, and there is more variety in the instrumentation of this song. This is one of my personal favorite tracks on the album. I give this song a 10/10.
Your a Big Girl Now
This song has a mellow feel to it, similar to the others. I was impressed with some of his vocals in this track. The story was once again darker, following a man in a one sided view of an ended relationship. He realizes that his past lover is coping far better than he is, and tries to win her back. I sympathize with the story, and the chords make for very easy listening. I give this song a 10/10
Idiot Wind
The thing that caught my attention right off the bat, was how much the organ appealed to me in this song. I think it makes the whole song ten times better. The true meaning of this song is somewhat unknown. People don’t know if it is about separating from his wife Sara, or if it was in relation to his parents. The mystery makes it so much more interesting in my opinion. The song can be about what you want it to be about. I give this song an 8/10
You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
The tempo in this song is more upbeat and fast. The strum pattern is faster, and the harmonica screams a melody throughout the song that is pure ear candy. Dylan claims the song is inspired by literature, and it is one of the faster songs on the albums. I enjoyed this track, but it wasn’t special to me. I give this song a 7/10.
Meet Me In The Morning
This song has an intense blues feel to it, which is very appealing to my ears in particular. The song talks about Bob wanting to meet a past lover. He talks about going the distance to reunite with a particular person. The old time blues feel of the song is what hooked me. I give this song a solid 8/10.
Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
This is once again a faster paced song, with a beautiful array of organ chords throughout the entire track. I fall in love with the sound of the organ whenever it is a part of one of Dylan’s songs. This is a narrative ballad, and if you listen there is an actual story. The storytelling is amazing but the tune isn’t the best on the album. I give this a 6/10.
If You See Her, Say Hello
This song really captures the raw emotionality of Dylan’s love life. He talks about a woman he lost after a certain “falling out.” I love the acoustic arrangement in this song. It is very mellow but unique. I give this song an 8/10.
Shelter From the Storm
This was one of Dylan’s more popular tracks in his career, and it is a masterpiece. The simple strum pattern and bouncy bassline make for a happy bittersweet feeling. His vocals are inspiring as he rambles on about how this particular woman is his shelter from the storm, or comfort place. I give this song a 10/10.
Buckets of Rain
This is one of the most brilliant guitar parts in Bob Dylan’s wide variety of songs. I love the sound of him picking his acoustic 6 string. It is slow, but almost leaves you with a nostalgic feeling. There are many instrumental breaks, which leaves you time to process the story he is telling. I give this song a 10/10 as well.
The overall rating of this album is 8.6/10. There is so much depth within this album, and every track uniquely tells a different story, all tying in to the same theme. This is one of my favorite albums. Bob Dylan never disappoints.
