Review #9: Blood On The Tracks, Bob Dylan

I know a lot of people who despise Bob Dylan, and I know a lot of people who can do really good Bob Dylan impressions. I’ve never quite been able to do either. I don’t mind his weirdo voice, and I didn’t even hate it when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 (though I did hate it when he didn’t show up to accept the award due to “pre-existing commitments” and made Patti Smith perform in his stead, which was undoubtedly very cool of her).

So I didn’t mind listening to Blood On The Tracks. Bob Dylan made Kansas feel more like Kansas than any other album so far. I was a lot less vicious to the semi-truck drivers on the road during this album, you know what I mean?

But I also learned a lot about myself, hurtling across Kansas, fueled by pizza-flavored Combos and Gatorade, listening to the iiiiiiidiot wind for eight long minutes. Bob Dylan is on this list eight times. And on this journey, I learned that I like Bob Dylan a lot less than I thought I did. I also learned that Bob Dylan’s voice sounds more warbly every time you hear it.

FAVORITE SONGS:

“Tangled Up In Blue” — This song is nice and the lyrics are really beautiful.

“Idiot Wind” — Haha, Bob Dylan has a funny voice.

“You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” — Okay I know I’ve been complaining about Bob Dylan but I really do love this song. I would also be remiss not to mention Miley Cyrus’ awesome cover of it.

“Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” — What a stupid name, but what a peppy tune!

“Shelter From the Storm” — This is my personal favorite. Maybe I just like the sentiment.

“Buckets of Rain” — Also a nice song. RS says that Dylan used “local musicians” to record this album, which somehow made a lot of sense when I listened to it a second time.

LEAST FAVORITE SONGS:

“You’re a Big Girl Now” — Eh. I don’t love any song that makes me feel condescended.

IS RS FULL OF IT?

No, I don’t think it is this time. Every time I think I don’t like Bob Dylan, I go and read his lyrics, and I feel differently again. He is a poet (and apparently released an album last year that I completely missed?) with the voice of an ancient warlock.

Review #8: Purple Rain, Prince and the Revolution

Review #10: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Ms. Lauryn Hill