January 1975. Bob Dylan’s ‘Blood on the Tracks’. . . Where to begin with such a classic wonder? How could words possibly describe the emotion that surrounds and extends from the music? How could one put into words the pure essence of such an album?
The very atmosphere that lingers on the tracks is in its own sense magical. It carries its own Emotion, a constant yet the music itself is bound to mean different things upon every listen - cheerful, sarcastic, sober, depressing, honest. If one word can make a vague attempt to describe the album, it is ‘honest’. ‘Blood on the Tracks’ is an honest album, honest in the same sense the sky is blue. It captures life in all its sorrows, its bitterness and cynical, yet displays it on a beautiful backdrop. Dylan’s lyrics have always been honest and he sings with a dire honesty, proclaims his story and you just have to believe with him. He can sell you a story, he can paint you a pretty picture - but the music runs deeper than superficial aesthetics. It is a journey, a wonderful exhibition of Emotion. It is ‘Blood on the Tracks.’
As an entire being, the whole album almost runs into its own singular track as a wild but not chaotic tapestry that weaves and turns perfectly when it needs to. I had heard “Tangled Up in Blue” several times before I heard the entire album, but it is now nearly impossible to hear any random track off the album without needing to hear it whole and complete as it should be. It is simply one of those albums where it feels only right to hear the entire tapestry or nothing at all, regardless if pieces of the full picture were released to stand on their own.
It has been claimed that this album is partly autobiographical, which it may be but whether it is or not does not take away from what is certain within the music itself. The album starts with the classic “Tangled Up in Blue,” which remains a song I have somehow not grown sick of despite hearing it often on the radio and in my own time. Strangely enough, it seems that every time I hear it there is a new line that stands out to me. Dylan shifts into his folk origin on “Simple Twist of Fate.” “You’re a Big Girl Now” and “Idiot Wind” are parallel in the manner they contain some of not only Dylan’s strongest lyrics but are masterpieces even outside of Dylan’s discography. He retraces his roots on “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” before diving into a flirtation with blues on “Meet Me in the Morning.” “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” could be my personal favorite off the album, though again the album is simply inviting and captures the essence more if heard in its entirety. The upbeat stomper is contrasted by the following “If You See Her, Say Hello” which is focused and composed of simple beauty in ballad. “Shelter from the Storm” sounds to be a reflection of a kind of “Tangled Up in Blue” in a more uplifting sense. “Buckets of Rain” concludes the album and strangely has a nostalgic aura surrounding it.
If it is possible to describe this album in a simple way, it is an album that as a whole is truly an experience. Just sit back and let the opening chords of “Tangled Up in Blue” take you away on a journey where Dylan’s storytelling has never been stronger. Let the atmosphere fall but not crash upon you; let it surround you with the music washing over you in waves. 45 years on, it is still an amazing album. It is nearly impossible to describe it but the music speaks for itself. You will understand when you listen to the masterpiece that is ‘Blood on the Tracks.’
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