Reviews

After a slew of lukewarm releases in the early 70s no one expected Bob Dylan to return with not only one of the greatest albums of his career, but also one of the best rock albums of all time. Blood On The Tracks is a true masterpiece. It is an album recorded during the break up with his wife Sara, so was born out of raw emotion. As Bob's son Jakob Dylan once stated 'This album sounds like my parent divorcing'. You won't so much hear that in the lyrics, but in the performances themselves. Dylan is a man that rarely reveals who he really is, but this album was created in a moment of true despair, and his voice alone tells of the ghosts of recent times and emotional conversations. Initially recorded over 4 days in September 1974 in New York City, the album was to feature a simple approach to the music. Dylan was accompanied by a bass player and the occasional organist, and the music was as stripped down and intimate as the songs (mostly odes to love both in hand and lost) required. The whole album was recorded in this mellow way, and test pressings of the original 'New York Version' of the album were made - but heading home to Minnesota for Christmas he decided to re-record half the album with a full backing band. The results produced a vastly different final album, with the mood radically changed. Some still stand by the original pressing being the definitive, whilst others say the final released product is better - but regardless the record stands as a powerful statement in either configuration. 'Tangled Up In Blue' opens the album with a powerful start, and a confident Dylan is heard. The song feels more crafted and complete than much of this work (both before or after this album), and a different type of ballad emerges from the songsmith. It feels autobiographical at the same time as feeling like a ludicrous tale, and the listener is left unsure of just what the lyrics are referring to. Fans of Dylan are used to this of course, but this opener feels different. Deeper somehow. 'Simple Twist Of Fate' follows and again the confidence in Dylan's voice is clear. It is like he doesn't just sing these songs, he lives in them, or once did - so knows them with great intimacy. It is a simple acoustic tune, and like many of the songs here is unremarkable on first listen, but it slowly draws you in. On 'You're A Big Girl Now' you hear regret in his voice, and you know this is lived experience. 'Idiot Wind' is an odd song, which in its original form was actually more biting and aggressive than its full band remake. It is Dylan at his tale-telling best, singing a song in first-person - but one that doesn't sound personal. It involves murder, intrigue, but most interestingly paints the protagonist into the role of an arrogant narcissist, who by the end of the tale realises he is as fallible as the other subjects he berates in the song. Digging deep in the lyrics fans can find many self-references here, so is this Dylan's vailed attempt to tell us how he really feels about his own actions? Side A closes with the simple 'You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When you Go', again hiding nothing about its intent and meaning. 'Meet Me In The Morning' opens Side B, and although it is one of the lesser songs on the album, the acoustic blues makes a nice groove to open the side. In a near perfect album you will never get any disagreement if you call out the lively 'Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts' as a misstep. There is no hidden meaning here, just a fun and very convoluted story of a group of bank robbers. The song itself is adequate, but the nearly 9 minute run time with very little musical variation causes it to drag on and when it does find it's end it is more of a relief than a triumph. We now know that there were a number of very worthy outtakes from the sessions, and any of those alternate songs would have been better placed here. It feels like a blizzard in Summer in comparison to the other songs, but Dylan is a man of contradiction, and perhaps liked the unpredictability of it being placed in a bunch of such personal songs. 'If You See Her, Say Hello' is a song of a man living in deep regret, and is possibly the most brutally personal on the album. His voice sounds sad and lost, and the lyrics feel the same. This is pure heartbreak in disguise. As the album winds to a close 'Shelter From The Storm' lifts things, and is possibly the best know song on an album that had little attention from singles. Rightfully so, as it is an amazing song, catching the listener with the hook at the end of each stanza. You only need to hear it once and you will be singing it all day. The album closes with one of the most simple tracks, 'Buckets Of Rain'. It is one of Dylan's most covered songs, and rightfully so, as it is a straight-forward love song. It is an upstroke on a canvas that was mostly painted in strokes downwards, and bookends the regret of earlier songs with the memories of better times and wonderful moments. As an artist that is not known for putting much effort or thinking into sequencing, Dylan nailed this one perfectly, closing one of his finest musical works of art with something wonderful.

It's way past time to review this beast of a record. Yeah that's right - I'm in the minority, along with TheBigBlack, that absolutely love this release. We all know the lead up to its release. Heck a movie was made for the making of. Personally as you know, I strayed away from the band in the 90's and they had minor success in the post lack album releases during, but dang did this release knock my teeth to the back of my throat on first listen. Let's get straight into it. Opener 'Frantic' introduces the listener to a sound that is not familiar to Metallica fans. The songbook from previous releases is out of the window. Take notice of a band that has gone through hell and back and with the first track you can see the anger they hold. Possibly from the years it has taken them to put something new out. Perhaps getting to the point to almost break-up. This is a big 'eff you' to any of the doubters. 'Frantic' delivers one of the best lines I've heard - "My lifestyle determines my deathstyle." Speaking of anger, track 2, the title track, focuses specifically on that anger feeling. Mixed with some moody, slow paced verse, building up into a fast-paced chorus is well orchestrated. For track 3 'Some Kind Of Monster' my immediate thought is this is as close a link as you might have to their back catalogue. Very straight forward verse, chorus, verse mid-tempo but with the frenetic Lars drumming where it suits. 'Dirty Window' is flat out the head down, bum up frenetic anger (I should stop using that word). Possibly their heaviest song on the record perhaps. 'Invisible Kid' is a little strained for me to be honest. It isn't the best song on the record but still full of speed, however the topic and the output probably marks this as a low-light on the record. I had planned to review each song but it'll end up a long review so from here a few highlights to look out for. 'Shoot Me Again' has the most brilliant intro. The thumping drums actually linked into the drum beat. Love it. Great song also. 'The Unnamed Feeling', which had episodes on future releases, is a very "pull at the heart-strings" song. And the final track which is different to what you expect from any final track that Metallica put together for their albums. Equally this puts a perfect end-point on a record that no doubt was difficult to put together. All up - if you pair this release with what the band had been through for the previous 5 or so years, there was a time where us fans thought they were done. So in some respects we just wanted something from them. With St. Anger I think they delivered that and more. Yes, it is different, but hey - some of you might have a different hair cut (or no hair anymore) since the 80's so just accept it and thank the almighty Beelzebub they still exist! Welcome Rob to the band. Only good things can come from here (which in hindsight reviewing this is 2025, we know do).