Given so much evidence to the fact, the case is easily made for Bob Dylan being the single most important songwriter of the second half of the 20th century. Such is the profound nature of his lyricism, both in terms of innovation and symbolism, that conventions and attitudes Dylan challenged may have remained in place far longer had it not been for the change in consciousness he brought about.
Without any great difficulty it is also possible to make a strong argument for Dylan making the most significant rock albums of both the 1960 and 70s – the former decade containing six possible contenders, the latter at least two, his personal journey to and from these remarkable releases almost as fascinating as the music itself.
While the previous 17 years (Dylan recording his debut album in 1962) leading to 1979 had often brought notice he could confound his followers almost at will, in that year even the most long-standing devotee was thrown into a loop by ‘Slow Train Coming‘, a collection of tracks revealing his conversion to Christianity.
The religious connotations now found in his lyrics continued through ‘Saved‘ (1980) and ‘Shot of Love‘ (1981). While few doubted the sincerity being expressed through this evangelical period, a distinct absence of consistency pervades the music, subsequent ’80s offerings ‘Infidels‘ (1983), ‘Empire Burlesque‘ (1985), ‘Knocked Out Loaded‘ (1986) displaying a lack of focus that culminated in the slipshod ‘Down in the Groove‘ (1988).
That he could produce a record so generally listless was especially dispiriting as Dylan had sounded rejuvenated when appearing beside George Harrison, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne on the 1987 album attributed to the ‘Traveling Wilburys’.
Thus as the ’80s drew to a close it seemed increasingly likely the foremost rock lyricist would end the current era without leaving his customary indelible mark. That notion, however, would be dispelled with release of ‘OH MERCY‘ (September 1989). The most telling collection he had mustered since ‘Desire‘ (1976), with his 26th studio release Dylan weighed in with a striking ten track set that by virtue stands among the most compelling albums of the decade.
Spread across his previous six studio albums since 1980 there are, without question, moments of magnificence, but whereas they are sporadic at best, on ‘Oh Mercy‘ they arrive with every turn of the disc. Through the last three releases bearing just his name what good material there is often suffers due to cluttered presentation, Dylan producing this trio of records himself.
Across the board, the standard of composition on ‘Oh Mercy‘ is undoubtedly higher, although the work may not have sounded quite so assured if issued in original form, the songs initially recorded by a combination of himself and Rolling Stone Ron Wood.
Upon expressing dissatisfaction with the resulting tracks to U2 front man Bono, it was suggested to Dylan he allow Daniel Lanois, who had produced their last two studio sets, to oversee a fresh round of sessions.
On assembling a core musician troupe of Tony Hall (bass), Willie Green (drums) and Malcolm Burns (keyboards) those involved decamped to a New Orleans studio in the spring of 1989. Dylan, who would chip in with guitar, harmonica and keyboards, was apparently taken with the atmospheric roots vibe of the locale, giving instruction that all recording be done at night in order to capture the nocturnal ambience he felt best suited the tracks.
For his part Lanois (making a musical contribution on guitar and dobro) is quickly attuned to the intent of the artist, but also manages to take Dylan out of his own way, a state of affairs that had not come to pass on the albums he had recently produced on his own – the Canadian production ace taking a concise, unfussy approach to presenting what the artist has to offer.
In fact the only issues to be taken with Dylan and Lanois involve the sequencing, (side two could have been better paced), but moreover the eventual track selection. Three excellent songs not making the final cut – each later emerging on his 1993 ‘Unplugged‘ set or on archive collections – all capable of lifting the general excellence of ‘Oh Mercy‘ even higher.
By now 58 Dylan once more sounds engaged and inspired, even when the lyrical subject matter depicts a world, either on a personal or political level, going to hell in a handcart – and while some songs do contain theological references, these are less overt than his sequence of albums that contained nothing but.
The somewhat laboured meanderings of recent times are immediately banished as ‘Political World‘ races along on a dense framework of guitar and dobro, this edgy tone proving ideal for the issues being raised:
‘We live in a political world/Courage is a thing of the past/Houses are haunted/Children unwanted/The next day could be your last/We live in a political world/The one we can see and feel/But there’s no one to check/It’s all a stacked deck/We all know for sure that it’s real.’
Using the title to open each verse, through the song Dylan keeps injecting more urgency into his vocal, the pessimistic observations shaped by perceptions of greed and moral corruption:
‘We live in a political world/In the cities of lonesome fear/Little by little/You turn in the middle/But you’re never sure why you’re here/We live in a political world/Under the microscope/You can travel anywhere/And hang yourself there/You always got more than enough rope.’
Following an opening track direct and stark in its pronouncements, in contrast ‘Where Teardrops Fall‘ is a country-soul affair lamenting a fractured relationship and the emotional vulnerability that has arrived in its wake, (‘Far away in the stormy night/Far away and over the wall/You are there in the flickering light/Where teardrops fall‘). The mood is already regretful before a gorgeous saxophone solo from John Hart arrives without notice to convey fully the sadness being felt.
The emphasis changes again with ‘Everything is Broken‘ this rockabilly-infused piece conveying more portents of doom.
Decorated with propulsive percussion and shrill harmonica incisions, the writer sounds convinced society is collapsing, (‘Broken dishes, broken parts/Streets are filled with broken hearts/Broken words never meant to be spoken/Everything is broken‘), his disconcerting worldview reinforced by the oft-repeated title.
Featuring Dylan on piano, ‘Ring Them Bells‘ is keyboard-based folk song lamenting the modern day erosion of faith. There is tender vulnerability in the way he makes a case for mankind to find a more righteous path (‘Ring them bells Sweet Martha/For the poor man’s son/Ring them bells so the world will know/That God is one‘). His plea for universal redemption from a higher power is expressed with no less devotion than when both sides of Bob Dylan albums were given over to such endearment.
Side one closer, the eerie ‘Man in the Long Black Coat‘, fully embraces the feeling of twilight Dylan sought to capture.
With Lanois to the fore on dobro, the narrative unfolds as a gothic tale full of sinister deviations, the enigmatic character at the heart of the story, (‘He had a face like a mask‘), prompting both fear and fascination in those he encounters.
Delivering the song in a detached, at times conversational manner, Dylan conjures religious and black magic imagery (‘But people don’t live or die people just float/She went with the man in the long black coat‘), short sentences with selective detail only adding to the mystique.
Exploring similar themes of hurt and loss as found in ‘Congratulations‘ a song he contributed to the Traveling Wilburys record, side two opener ‘Most of the Time‘ contains even greater resonance.
Through a serene, melancholy melody underpinned by sympathetic bass lines from Hall that are simply outstanding, Dylan insists his emotions have recovered from the break-up, (‘I can hold my own/I can deal with the situation/Right down to the bone‘). But such self-assurance is still prone to instances of doubt and in these moments (‘Most of the time/She ain’t even in my mind/I wouldn’t know her if I saw her/She’s that far behind‘), his masterful talent for creating allusion to one thing while evoking another is found at its most resonant.
Despite the question mark at the end of the title, ‘What Good Am I?’ takes the form of first person criticism.
With the instrumentation stripped back to just Dylan (guitar/piano) and Lanois (dobro), the writer feels culpable for a faltering relationship, (‘What good am I if I know and don’t do/If I see and don’t say/If I look right through you/If I turn a deaf ear to the thunderin’ sky‘), his personal failings (‘If I’ve had every chance and yet still fail to see‘) taking too much toll on the union for it to endure.
Dylan then turns his hand to piano balladry on the sombre ‘Disease of Conceit‘.
Contemplating the destructive nature of excessive pride and self-importance, these traits are seen by the narrator as taking the form of an illness (‘Give ya delusions of grandeur/And an evil eye/Give you the idea that you’re too good to die‘). While it would be wrong to doubt the conviction that shapes his sentiments, there is a sense that on at least one occasion (‘Turn you into a piece of meat/The disease of conceit‘) he oversells the lyric – the album at this juncture perhaps better served by the more upbeat ‘Dignity‘ that was also cut at the New Orleans sessions, yet not seeing the light of day until the ‘Unplugged‘ effort four years later.
The smoldering folk-blues of ‘What Was It You Wanted‘ brings another round of persistent questioning.
In attempting to establish what is being asked of him, his enquiries take a wry, ambiguous turn, (‘What was it you wanted?/Tell me again so I’ll know/What’s happenin’ in there?/What’s goin’ on in your show?’). With each line, some of which are darkly funny, he sounds more mystified by the second (‘Whatever you wanted/Slipped out of my mind/Would you remind me again?/If you’d be so kind‘) but all the time reveling in the uncertainty.
Comprising of three deeply affecting verses, closing cut ‘Shooting Star‘ brings rumination on a lover lost to him, while almost in the same breath recalling the shortcomings (his own) that precipitated the separation:
‘Seen a shooting star tonight/Slip away/Tomorrow will be/Another day/Guess it’s too late to say the things to you/You needed to hear me say/Seen a shooting star tonight/Slip away.’
This being Dylan, however, naturally there is a twist. In the bridge between verses two and three he summons up hell, the Last Temptation and The Sermon on the Mount. So is he describing a fractured love affair or, bearing in mind where he began the ’80s, suffering a crisis of faith? Is the power of human love being examined or his Christian beliefs?
Indeed, there are times when it would be interesting to know, but to his followers the ambiguity is essential to our DNA (Dylan Needs Analysis). Besides, the fascination lost in contemplating these things would be immeasurable. Hence so many of us remain in thrall to Bob Dylan.
On release ‘Oh Mercy‘ met with widespread critical acclaim and also revived his commercial fortunes peaking at number six on the U.K. charts, Dylan nonetheless reacting with typical ambivalence to having the critics back onside.
The following year there was a well-received second album from the Traveling Wilburys (minus Orbison who had died in December 1988), but his own ‘Under the Red Sky‘ (September 1990), despite star guests such as George Harrison, Elton John and David Crosby, was an underwhelming entity where too many tracks lacked drama – this confusing set amounting to his last collection of original songs for seven years.
In the time ahead there would be two albums of folk covers and a patchy ‘Unplugged‘ effort, his stock by 1996 having fallen once more. It may not have languished at mid-80s levels, yet there was growing consensus ‘Oh Mercy‘ would likely reign as the last great Dylan album.
But as he had done many times previously Dylan would turn theory on its head, emerging in 1997 with the monumental ‘Time Out of Mind.’
It proved once again nobody else could be so enthralling, giving notice those who wrote him off did so at their peril – just as ‘Oh Mercy‘ had shown seven years before.
BOB DYLAN – OH MERCY (Released September 12 1989):
Political World/Where Teardrops Fall/Everything Is Broken/Ring Them Bells/Man in the Long Black Coat/Most of the Time/What Good Am I?/Disease of Conceit/What Was It You Wanted/Shooting Star;
Hello – hope you enjoyed another exclusive production from SAMTIMONIOUS.com
In order to create the best experience for when you drop by to read a page or two, those with the power to ordain such things (me, actually), have decided to remove all external advertising from the site – in other words articles will no longer be subject to intrusive pop-up ads. BUT – and ain’t there always one – should you wish to make a donation toward the on-costs of the most entertaining and original blog-site around, please press on the – ‘DONATE’ – button below. It will be greatly appreciated.
Stay safe everyone and thanks for dropping by – best wishes Neil
SAMTIMONIOUS.com – films, football and fabulous music at The Dominion of Opinion