Time Out of Mind

90s Blues Dylan Album. Very necessary. Thanks Dimery

I really thought I was done with Bob Dylan on this list. I said it before and I'll say it again, I understand the influence, but there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON for this many records by him on this list. Especially a record from 1997 for God's sake. Are y'all ok? Instant 1.

This might be my favorite bob dylan voice. It’s gruff but he can still hold a tune. It also might be my favorite album of his that I’ve heard so far.

Another one.

This album is the color of dusk. This shit is dusty. Smells like sawdust. Tastes like whiskey. Bob’s aged voice fits his songwriting perfectly. I had no idea he wrote Make You Feel My Love. Truly the greatest living American songwriter.

When music critics review a new Bob Dylan album they often describe it as “his best work since Time Out of Mind” distinguishing 1997 LP as his late, last fit of genius. I think describing it as “one of his great works” might be taking things a bit far, but it’s true that it’s a very beautiful record and a proud accomplishment for any artist over 30 years into their career. The songs here are very chilled out, very touching, very soulful. Being familiar with his records from the last 15 years has inoculated me from any craggliness in his voice, it all sounds very natural to me. He sounds like an old master.

Probably the most shockingly appropriate album I’ll ever get on this list. As of right now I have more than 1000 different albums to get, and yet I get this one, the day after I watch “No Direction Home.” And by the way, that was a HUGE part of my day. I was sick so I stayed home from school, and spent most of the afternoon watching that movie, and it’s now one of the longest movies I’ve ever watched. Additionally I just listened to Desire, one of the only well-known Bob albums I hadn’t listened to yet (great album btw). All this to say it’s insane that I got this album when I did. And now on to whether it’s good.

Well, “Love Sick” certainly sets the tone. Meandering, 5 minutes and change, but shockingly direct. It feels as if Bob is looking you in the face as he unsteadily growls the lyrics. “Dirt Road Blues” picks up the pace in terms of tempo, but Bob’s gravelly vocals ground it in the maintaining dark atmosphere. This continues throughout the A-side. Then on the B-side it continues, though the general quality drops a bit (not personally the biggest fan of "'Til I Fell In Love With You"). Now's also a good time to talk about how the whole thing is seemingly about his 1992 divorce from Carolyn Dennis, and uhh, you can tell it's a breakup album. It's kinda crazy how down he seems about this. Anyway "Not Dark Yet" closes out the first disc as easily the best song of the B-side. Just real simple, easy, depressive Americana. Good stuff. And then "Cold Irons Bound" comes in and it's just as depressive, and it's long and bluesy and real good. After that there's a couple of songs that are just okay frankly. But then we have "Highlands," and... what. the. fuck. 16 minutes. I had to scroll down 3 times just to get to the bottom of the song's lyrics. It's crazy. Anyway the song's great too. I won't get into it but it's awesome. I'm too tired to really get into this album as a whole but it's super good.
9.5/10

So Dylan had this in his till tool kit the whole time? Lyrically solid, and such far more interesting music than his usual.

Mojo, Uncut etc went mad for this at the time. I guess there hadn’t been new Dylan for awhile. It’s a solid despatch from Planet Bob.

3.73

Time Out of Mind isn’t my favourite Dylan album, and it’s hard to see it ever topping classics like Blood on the Tracks, Blonde on Blonde, or Highway 61 Revisited.

That said, it’s still a really strong listen. The album starts brilliantly. “Love Sick,” “Dirt Road Blues,” and “Standing in the Doorway” set the tone perfectly and pull you in straight away. As the album goes on though, you do start to feel its length. At 11 tracks and over 70 minutes, it drifts a little, and the lack of variation makes it feel repetitive towards the back end.

One of the standout elements for me is Dylan’s voice. The gravelly, worn delivery suits the mood of the album perfectly and adds real weight to the songs. Lyrically, it’s excellent. There’s a consistent thread of cynicism, anger, and longing running throughout, and it all feels very authentic.

Favourite tracks: “Love Sick,” “Trying to Get to Heaven,” with my standout being the beautiful “Make You Feel My Love”
Least favourite tracks: Nothing bad, but a few tracks in the second half blend together. “Highlands” in particular feels far too long and drags on.
Album artwork: Classic Dylan. Simple, understated, and very fitting for the tone of the record.

If anyone ever tries to use Time Out Of Mind as evidence that Dylan still had it in the '90s, swiftly remind them that a lot of the success of this album had to do with the fact that he, very much, did not have it. There was a 20+ year slump before this album, and then Dylan kind of has been coasting ever since it came out. It was basically a miracle that Time Out Of Mind is as great as it is. But, deep down, I am glad that Dylan got a really significant late career statement in. It seems fitting that he would find one more blaze of glory in the world of songwriting. This is basically a winding collection of blues-based songs that capture some of Dylan's original magic, and combine it with some elder statesman pathos. The full picture isn't my favorite Dylan album, in fact I'd venture to say it's hardly anyone's favorite Dylan album, but it is thoroughly enjoyable, and of sufficient enough songwriting depth to make things work out. A lot of these songs are really great, Dirt Road Blues, Can't Wait, Million Miles and more are genuinely great Dylan songs. And, he even gets a chance to experiment a little here. Love Sick and Cold Irons Bound both (miraculously) manage to successfully incorporate a reggae feel, and I actually think that they end up as some of the most interesting moments here. And I also feel the need to mention the incredible, sprawling Highlands. His longest song at the time, Highlands' world slowly sprawls and deepens in the enticing, atmospheric way that Dylan's very best songs do. This is probably *still* the best Dylan song since 1975. Unfortunately, I do have a couple of complaints though. It goes without saying that I haven't fully connected with all the songs here, but that's barely a complaint. A more real complaint I have is with Dylan's vocals. When I first put this on, I figured that he had just grown gravely and raspy in his old age. Then, upon looking it up, I realized that he was just in his mid-50s here, which struck me as odd, he sounds like he's pushing 70 here. *Then*, I listened to a little of his much more recent stuff, and I noticed that he was just singing in a much more regular way. So, then it hit me, this album's insane, Tom Waits rasp is just a put on. And it largely sounds fine here, in the context of these dusty, sprawling songs. But knowing the extent to which it *is* put on is definitely distracting, to say the least. Ultimately, Time Out Of Mind is still the best Dylan album released since 1975, there are some great songs, great lyrics, and it just feels like his heart's in it here. Some bizarre vocal decisions aside, Time Out Of Mind serves as an incredible epilogue for Dylan's best era, and it's celebrated for good reason.

An amazing album form a person some considered washed at the time of this release. Not only did it change that opinion, I’d consider this a top ten Dylan album of all time. That’s saying a lot.

Time Out Of Mind is easily the best Bob Dylan album i have heard so far. It just really went to show that Dylan kept refining his craft over his career. I thought that this album was really well produced and it's a shame that Bob Dylan didn't like the sound of this album because i think it sounds far nicer and clearer than anything he has done in the past (at least, the albums i heard released prior to this). The songs here were also really nice and generally very relaxing to hear, especially Make You Feel My Love which in a lot of ways, makes me think of John Grant's Silver Platter Club (I love that song so i definitely like this one too). Granted this album is a long one but it is still solid.
Best Song: Make You Feel My Love
Worst Song: Highlands

I didn't know that this is where Make You Feel My Love comes from. I like Adele's version more, of course. I liked this album. I'm probably not going to re-listen, but I understand why it's included on this list

Time was when Dylan was a prophet, writing songs that immediately became part of the language.

By the time this album came about it was 20 years since Desire - the last gasp of greatness. Then came a long string of mediocre albums that were notable more for how divisive they were.

But from the first notes of this you know you're back in the hands of a master.

Is it another Blonde on Blonde or Highway 61 Revisited? Well, no. But albums like that are few and far between

Here, a crack band slithers through blues riffs while Dylan sings about lost love. Highlights are Love Sick, Standing in the Doorway and Cold Irons Bound, but everything is good.

The last track - Highlands - is 16 minutes of certified Dylan oddness, but it's kind of magnificent.

It would be another 20 years until he produced an album anywhere near this good - Rough and Rowdy Ways.

Oh no I have already been “Bobbed” in the last week and a 1997 album by his? Was not best pleased. But what on earth! This was amazing, loved his voice, the instrumentation, the production, the fact that it sounds like blues standards but are new songs written by him. I take it all back Bob.

atmosphere

It’s no wonder this man was awarded a Nobel Prize for Literature. His songs are poetry and he also happens to be a great musician.

Suorastaan Tom Waitsmaista menoa! Tykkään kyllä.