Blood on the Tracks

Really fun, easy to listen to album. I think if you don't know much about Dylan except a handful of the classics (like me) this is probably a great place to start. Dylan's storytelling and songwriting abilities are on display here. Tangled up in Blue is a great start to the album, Idiot Wind and Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts are also favorite tracks. It's probably a 4.5 rating for me but since I have to pick and this ones got me in a good mood we can go 5.

From the moment I heard Blood On The Tracks, I knew it topped my list of favorite Bobby D albums. Granted, I didn't hear most of his catalog, but I doubt anything will beat this.

Songs like Idiot Wind, Tangled Up in Blue, and Shelter From The Storm are a real display of genius that we'll probably never see in our lifetimes, with acrobatic and incredible penmanship that clears any doubt I had about him getting the Nobel prize a few years back.

As for the instrumentations, I'm glad we have both the outtakes and this "mainstream" version. This one is great because it's not something like Pink Moon where you have to sit through the emptiness while listening to Nick Drake slowly wallowing away in sadness. Instead, Blood On The Tracks has an anger in it, with an urge to not give up and continue on just to spite others.

I'm honestly surprised how he managed to channel all his emotion into some of the greatest lyrical displays in music history. I know I would've taken the guitar and smashed it against the wall.

So so good. Angry and bitter but introspective this album has some of my favorite emotional personal Bob Dylan songs. I like the bare sound compared to a lot of his other stuff at this time

I struggle with Dylan. I switch between hating his intonation, and being blown away by the complexity, but even if you strip all of this away, this is just an album of great tunes, and great performances. The drums on tangled up in blue absolutely earn a star in isolation.

When people debate Bob Dylan’s greatest album, his legendary mid-60s records inevitably come up. 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘵 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝟨𝟣 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥, and 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦 are all understandable choices, but for me, 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 beats them all. The songwriting is extraordinary, full of tangled relationships, painful memories, and emotions that feel more personal and immediate than ever.

Dylan’s famously nasal voice is still unmistakably there, but by 1975 it has developed a warmth and maturity that suits these songs beautifully. And then there is the harmonica. On some of his earlier albums, it occasionally tested my patience, but here it fits the music remarkably well. These are probably my favourite harmonica performances of his so far. For once, I’m not waiting for him to put the instrument down. Quite the opposite.

His mid-60s masterpieces may have been more revolutionary, but 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 moves me in a way they never quite managed. The melodies, the storytelling, the atmosphere, even that harmonica — everything comes together perfectly. If I could keep only one Dylan album, there would be no contest.

I'm sorry Mr. Dylan but I just don't like guitar singer songwriter music. I could tell this was high quality but it just wasn't for me.

Not for me. I’ve already gotten two other albums of his before (one live, one studio) and I think his earlier work is more to my liking.

I'm not a storytelling fan but these songs were catchy.

Blood on the Tracks was a pretty easy listen for me. I enjoyed the overall sound and the acoustic, laid-back style, and there are some really nice melodies throughout the album. The songwriting is obviously a big part of its appeal, with a lot of the songs dealing with relationships, heartbreak, and personal reflection.
That said, I didn’t completely fall in love with it. Dylan’s voice is definitely an acquired taste for me — there’s something slightly strange and rough about the way he sings that sometimes takes me out of the songs. It does fit the emotional and intimate feeling of the album, though.
Overall, I’d say it’s a solid album and I can understand why it’s considered one of Dylan’s best, but it didn’t blow me away. It’s relaxed, thoughtful, and easy to listen to, with some great songwriting, even if Dylan’s voice isn’t entirely my thing.

Country roads, take me home

Listened before? No

Familiar with the artist? Yes, this is my second Dylan album of the project.

Thoughts:
- I should have known I'd be a Bob Dylan fan before I started this project. It's been a musical blind spot that I'm glad to finally fix. 🙂
- I love a good, long story song, lol. I'm sure there are people who hate "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts," but I was enthralled 😅
- I know I'll need a few more listens to fully take in this one, but I can't see my rating changing.

Favorite track(s): "Tangled Up in Blue", "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts"

Least favorite: Wasn't really into "Meet Me in the Morning," but I don't hate it.

Wasn’t fully vibing with the first couple of songs, but thankfully Bob did not disappoint. Love when he began adding more country influence.

Top tracks: Meet Me in Morning, Shelter from the Storm, Buckets of Rain

"Tangled Up in Blue" seems to present new ground for Bob to cover, as it combines his long-winded lyrical sensibilities with uptempo pop rock instrumentation and a catchy hook. But the rest of the record is ho-hum folk music that does not reel me in at all.

I've recently listened to a couple of later Bob Dylan albums (Love & Theft and Rough & Rowdy Ways) which I did not care for so I didn't have high hopes for this. Imagine my surprise when I actually liked this decently! Tangled Up in Blue was probably my favorite track. Solid.

I listened to "Blonde On Blonde" last week, and I like this one a lot better. The songs are softer and more acoustic, the lyrical stories are richer and more detailed, and the harmonica actually fits in without being excessive.

Z dotychczasowych płyt tę jako jedyną dało się nawet normalnie wysłuchać, ale to tylko dlatego, że nie było aż tyle harmonijki w melodiach. Jeśli Bob Dylan przestanie mieć nie-fanów swojej muzyki, to znaczy, że umarłam.

He can obviously write a song, but I’ve never been convinced that sounding like Bob Dylan is necessarily the best way to perform one.

This is an uneven album. At its best, it’s outstanding: beautifully written, emotionally sharp and full of songs that justify the reputation that precedes him.

But there’s a noticeable dip in the middle, where several tracks feel lazy and repetitive and outstay their welcome.

Meanwhile, his mouth organ remains an instrument that often sounds as though it has crashed in from a child’s playroom.

But perhaps that’s all part of the point. Bob will be Bob, and by the end I wasn’t merely tolerating him; I was very much enjoying him—and, on at least one occasion (Idiot Wind), even his mouth organ.

Maybe we naysayers just have to resign ourselves to the fact that a Bob album wouldn’t be quite the same without that voice, the “harmonica” or the idiosyncratic vocal phrasing he applies to practically every other word.

Another Boring Bob Dylan album. I assume a bunch of Bob albums are on this list and out of the 2 I’ve listened to I did not enjoy them. 5/10 at most.

This album is absolutely not for me. It's primary quality is "confessional," which I find to be a pretty boring artistic mode. I have lots of friends who are Dylan enthusiasts, and they all love Blood on the Tracks. But they also acknowledge it's really a lyrics-first style of music and that, if you want the richest possible experience, you need a near-parasocial relationship with Dylan.

This album is such a raw, vulnerable look at a relationship falling apart. It’s peak Dylan storytelling for me, especially "Tangled Up In Blue" and "Idiot Wind" thats show just how brilliant his writing is when it's all stripped back. The lyrics feel like deep, painful stories that really drag you into all that regret and bitterness. It’s a total breakup masterpiece that feels just as heavy and personal today as it did back then.

I know the nasal vocals and screechy harmonica aren't everyone's cup of tea, they can be a lot if you're not used to them. But if you can look past that and really listen to the lyrics, it’s easily one of the best breakup records ever made. It’s an emotional gut-punch that proves why he’s arguably the greatest songwriter of all time.