Blood on the Tracks

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.

The Good: At least we know there’s murder happening…
The Bad: We don’t know who, or what, got murdered…
The Ugly: Where there’s blood there’re guts… and stuff…

Mr Dylan… what is there to say about this album?
It was a nice listen. I am glad I listened to it… I just can’t recall the experience a couple of days later.

Maybe I will listen to it again today… maybe not.
That last song, that was the big one though… always nice when an album ends on the big one.

Thanks Mr Dylan.

4*

Perfectly fine.

Favorite track(s): Tangled Up in Blue, Simple Twist of Fate, You're a Big Girl Now, Idiot Wind, You're Gonna Make Me Wholesome When You Go, Meet Me in the Morning, Shelter From the Storm, Buckets of Rain

I love Bob Dylan. I love having pretentious taste in an artist's work. This is a no-brainer.

Heard before
Previous rating: 10/10

Better than Coldplay

Probably my favourite Bob's album so absolutely easy 5 stars here without thinking too much at all! What more can be really said about this great work, and yet I will still listen to it today on my way to the damn dentist appointment ouch

5/5. The early 70’s was a very mixed bag for Bob Dylan. “Self Portrait” was a critical disaster (though honestly not as bad as it’s often painted to be), “New Morning” was very safe and forgettable, “Dylan” straight up rivals some of his 80’s material in terms of being his worst, etc. . Which is to say Blood on The Tracks was a major “we are so back” moment in Bob Dylan’s catalogue, and all it took was the collapse of his marriage!

Opener “Tangled Up in Blue” is one of Dylan’s biggest songs, and that’s for good reason, the guitar playing is solid and it showcases Dylan at the top of his storytelling game, which continues on other highlights like “Idiot wind” or “Simple Twist of Fate” or “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts”. And the album closes out strong too with the 1-2 punch of “shelter from the storm” and “buckets of rain” which bring down the intensity a bit and puts a bow on what’s one of Dylan’s best albums (and it’s not even my personal favorite 70’s Dylan album, for me that honor would go to “Desire.”)

one of these days i'll understand why we need 5 (6?) dylan albums on this list. it's great, it's fine, it is one of many and i'm here to DISCOVER more artists.

Perhaps it’s my mood but I found this a bit dull. The lyrics are as ever top notch but the melodies all seemed to roll into one. Ok listened to it again, still didn’t reach me.

One of the better Dylan albums on the list. Still boring, but less of the annoying bits on this one.

2.5/5.0: Mixed

mostly carried by tangled up in blue but the rest of the songs werent bad

oh wow so he really does sing like that

Hot damn, I finally developed a taste for Bob Dylan. Time to revisit the previous albums I got from him.

Man, Bob Dylan is so hit or miss for me. I was so disappointed with Blonde on Blonde, but this album’s a hit! I think it’s because I’m a music guy first, not quite as interested in lyrics, and as a songwriter, Dylan is the opposite. His lyrical writing here is sharp, but the melodies, hooks, and arrangements on Blood On The Tracks are also solid and memorable.

I hate Bob Dylan. I’ve had 4 of his albums so far resulting in two 1 stars and two 2 stars and it was very close to being a clean sweep of 1’s. I had a sense of dread when this generated but you know what, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’m struggling to figure out a reason not to give this 5 stars, never thought I’d say that about a Dylan album lol. I enjoyed every song on it, there’s a few I would even say were bloody brilliant. The main thing holding it back, great album aside, I still fucking hate Bob Dylan lol.

Top Track - Shelter From The Storm

Een van de betere Dylan platen.

The combination of acoustic guitar strumming and laid back but melodic bass lines on this album gives that are really very simple songs/arrangements such a depth of feeling - gentle, sad, tender, warm - that just invite you to dwell in it.

I just don’t get the appeal of this guy generally. I’ve tried focusing on the lyrics. Helps slightly, but not enough to overcome that Vice. The best I can say about this album is that it isn’t his worst.