I once made a Facebook status declaring that if the only album ever recorded was Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks, then we would collectively be okay. When I made such statement I had in mind the fact that the album has lyrics with a wide range of emotion and sentiment. Dylan speaks about his love, presumably for his wife Sara, both at its start, middle, and unfortunate end. He covers feelings of infatuation, resentment, anger, and deep love and passion. A person could learn all that he/she would need to know about a relationship from this album. The same can be said about music. This album is traditionally heralded as the album that brought Dylan back. For me, it harkens back to the success of Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde in that it is quite apparent that others are playing with Dylan, but it is as apparent that Dylan is at the center of the creation. And it is for creative reasons that this albums really matters.
As a poet I draw a lot of inspiration from Dylan. Often when asked who I model my style after, I will name "Keats, Wordsworth, Dylan". Truly he is an amazing poet. There may come a day where more people know the words of Dylan as opposed to his voice because his lyrics are studied in English classes. One day people will ask what it was like to be alive at the same time as Bob Dylan. For he possesses this amazing ability to let someone in to the creative process. For example, I praise his 1969 album Nashville Skyline because it is a testament to how a creative person can adapt a new style, operate in a simple fashion, "just mess around" I call it, and produce something some lasting and unique onto itself. Check out key tracks "Lay Lady Lay" and "Tonight I Am Staying Here With You". Unfortunately a link on youtube for the latter track does not exist; such a reality which prompted me to buy the cd within days time of first hearing it.
But on Blood On The Tracks, it is not simplicity that drives but complexity and depth. As note, there is a range in sentiment regarding love expressed. For example, "Shelter From The Storm" opens with the line "Twas in another lifetime". After hearing that earlier this morning, I thought that Dylan took creative license with the romance he was describing. As a writer I so often fall into traps when writing about a love. I feel obliged to be 100% truthful to what actually happened. For me, this song is a rallying cry for me to dip into other stories, combine them together, and tell one that is both new and compelling. One final note on this song, is it once again contains a fabulous Christ reference. Dylan speaks of this love taking his crown of thorns. Throughout his career Dylan made references to Jesus. For example in "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" off of Bringing It All Back Home, he responds back to someone who will not help him, "You know they refused Jesus too". Once again I am challenged, this time to include references that speak with universal appeal and profound meaning.
Each track on the album is distinctive and a little different than the last. Each one could be the "best track" on another artist's album. After listening, I too want to write poems that varying in style and continue to be innovative. Now, all this inspiration from Dylan is not daunting nor pressure causing, but it is wind in my sails. It is rejuvenating and reinvigorating. It touches the inner part of my soul from which my creativity spouts. And it does in the form of music. I can simply listen to it and be better for it. Most importantly, I believe that anyone can be inspired after listening to this album if they pay attention to the fact that it showcases someone who is pushing the boundaries of creativity and producing something wonderful because of it. It is like a painting for the ears.
During the morning listen session which prompted this post, I was already coming up with verses. They shall stay with me all day, week, maybe month, until at last they meet paper and come to life. What shall also come with me during that time is how much Blood On The Tracks matters.
