Album Seven: Bob Dylan

Well what can I say about Bob Dylan?  His music has been the sound track to my life ever since I picked up a copy of a compilation cd and listened to Don't Think Twice it's Alright on the headphones in my local record shop.  That track got me into fingerpicking and shifted my focus from the electric to the acoustic guitar for a good long while.  While he churned out brilliant album after brilliant album in the 60's this record came later, mid-70's.  It's a difficult call but I think this is his greatest work where his lyric writing, his storytelling and his ability to write great melodies all come together.

I've read countless biographies on Dylan yet still feel I know very little about him.  President Obama claimed that when most artists were invited to play at the Whitehouse they wanted photos and autographs with the then leader of the free world.  Dylan just smiled, shook his hand and walked off.  Even when he won the Nobel prize he left it to the wire before picking it up, not even attending the ceremony in person.  This isn't rudeness, it's just a man who guards his privacy fiercely.

Live these days he is terrible, I've seen him twice.  But he is determined to do his own thing, just as he did when going electric.  I wouldn't want it any other way.  This album was written during a difficult breakup with his wife Sarah.  The songs range from an almost cinematic story song 'Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts' to the heart breaking 'You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go' to 'Shelter From The Storm' which is a good contender for my favourite song of all time.

I'll sign off now but leave you with some words that I often come to in my life from 'Buckets of Rain': Life is sad, Life is a bust, all you can do is do what you must, You do what you must do and you do it well, I do it for you honey baby can't you tell?'