Time out of Mind - Bob Dylan

 

So in yesterday's post I talked about my favorite movie of all time, and it got me thinking that I have never talked about my favorite musician, or my favorite album for that matter.  So it's Bob Dylan, and the album is Time out of Mind, hands down.  Some Dylan fans, when they think Dylan they think the classic 60's acoustic stuff.  They think Freewheeling Bob Dylan, or his self titled debut, or the many bootlegs from that era and stop there.  Of course, most also love his early electric albums (definitely some of his best) like Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks, Highway 61.  But many fans see his religious albums (a post for another time) in the late 70's early 80's and his later drought in that decade and go no further.  But my interest in Dylan really begins with 90's Dylan.  There is something so perfect about an aged Dylan.  Because he spent his entire youth trying to sound old, trying to be that weathered, beaten down drifter that he sang about in all those early folk tunes.  But how could he really reach his potential until he truly became that old man, with most of his life in the rear-view?

His very best in my mind, yes better than those 60's classics is Time Out of Mind from 97'.  I'm not gonna try and describe how good it is, or why I love it so much, that may be nauseating.  Basically, it combines some of Dylan's best poetry of his career with the swamp beat rhythm of sound inspired by producer Daniel Lanois.  It's dark: like death is on his doorstep and he is letting out all the pain and regret and heartache that he has accumulated his entire life.  So, it's not a cheery album.  If there ever was the perfect rainy day album this is definitely it.

And after listening to the album countless times over a decade I thought the story was written on Time out of Mind until Dylan's 8th bootleg recording came out, Tell Tale Signs, in 2008.   Amazingly, 2 songs which could easily have been considered the album's best, Dylan axed for the final album cut.  One of them, Mississippi (My favorite song of all time), he included in his 2001 album Love and Theft and different cuts are also included in the bootleg album, and Red River Shore (worth the price of the album alone) are included in the bootleg release.  So, he makes an album (in my opinion his best) that went on to win album of the year at the Grammy's, and he didn't even include arguably the 2 best songs.  Crazy.

I wish I could post every song here but the copyright police would come calling.  Below are a couple of videos with songs from the album.  Forget the videos, just listen to the songs.  These are probably the most well known songs from the album (and it's probably why they are on youtube).  The first one you may have heard in a number of different movies, and the second one Dylan let Victoria Secret famously use in an ad.  If you are interested at all after listening just go buy the album.  Then dim the lights, put on the headphones and enjoy, maybe with a dark beer to drink (but that's just me).