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Rating:
I underestimate the work of Dylan after his electric breakthrough: 1967, “John Wesley Harding” is released, an acoustic counterpart to the electric masterpiece “Blonde on Blonde”. Not much appreciated: a step backward? Not at all! A step forward, a change, moving towards country, as rock was becoming tiresome.
It talks about the Bible, honest outlaws, masters and slaves, friends, the poor and vagrants, dreams and visions by Dylan as only Dylan can. An album is born, teetering between the pointless and the masterpiece, with a certain underlying unity. The guitar is often played with the capo on the fourth or fifth fret, a trick that gives a bright sound (annoying?), bass, drums, and harmonica, almost always in E and F, which are the two keys that reach the highest notes in blues harp, thus also bright (not annoying, finally Dylan shows he can handle the harmonica decently).
Great songs are not lacking, but this time no track exceeds five minutes, the average for Dylan, except “Frankie Lee and Judas Priest”. Masterpieces: above all, the metaphorical and visionary “All Along the Watchtower”, four chords that will never change, and are still the same today, a unique case in the twisted versions Dylan provides of his own songs. Jimi Hendrix made a memorable cover of it. Then “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine”, “I Pity The Poor Immigrant” and the wonderful “Dear Landlord”. These alone would have made any album great. There are also weaker tracks, like the title-track, “Down Along The Cove”, “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight”... but they are forgivable, the album holds together and almost never disappoints. Dylan's eighth album, fourth turnaround... and we're close to the much-debated “Nashville Skyline”.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
04 All Along the Watchtower (02:31)
"There must be some way out of here", said the joker to the thief,
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
06 Drifter's Escape (02:52)
"Oh, help me in my weakness,"
I heard the drifter say,
As they carried him from the courtroom
And were taking him away.
"My trip hasn't been a pleasant one
And my time it isn't long,
And I still do not know
What it was that I've done wrong."
Well, the judge, he cast his robe aside,
A tear came to his eye,
"You fail to understand," he said,
"Why must you even try?"
Outside, the crowd was stirring,
You could hear it from the door.
Inside, the judge was stepping down,
While the jury cried for more.
"Oh, stop that cursed jury,"
Cried the attendant and the nurse,
"The trial was bad enough,
But this is ten times worse."
Just then a bolt of lightning
Struck the courthouse out of shape,
And while ev'rybody knelt to pray
The drifter did escape.
10 The Wicked Messenger (02:03)
There was a wicked messenger
From Eli he did come,
With a mind that multiplied
The smallest matter.
When questioned who had sent for him,
He answered with his thumb,
For his tongue it could not speak, but only flatter.
He stayed behind the assembly hall,
It was there he made his bed,
Oftentimes he could be seen returning.
Until one day he just appeared
With a note in his hand which read,
"The soles of my feet, I swear they're burning."
Oh, the leaves began to fallin'
And the seas began to part,
And the people that confronted him were many.
And he was told but these few words,
Which opened up his heart,
"If you cannot bring good news, then don't bring any."
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