Blood on the Tracks being Dylan's 1975 release and his 15th studio album was his return to Columbia Records after having released two albums with Asylum Records. The album reached nr 1 on the Billboard 200 and it is easy to see why. This ranks up there with other great releases such as
Highway 61 Revisited and The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Some of my favorite tracks are "Simple Twist of Fate", "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" and "Shelter from the Storm". The book-let has a list of the muisicians and a very good essay about Dylan written by Pete Hamill. There are no lyrics but being that the album is loaded with the pain from his seperation from his then wife Sara Dylan this is easy to understand. 5/5.

Blood on the Tracks (1975) may not be Bob Dylan's greatest album, but it is certainly his most perfect. There isn't a single wasted moment on this flawless classic, and as it intently flows from start to finish with scarred passion and fresh acoustic beauty, it presents the listener with a clear image of the isolation, resentment and (sometimes) vindication that Dylan seemed to be experiencing at the time.

I wouldn't exactly call Blood on the Tracks a concept album, but the theme of a relationship that has fallen apart is apparent in nearly every song here. The collapse of Bob's marriage to Sara Lowndes is said to be the inspiration for the album.

One of the things that sets Blood on the Tracks apart from many of Dylan's other albums is the sheer beauty of it's sound. The wonderful melodies and handsome acoustic musical arrangements are just as remarkable as Dylan's poignant and thoughtful lyrics here. Where Dylan's singing and lyrics often carry the lion's share of the weight on his albums, here the crisp production gives the acoustic guitars and other instruments a chance to step up and add a whole new dimension of excellence to every song.

Pain, sadness, loneliness, anger and regret run through the songs here like a sharp silver thread of naked emotion. Tangled Up In Blue opens the album with a 5:42 minute folk/pop confessional of a relationship dying, drifting across the country solo, and broken-hearted loneliness.

But all the while I was alone
The past was close behind
I seen a lot of women
But she never escaped my mind
And I just grew
Tangled up in blue

Dylan angrily lashes out in the seething 7:48 minutes of Idiot Wind, a venomous hate epic that matches even legends like Positively 4th Street and Like A Rolling Stone.

Idiot wind blowing through the flowers on your tomb
Blowing through the curtains in your room
Idiot wind blowing every time you move your teeth
You're an idiot babe
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe

At 8:51 minutes, Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts is the longest song on the album, and also one of the more interesting. Over a country bass, brushed drums and church organ, Dylan strums his acoustic guitar, plays harmonica, and sings a cinematic narrative using wild west poker game images and intrigue.

Simple Twist Of Fate quietly tells the lonely tale of a sleazy rendezvous in the city and If You See Her, Say Hello is heartbreakingly lonely and the saddest song on the album. Meet Me In The Morning and Buckets Of Rain explore folk/blues flat-top guitar picking, and Shelter From The Storm is an acoustic guitar traditional folk saga of a forsaken Dylan and the unidentified woman who offers him comfort and salvation.

I heard newborn babies wailin' like a morning dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love
Do I understand your question man, "Is it hopeless and forlorn?"
"Come in," she said, "I'll give ya shelter from the storm."

Blood on the Tracks is one of Bob Dylan's best albums. It's also one of his best selling albums. This is a good place to start with Dylan for the uninitiated, and an essential for any serious music collection. These are personal songs that are based on personal events so there isn't any of Dylan's famous political poetry or social protests here. This is a lonely journey through a difficult, dark and emotionally challenging ordeal. The title Dylan chose for this classic says it all. Blood On The Tracks.

This is such a great album. Tangled up in Blue and Shelter from the Storm are Dylan classics for sure, but every song is great!

I've heard many Bob Dylan albums and been to dozens of concerts. Blood on the Tracks is one of his best. The variety of his voice and moods is unlike most I've listened to. I have an old 78rpm Blood on the Tracks album that I never listened to, but now I will, to get the feel of those old recordings he made. He is THE BEST.

This would be one of the five albums I would take with me if I was to be deserted on a small island for an extended period of time. I hope there would be electricity!