Blood On The Tracks: Dylan's masterpiece in blue

by Jochen Markhorst

Immediately after the release of Blood On The Tracks (1975), most reviewers, journalists and fans Dylan thematizes, poignantly honest in masterful songs, the expired state of his marriage. This annoys the Nobel Prize winner. He acknowledges the songs articulate pain, in a first radio interview, but objects when interviewer Mary Travers half-heartedly suggests it sounds autobiographical. “I” is not “me, Bob Dylan,” Dylan argues, je est un autre. Dylan becomes more vicious in the years that follow, culminating in the booklet Biograph (1985), in which he even starts to scold those “stupid and misleading jerks” with their their “unimaginative mentality” who think that it is about his divorce. To no avail. “BOTT” is stubbornly honoured as The Divorce Album. In his autobiography Chronicles (2004), Dylan then takes a different “Eventually I would even record an entire album based on Chekhov short stories - critics thought it was autobiographical - that was fine.” In Blood On The Tracks - Dylan's Masterpiece In Blue, Dylan scholar Jochen Markhorst takes the reader through the beauty and background of the songs, the beautiful outtakes, the build-up to the masterpiece and its reverberation.

173 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2019

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to give more stars for the musical critique and insight into the artist. This book, however, is in desperate need of an editor.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a heap of Bob Dylan books, I'll read more no doubt too - I've read more than one book specifically about Blood On The Tracks and will read at least one more after this but I thoroughly enjoyed and recommended this. Some unique insight.