“What Good Am I?” and “What Was It You Wanted” are tracks that revolve around moral worth or the lack there of. I can’t help but think that Dylan might have been doing some personal self assessment as he approached fifty. The album concludes on a strong note with “Shooting Star.” A song of remembrance with excellent lyrics, it would appear in different forms as his career progressed.
Oh Mercy finally finds Bob Dylan looking toward the future with some vision. How much affect Daniel Lanois had on this comeback album is really unknown but my guess is that he was a valuable part of the process. He seems to have understood his music as well if not better than any producer he would use.
I can think of five or so better Dylan albums than Oh Mercy but not ten, which is high praise given the quality of his catalogue.
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Article comments
1 - BabyBlue
You may want to read Dylan's book Chronicles where he spends a considerable amount of time writing about the creative process in producing this album, including his collaboration with Lanois.
bb
2 - Dude Skoodle
iN cHRONICLES dYLAN EXPLAINS THE PROCESS OF MAKING THIS ALBUM IN GREAT DETAIL
3 - michael mcmahon
I love this record ...barely a dud track , intimate and expressive ,with Shooting Star an atypical but brilliant closer .