Bob Dylan would return in 1997 with his first album of all new original material in seven years. Time Out Of Mind would reach the top ten on the national charts and achieve platinum status with over one million units sold. Daniel Lanois was brought back to produce this release and under his guidance it would win the Grammy for best album of the year.
1997 would find an aging Dylan, who was now well over thirty years into his career. He was not the same person as he had been in the early 1960s and his songs would reflect that fact. His compositions were more philosophical as he continued to explore the world around him, but now from the perspective of a mature, and in some ways a world weary, individual. As such, he would continue to redefine and solidify his legacy.
“Tryin’ To Get To Heaven” find him contemplating his spiritual journey as many people do when they reach his age. Dylan is just able to put his thoughts and feelings into words and music. “Not Dark Yet” would find him thinking about death which is another topic that invades the mind as people age.“Make You Feel My Love” is a straight forward and passionate love song. “Standing In The Doorway” is an emotional track that is wistful and shows a longing.
“Highlands” would be the longest track of his career clocking in at over sixteen minutes. It is a novel set to music, and while it does drag at times, it has enough imagery and parables to keep the listeners attention. It is a song of looking back that gradually moves toward acceptance with the words: “And that’s good enough for me now.”
Time Out Of Mind was a comeback album commercially but a repositioning album personally. Dylan had new things to think and talk about and would bring them to life through his words and music. This album of mature subjects and stories would be a superior effort. It really should not be compared to his best work of the 1960s and 1970s as it is far different in vision and scope. It is enough to just appreciate it on its own terms.
Article comments
1 - darknessfalls
Nice review, but for posterity's sake you might want to change the song title to "Make You Feel My Love" instead of "Make You Forget My Love"
2 - El Bicho
Nah, Dave usually has at least one major error in each article.
3 - David Bowling
I'm glad you enjoyed the article and thanks for taking the time to respond. Sometimes the fingers do not type what the eyes are seeing.
4 - mike
I disagree with the overall tone of this review. Are you nuts? Almost every song is major. This thing is a knockout! Besides, Lanois modulated Dylan's voice which should be mentioned. It definitely is up there with only Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks. And I think Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands was longer than Highlands...
5 - David Bowling
The beauty of music is in the interpretation. "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands" is several minutes shorter.
6 - Dude Skoodle
If Bob just wrote Sad Eyed Lady that would be enough for his legacy to endure. But look at Mr Jones, Rolling Stone Gates of Eden Homesick Blues Tambourine man etc etc etc.
Time out of Mind is one of Dylan's best records,
Personally I think Standin' in the Doorway is the best song on this album. I also like Tryin' to get to Heaven and Not Dark Yet. A superb album.
I wonder if Sarah Palin drops her g's in verbs because she is copyin' Dylan. I sure hope not Dave. He says Dog-gone in Billy the Kid too Lord bless him. He's bin pallin' around with tourists maybe.
7 - kevin cramsey
The only complaint I have is that I wish there were a few more melodic songs and a little less of the standard blues backing ("Cold Irons Bound," "'Til I Fell in Love," "Can't Wait"). And, well, a 16-minute dirge is a little long, even for Dylan.
8 - darknessfalls
That's my qualm with TOOM. I love the songs such as "Trying to Get to Heaven" and "Not Dark Yet." But, man, after a while the blues-based songs get a bit tedious to my ears. To be honest with you, even though I've played this album a few hundred times, I still have difficulty distinguishing some of the album's blues songs from one another. On the other hand, the blues-based songs on BLONDE ON BLONDE are what makes that album my least favorite of the trio from BRINGING, HWY61, BLONDE ON BLONDE.
Guess the blues aren't embedded in my soul as they might be for others.