musicinsight's Full Review: Nashville Skyline by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an acquired taste. Some people pick up one of his less accessible albums and are scared away by Bob's voice, which sometimes sounds like a croaking plea for help from someone who mistakenly swallowed household cleaners. What they don't realize is that Bob's released so many albums that there's bound to be something, somewhere in his back catalogue, that they will enjoy. In my case, the path to Bob started with Nashville Skyline.
Pop music fans might be familiar with the album's most famous track, Lay Lady Lay, which features a very sparse arrangement featuring slide guitar and muted organ. Bob's vocals are very prominent in the mix, intelligible and in tune. I had previously believed that such performances were the exception, but I was pleased to find that the vocal performances on Nashville Skyline were much better than any other Dylan songs that I had ever heard.
Nashville Skyline's lyrics explore the many facets of love. Lay Lady Lay has Bob urging his listener to enjoy love while it's still possible: "Why wait any longer for the world to begin
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When he's standing in front of you"
Lost love is lamented in Tell Me That It Isn't True and I Threw It All Away. The former tells the tale of a man looking for reassurance from his partner after hearing rumors of her infidelity. He pleads: "All of those awful things that I have heard,
I don't want to believe them, all I want is your word.
So darlin', I'm countin' on you,
Tell me that it isn't true."
Again, a simple yet beautiful melody on acoustic guitar and organ subtly supports the song's lyrical focus. In the mournful I Threw It All Away, the subject agonizes over his lost love: "I once held her in my arms,
She said she would always stay.
But I was cruel,
I treated her like a fool,
I threw it all away."
Once again, featuring an insidious melody that you'll be humming for days, but that doesn't overpower the vocals.
Nashville Skyline has a brighter side, with uptempo instrumentals and songs like the wonderful Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You, which explores a joyful new love: "Throw my ticket out the window,
Throw my suitcase out there, too,
Throw my troubles out the door,
I don't need them any more
'Cause tonight I'll be staying here with you."
If you've written Bob Dylan off, you might want to give Nashville Skyline a listen. It's a magically executed collection of tunes, exploring the ups and downs of love. It changed my mind about Bob, and it might change yours, too.
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