This is a little talked about self titled album. It's a very atypical Dylan album because all the songs are covers. There's also no band. It's just him wailing on these old, traditional songs, and he kills it! Oh, it's also his first recording.
Because he didn't write these songs his prowess as a singer and guitar player is brought to the forefront. He's obviously, and justifiably, most noted as a gifted songwriter. While this is true, his nasal twang and GCD type progressions have a way of preventing people from really hearing the inventive melodies in his singing and his sophisticated accompaniment on his instrument. On this album, both are spotlighted and his talents are impossible to deny.
The layers between his guitar, harmonica, and his absolutely haunted voice, each contain their own bounce. When taken together, it's a a tapestry weaved by an undeniable master of traditional acoustic music.
But Perhaps what's more essential to the album than any technical accomplishments is the range of moods he captures as his songs vary so extremely in character. He convincingly switches from a light-hearted social observer to a desperate man on his deathbed managing that difficult balance, remaining undeniably Dylan without betraying the personality of the character in the song itself.
There are songs I had never heard, and the ones I had are completely transformed here, so in a sense are even newer.
Come to think of it, like the last album I reviewed, me and my buddy listened to this disc over and over on our way driving across the country from Vancouver. It has become a personal classic to me for that reason, but we knew it was special after very short time, so you don't need to have it be associated with a formative moment in your life to have it be meaningful. You also don't need to be a die-hard fan of Dylan or acoustic music to enjoy this, but if you are, don't let it pass you by!
Peace. More to come.
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