Most of the Time (Out of Mind).


I can’t think of a songwriter who tackles the subject of loss as eloquently as Bob Dylan.

While he’s most celebrated for his Sixties output and for the many lyrical twists and turns he’d throw out in that trademark bullhorn voice of his, I think there’s greater depth and honesty to be found in his simpler, later work. Two of my favourite Dylan albums, 1975’s ‘Blood on the Tracks’ and 1997’s ‘Time Out of Mind', couldn’t be further removed from the sass of that younger man and present a character who's less self-assured, and either reeling from the fallout of a tense relationship or dealing with his own mortality.

(So says the amateur musical psychologist.)

I don’t think many would doubt his lyrical ability, but it’s his less intricate, more heartfelt songs that connect with me better, and 'Most of the Time' is a perfect example of this; I love how he starts each verse starts with the title, sounding like a man in control, yet when he ends each verse with the same line, you realise just how slight his grip on the situation really is; it’s beautiful and painful in the same breath; only an exceptional writer could do that.

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