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.