(***½) September 18, 1989. 26th Studio Album.
As much as a I enjoy a roughshod, one-take, loosely recorded album from time to time, it’s enjoyable to hear Dylan get with a serious producer and create a more-polished release. And with Daniel Lanois of U2 and Brian Eno fame, this album hits the mark. Recorded in New Orleans but with more of a somber, introspective feel, Oh Mercy features strong lyrics, up-front vocals, and atmospheric music that doesn’t get in the way of the singing but rather complements it. “”Man in the Long Black Coat” with its grim-reaper feel, “Ring Them Bells” and the closing, elegant “Shooting Star,” are some of the standout tracks, but all 10 songs are very strong, making it a very coherent-sounding effort. The one rocker, a humorous, state-of-humanity type song, “Everything is Broken,” is my favorite track on the release.
#19…highlights–“Ring Them Bells”….”What Good am I”