(*****) January 17, 1975
After a series of average or even throwaway albums, and a brief two-album stint on Asylum, Dylan returned to Columbia Records in 1975 and the label is rewarded with one of his best releases ever. Classics such as “Tangled Up In Blue,” “Shelter from the Storm” and one of my all-time favorites, the epic “Idiot Wind,” intermingle with essential deep cuts in a mostly acoustic setting that harkens back to his earlier years but also redefines him for the future. His vocals are vital, the lyrics essential, and the stories they create bring the listener on a journey from start to finish.
His post-accident masterpiece.
“Tangled Up in Blue” may be his greatest, or for that matter, anyone’s greatest song of all time…except maybe “Simple Twist of Fate”
I always play loud and listen quietly.