RePlay: ‘Blood On The Tracks’ Bursts With Bitterness

“The record itself has been made with typical shoddiness,” music critic Jon Landau wrote 50 years ago about Bob Dylan’s 15th studio album, “Blood on the Tracks.”

Writing for Rolling Stone, Landau called Dylan impermanent, indifferent and unconvincing.

Now looking back on the album — composed of a humble 10 tracks, less than an hour long — Dylan’s weaknesses seem more like strengths. His gravelly voice turns rust-raw, straining with emotion. His backing band is less of a neutral entity and more of a solemn jury, channeling his hurricane of ideas.

The Jan. 20 release of “Blood On The Tracks” coincided with the crumbling of Dylan’s marriage to his then-wife Sara Dylan. Whether or not he wrote the album with Sara in mind, the songs reveal a weary, wistful meditation on love undeterred by critics.

If “Blood On The Tracks” is a theatrical showcase of Dylan’s self, “Tangled Up in Blue” is the disgruntled, distracted usher, shushing listeners. Dylan’s performance is punchy and quick, accentuated by his signature harmonica.

A haunting sort of loneliness is heard in “Simple Twist of Fate.” Even the song’s instrumental break alienates Dylan, forcing him to sit alone with his words.

“People tell me it’s a sin / To know and feel too much within,” Dylan sings.

“You’re a Big Girl Now” knits harp-like guitar with hollering vocals to create a resigned reflection on lost love. The condescending title and self-pitying lyrics — “I hope that you can hear / Hear me singing through these tears” — aren’t setbacks, they’re earnest confessions.

A marked bitterness escapes between drawn-out syllables for the titular chorus on “Idiot Wind.” Dylan doesn’t sing so much as he shoves the words from his throat, crescendoing into an organ-backed orgy of cruel jabs and callous vocals.

“I can’t feel you anymore / I can’t even touch the books you’ve read / Every time I crawl past your door / I been wishing I’ve been somebody else instead,” Dylan sings.

“You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” takes a relatively upbeat detour from the otherwise resentful record. Singing like he’s hiding a smile, Dylan sees love with a renewed optimism and the world with all its clouds and crickets.

Dylan steeps “Meet Me in the Morning” with his love for blues and poetry. The song follows the format of a blues stanza by repeating the first line of every verse, resulting in a comfortable, if heavy, sound.

“Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” returns Dylan to familiar territory, detailing a complex cast of characters at a seedy cabaret. Again invoking poetic repetition, each verse ends with a new revelation about the eponymous Jack of Hearts. The nearly nine-minute runtime barely registers as Dylan spews lyrics in rapid-fire succession.

Dylan delivers the lyrics of “If You See Her, Say Hello” like he’s teetering on a tightrope. His wobbly vocals stretch and snap over the story of an ex-lover who’s moved on without him. The butterflies of initial affection never left, they simply rested their wings.

“And I hear her name here and there as I go from town to town / And I’ve never gotten used to it, I’ve just learned to turn it off,” he sings.

“Shelter from the Storm” slows the tempo, but ups the religious musings. Despite each setback — including being “hunted like a crocodile” and “stranded without love” — Dylan’s lover offers him protection from life’s ills, her steadfastness on par with the divine.

The album closes with “Buckets of Rain,” a song stripped free from layered instrumentals and intensity. Armed with just acoustic guitar and bass, Dylan uses simple words to make his feelings clear.

“I do it for you / Honey, baby, can’t you tell?” Dylan sings.

“Blood On The Tracks” is now lauded as one of Dylan’s best albums, including by Rolling Stone, the very publication which once panned it. The record, at once unique and universal, is a testament to Dylan’s storytelling and songwriting skills.

“Blood On The Tracks” is available on all major streaming platforms.