New Morning - Dylan, Bob (CD 1989)

The majority of Bob Dylan s 1960s output ranks as some of the finest music ever recorded. In his twenties, the old troubadour to end all old troubadours wrote a phenomenal amount of incredible songs, some of them while he was still coming out of puberty, some of them so incredible that you d think he was superhuman. And of course, people did. So what do you do when you are a musical deity just going into your thirties and are in a position where you really need never record another album as long as you live? Well, that s a heck of a predicament to be in. And Bob Dylan has never really been very comfortable with his position as musical legend, now a 64 year old recluse who shuffles out on stage and gives bad performances and generally seems to give off a huge amount of indifference to whether people enjoy his sets or not. Well, you can t really blame him can you?

This album is one of the ones I feel he just rushed out whether to please a record company or just for the sake of propriety. Although he is attempting a new sort of jazz style in his music, he really naps throughout most of this 1970 album, recorded at the plum age of 29. Its almost as if Dylan really doesn t want you to enjoy this. Just look at that cover. I can t think of a more threatening stare on the front of an album that this. There stands a man frazzled, bedraggled and harassed. And this is an album from a man with all of those qualities. This is really only something for those Dylan completists out there and ranks as one of his worst efforts, along with following atrocities Self Portrait, Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid and Planet Waves. No Dylan album is completely awful all they way through, he simply isn t capable of letting his standards slip so badly. But this just contains lots of inconsequential songs that really fail to do anything that a good Dylan song should.

This effort hasn t been remastered, either, which means that the whole recording is quiet and the instruments really can t be heard very clearly. The majority of these songs are piano pieces that lead nowhere, and the album is an a hurry to end itself. He does makes the effort on some tracks, though.

1. If Not For You (2:39)
This light country-tinged track commences proceedings. Some gentle guitar twangs the melody while the organ plays a pretty backing tune. This is a slight but memorable ode to whomever, and the use of the glockenspiel is a nice effect in a track that isn t attempting a grand opener la Rainy Day Women or Homesick Blues. Everything seems condensed, however. The harmonica solo is kept very short, and the lyrics are rushed. The sentiments expressed here are fairly obvious, and the lyrics not very strong: If not for you, winter would have no spring I just wouldn t have a clue , if not for you. Not among this wonderful lyricists best work, it has to be said. Musically this does bear a slight resemblance to I ll Be Your Baby Tonight from the John Wesley Harding album, but that was a far superior song. This is the track that usually makes it onto Dylan compilations from this record, which I disagree with as it is fairly inconsequential.

2. The Day Of The Locusts (3:58)
This is one of the songs that makes you wish that this album had been digitally remastered. The chorus here is in the sweeping nature of his earlier songs but here the guitar jangles idly throughout the left speaker in an annoying manner, and the organ is trying hard but really fails to take off. This sounds as if it should be a moving, sweeping track but you generally do get the feeling that Dylan improvised this whole album in a studio. In the third section of the album there is a sort of half-arsed guitar solo but mostly it remains an average and not bad track. But you sort of expect better quite frankly.

3. Time Passes Slowly (2:33)
A very short and casual track, this furthers the album s interest in nature, animals and reclusive hideouts in the country. A piano driven track, the piano is quiet in the mix when it really should be more upfront. The guitars jangle some solos throughout but mostly this furthers the sort of lazy, improvisational feel of the album. The drumming gets very annoying as this staggers to its conclusion not a moment too soon.

4. Went To See The Gypsy (2:48)
The instruments come in after a roll call on this piddling effort. This is about going to a hotel and doing things there and also about seeing a gypsy. Its probably best to avoid the lyrics throughout this album as they really are bad. There is no attempt at a chorus on this one, just some random organ playing and indifferent coughs and splutters from the guitar. The piano tune is more coherent but the backing doesn t know what to do with itself, and neither does the song, bowing out at just under three minutes again.

5. Winterlude (2:21)
This nice little track is one of the stronger short efforts. This has a Latin flavour to it, with some good fatly-strummed guitar backing and backing vocals infusing it with a soul-like quality. Again the lyrics are best ignored, but this is more tolerable and playful.

6. If Dogs Run Free (3:38)
This is a freeform scat, lounge jazz piece. Almost certainly improvised, the piano trickles randomly some swirling scales as the backing singers scats in the background. Dylan is more laid back on this slightly sleazy sounding number. Just so your thing, you ll be king if dogs run free, Dylan sings, his straightforward rhymes not really convincing here. This is fun because we know he s just relaxing and jamming with his band and his hired vocalists. Again, it is fairly unmemorable, but has a novelty quality to it that might appeal.

7. New Morning (3:56)
This just gets on my nerves. The chorus is the most irritating thing here. The drums are a little too intrusive and his voice gets my back up at this stage. Also, since he repeats verses I can smell his indifference on this track and I think I d rather have something where a half-decent effort is being made, Mr. Zimmerman.

8. Sign On The Window (3:38)
This is more like it. More effort is being put into the vocals here on this softer track as it begins plaintively. Then it begins and turns into a soul track with a slight chorus which offsets the gentle verses nicely, despite the shaky lyrics. But a fine piano piece and it is bolstered by a wonderful little cello backing in the final section. One of the triumphs here. Understated and heartfelt and expresses Dylan s longing for the quiet family life, especially the final verse.

9. One More Weekend (3:09)
Things seem to pick up here, but it is really already too late for this album to ignite. This is a fast-paced rocker in the style of Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat or one of the other more casual Dylan rockers. Swirling 60s rock piano, those little descending arpeggios at the end of each phrase, some fine guitar solos. Yes, this is fine stuff.

10. The Man In Me (3:07)
Now this is certainly the standout track on the album. This is a soaring, upbeat track with one brilliant sweeping chorus and simply fabulous verses. Dylan rarely la-las on songs, but here he does and the result is a triumphant song. Unfortunately he seems to pull the plug on this track too soon, only singing the chorus once and then fading the track out with some more la-las and some uproarious playing from his band. Much more could have been made out of this track really, and it is unnecessary short. It still burns brightly for its short duration but there is a longer song just waiting to come out that he doesn t give us. A pity.

11. Three Angels (2:07)
And it all falls after that. Dylan didn t just pull the plug on the song but on this album, as he has simply hurried out these awful tracks. This is some odd organ-driven song, almost hymnal in its sound. Dylan speaks this one mostly while some acoustic backing is given. Its sleepy and light, and I can see maybe what he was trying to achieve but its just to surreal to do anything for me.

12. Father Of Night (1:29)
This is, well, barely a song. It sounds as if Dylan recorded this on his way out the door back to his compound. A repeated piano phrase and some gospel singers do things while Dylan plonks some half-hearted chords and improvises some odd song with gibberish lyrics. Probably the most lazy song Dylan has ever recorded and a feeble way to end an album. When compared with closers like the eleven minute epics Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands and Desolation Row, this really does show Dylan in a creative slump. But, as I said earlier who can blame him?

Bob Dylan: New Morning (35:57)
I suppose it was inevitable that Dylan s creativity would dry up at some point, because after all, he is only human and not some muttering, angry song writing machine. After the quality of his sixties output its miraculous that there are even one or two good tracks on this album and for that he should be applauded. I really can t recommend this to anyone, not even completists. I m sure lots of Dylan s eighties albums are garbage and that this isn t the worst (anyone even heard of Saved? Shot Of Love? ) but really its best to remember the man when he s on form. Here he isn t. Since he s realised about fifteen near perfect albums of astounding quality, then you can forgive him the odd six or seven duffers. Take Dylan s icy stare on the cover to heart and avoid this.