It was 45 years ago today that the masterpiece album ‘Blood on the Tracks’ by Bob Dylan went to #1 on the U.S. charts, just two weeks after its release. ‘Blood on the Tracks’ was Dylan’s fifteenth studio album.
Upon its initial release ‘Blood on the Tracks’ received mixed reviews, but it quickly became widely acclaimed by fans and critics alike. Here is an example of a guy who missed the mark.
The record has been made with typical shoddiness.”
Jon Landau
Ironically, this quote is by Jon Landau of Rolling Stone Magazine, who at about the time of writing the review had taken on the role of Manager for none other than rising star Bruce Springsteen. Too funny!
This Rolling Stone review was balanced by Landau’s colleague, Jonathan Cott, who referred to ‘Blood on the Tracks’ as;
“Dylan’s magnificent new album.”
Jonathan Cott
By the mid ‘70s Bob Dylan was definitely polarizing, as evidenced by this review by Nick Kent of NME.
“The accompaniments are often so trashy they sound like mere practice takes”
Nick Kent
Of all the quotes related to ‘Blood on the Tracks’ perhaps this one best reflects its impending impact on the music world.
(…Dylan is no longer defined as just) the major artist of the sixties. Instead, Dylan has legitimized his claim to a creative prowess as vital now as then—a power not bounded by the one decade he so affected.”
Michael Gray
In the fickle world of music, success is often fleeting. Subsequently, artists are only perceived to be as good as their last album. In 1975, I am sure nobody thought that Bob Dylan would still be writing, recording and performing well into his ‘70s. To summarize, the music critics and fans who recognized Bob Dylan’s brilliance definitely hit the mark.
In 2015 ‘Blood on the Tracks’ was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In a previous ‘Ted Tocks’ I wrote about ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ which was the lead single and opening track on ‘Blood on the Tracks’.
Today’s post will feature the extremely influential Dylan track ‘Shelter from the Storm’. Before I go on here are the lyrics.
“Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the stormAnd if I pass this way again, you can rest assured
I’ll always do my best for her, on that I give my word
In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who are fighting to be warm
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the stormNot a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point had been left unresolved
Try imagining a place where it’s always safe and warm
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the stormI was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail
Poisoned in the bushes an’ blown out on the trail
Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the stormSuddenly I turned around and she was standin’ there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the stormNow there’s a wall between us, somethin’ there’s been lost
I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed
Just to think that it all began on an uneventful morn
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the stormWell, the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much, it’s doom alone that counts
And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the stormI’ve heard newborn babies wailin’ like a mournin’ dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love
Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the stormIn a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose
I offered up my innocence I got repaid with scorn
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the stormWell, I’m livin’ in a foreign country but I’m bound to cross the line
Bob Dylan
Beauty walks a razor’s edge, someday I’ll make it mine
If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born
Come in, she said
I’ll give ya shelter from the storm.”
One of the most honest reflections on ‘Blood on the Tracks’ and by default ‘Shelter from the Storm’ is from Bob Dylan’s son Jakob who said the songs on ‘Blood on the Tracks’ were “my parents talking”. In this quote Jakob is referring to his father, Bob and mother Sara, who were going through some challenging times with their relationship. To link this to ‘Shelter from the Storm’ specifically, just follow the lyrics and you get a sense of the depth of interpersonal struggles Bob Dylan was working through. The man was anointed as a voice of the people in the early ‘60s, and then ravaged due to his decision to evolve into an ‘electric’ phase. Shortly after this controversial decision he was in a serious motorcycle accident. The period of time in recovery forced Dylan to reflect on his life and his overall approach to music which created some additional experimentation and reclusive periods. Living a life of constant scrutiny from record companies, management teams, agents, critics and fans was one thing, but trying to balance this with a marriage and fatherhood must have been a massive juggling act. There are allusions in the song that speak to these points. Certainly, the image of the woman offering ‘shelter from the storm’ forms a clever use of repetition as a writing technique. When you couple that with allegories depicting himself as Christ like in the line;
“She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
Bob Dylan
Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm.”
The hyperbolic comparison comes shining through. If nothing else, Dylan presents a clear sense of where he is at in balancing his life as a rock star messiah delivering a message to his people, and his role as husband and father. To no one’s surprise the marriage ended in divorce just a couple of years after ‘Blood on the Tracks’ was released. Once again, here is Jakob Dylan;
“When I’m listening to ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues‘ I’m grooving along just like you. But when I’m listening to ‘Blood On The Tracks’, that’s about my parents.”
Jakob Dylan
He went on to say that even through the marriage between his parents failed, they never lost sight of their role as mother and father to him and his three brothers and sisters.
“My ethics are high because my parents did a great job.”
Jakob Dylan
Novelist Rick Moody called it, “the truest, most honest account of a love affair from tip to stern ever put down on magnetic tape”.
The mercurial Bob Dylan has essentially denied its autobiographical element. In his 2004 memoirs he stated that the songs were all inspired by short stories written by Anton Chekhov.
Personally, I will go with the theory that the writing on ‘Blood on the Tracks’ represents a period of personal reflection and soul cleansing for Dylan. So, what you have with ‘Blood on the Tracks’ and a song like ‘Shelter from the Storm’ could be the closest we will get to Bob Dylan revealing his true self to his audience.
I consider it a ‘must own’ album for any music collector. If it’s been a while since you listened to it, here it is. Listen to it again for the first time.
If you don’t own it, I hope I have turned you on to its magnificence. Pay close attention to the lyrics. They set a standard.
An artist as often covered as Bob Dylan makes it challenging to narrow down the focus to just one cover, so instead I am going to give you a fine array of versions of ‘Shelter from the Storm’.
I learned about Jimmy LaFave due to my love for Woody Guthrie and Arlo Guthrie. LaFave was an ardent supporter of the senior Guthrie and ultimately became a member of the Advisory Board of the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. Sadly, Jimmy LaFave died in 2017. I include him in this post because he performs a passionate version of ‘Shelter from the Storm’ and for me he was a cool discovery. (See ‘For Everyman’)
As many times as Bob Dylan has been covered, he himself has altered versions of his own songs either radically or subtly, and recorded them or performed them live. Here he is on the acclaimed Rolling Thunder Revue Tour performing ‘Shelter from the Storm’.
This version of ‘Shelter from the Storm’ is likely my favorite. Just a slight variation but, it comes across with added energy. I like the way he adjusts the inflection of his voice throughout the delivery, and the backing band is fantastic.
If Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are involved, I will do my best to post it. Here is Bob Dylan and the Heartbreakers playing ‘Shelter from the Storm’ in 1986 or ’87. Yet another arrangement of the song. What really grabs me is Mike Campbell’s melodic guitar solo and Benmont Tench and his beautiful piano. I love these guys.
Finally, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band recorded a strong rendition of ‘Shelter from the Storm’ on their 1996 album ‘Soft Vengeance’.
I found this cover version intriguing. Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris do ‘Shelter from the Storm’ as a duet and knock it out of the park.
Before I close out this post, I want to give a tip of the hat to the great pedal steel guitar player, Buddy Cage. This influential and innovative musician got his start in Canada with artists such as Ian Tyson, Anne Murray and Ronnie Hawkins. While playing with Ian and Sylvia Tyson and their alt country project, The Great Speckled Bird, the act was asked to join the legendary ‘Festival Express’ tour. This is where Buddy Cage caught the attention of Jerry Garcia and his friends New Riders of the Purple Sage. They were so enthralled with his playing that when Jerry Garcia left this Grateful Dead side project, Cage became his replacement. How many people can say they replaced Jerry Garcia in a band? Seriously? For the better part of eleven years Buddy Cage played pedal steel with New Riders of the Purple Sage. He occasionally engaged as a session player with some pretty impressive performers. As a result of his distinctive playing, he was invited to play pedal steel on Bob Dylan’s ‘Blood on the Tracks’. Just one more musical contribution that helped Buddy Cage’s legend grow.
Sadly, Buddy Cage died on Wednesday February 5th of complications due to multiple myeloma. One more artist whose sound will live on for us to enjoy.
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Originally posted on February 8, 2020
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