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Nashville Skyline – Bob Dylan

 


Year Released: 1969

Label: Columbia

Year Bought: 2007

On the cover of 'Nashville Skyline' a smiling Bob Dylan stares out at you, with his hand on his way to doff his hat. He seems happy, friendly, inviting.

These are all themes that flow through the record itself, but there is one additional vibe: forgettable.

I'm a huge fan of Dylan. He's made some of my favourite albums, but I just can't get on with this one. 

He goes folk-country on this record, but aside from 'Lay Lady Lay' it all sounds pretty generic with not very memorable lyrics. 

The album opens with a re-recording of an earlier Dylan tune - 'Girl From The North Country' - but this time with Johnny Cash on co-vocals. I've never really got on with this tune, and this strikes me as something that was better in theory than in practice.

Apparently this album was notable at the time for Dylan switching his singing style from nasal to crooner, and that does make everything a bit softer, but consequently a lot of attack has disappeared from his voice. It's all very relaxed and gentle.

The whole album feels a bit throwaway, especially on 'Country Pie' – a tune that even Paul McCartney might have felt was too whimsical.

There's some nice ballads on the record. I'm surprised 'I Threw It All Away' never got the X Factor treatment, and on 'One More Night' Dylan tries a bit of falsetto.

But all in all, there's not much there. 

5/10








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