Oh Mercy

by

Bob Dylan

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Somehow I had always overlooked this cd until I read Dylan's Chronicles book. In it he describes the sessions in New Orleans that resulted in this recording and I was intrigued since I could tell that Dylan was clearly pleased with this work. Well, the cd does not disappoint. Dylan's songs are solid with a couple of real standouts including Man in the Long Black Coat , Most Of The Time and What Good Am I. The sound mix is really something with the really moody echo/phaser effect on the guitars and when Dylan blows his harmonica,though sparingly, it cuts like a knife. This may not be on the same plane as some of his masterpieces lyrically but man the sound just knocks me out.

First of all I have to state up front I love Dylan and Lanois. So when this first came out I didn't hesitate to buy it. In hindsight, this is the 'warm-up' for the next collaboration they did - 'Time out of Mind' which if you haven't bought it yet and you like Dylan, you really should get that one. This release, I think it is safe to say, of all of his work is the most overlooked - it is at the bottom of downloads at itunes, has only 4 other reviews on Amazon, and you can't even preview the music at least on the Amazon web page that I have loaded. But that doesn't mean it is forgettable.....I would put this in the middle of his discography. Its not a most own, but I recommend a listen - check it out at your library if you can. If you like 'Time out of Mind' there are 3-5 songs on this one that would go very well with that release and give you 80 minutes of really great music. In particular my favs on this one are political world, man in the long black coat, what good am i, and shooting star. Your mileage may vary but there are several excellent tracks on this one. 3.5 stars