Bob Dylan – Oh Mercy Review

Good it is for Bob Dylan to provide mercy to his audience; Oh Mercy is a staggering piece of work. From the rise and boom found on Political World to the fractured acoustics of the A-Side closer track Man in the Long Black Coat, there is presence here that Dylan had not conjured since the 1970s. There is hunger and desire within Oh Mercy that clicks with a need to make something raw. Dylan had done so previously but with less-than-consistent results. Down in the Groove was scattershot, Knocked Out Loaded was plain awful, but Oh Mercy is a stellar entry into his discography. Reignite the flame, power through with intense tracks.

Intensity is clear in the opening three pieces. Despite its presence and sophistication, Where Teardrops Fall has the unenviable task of following one of Dylan’s best tracks and being wedged in before another of his greatest pieces. Everything Is Broken’s collusion of deep breaths and choking, nailed to the post with a beautiful bit of harmonica work, is stunning. This is the Dylan audiences will remember, those glory days recaptured with spirited desire and excellence. It is a classy A-Side, to say the least, and as good a form as it is, Dylan does something he could not do on previous albums. He maintains consistency above acceptable quality. Oh Mercy is a sincere spark and sigh of relief, Most of the Time opens with that vocal pattern familiar to the dedicated but broadly new and rewarding to those that mark their entry to Dylan’s work with this piece.

Most of the Time is a tremendous example of where Oh Mercy finds itself for Dylan. These are not as reflective as first perceived, but they are broad and acoustic and wholly good renditions. Heralded as a comeback and rightly so, Dylan fights with where his music had been on What Good Am I? but maintains that inherent, mystical quality that dominates and powers his work. Roots rock exploration gives Dylan much to consider, and the bulk of that comes from those lingering acoustics and the charm Dylan implements onto them. It is not as though Dylan has lost his religious muse either, Disease of Conceit just navigates it in a way that shows the songwriter can manage theme and instrumental. They are no longer fighting against each other, nor are they bending to the whim of genre popularity.

But does this high pursuit of Dylan’s brilliance come from how low he had set the bar over the years preceding it? Not exactly. Oh Mercy has a quality that Dylan would rediscover and continue with, consistently, just a few years later on Time Out of Mind and a handful of decent releases in the meantime. Oh Mercy is a warning shot from the lyrical pistol. Dylan, when focused, can nail down something as touching as Everything Is Broken, something as moving as Ring Them Bells. Dylan allows the instrumental to take hold on What Was It You Wanted, not a question to the listener, but a perception of his value as an artist at that stage in his career. What was it that Dylan wanted when he set out on Oh Mercy? If it were a revitalisation of dormant talents, then it is surely a success.