Down in the Groove (1988)
1. Let's Stick Together
2. When Did You Leave Heaven?
3. Sally Sue Brown
4. Death is Not the End
5. Had a Dream About You Baby
6. Ugliest Girl in the World
7. Silvio
8. Ninety Miles an Hour (Down a
Dead End Street)
9. Shenandoah
10.Rank Strangers To Me
 
The best thing you can say about this
album is that it doesn't sound anything like his last few releases that
were littered with too much eighties influence. This
record has a much more straight-forward, generic feel that is quite
refreshing and compliments Dylan's style very well. The downside to this
record is that it sounds a bit haphazard - that he's trying to do too
many things, too many styles and using too many different sets of musicians.
There's only about half original material here. You can't really tell,
though, what's his and what's not, so that really isn't an issue. The
record feels a bit of a giant pendulum - swinging all over the place so
that you never feel like you're getting into.....well, I hate to use
this word.....but a groove. Much of the material is very simple,
and unassuming with riffs and melodies that are so-so. Nothing stands
out as great, but as mentioned, a deep breath of fresh air to what he
had recently released.
Other times it's a bit too over the top gospel-ish. Not necessary in
the words, although one could argue that this is the most
spiritual album he's done since his Born Again Christian phase (witness
song titles like Death is Not the End and When Did You Leave
Heaven?), but more in the lines of the music style, complete with
female backing singers, and that large overbearing feel.
Had Dylan stuck to one particular style on the record, the results might
have been a bit more satisfying and the results may have been measurably
more appealing. As it is, the mediocre songs and the short length of
the record makes you feel as if you've just eaten a pre-packaged diet
dinner - it doesn't taste too bad going down, but it leaves you still
feeling hungry and not completely satisfied when you're done.
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