Unreliable Narrator: Bob Dylan's Ever-Changing Story of His Own Music
Bob Dylan is known for being an unreliable narrator when it comes to his own work. Throughout his career, he has often changed his origin story and his opinions about his music. Artists, in general, are not the best judges of their own work as they are too close to it to be objective. Dylan, in particular, seems to have a bias towards his more recent work, always praising it as his best. This raises the question of whether his own interpretation of his career is accurate.
In 1981, Dylan claimed that his album "Blood On The Tracks" was a breakthrough for him, especially in terms of lyrics. However, many fans and critics see this album as a return to form for Dylan, rather than a departure. After a period of experimentation and change, "Blood On The Tracks" felt like a familiar and cohesive work that showcased Dylan's signature blend of savagery and poetry. It was a perfect balance of his folk roots and rebellious spirit, making it a classic Dylan album.
Despite claiming in 1981 that he had reached the pinnacle of lyricism and would now focus on instrumentals, Dylan continued to release albums with lyrics, such as "Infidels" in 1984. This inconsistency in his statements further highlights his unreliable nature as a narrator of his own career. Dylan's tendency to constantly evolve and experiment with his music makes it challenging to pinpoint his true intentions and interpretations of his work.