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Review of Bob Dylan's 'Under the Red Sky'

© Nick Bendel

Everyone knows about Bob Dylan. An undeniable music legend, who was worshipped by the Beatles, and who came to fame in the Sixties for his mix of protest songs and musical stories. After starting out as an acoustic folk singer he gradually became more conventional: he went electric (to the horror of many fans) and became more of a folk-rock singer, with the emphasis increasingly on rock. Over the years he has made so many albums and gone through so many musical phases that trying out a Dylan record is something of an unknown quantity.

Under the Red Sky is definitely not one of his best. Dylan appears to be flippant or at least not as passionate about his music as he once was. In the Sixties he gave the world thought provoking classics like 'Blowin' in the Wind', 'The Times They are a-changin'' and 'Only a Pawn in Their Game'. Even if you disagreed with what he was saying it wasn't important; Bob Dylan was wearing his heart on his sleeve and that is something which is difficult not to admire.

The album's opening track says it all- a bewildering piece of nonsense called 'Wiggle Wiggle'. While it is catchy enough you've got to wonder what the hell Dylan was thinking when he wrote such an uncharacteristically lightweight bit of music. The rest of Under the Red Sky follows a similar path- some really good tunes which are unfortunately devoid of any real feeling or meaning.

To be fair there is only one bad track on the album, 'TV Talkin' Song', which is rather cluttered and repetitive. Another point to be made is that Under the Red Sky is quite contemporary- it sounds like an album made in 1990. Some people will appreciate that Dylan's music has evolved with the times- after all they are a-changin'- while others will feel that he has strayed from his essence.

But the most important detail is that the album doesn't really grab the listener, nor does it live up to Dylan's esteemed reputation or his earlier work. By the same token it is not at all unenjoyable and most musicians would probably be quite happy with it. Of course, though, Bob Dylan is not most musicians.

RATING: 6.5/10