I am picking this up again. I was sixteen when I started it and nineteen when I quit. I kind of considered re-starting it...but it's already taken me six years and will probably just take more. I have way different opinions on these albums even looking back at them now but oh well. HERE'S TO FINISHING IT!
Oh Mercy (1988)
This album when it was released was hailed as a comeback of sorts, hahahaha. Dylan had just released the Traveling Wilbury's Vol. 1. Hiring Joshua Tree producer, Daniel Lanois, who would later produce Time Out of Mind, they made this...thing.
"Poltical World" is a dumb ****ing song. It was the first one on this album I was familiar with. Musically it's not that bad, Dylan sounds alright, the percussion is excellent, it's just the lyrics are so stupid and when it comes to Dylan part of the appeal is in the well written song. Something about describing the world as "political" is just so self-evident that I cringe. "Ring them Bells" is overly sentimental crap.
The second side things start to pick up a bit. "Most of the Time" has been praised for it's atmosphere and production in critical reviews at the time and it's easy to see why. It does sound nice, but again, it sounds like grown up eighties cheese to me. "Disease of Conceit" was picked by Lou Reed at one of his favorite songs of 1989 leading me to believe 1989 was a miserable year for Lou Reed.
"Shooting Star" is marred by terrible production but it's a good song. Or maybe I was happy it was over.
"Favorite" Lyric: "Roses are red, violets are blue / And time is beginning to crawl / I just might have to come see you / Where teardrops fall"
"Favorite" Song: ?!?! j/k listen to Shooting Star, but the MTV unplugged version. It's like sort of a song on this album.