No. 174: Desire

Band: Bob Dylan
Album: Desire
Why Rolling Stone gets it right: Man, has it been almost two months until we've seen our friend Bob? I guess it has. Well, this is the Dylan record that came between his two Rolling Thunder Revue tours. As it goes, it's typical Dylan, with some weird experiments ("Mozambique"), some concert favorites ("Oh, Sister"), a personal demons song ("Sara" about Dylan's unraveling marriage), some long nonsense ("Joey") and a song about a boxer ("Hurricane").
Why Rolling Stone gets it wrong: Well, I can't say I really feel great about it. It's not Dylan's best, though "Sara" and "Hurricane" are wonderful.
Best song: "Sara" is sad and beautiful.
Worst song: "Joey" is impossible.
Is it awesome?: I do not know.

Because I'm getting tired of writing the same things about Dylan, this piece will be written as haikus about each of the songs on "Desire."

1. Hurricane
Boxer did not kill
Though, Carter: Not in the right
Dylan spoke too soon

2. Isis
Travel song, young man
Sadness draws Dylan into song
Separation sucks

3. Mozambique
Written clearly high
Rhyming dictionary used well
Why not Portuguese?

4. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
More road songery
Dylan's voice is about as bad
Harmonies help him out

5. Oh, Sister
Emmylou Harris
Why can't you sing more with Dylan?
Instead of him, maybe?

6. Joey
Gallo was not good
Dylan says yes, he is wrong
Racist wife-beater

7. Romance in Durango
Why another road song?
Dylan's voice sounds just as bad
En Español, señor

8. Black Diamond Bay
"Heart of Darkness"
Inspiration is important
Dylan likes Conrad

9. Sara
Divorce is crappy
Jakob's mom the song subject
Reconcile? Sorry.

You're welcome.