Street Legal,
by Bob Dylan
In 1978, at an emotional and artistic crossroad, Bob Dylan released his
Street Legal album, which was attacked by critics for meandering lyrics and
amazingly bad sound (the lp I owned sounded like it had been recorded during a
rainstorm). The latter problem has been resolved via the SACD remixed edition,
released a year and a half ago. Dylan's backing band and choral singers play as
if their lives depended on it. No more muddy mixes here.
As for the so-called "meandering" lyrics, well, "Changing Of The Guards" &
(especially) "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)", to name but two songs, ominously
hint at both a coming Armageddon and the "born-again" path Dylan would take in
his next album, the much more sanctimonious SLOW TRAIN COMING. It's hard not to
be shaken (or shudder) with lyrics like "But Eden is burning/Either brace
yourself for elimination/Or else your hearts must have the courage/For the
changing of the guards". You want to think Dylan's just having a bad day, but
maybe he also knows something we don't. Not easily accessible (or even
comforting) at first listen (what Dylan album is?), but stick with it.
-Ed
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