Bob Dylan - Desire

This is another CD that I picked up while reading the latest Dylan bio and realizing that I never owned, despite always being a fan of his hit from this album, "Hurricane". Although the production is a bit slicker than I normally prefer, it still has plenty of nice touches - the violin by Scarlet Rivera is especially good here and adds a lot to the sound - and the songs are particularly strong.

While the sound is softened by the 70's production, and there is quite a bit more harmony singing than usual (by Emmylou Harris, among others), the songwriting  is particularly good here, as evidenced immediately by the opening homage to the (apparently) falsely imprisoned boxer, "Hurricane" Carter. Dylan's penchant for storytelling is on point here, even if he takes a few liberties with reality, as most storytellers do, and the song is truly catchy, as well. "Isis" is a rollin', swayin', piano-based tune with Bob's extensive, narrative verses and no particular chorus, although it still works, followed by "Mozambique", initially a goof to see how many words he could rhyme with the title, but it is actually darn memorable, as well, upbeat, with a fine melody and nice harmonies - damn poppy, in fact! For the oft-covered "One More Cup of Coffee" he presents a minor-key number with an almost Mid Eastern  melody line highlighted by Emmylou's excellent harmony vocals, which also contribute mightily to the delicate acoustic ballad "Oh, Sister", that is almost reminiscent of songs like "The Weight". This blends fairly seamlessly into the longest song on the album, "Joey", a 12 verse romanticized'n'sentimental ballad about a gangster, once again playing poetically with the truth for the sake of the song, which caused a bit of controversy. After filming Pat Garrick and Billy the Kid in Durango, Dylan wrote "Romance in Durango" similarly about outlaws on the run, with an appropriately Mexican flavor, which apparently includes Eric Clapton on guitar, although you would never know it. "Black Diamond Bay" is a rather complex, multi-perspective narrative about the volcanic destruction of an island - what a concept for a song! - while the finale, "Sara", is a lovely tribute to his then-wife, during a turbulent period of their relationship, which did temporarily help with a reconciliation before they eventually divorced.

Definitely one of his better post-60's albums and one that any Dylan follower should own!