Album #11: New Morning

 Released October 24, 1970 


This album was released only four months after “Self Portrait” - possibly because Dylan wanted to make people forget about “Self-Portrait,” although he’s said it was just the way the timing worked out. It was much more positively received by the critics. It’s definitely a more cohesive album. Most of the songs are pretty simple, about the joys of country living and domestic life. Dylan mostly returned to his regular voice, and there’s some great playing on it. A few of the songs were written for a project that never worked out - Archibald MacLeish asked Dylan to write some songs to use in his new play, “Scratch”. Things really didn’t go well. 

 I wasn’t mesmerized by any of the songs, but there are some I liked, including “Day of the Locusts “ and “Went to see the Gypsy.”  “Three Angels” is odd but interesting. “If Not for You” was a hit for Olivia Newton-John. I did not like “The Man in Me” because I don’t listen to Dylan to hear him sing “La La La”. I also didn’t like “If Dogs Run Free,” despite it being (sort of) about dogs, because I felt the scat singing just didn’t work. 

Three Angels: 

https://youtu.be/w_e38Yif09o?si=RTAP-8Hxaj2Fo1_o

“Scratch”:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/theater/bob-dylan-scratch-broadway-macleish.html?unlocked_article_code=1.H08.6Nny.brHs7Mneq2Vt&smid=url-share



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