In 1965, Bob Dylan was booed aloud by folk purists for "going electric" - abandoning his traditional roots for the new sounds of rock 'n' roll.
Despite the criticism, it turned out to be one of the best moves, not only for the artist himself but for pop music.Lately, Dylan has been forsaking rock and returning to traditional folk. The results of this retro-transition, however, are decidedly mixed.
In "World Gone Wrong," his second traditional album in as many years, Dylan comes across as a most-capable guitarist, with unquestionable skill in folk, ragtime and down-and-dirty blues.
Armed with only his six-string and mouth harp, Dylan delivers 10 old-time songs, mainly dark, lonely and cynical ballads about avarice, alienation, pomposity and failed love affairs.
The songs include Blind Willie McTell's "Broke Down Engine," Tom Paley's "Jack-A-Roe" along with "Stack-A-Lee," "Ragged and Dirty," "Delia," "Blood In My Eyes" and the title track.
Like the selections from "Good As I Been To You," last year's traditional album, these songs provide a glimpse into the forces that shaped Dylan into one of the most influential songwriters of this century. Like Dylan's own songs, these are heavy on lyrics, which are heavy on imagery.
To the listener's delight, Dylan even takes a stab at explaining the songs in the album notes, with his writing almost as entertaining as the subject. For example, the song "Love Henry," Dylan writes, is about "Henry-modern corporate man off some foreign boat, unable to handle his psychosis responsible for organizing the Intelligentsia, disarming the people, an infantile-sensualist - white teeth, wide smile, lotza money, kowtows to fairy queen explorers and corrupt religious establishments . . . he lays his head on a pillow of down and falls asleep."
Unfortunately, Dylan's much-maligned voice of late is living up to its reputation. Although the words are more perceptible on this album, the harsh nasal tones remain gratingly uncomfortable.
What's most uncomfortable, however, is thinking about the album's place in the scheme of things. Why did Dylan do a traditional album so close on the heels of his last one? Why isn't he back to creating new material? Why doesn't he just stop now, or are the obligations to Columbia Records too great?
All the discomfort, in concert with what seems to be a personal, dispassionate aloofness on Dylan's part, makes one wonder if it really isn't Dylan's world that has gone a little wrong.
Still, if you're a Dylan fan, you gotta have this album.