Time Out of Mind (album)
Released September 30, 1997
Recorded 1996–1997
Studio Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida
Genre Blues rock, folk rock, Americana
Length 72:50
Label Columbia
Producer Daniel Lanois (in association with Jack Frost productions)
Time Out of Mind is the 30th studio album by the American musician Bob Dylan, released on September 30, 1997, by Columbia Records. It was his first double studio album (on vinyl) since Self Portrait in 1970. It was also released as a single CD.
For many fans and critics, the album marked Dylan’s artistic comeback after he appeared to struggle with his musical identity throughout the 1980s; he had not released any original material for seven years, since Under the Red Sky in 1990. Time Out of Mind is hailed as one of Dylan’s best albums, and it went on to win three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year in 1998. It was also ranked number 408 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003.
The album has an atmospheric sound, the work of producer (and past Dylan collaborator) Daniel Lanois, whose innovative work with carefully placed microphones and strategic mixing was detailed by Dylan in his memoir, Chronicles: Volume One. Although Dylan has spoken positively of Lanois’ production style (especially for his 1989 album Oh Mercy), he expressed dissatisfaction with the sound of Time Out of Mind. Dylan has self-produced his subsequent albums.
Dylan demoed some of the songs in the studio, something he rarely did. Members of Dylan’s touring band were involved in these sessions. Dylan also used these loose, informal sessions to experiment with new ideas and arrangements. Dylan continued rewriting lyrics until January 1997, when the official album sessions began. It was the second collaboration between Dylan and Lanois, who had previously produced Dylan’s 1989 release Oh Mercy and was known for his work with artists such as Emmylou Harris (on Wrecking Ball) and U2 (on The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby). Dylan wanted the sound of Time Out of Mind to be influenced by early blues musicians, such as Charley Patton, Little Walter, and Little Willie John, and he recommended that Lanois listen to their recordings to prepare for the sessions.
New personnel hired for the album included slide guitarist Cindy Cashdollar and drummer Brian Blade, both hired by Lanois. Dylan brought in Jim Keltner, who was Dylan’s tour drummer from 1979 to 1981. Dylan also hired Nashville guitarist Bob Britt, Duke Robillard, Tex-Mex organist Augie Meyers, and Memphis pianist Jim Dickinson to play at the sessions.
According to Lanois, Dylan likes old 1950s records since “they had a natural depth of field which was not the result of a mixing technique.” He used a Sony C37A microphone, which was also used to record Dylan’s album Oh Mercy. Various other devices were used to produce the album’s distinctive sound. Lanois also devised a method to accommodate new or revised lyrics later in an original take, since this was often the case with Dylan.
With two different sets of players competing in performance and two producers with conflicting views on how to approach each song, the sessions were far from disciplined. Years later, when asked about Time Out of Mind, Dickinson replied, “I haven’t been able to tell what’s actually happening. I know they were listening to playbacks, I don’t know whether they were trying to mix it or not! Twelve musicians playing live—three sets of drums,… it was unbelievable—two pedal steels, I’ve never even heard two pedal steels played at the same time before! … I don’t know man, I thought that much was overdoing it, quite frankly. ”
Lanois admitted some difficulty in producing Dylan. “Well, you just never know what you’re going to get. He’s an eccentric man…” In a later interview, Lanois said Dylan and he used to go the parking lot to discuss the recording in absence of the band. Lanois elaborated their discussion on the song “Standing In The Doorway”. “I said ‘listen, I love “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands”. Can we steal that feel for this song?’ And he’d say ‘you think that’d work?’ Then we’d sit on the fender of a truck, in this parking lot in Miami, and I’d often think, if people see this they won’t believe it!” With Time Out of Mind, Lanois “produced perhaps the most artificial-sounding album in Dylan’s canon,” says author Clinton Heylin, who described the album as sounding “like a Lanois CV.”
I just wanted to say, one time when I was about sixteen or seventeen years old, I went to see Buddy Holly play at the Duluth National Guard Armory…I was three feet away from him…and he looked at me. And I just have some sort of feeling that he was—I don’t know how or why—but I know he was with us all the time we were making this record in some kind of way.
“”
Bob Dylan
Dylan talked about his difficulty at the recording sessions in an interview with Guitar World magazine. “I lose my inspiration in the studio real easy, and it’s very difficult for me to think that I’m going to eclipse anything I’ve ever done before. I get bored easily, and my mission, which starts out wide, becomes very dim after a few failed takes and this and that.” In the same interview Dylan cited Buddy Holly as an influence during the recording sessions.
Track listing
All songs written by Bob Dylan.
1. “Love Sick” 5:21
2. “Dirt Road Blues” 3:36
3. “Standing in the Doorway” 7:43
4. “Million Miles” 5:52
5. “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven” 5:21
6. “‘Til I Fell in Love with You” 5:17
7. “Not Dark Yet” 6:29
8. “Cold Irons Bound” 7:15
9. “Make You Feel My Love” 3:32
10. “Can’t Wait” 5:47
11. “Highlands” 16:31
Total length: 72:50
Personnel
Bob Dylan – guitar, harmonica, piano, vocals, production
Additional musicians
Bucky Baxter – acoustic guitar, pedal steel on “Standing in the Doorway”, “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven”, “Not Dark Yet”, and “Cold Irons Bound”
Brian Blade – drums on “Love Sick”, “Standing in the Doorway”, “Million Miles”, “‘Til I Fell in Love with You”, “Not Dark Yet”, and “Can’t Wait”
Robert Britt – Martin acoustic, Fender Stratocaster on “Standing in the Doorway”, “‘Til I Fell in Love with You”, “Not Dark Yet”, and “Cold Irons Bound”
Cindy Cashdollar – slide guitar on “Standing in the Doorway”, “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven”, and “Not Dark Yet”
Jim Dickinson – keyboards, Wurlitzer electric piano, pump organ on “Love Sick”, “Dirt Road Blues”, “Million Miles”, “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven”, “Til I Fell in Love with You”, “Not Dark Yet”, “Can’t Wait”, and “Highlands”
Tony Garnier – bass guitar, upright bass
Jim Keltner – drums on “Love Sick”, “Standing in the Doorway”, “Million Miles”, “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven”, “‘Til I Fell in Love with You”, “Not Dark Yet”, and “Can’t Wait”
David Kemper – drums on “Cold Irons Bound”
Daniel Lanois – guitar, mando-guitar, Firebird, Martin 0018, Gretsch gold top, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, production, photography
Tony Mangurian – percussion on “Standing in the Doorway”, “Million Miles”, “Can’t Wait”, and “Highlands”
Augie Meyers – Vox organ combo, Hammond B3 organ, accordion
Duke Robillard – guitar, electric l5 Gibson on “Million Miles”, “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven”, and “Can’t Wait”
Winston Watson – drums on “Dirt Road Blues”
Technical personnel
Chris Carrol – assistant engineering
Joe Gastwirt – mastering engineering
Mark Howard – engineering
Geoff Gans – art direction
Susie Q. – photography
Mark Seliger – photography
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