An array of emotions and drama encapsulate Bob Dylan’s 15th studio album, “Blood on the Tracks.” Released on January 20, 1975, this album has not only been celebrated as one of the greatest musical works of all time but has also been widely interpreted as a reflection of the deterioration of Dylan’s marriage. Jakob Dylan, his son, even suggested that listening to this album is like overhearing a conversation between his parents.
The saga of “Blood on the Tracks” includes a last-minute change in recording venues, shifting from New York in September 1974 to Minneapolis in December 1974. The final album contains a split between the two sessions—five tracks from each—highlighting the famous “Tangled up in Blue” among others.
Despite the albums acclaim, the six Minnesota musicians who played on the album—Peter Ostroushko (mandolin), Bill Berg (drums), Billy Peterson (bass), Chris Weber and Kevin Odegard (guitar), and Gregg Inhofer (keyboards)—were not initially credited due to the album covers already being printed. It took until 2018, with the release of “More Blood, More Tracks,” for their contributions to be formally acknowledged.
In “Blood in the Tracks: The Minnesota Musicians behind Dylan’s Masterpiece,” authors Paul Metsa and Rick Shefchik delve into the captivating story behind the album. This encompasses an artist rediscovering his voice, the intricacies of his personal life at the time, and the top-secret recording sessions in Minnesota.
Metsa, a musician himself, orchestrated a 60th birthday tribute to Dylan in Minneapolis where he sought to reunite the Minnesota musicians who contributed to “Blood on the Tracks.” Most were brought together, with the exception of Bill Berg. Over 200 pages of transcribed interviews from a TV show Metsa was working on laid the groundwork for the book.
Shefchik, initially engaged in a separate state, joined Metsa as a co-author upon his invitation. Drawing upon first-person sources and the exhaustive research from Metsa, the two aimed to construct a narrative not just about the music but about the musicians themselves and their subsequent paths.
The compatibility between Dylan and the Minnesotan musicians is emphasized, along with the unjust criticism faced by the choice of these less renowned artists for the Minneapolis recording sessions.
Metsa and Shefchik agreed that interviewing Dylan was not necessary for their book, relying instead on Metsa’s connections and inside knowledge of those close to Dylan since his move to Minneapolis in 1959.
Bob Dylan’s influence stretches beyond his music, his chameleon-like personas, and his turns through different genres and periods. Both authors express their personal admiration for Dylan’s work, with Metsa favoring “Blonde on Blonde” and Shefchik leaning towards “Bringing it all Back Home.” They agree on the pivotal nature of “Blood on the Tracks” in Dylan’s oeuvre, an album that revealed a shift in his lyrical approach, allowing a more conscious method of songwriting that bred a collection of songs unmatched in his later career.
In framing “Blood in the Tracks,” Shefchik brought his novel-writing expertise to bear, ensuring a fast-paced narrative that weaves through the various players’ stories and the larger tapestry of the 1970s and 80s music scene, with a particular focus on the flourishing Minneapolis soundscape.
While rumors have floated around about a potential film adaptation of “Blood on the Tracks,” nothing is confirmed. Nonetheless, “Blood in the Tracks: The Minnesota Musicians behind Dylan’s Masterpiece” stands as a testimonial to the album’s enduring legacy, its creation, and the people who were part of that historic moment in American music history.
