BOB DYLAN: "Self Portrait"

Original released on Double LP CBS 66250

(UK 1970, June 8)

In 1969, the closing words of Rolling Stone's review of Bob Dylan's final album of the decade read: «In many ways, "Nashville Skyline" achieves the artistically impossible: a deep, humane, and interesting statement about being happy. It could well be what Dylan thinks it is: his best album.» The opening words of the magazine's review of "Self Portrait", his first album of the next decade, began with the words: «What is this shit?» It marked the kind of artistic decline most artists may experience over decades, but in actuality it represented just a 12-month period in his career. However, like many things in the world of Bob Dylan, perceptions change greatly over time. Througout the 1960s, Dylan knocked out seminal album after seminal album, with each reaffirming his status as an icon of the era and the voice of a generation. It was a label that grated on him hugely. So much so that when he kicked off the next decade with "Self Portrait", an album featuring bunch of covers and a handful of originals that many deemed sub-standard, it was debated for years whether the album was a joke or an intentional misstep to shake off the shackles of pressure. Later on, Dylan himself referred to it as more of a bootleg record - an odds and sods leftovers affair. If Dylan's attempt on "Self Portrait" was self sabotage, then to some degree it worked. (in"LongLiveVinyl")

There has never been a clearer attempt to shed an audience than "Self-Portrait". At least, that's one way of looking at this baffling double album, a deliberately sprawling affair that runs the gamut from self-portrait to self-parody, touching on operatic pop, rowdy "Basement Tapes" leftovers, slight whimsy, and covers of wannabe Dylans from Paul Simon to Gordon Lightfoot. To say the least, it's confusing, especially arriving at the end of a decade of unmitigated brilliance, and while the years have made it easier to listen to, it still remains inscrutable, an impossible record to unlock. It may not be worth the effort, either, since this isn't a matter of deciphering cryptic lyrics or interpreting lyrics, it's all about discerning intent, figuring out what the hell Dylan was thinking when he was recording - not trying to decode a song. There are times where it's quite clearly played for a laugh - if his shambling version of "The Boxer" isn't a pointed parody of Paul Simon, there was no reason to cut it - but he's poker-faced elsewhere, and the songs (apart from such earthed gems as "Mighty Quinn," which aren't presented in their best versions) are simply not worth much consideration. But, in a strange way, "Self Portrait" is, because decades have passed and it still doesn't make much sense, even for Dylanphiles. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's worth the time to figure it out - you're not going to find an answer, anyway - but it's sort of fascinating all the same. (Stephen Erlewine in AllMusic)