Nashville Skyline Analysis

Landmarks, both in a physical and emotional sense, are considered to be the most integral monuments and events that build a society or human experience. Bob Dylan’s collection of Landmark Albums, for instance, is considered the most significant works of art that best represent his career. Each of the Landmark Albums is, in its own right, a destination on the highway of Dylan’s career; however, as the saying goes, “it is not in the destination, but in the journey.” If said logic were applied to Dylan’s discography, Nashville Skyline is an album that may be considered a significant personal and professional catalyst for his career. Nashville Skyline unveils a side of Dylan that he had never before exposed through his music. An analysis of Nashville Skyline, its songs, and the world surrounding the album’s creator support that although Nashville Skyline is not one of Dylan’s landmark albums, it is an integral part in his journey as an artist. Nashville Skyline is Dylan’s ninth studio …show more content…
The melding of the rhythm section in addition to the cultural environment of the recording location results in a certifiably country sound, but as Nelson writes, it is a country that is “a natural progression, both historically and emotionally, from the folk-music landscapes of John Wesley Harding into the more modern country-and-western worlds of Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, and Jerry Lee Lewis. (Nelson, 1969)” Charlie McCoy referred to the sound saying, “By Nashville standards, I wouldn’t call that a country record…But it wasn’t pop or R&B or anything like that. It had a folk feel to it. (Sounes, 239)” Simply put, the sound of Nashville Skyline is a warm style of country music that honors Dylan’s folk roots, while still allowing Dylan to branch out into a more distinct country-style