Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid (1973) - An Appreciation

    There's something big coming up in February but it won't be ready before the end of the month, so I'm putting out a few little stopgap posts to tide viewers over. There was a brief time a couple of years back when I was thinking of becoming a music reviewer; in hindsight I'm very glad I didn't, but this was the only review I ever completed. I submitted it to a friend's magazine, but it was a punk magazine so didn't make it in, and it's just sat on my computer ever since, needing a home. Now it has one. It was written for the album's 50th anniversary, in mid-July 2023; I remember going on walks that summer, thinking of ideas to put down, pretty ways to word things, and so on. At the time I hadn't seen the film which the album soundtracks, but I did get around to watching it last fall. It was a fairly mediocre and particularly violent Western, of which this soundtrack and Dylan's occasional and awkward performances were the most interesting parts. My favourite scene was where Dylan read the ingredients on food cans as a shootout took place. What a showcase of his Nobel Prize-winning poetic abilities. The album remains one of my favourites of his, and I hope that the writing communicates my affection for it. The review below remains largely, but not entirely, unchanged:

Rustic Beauty

It’s clear throughout his career that Bob Dylan liked the western motif, judging by his inclusion of the occasional cowboy song certain albums unrelated to the topic, such as Blood On The Tracks (1975). In the case of this 1973 soundtrack LP, the chance to make a full record on the topic allowed Dylan to create a whole world, an aural experience like none other that I’ve ever encountered. A soundtrack album is the perfect medium to express the feelings of cinematic vastness that are essential to transporting the listener into this cowboy world, and this is accomplished exceptionally well in the opening instrumental, “Main Title Theme (Billy).” An instrumental with a melody to die for and gorgeous, emotive guitar playing, this is one of my favourite Dylan songs. The emptiness of the frontier and the loneliness that comes with it really connect with me here, even causing me to tear up a bit when I put it on. Booker T. Jones’ bass work really shines on this one, and the star-studded cast of musicians on the album also include session drummer Jim Keltner and Byrds mastermind Jim McGuinn, who supply some excellent drums and guitar, respectively, on other tracks. There’s a real confidence in the playing across the record, showing that the masters are at work.

“Cantina Theme (Workin’ for the Law)” is next. Ross Kunkel’s bongos add a hint of darkness to the mix, which, when combined with the repetition of the main melody played on acoustic guitar, create the tension reminiscent of a sheriff hunting a criminal. One aspect of the album that I would criticize is that there are a large number of sudden, unnatural fade-outs, including on this song here. The third song, “Billy 1,” begins after a long and excellent harmonica introduction. Dylan’s emotionally searing voice comes in with full force, giving me chill after chill with each new line. The final one, “Billy, you’re so far away from home,” is a beautifully simple way to put the feeling of expansive wilderness evoked by the music. If anybody needs convincing that Dylan was a good singer, show them “Billy 1.” He uses his voice masterfully on that song and across the album in general. The next instrumental, “Bunkhouse Theme,” is a laid-back piece which I picture as being set in an area shaded from the searing noonday sun, making for a perfect balance after the prior song. Wordless vocals appear on “River Theme,” evoking to me the cool breeze one feels when standing near a large river in a canyon. A sort of spiritual peace comes across, a bit of a haven from the more emotionally powerful songs, ending the first side of the record beautifully. 

“Turkey Chase” gets things running again at a faster pace, and the flow of the fiddle gives a sense of the twisting and turning path an animal runs through bushes and grass. It's a real hoedown. The big single “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door," which follows, is of course a masterpiece, with luscious backing vocals and another sudden fade-out. All his lyrics on the LP come across as metaphors for greater events; they express feelings obviously felt outside of the Wild West, and this is especially true of this song. “Final Theme” is the last instrumental and repeats some familiar motifs from earlier in the tracklist. The use of a flute is excellent, sounding like somebody leaving Earth for heaven (as sung about in the previous song). It’s just gorgeous, rustic, simple beauty. The last tracks offer variations of “Billy 1,” featuring some different lyrics and vibes between them. “Billy 4” features more yearning in Dylan’s effortless singing. One verse in particular always gets me: “They say that Pat Garrett’s got your number/So sleep with one eye open, when you wonder/If every little sound just might be thunder/Thunder from the barrel of his gun.” These lyrics, and others on the song, dig to my very core, as they create such powerful and vivid imagery, with understated but excellent wordplay and unexpected lyrical twists to boot. On “Billy 7” he sounds tired and somewhat hopeless with his voice low and gravelly, making for a fitting close to a lovely record. 

Despite being a mostly instrumental soundtrack to a cowboy flick, this is one of my favourite albums by Bob Dylan. He creates an entire world and sucks the listener into it, making it an immersive and introspective listen, which I hope that you enjoy as much as I do.