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Nashville Skyline is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in April 1969 by Columbia Records.

Building on the rustic style he experimented with on John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline displayed a complete immersion into country music. Along with the more basic lyrical themes, simple songwriting structures, and charming domestic feel, it introduced audiences to a radically new singing voice from Dylan—a soft, affected country croon.

The result received a generally positive reaction from critics, and was a commercial success. Reaching number 3 in the US, the album also scored Dylan his fourth UK number 1 album.

(Some of) the Recording sessions:

• The second recording session for “Nashville Skyline”
• The third recording session for “Nashville Skyline
• The 4th recording session for “Nashville Skyline (w/Johnny Cash)
• The 5th recording session for “Nashville Skyline (w/Johnny Cash)

context

…To his chagrin, the press continued to promote him as the spokesman of his generation.

“Not only did I not want it, but I didn’t need it. I couldn’t understand it either. None of us like to be defined by what other people think of us. I wasn’t the toastmaster of any generation and that notion had to be pulled up by the roots.”
~Bob Dylan (to John Preston, Sept 2004)

Songs

“I Threw It All Away” was another hit single for Nashville Skyline. Riley (music critic Tim Riley) describes it as “a glimmer of honesty from a person who has taken love for granted, squandered its rewards, and lived to sing about it.”

Love is all there is, it makes the world go ’round
Love and only love, it can’t be denied
No matter what you think about it
You just won’t be able to do without it
Take a tip from one who’s tried
(BD – I Threw It All Away)

“Lay Lady Lay” turned out to be one of Dylan’s biggest pop hits, reaching #7 in the US, and giving him his biggest single in three years. “Lay Lady Lay” was originally written for the film Midnight Cowboy, but Dylan did not deliver it in time for it to be included in the score. He was initially reluctant to authorize the single’s release, but eventually approved at the insistence of Columbia president Clive Davis.

…There’s a movie out now, called Midnight Cowboy. You know the song on the album Lay Lady Lay? Well, I wrote that song for that movie. These producers, they wanted some music for their movie. This was last summer. And this fellow there asked me, you know, if I could do some music for their movie. So I came up with that song. By the time I came up with it, though, it was too late.
~Bob Dylan (to Jann Wenner Nov 1969)

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Whatever colors you have in your mind
I’ll show them to you and you’ll see them shine
~Bob Dylan (Lay Lady Lay)

#6 – Lay Lady Lay

Jann Wenner: On Nashville Skyline, do you have any song on that that you particularly dig? Above the others.
Dylan: Uh… Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You. ….
–
The standout song here for me, the track that best captures (and transcends) the mood of the whole set, is ‘Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You’
~Paul Williams (BD – Performing Artist 1960-74)

#10 – Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You

Sources: Wikipedia, referred books, Dylan interviews