 With a collection of songs reportedly written while snowed @-@ in on his Minnesota ranch , Dylan booked recording time with Daniel Lanois at Miami 's Criteria Studios in January 1997 . The subsequent recording sessions were , by some accounts , fraught with musical tension . Before the album 's release Dylan was hospitalized with a life @-@ threatening heart infection , pericarditis , brought on by histoplasmosis . His scheduled European tour was cancelled , but Dylan made a speedy recovery and left the hospital saying , " I really thought I 'd be seeing Elvis soon . " He was back on the road by mid @-@ year , and performed before Pope John Paul II at the World Eucharistic Conference in Bologna , Italy . The Pope treated the audience of 200 @,@ 000 people to a homily based on Dylan 's lyric " Blowin ' in the Wind " . 
 With a collection of songs reportedly written while snowed @-@ in on his Minnesota ranch , Dylan booked recording time with Daniel Lanois at Miami <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>Criteria Studios in January 1997 . The subsequent recording sessions <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> , by some accounts , fraught with musical tension . Before the album <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>release Dylan was hospitalized with a life @-@ threatening heart infection , pericarditis , brought on by histoplasmosis . His scheduled European tour was cancelled , but Dylan made a speedy recovery and left the hospital saying , " I really thought I 'd be seeing Elvis soon . " He was back on the road by mid @-@ year , and performed before Pope John Paul II at the World Eucharistic Conference in Bologna , Italy . The Pope treated the audience of 200 @,@ 000 people to a homily based on Dylan <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>lyric " Blowin ' in the Wind " . 
With a collection of songs reportedly written while snowed @-@ in on his Minnesota ranch , Dylan booked recording time with Daniel Lanois at Miami  Criteria Studios in January 1997 . da subsequent recording sessions was , by sum accounts , fraught wit musical tension . b4 the mixtape  release Dylan was hospitalized ww/a life @-@ threatening heart infection , pericarditis , brought on by histoplasmosis . His scheduled European tour was cancelled , but Dylan made a speedy recovery and left tdahospital saying , " I really thought I 'd be seeing Elvis soon . " He was back on thdaoad by mid @-@ year , and performed before Pope John Paul II at thedarld Eucharistic Conference in Bologna , Italy . The Pope treated the audience of 200 @,@ 000 dudes to a homily based on Dylan  lyric " Blowin ' in the Wind " .