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Album Details

• Artist: Bob Dylan
• Album: Modern Times
• Label: Sony
• Year of Release: 2006
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2006-11-14

Dylan continues on his latest path, settling into the wandering rockabilly crooner that began appearing around the time of his early 90’s folk cover records. Still mining the Old Testament and Harry Smith’s Anthology for his signposts, Dylan has become the type of legend he would look to for inspiration. Not so much fiery prophet as bewildered cowboy who just might be holding a few magic decks under his vest, the Dylan of the 2000’s does, as Woody Guthrie once advised, take it slow..but take it. There are shuffling, groove oriented rockers here, the best being “Thunder on the Mountain”, “Rollin and Tumblin,” and “Someday Baby.” The real meat, especially lyrically, come from the sort of lounge-type ballads he and Tom Waits have perfected. In these, Dylan addresses Katrina in “The Levee’s Gonna Break” as a biblical event, shares a story or two from history in “Nettie Moore”, and, on “Spirit in the Water” and “Beyond The Horizon,” offers the kind of world-weary, gin-soaked plea for hope that has helped him hold to his mojo all these years. This is the best of his last three or four, which have all been great. Forget all the “comeback” bullshit. This is a guy who has made records for 40 years, some have been awful and some have changed pop history. This one can’t hold a candle to his top five, but not many records ever made can either.

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