Bob Dylan – Modern Times

He is considered the most influential songwriter of the 20th century. By being invariably to evade the expectations of his audience has Bob Dylan the mystery around his person always. Also in the twilight of his career remains the man speak in riddles. Because how are we r&b the lines of text about the young singer Alicia Keys in the opening track Thunder On The Mountain again now? And he really believed that there is no good plate for 20 years, as he appeared prior to the release of Modern Times suggested in an interview with Rolling Stone? Also on his first album since Love & Theft (2001) sells Dylan no sweet talk but he offers in ten songs, based on simple blues-and countryschema's and accompanied by an excellent band, texts that give food for thought even after repeated listening. Of its characteristic sneer from its start time is only a rasperige in 2006, skipping voice over regularly. That he with that weakened tool songs so much urgency with it can give is a sign of its class.

The personal story comes last ...

Bob has taken us for another turn here, and I love the ride. This feels like the first album that he has ever recorded with the intention of being played live. Bob has always been self absorbed in his work, that’s just the way the man thinks and goes about things. Sure, he uses musicians, even collaborates with others, but the songs are always Dylan songs, from start to finish. But here, at this stage of his life, with his arthritis keeping him behind the piano and away from his guitar, he seems to have found the true nature of a group effort. Most of the guys that played on this record are now touring with him. They have a true sense of the music, as they were there from the conception and understand the process Dylan has gone through to develop his ideas and sound.

One would have to stretch back to ‘Highway 61’ to find anything near to this concept, and even there, Bob would send everyone away while he worked things out. This release comes on really strong, and even stronger if you see the show live. It’s a new and fine mix of Blues and Rock, a concoction that Dylan has mixed up in his basement and brought out for us to sample. I for one keep going back to listen again and again. How one man can continue to make such perfect music, develop new styles and just keep on keeping on is beyond me, but he’s done it again. The album has some really rocking hard edges and his voice seems to be blazing with fire. He seems to have found a sweet spot, and is enjoying it to the max. Bob is on solid ground here and must be reckoned with again. I have trouble imagining other artists working at their craft, just throwing up their hands, because a new Dylan album is out, and all of the antes have been upped.

With this outing, the music seems to interest Bob more then the lyrics, this is not to say that the lyrics are not top shelf, they are, it’s the fact that there is a concerted effort to extend the songs almost to the point of jams, which is actually what happens during the show. That’s why I feel this album is more of a script for his live performance, rather than an album in an of itself ... but how ever you see it, you are going to dig this release by the greatest artist of all time. That’s right, THE GREATEST.

The personal note...I was dating this guy, let’s call him Jeff. Now Jeff was a really cool DJ back in the days of heady radio, a concert promoter and producer, he asks me if I’d like to go see the Dylan show with him, and then mentioned something off handily about backstage es for after the show. Well sure, I’m on board without a moments hesitation. As we’re walking into the hall Jeff lays down the Backstage Ground Rules, which went like this:

1. Any [when you go back stage for the party, they give everyone a ‘Goodie Bag’] items that are not duplicated in both bags Jeff got to keep.

That was it, just the one rule, I could live with that. We were right up front and center, the show was perfect, and now we were headed back stage to see the living legend himself. WHAT? Bob wasn’t there, none of the band were there, no one we would remotely know was there, no interview to be had by Jeff...and me, I got a Tee Shirt and a memory that didn’t happen.

**A side note you might enjoy...May 3, 2007, KINDERGARTEN kids in ritzy L.A. suburb Calabasas have been coming home to their parents and talking about the "weird man" who keeps coming to their class to sing "scary" songs on his guitar. The "weird" one turns out to be Bob Dylan, whose grandson (Jakob Dylan's son) attends the school. He's been singing to the kindergarten class just for fun, but the kiddies have no idea they're being serenaded by a musical legend...to them, he's just Weird Guitar Guy.

Review by Jenell Kesler