THE LINE: Bob Dylan’s first new album in five years, the highly-anticipated Modern Times includes 10 new songs recorded this past winter, and features Dylan on the keyboard, guitar, harmonica and vocals, and accompanied by his touring band. Modern Times is seen as the third release in an outstanding triology along with Time Out Of Mind and Love and Theft and is set to be another groundbreaking record for the music icon.
THE GOOD:
“Thunder On The Mountain” – If you can get past Dylan’s lyrical search for Alicia Keys and into the rockabilly, with a sweet touch of Chuck Berry, you’ll soon find the song grow on you. Dylan proves he can still run through a song with the best rock bands today.
“Rollin’ and Tumblin’” – “These woman so crazy I swear I ain’t going to touch another one for years” laments Bob Dylan. The blues tempo moves along at a good clip. It’s interesting to get Dylan shooting straight from the hip rather than speaking in metaphors. This same manic tempo continues with “Someday Baby”.
“The Levee’s Gonna Break” – Dylan goes for a mellower Chuck Berry flavor and lyrics that are poignant; “people on the road carrying everything that they own.” It’s an interesting mix of topic with a blend of uptempo rock ‘n’ roll that doesn’t always fit so well together.
“Ain’t Talkin’” – The end comes with a lovely track that contemplates life and other things not so mortal [“They say prayer has the power to heal so pray for me mother”]. And then there are classic lines such as; “Ain’t talkin’/ Just walkin’/I’ll burn that bridge before you can cross… there’ll be no mercy for you once you’ve lost.”
THE AVERAGE:
“Spirit On The Water” – This smokehouse blues track is the complete opposite of the hard charging “Thunder On The Mountain”. What’s interesting is how little it resembles a Dylan song other than his classic tenor. The song itself does nothing for me—it doesn’t sound classic or evoke any real emotions or make you want to sing along.
“When The Deal Goes Down” – Dylan starts the song with the lyrics “In The Still Of The Night” and the song continues with a very similar tone throughout.
“Workingman’s Blues #2” and “Beyond The Horizon” – Much slower tracks that slow the album to a screeching halt.
THE BAD:
Nothing.
FRANKLY: Modern Times isn’t a classic. So for some reason people may find that to be a misstep for Mr. Bob Dylan. Dylan recalls Chuck Berry’s guitar licks on many tracks while his voice often resembles Tom Waits. It’s not that it hurts Modern Times—actually it adds a gruff, worn-down, hard-living style to the songs. Dylan as a young man didn’t necessarily sound like a man who lived the words he spoke—the older Dylan is more of a sage telling us what he’s done, lived, and passing those experiences on to us. As with most Dylan albums, Modern Times takes time to sink in and absorb—but not long to love.
+ Rae Gun
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