It’s come to this. Here, in the homestretch with only 4 records left, I’m tapping out (not including the 2009 Christmas album here). In this post, I will briefly say a few things about those albums. I’ve listened to them all and they honestly aren’t all that different from each other. So, I don’t think I’m doing a disservice here. The fact of the matter is that I’m feeling a little burnt out on Dylan. I decided after listening to Love And Theft that I would sneak a peek ahead to Modern Times just to see how much had changed in 5 years. Answer: not much.
Sure, they don’t sound identical to each other. But, for the most part, the final four Dylan albums just blended together for me.
Love And Theft – Best of the 4, very lively.
Modern Times – I don’t know what’s going on here. A lot of these songs sound like they’d be playing at a dance in 1951. Really strange. It’s a very lethargic album. I guess it’s what you’d expect from a guy his age at the time. He was 65 when it came out so it’s certifiable old dude music.
Together Through Life – Entirely forgettable.
Tempest – Wow, this is much more lively than the last 2. Not at all expected! I mean, it’s still Old Man Dylan, but it’s not a dirge. Might revisit this sometime in the future.
Sorry this wasn’t more in depth. These albums aren’t bad or anything, but they’re just not my thing. I think I could tell this kind of shift was coming with Time Out Of Mind – recognizable melodies were sacrificed for atmosphere and lyrical flexing. That appeals to some people but not me. If I can’t get into the melody, I’m not going to come back to the music, plain and simple. And aside from a few bright spots on Love And Theft, I can safely say that later era Dylan isn’t really for me.
Up next: Dylan wrapup, then return to new music!
Earache City 