The tunes are fine, indeed: "Someday Baby," despite its political incorrectness, is as sexy as "Highway 61," and "Ain't Talkin'," the slowly whirling closer, is fabulously connotative, as if to reconfirm Dylan's ability to say something even when he claims he's mute (the guy's a fabulous kidder). "Rollin' and Tumblin'," Dylan's freshly apocalyptic rewrite of the old Muddy Waters tune, rocks like a train, and "Beyond the Horizon," a ballad in the Leon Redbone vein, is downright dainty.
Are there conclusions to draw from this? No, as usual. Modern Times doesn't seem to be the completion of a trilogy because Time out of Mind and Love and Theft are more thematic. Modern Times, which covers all sorts of terrain, is an album that stands quite well on its own, resonating fresh and penetrating deeply. And it's a distinct pleasure to listen to. May Dylan record more such triumphantly musical albums with this group -- his personal "cowboy band."
Article comments
1 - al
mr. zimmerman still has it
2 - Connie Phillips
This article has been placed at the Advance.net websites, a site affiliated with about 12 newspapers.
One such site is here.
3 - Anthony
He still can't sing.
4 - Eliot Kopp
I'm not a Bob Dylan fan per se, but this is a fantastic album. I've listened to "Spirit on the Water", "Rollin' and Tumblin'", "Someday, Baby", and the hauntingly beautiful "Nettie Moore", (which is my favorite song on the album)at least 20 times apiece. Very addictive!
5 - Lee
Some artists actually get a pass on vocals. Bob is one of these
6 - Ignatz
""Rollin' and Tumblin'," Dylan's freshly apocalyptic rewrite of the old Muddy Waters tune,"
If it's a rewrite of a Muddy Waters song, why does it say "Words and Music by Bob Dylan"?
Bob is stealing songs and not crediting them. And there's no excuse for it.