Tuesday, Feb. 06, 2007 | 11:52
bob dylan - modern times
i borrowed a bunch of cds from my parents while they're out of town, more to put on the computer than to listen to at work. one of them, the first one i've played, is the new bob dylan album 'modern times'. i am very impressed. i'd heard some of it on podcasts and always felt it sounded thin and rough, but the cd makes it sound pretty good. it's gotten good reviews, though a large minority has complained that a) he's stolen a lot of stuff from other people and b) it's not as good as his classic work. i'm a led zeppelin fan, so frankly that first complaint holds no sway over me. one could even argue it's dylan's take on hip hop's samplefest, but i'm not going to go that far. instead i'll point to the tradition in blues and folk to cop licks and lines from those gone before--and with a hundred years or more of this music dylan has plenty of room to gather ingredients.
i can't claim to be a huge dylan fan, though i do have some of his classic work (i haven't even heard his last two discs) and eventually i'll get the rest, but i don't think this falls very short of the high standards set for bob dylan. certainly if any other artist put this out, especially someone new or regional, it would be well received if underexposed. not many artists release albums this good these days, and for dylan to pull out a great album towards the end of his career suggests that people aren't even trying anymore.
on 'modern times' dylan has put together a crack band and jack frost uses detailed, just-rough-enough production to capture the sound of an aging genius lamenting the state of the world, both personal and public. frankly, i never would have expected a man his age to release anything half this good, but this album deserves to be lauded with his best work. yes, it's that good.
