Bob Dylan "Modern Times"
Rating: 5/5 Tracks to download: "Thunder on the Mountain," "The Levees Gonna Break," Nettie Moore" For fans of: Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, other classic rock
Bob Dylan's newest album, "Modern Times," is a seductive, moving record that enthralls the listener from beginning to end. Recorded with his touring band of the last few years, the music is raw and energetic. The songs are full of perfectly placed guitar licks and rolling piano lines. Even with this fantastic musical backdrop, it is Bob Dylan's awe-inspiring lyrics that take center stage.
Throughout the album, Dylan tackles issues that are both topical and timeless. "Thunder on the Mountain," the powerful opening track, is an ode about love and desire. But it also contemplates current conditions with lyrics like: "Everyone's got to wonder/what's the matter with this cruel world today." In "Working Man Blues #2," Dylan sings about the struggles of the working class: "Buying power of the proletariat has gone down/Money is becoming shallow and weak." His disbelief and confusion culminates in "The Levees Gonna Break," a song about the horrific flood in New Orleans. "Some people on the road/carrying everything they own/Some people barely enough skin/to cover their bones," recounts the horrific aftermath. Dylan repeatedly sings, "If it keeps on rainin'/The levees gonna break," something far too many people knew, but did nothing about.
"Modern Times" isn't just a reflection on modern America. It is also a chance for Dylan to interpret, and reinvent, songs of the American canon. "Rollin' and Tumblin'" is a classic blues song by Muddy Waters. Dylan's version is loose, rolling and fun. Dylan sings with intensity, mimicking the great bluesman. Dylan also tackles Sleepy John Estee's "Someday Baby." Dylan sings with passion, and the band provides a pulsating background. "Nettie Moore" is a hauntingly beautiful folk song Dylan revived and he laments, "The world has gone black before my eyes," producing images that resonate long after the song's end.
Dylan's strength as a songwriter is highlighted throughout the album. "Spirit on the Water" explores many of the complexities of love. "When the Deal Goes Down" is a heartwarming song about the power of loyalty and companionship. "Beyond the Horizon" looks to the future, and beautifully contemplates what there is to look forward to. "Ain't Talkin" is a rambling, free wheeling song that ends the album. In it, Dylan observes how he, like many of us, "Ain't talkin/just walkin/ through a world mysterious and vague."
Bob Dylan's newest album "Modern Times" is a masterpiece of subtlety. The excellent musicianship of the album highlights and enhances Dylan's inspirational and contemplative lyrics. Its interpretations of the American canon are revelatory. Overall, it is one of the best releases of the year.
