Sunday, May 03, 2009

Dylan's New Canon

Bob Dylan's 33rd album, Together Through Life, sounds just like his last two albums. So if you like rock/blues/waltzes that sound like they were knocked off in a night, then you'll like this. Thanks to Los Lobos' David Hidalgo, Dylan tosses in some Tex-Mex flourishes that stand out. But I don't think the album gets memorable until the last 3 songs, and with the help of Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter some songs are missing Dylan's voice. Dylan has settled on a Chess/Sun era sound that saves most of these throwaways. But where does this rank in the Dylan canon? Is it a Planet Waves? Largely forgotten, or a Slow Train Coming? An album that's ripe for new discussion? Dylan mystics will debate until he tosses off his next one.
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