#410

Impressions: This is the first of ten Dylan albums on this list so I better start getting used to his distinct nasal, reedy voice. Let’s put it on… Starts off in a sort of spooky, almost dub-like mode with “Love Sick.” Production wise, Daniel Lanois favors spooky, shimmering, echoey atmospheric tracks that lack hooks but provide a decent and novel texture to support Dylan’s mediations on loss and aging. Not being a person who’s completely in awe of Dylan, I find this sound to be still quite agreeable but not transcendent. Songs like “Cold Irons Bound,” “Dirt Road Blues” and “Standing In the Doorway” are bluesy, with a few modern twists and the aforementioned production style that makes the songs sound suitably lived in.  I did kind enjoy the downbeat “Til I Fell In Love With You,” and the funkier “Can’t Wait” but the whole album kind of has a draggy tempo and a very similar end-of-my-life-looking-back lyrical vibe that was interesting but wore thin after 72 minutes of this double album. In fact, most of the songs are a bit longish, including all 16:31 of “Highlands.” I wouldn’t say that this album is an embarrassment, and heck, maybe if I were to somehow get more into Dylan at some future point when I’m in my 50s, this album would suddenly reveal it’s hidden delights to my older self. It’s well-crafted, has a distinct sound and Dylan is in pretty good old-man cranky form; it just seemed a little slow-paced and downcast for me.

Starred Songs: “Love Sick,” “Standing In The Doorway,” “Not Dark Yet”
Sneaky Track: “Til I Fell In Love With You”
Should this album be on the list? Eh…Dylan can live with 9 albums on this list
Replace with?  Hmm…Well, I should probably find something more “important” but Ivy’s breezy, poppy Apartment Life came out this same year and is far more listenable.
Will you listen to this again? Probably not.

Verdict: Tasteful, but sleepy late-career record isn’t bad, but seemed to fade away after listening.

Rating: ★★1/2