At a time when the majority of those his age are drifting into retirement, 65-year-old Bob Dylan has put the capper on a three-record run that ranks with the best in his storied, 44-album career. Like Time Out of Mind and Love and Theft before it, Modern Times is a rootsy, blues-soaked pool of the purest form of Americana--skipping the progressive bells or whistles for an understated backing by his touring band. Dylan's voice, which cracks, rasps and moans from the pop singer's pulpit, hasn't been this rich and emotive since 1976's Desire. And while his lyrics prolong his steadfast allusions to a higher power and his own immortality, they are not without the Dylan mirth, as when he sings of tracking pop queen Alicia Keys from Hell's Kitchen to Tennessee in "Thunder on the Mountain," the album's opener, which teams with "Someday Baby" and "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (for which Dylan misguidedly claims writing credit) as the record's most fiery numbers. Still, it's the Dylan that tells of a slave-loving owner ("Nettie Moore"), brings New Orleans to the front burner ("The Levee's Gonna Break") and plays the part of an eloquent lounge singer ("Spirit on the Water," "When the Deal Goes Down" and "Beyond the Horizon") that makes Modern Times sound just like old times. --Scott Holter. Editorial Reviews @ Amazon.com [ read more ] »
art | music | pro.file | Bob Dylan | modern times

Bob Dylan was recently named by Life as one of the 100 most important Americans of the 20th century. In this photographic tour of Dylan’s breakthrough years, 1964 to 1965, ... [ read more ] »
art | music | pro.file | Bob Dylan | portrait

Forty-three albums into his four-decades-plus career Bob Dylan at 60 still keeps us on our toes. At an age when his peers have long lost their creative edge, Dylan continues to toss his audience curveballs. [ read more ] »
art | music | pro.file | Bob Dylan | love and theft

The Times They Are A-Changin', Another Side of Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Live, 1966 Empire Burlesque, Biograph, Dylan & The Dead , Real Live, Good as I Been to You, 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, MTV Unplugged Live, 1994 .. [ read more ] »
art | music | pro.file | Bob Dylan | discography

Don't Look Back
Both a classic documentary and a vital pop-cultural artifact, D.A. Pennebaker's portrait of Bob Dylan captures the seminal singer-songwriter on the cusp of his transformation from folk prophet to rock trendsetter. Shot during Dylan's 1965 ... [ read more ] »
art | music | pro.file | Bob Dylan | video

The Superhuman Crew ( J. Paul Getty Museum )
"A thoughtful and quirky culmination of art forms that belongs in the hands of Dylan fans, Ensor enthusiasts, and anyone intrigued by the alchemy that takes place when you marry one bold art work with another." ... [ read more ] »
art | music | pro.file | Bob Dylan | literature