As Dylaneque as ever

Music Reviews

Together with life is the 46th album of the 68-year old prolific poet-singer Bob Dylan. The familiar gruff, gravelly, raspy, nasal-voiced singer still retains his magic. The album features 10 new songs.

Bob Dylan’s latest studio album features 10 new songs. Unlike in the past Dylan has followed the trend of extensive collaboration, both in terms of lyrics and music. As many as nine of the 10 songs have been co-written with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. However, there is nothing synthetic or ‘studio engineered sound’ feel to the outcome. These are the songs meant to be played live. The album is on the theme of love, but not of the mushy kind, but rather realistic and mature encompassing desire, heartbreak and remorse and sometimes with a tinge of wry humour.

The opening song ‘Beyond Here Lies Nothin’ is enhanced by the accordion of Los Lobos multi-instrumentalist David Hidalgo’s and well-defined leads of Tom Petty guitarist Mike Campbell concocting a swinging groove . In the last song ‘It’s all good’ Dylan sings of “Big politician telling lies; Wives are leavin’ their husbands; Well widows cry; the orphans plea; Cold blooded killer stomp into town; Cop car’s blinkin’, something bad goin’ down. Buildings are crumblin’, in the neighbourhood. But there’s nothing to worry about, cause it’s all good. It’s all good. I say it’s all good.”  Over all the album is foksy, simple and uncomplicated in both lyrics and music and as Dylaneque as ever.