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Elly Roberts reviews
Columbia
- Released: September 2006
- Rating: 6/10
Grumpy Bob Dylan has finally reached pensionable age: hes sounds like it too.Maybe hes finally donning slippers and smoking a pipe.
Modern Times is sometimes a dreary if smooth blend of balladeeringmeets country rock cabaret, taking a swipe at the state of the world.
His last offering Love and Theft was a top album; this one lacks anykind of edge and pioneering moves. Maybe thats how its meant to be.Considering its protracted five year hiatus, hes only written ten songs thats two a year since 2001, hardly a prolific rate. Neither is itchallenging or influential, which is what Dylan is supposed to be all about.
There again, Dylan has always done things his way. 1979s live Bob Dylan AtBudokan was sensational. Then followed his gospel period – Slow TrainComing and Saved. The Saved tour was a disaster. In 1980, over athird of the audience at NEC Birmingham walked out in disgust he wasappalling. It remains the worst gig Ive ever attended.
This his 33rd studio album in 41 years, not including lives and compilations,gives the feel of a man about to hang up his guitar and go out to pasture.Or is hes just fooling once again?
At times he sounds almost weary, as if writing a new album had become anecessary evil. If that was the mindset, then hes approached it in a laidback manner.
Its a nice album. Pleasant and listenable. One that will quickly beforgotten. Not one song is under 4 minutes, the longest is 8 minutes plus,so hes not in a rush and its highly unlikely to spawn one final singlefor the UK charts, his last being Things Have Changed in 2000.
Its totally devoid of a classic song. His band Tony Garnier, GeorgeG. Receli, Stu Kimball, Denny Freeman and Donnie Herron are perfect for thistype of stuff. Dylans voice has not exactly been the best, but ironically,it suits the material.
Thunder In The Mountains sounds promising with its bluesy picks andriffs, thereafter it becomes a tad middling. Perky country rocker Rollinand Tumblin sounds like a Mark Knopfler ditty, with the shufflingSomeday Baby as equally upbeat, as upbeat goes here. PloddersWorkingmans Blues No.2 and Nettie Moore are followed by morecountry cabaret on bluesy The Levees Gonna Break.Dylans creaky vocals marry well on closer Aint Talkin roundingoff nothing more than, in reality, averageness.
Best track – Spirit On The Water.
Weblink:Bob Dylan.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Thunder On The Mountains
2. Spirit On The Water
3. Rollin And Tumblin
4. When The Deal Goes Down
5. Someday Baby
6. Workingmans Blues No.2
7. Beyond The Horizon
8. Nettie Moore
9. The Levees Gonna Break
10. Aint Talkin
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.