With the release of the latest tome in his oeuvre, Together Through Life, Bob Dylan continues to carve out a legacy with what feels like to me the fourth part of a trilogy that began with 1997′s Time Out of Mind. Together Through Life is a record tacked on at the end of a career. Or at least, that’s what I thought, until I really began to listen.

When “Love and Theft” was released (auspiciously on September 11, 2001) most critics considered it a sequel to Time Out of Mind. Likewise, Modern Times was heralded as number three in that line upon its release in 2006. This morning, however, I listened to all four records in succession, and one thing became immediately apparent: Time Out of Mind is a true masterpiece that should be set apart from these other latter-day Dylan works.

Time Out of Mind was a Daniel Lanois production, and it shows. These songs sound wholly original and purely Dylan. Even when using standard forms, the production is so original, and the lyrical content so rich, that any measure of the derivative is utterly hidden. The listener can do nothing but hone in on Dylan’s aged voice as he sings 11 tracks of desolation for just shy of 73 minutes. There is no doubt in my mind that this album is worthy of the title “Best Since Blood” and maybe even “Best.”

Over nearly 50 years of recording, Dylan’s sidemen have changed, and so have his producers. His three most recent albums have been produced by “Jack Frost,” Dylan’s not-so-clever nom de plume.

“Love and Theft”, the first of the Jack Frost productions, was released to much acclaim in 2001 and deservedly so. It is a worthy successor, a fine follow-up to Time Out of Mind. Here, original sounding arrangements (I’m looking mostly at “Floater” and “Sugar Baby”) were mixed with more standard sounding blues (“Cry A While” which is a Mississippi Sheiks rip-off) and swing (“Summer Days”). Dylan’s lyrics are, on the whole, more playful, more reminiscent of his earlier days in some ways. In large part, his words are stolen images from other authors and works — a quilt of Dylan’s steel-trap brain that was brilliantly pieced together. While “Love and Theft” shows some of the musical originality of Time Out of Mind, it still has, on the whole, a derivative sound. We can chalk that up to its title, right?

Of the four records in question, 2006′s Modern Times is the least interesting. Outside of some positively brilliant moments (“Workingman’s Blues #2″, “Nettie Moore” and “Ain’t Talkin’”) there is little on this album that really captures my heart musically. The three tracks just mentioned have that originality in them that, like the majority of Time Out of Mind and much of “Love and Theft”, forces the listener to focus in on the pathos that drips from Dylan’s ravaged vocals. The register achieved in these songs allows his vocals to shine in spite of their diminishing skills. The rest of the album, for the most part, is a bit “throw-away” to me. Musically, the tracks are far less interesting than its predecessors. Even more of the standard blues and rock forms have overtly infiltrated the sound.

So, for the first three records of this dozen year swing, we see a Dylan who, as he has become more and more in control of the material, has moved from wholly original sounding productions to increasingly standard sounding forms. If you attempted to graph this, I think you would find this to be the trend.

Now we come to the newest sound, Together Through Life. To my ears this sounds like a tribute to Chicago blues with some accordion thrown on top (especially “Jolene”). All-in-all it’s a bizarre sound to my ear. That’s a good thing. Some of these arrangements are positively wonderful.

“Life Is Hard”, for example, stands out in my mind. This slow piece, laced with mandolin, lopes along, almost dragging the listener through 60+ years of confusion, experience, and wisdom. Dylan’s voice strains to hit the harder notes, but we hang right there with him, knowing that the rhythm will eventually pull him back into a more comfortable register. Dylan has taken elements of the blues and put them into this French border cafe sound — hitting these wailing, bluesy notes but bringing us back to resolution. Painfully dissonant and agonizingly beautiful. The most brilliant moment on the track, however, is Dylan’s hum prior to his last repetition of the refrain. It’s thoughtful; it serves a purpose. Like life, this listen is hard but rewarding.

The stripped down blues of “My Wife’s Hometown” with its little accordion hits accenting each line is also an enjoyable listen. Dylan’s wry wit, of course, shines through on the refrain: “I just want to say that Hell’s my wife’s hometown.” The rambling accordion solo is the joyful ghost of the lost organ swells from the New York version of “Idiot Wind” — now the singer is looking back not with a scowl, but with a smirk. Dylan even punctuates the final moments of the song with a few chuckles as if to say: “What can ya do?”

The only track on this record that is patently not good is “If You Ever Go To Houston.” When I originally saw the track list, I was excited about this song because I’m a Houstonian. However, like “Spirit On the Water” and “Beyond the Horizon” from Modern Times, I just get bored and even annoyed as I listen to it. I’d rather skip to the next track “Forgetful Heart” which has some nice moments.

So, how do these four albums come together? As I mentioned earlier, Time Out of Mind stands out and stands alone. The other three records feel like they are related insofar as they rely on various musical genres to bring them home. The bookend volumes are the better of three, while Modern Times feels comparatively weak. If not for Dylan’s ever deteriorating voice, you could probably package those three together and sell them as a triple album.

The question for me is this: Where does he go from here? Does Dylan continue to experiment with the musical forms that he knows and loves? I think so long as Jack Frost continues to get production credit, that’s probably the case. This Chicago blues plus border cafe sound will be supplanted by something else. Perhaps a return to country like Nashville Skyline or some sort of jazzy thing reminiscent of “If Dogs Run Free” (that’s my vote).

If Jack Frost is tossed aside in favor of Lanois or some other modern production demigod (Lillywhite?) then I think we would be in for an exciting ride. There is no doubt in my mind that Dylan is still producing original lyrics (always his strong suit, wouldn’t you say?) that rival any current songwriter. So, Bob, you concentrate on words and music and let someone else handle the production!

For those who are curious, here are my ratings for Dylan’s last four studio albums:

	Time Out of Mind (1997)	10/10
	“Love and Theft” (2001)	8/10
	Modern Times (2006)	6/10
	Together Through Life (2009)	7/10

All-in-all, I’d say that’s some pretty impressive work for a nearly 70 year old has-been. Wouldn’t you?

Give me your thoughts on these records. I’d love to read and comment on them.

As I’m writing, I typically listen to something. Often this is old blues (Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson, etc.), or older jazz (Davis, Coltrane, Monk, Brubeck, etc.), or my favorite rock outfits (Bob Dylan, The Band, Elvis Costello, etc.). The beauty of iTunes is that I have all of that at my fingertips, and I can arrange it however I like. With Dr. Dog’s new album, there is absolutely no need to mix and match. Just put it on repeat and let it roll! From blazing (yet, strangely cute) indie rock (e.g., “The Old Days”) to a Band inspired romp completely with 1970s horn section, ELO-esque harmonies, and a Joe Cocker meets David Bowie lead vocal yelling “Oh Yeah!” (“Army of Ancients”), Fate delivers all kind of goods.

If you’re not familiar with Dr. Dog, maybe you should be. This little band from Philadelphia has made me sit up and listen. As we were jamming (and I do mean “jamming”) to the album in the car the other day, I said to Natalie: “This is how I imagine The Band would sound if they had formed now instead of back in the 1960s.” High praise from the lights of me, as I think The Band, as a band, is probably tops in my book. But all the elements are here. Shades of Manuel on the piano, Hudson’s ghostly organ in the background, both serving as layers beneath Danko’s excellent bass work, the screaming guitar of Robertson and the pounding drums of Helm. Yet, none of these guys are present. Instead, we’ve got Stens, Miller, Leaman, McMicken, and McElroy.

The cohesiveness of the sound makes Fate a great listen. It’s already a staple of our music collection. Give it a spin!

I had the fortune of hearing some radio sessions they had done (for PR purposes, I suppose), and really enjoyed Deschanel’s vocals again. So, now I’m listening to their album, Volume One, and I keep saying to myself: “Yeah…” This is good stuff. Out of step with what’s going on amongst her peers in the music scene (Deschanel and I are the same age, I believe), but both refreshing and a throwback to older musical forms.

Again, in her vocals, I find those jazzy shades, but on the album I’m hearing more Loretta Lynn and Jeannie C. Riley. In fact, I’d fall over myself to hear Deschanel sing “Harper Valley PTA.“

If you have secret love for older country music, especially strong female vocals, picking up Volume One might not be a bad idea. I just can’t help but smile as I listen to it.

Okay, back to writing…

What Pandora Is Not

Pandora is not Last.fm, nor is it some kind of iTunes replacement. Because Pandora, due to the particularities of its music licenses, does not allow you to skip around and listen to tracks at will, it cannot possibly replace iTunes. However, it can definitely enhance your music experience, specifically by broadening your horizons.

What Pandora Is

Pandora is a cross between a music suggestion service (like Last.fm, I suppose) and XM Radio (though, available only via web). As such, Pandora provides me with a great listening experience and the opportunity to find other artists and albums that I might like. That is a cool thing.

How Pandora Works

Pandora, from a user’s perspective, is a very simple concept.

1. Signup for an account (actually, I don’t think this is necessary).
2. Create a “radio” by giving Pandora one of the names of your favorite artists or songs (e.g., “Bob Dylan” or “Bohemian Rhapsody”).
3. Enjoy the tunes and explore the artists that are suggested.

Here’s a screenshot of Pandora at work in my Fluid site-specific browser app:

You can see that the controls are simple: volume, play/pause, and skip. Nothing else to it.

Here I’ve got a radio setup for Dave Brubeck, Bob Dylan, and Wilco. While listening to one of these stations (I’m listening to the Brubeck Radio at the moment), Pandora will choose songs and artists that are similar to the artist that I have picked. So, for the Brubeck station, it’s going to choose mostly jazz pianists — which is a super good thing.

My Experience So Far

As noted above, I have started three different radios. My first choice was Bob Dylan. Those who know me best, know that I’m a full-fledged Bob Dylan fanatic. I listened to the Dylan radio for about an hour, and then looked back over the songs that Pandora had chosen during that hour. I was somewhat surprised to find that about 90% of them were tracks that I already had in iTunes. Really, this should not be surprising — it just proves that Pandora is doing a good job of finding what I might like.

Still, it’s a bit boring. I want to use Pandora to find new stuff. So, in honor of my current favorite rock group, Wilco¹, I created a Wilco radio. This was a bit more adventurous. Pandora was playing tunes by artists that I had heard of, but were not necessarily on my list of stuff that I’d be inclined to buy. This was great. I was hearing new (to me) music by bands like Son Volt (an obvious choice for a Wilco-based station). Very cool.

For me, the situation became even cooler when I created my Brubeck radio. I enjoy a lot of different jazz, but don’t really “follow” it. Consequently, I don’t have a serious knowledge base when it comes to artists and albums. Listening to Pandora’s suggestions has really turned me on to some new stuff (I have a list working…)

The Bad

As I mentioned before, Pandora’s licenses do not allow you to listen to different tracks or even go backwards within a track. This is frustrating for me. I listen to music all day long while I’m working. Sometimes, I don’t catch a tune because I’m concentrating or I’ve gotten up to go get a sandwich. Unfortunately, I have no opportunity to go back and hear it. While I understand that it is in the record companies’ interest not to allow you to play any song on demand, it seems to me that being able to go back and listen to tracks that you’ve already heard during that session would be of benefit to them. I’m not really the kind of guy who is going to buy an album by someone I don’t really know without hearing several different tunes, and several times.

The other bad thing is system resources. Like I said, I’ve got Pandora running as a Fluid app. This makes it easy to see what kind of resources it’s using. At the moment, my CPU and memory usage look like this:

CPU: 10-15%
RAM: 110-120MB

What’s unfortunate, is that these numbers seem to grow throughout the day. Yesterday, after listening for several hours, my CPU usage was in the 20% range, and RAM was closer to 180MB.

This feels like a lot.

Conclusion

Overall, Pandora appears to be a solid offering, especially for those who either don’t have access to their digital music libraries, or who would like to explore new artists and genres.

In short: I’m a fan.

Notes

¹ By the way, Natalie and I will be seeing Wilco tonight at their concert stop in Houston. I’ll let ya know how it was.

Music

Movies

• Interesting plot that kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time.
• Great characters with wonderful little quirks. Good writing, acting, and directing.
• No soundtrack. Yet it works! Odd that this would matter to me, sense I have a little collection of Cohen Brothers’ soundtracks here.

Websites/Blogs

• 365 Portraits - Bill Wadman’s year-long photo project has now come to an end, but I still find myself flipping through its pages of portraits. If you’re a photographer, or know one (like my lady), then 365 Portraits will be of particular interest.
• Petopia – OK, I guess I’m über-geeky, but I have been known to play a Hunter in World of Warcraft. Petopia, though not the prettiest website in the world, has the lowdown on every possible tamable creature in the game. Getting honorable mention in this category would be wowhead.

Computer-y Stuff

• Textpattern – It might be strange to draw attention to Textpattern on a recently created WordPress blog, but I’m doing it. More than anything Textpattern (and my emerging knowledge of Ruby on Rails) changed the way I thought about web design. While I don’t necessarily intend for web design to be my career, the extra cash is worth it. Textpattern made the advantages of separating content and design quite concrete for me. I have used it on several web projects (Acadian Imaging, Unique Fit, et al.), and will continue to do so in the future.
• TextMate – There is nothing to be said about TextMate that hasn’t already been said. Google it. Download it. Buy it. It’s awesome.
• Scrivener – Developed by a writer for writers. I’m actually working on a little review of this program, so I’ll say nothing more.

Events

• Natalie and I went with Bay Area Young Life to Frontier Ranch. So many highlights from this trip. A good, exhausting time. (June)
• Natalie and I went with Bay Area Young Life to Wilderness Ranch. Nat blogged about it: “Wilderness 2007″. (July)
• We moved into our new digs in Friendswood, Texas. (August)
• Natalie and I attended Wilco in Dallas. Rocked. Definitely glad we went there instead of the Austin City Limits show. I’m sure ACL was good, but I want a full 2+ hrs of Wilco. (September)

Best Moments

• Not a moment exactly, but watching Nat’s photography skills and style evolve over the course of the year.
• Reaffirming my love/need to write.
• Finally moving out of the in-laws’ place. Unemployment had forced us there. Employment saved the day. (Thanks for the shelter…but we’re gone!)

In The End…

Things To Look Forward To In 2008

• Wilco in Houston March 7. See you there.
• Nat officially begins shooting weddings this year.
• Working hard on my writing.
• New town?