Bob Dylan is back with a brand new studio album, ‘Fallen Angels’

No CD with my vinyl version! Just a digital download. Anybody else find the same??

37th? Still not as many as Prince ;0)

I would love for Bob Dylan to step outside his comfort zone and record a Roots Reggae album that Sly & Robbie would produce the old school Channel One style.

Sly Dunbar = drums
Robbie Shakespeare = bass
Robbie Lyn = keyboards
Mikey Chung, Chinna Smith, Dalton Browne = guitars
Nambo Robinson = trombone
Stepper Briard + Dean Fraser = sax
Count Ossie’s son + friends = nyahbinghi percussion

Now wouldn’t that be something

I’ll be getting this. Of course I’d rather it was new songs and not more covers. But new Dylan is new Dylan. I’m also pleased that, like the last album, there’s a CD with the vinyl.

Shadows in the night was awful
If this is the same I’ll avoid

Well, we’ve known it was coming for several weeks now, but it still has the melancholy mood of disappointment on it. Tried out mostly at the Shadows In The Night sessions, there is the feel of ‘not good enough first time around’ on it, and although most things Bob produces have a level of interest, whether this will carry that interest through to a second listen will be doubtful. When the title appeared, it seemed to indicate that this might be the album of religious songs Bob had mentioned he intended to release before switching horses and issuing ‘Tempest’, but instead of God it’s all gone a bit Rod, more songbook ‘classics’ where a deal can be done on the publishing. With the meter running on Bob’s voice, it’s a shame that the opportunity to plant some more originals in his stunning catalogue has not been taken [and some songs which he has produced remarkable versions of in concert already – ‘Moon River’ and ‘Let’s Learn To Live And Love Again’ spring to mind – have not made the cut]. On the future plus side, Bob’s contract is [or was a few years back], a schedule of an original, a compilation, and a Bootleg Series, so if the Japan-only [so far] ‘Bob Dylan Revisited’ fulfils the middle, we can hopefully see the next BS [err, unfortunate abbreviation, no reflection on their awesomeness] in the run-up to Xmas [should be either ‘Blood On The Tracks’ or the Rolling Thunder Review documentary and soundtrack].

Richie: the “long time” wait for the vocals to come in is part of the song, not an artistic decision by Dylan. I have a 1939 Frank Sinatra recording of the song, and the long instrumental introduction is also present in that version.

It sounds good to me! Initially Shadows In The Night had me scratching my head, but eventually I was quite taken with it. Another album to look forward to.

Bravo, Mr Dylan, Bravo…

I heard ‘Melancholy Mood’ on 6Music this morning. At first I thought it was an instrumental, Bob takes a long time to burst well not burst, more stumble into a relaxed rendition of the song. I quite liked it, Bob looks to be enjoying himself and even the wife enjoyed it.

I hope his next album will feature some Dylan songs but at least he is still recording and sounding good.