Modern Times

❤️

I lost connection with BD sometime after Blonde on Blonde though he was truly rock's last hero, fearless, funny, able to see and say what nobody else could. But Modern Times, "Spirit on the water," truly magical, and in a way, his voice is better than ever. I may be a little late to the party, but OMG, what a fabulous album!

This album was an exclusive ITMS-only pre-release introduced when Jobs demo’d the iPod with Video - when I updated my touch 4 gen to iOS 6, it vanished along with a few thousand other tracks. But of course it is an excellent album…. not that I buy albums here anymore. And no, I did not share it with more than 3 devices or move it back and forth. I’m back with CDs for good.

amazing, over the top!!!

I have all his albums and this is in my top 3 favorites. Amazing, I could listen to it over and over again.

In a high school hallway in 1964, yes that old, I had an argument that the wolrd would be listening to Bob Dylan in 50 years. Won that argument. Pure genious, as ever.

Bob Dylan is on a insane roll of awesome albums. Time out of mind, Love and theft, and now Modern Times. This is a great album for the modern day Bob Dylan fan. One of his best overall albums, which is quite the achievement.

I just saw Dylan for the first time, and his play list included Spirit on the Water. I bought the album fot that song, which is wonderful tribute to an earlier blues era. The lyrics belie the sweetness of the melody, at times, and thus have that rich irony that Dylan is a master of. Nettie Moore is another selection with a haunting, simple melody; these songs get stuck in your head and stay with you. The Levee's Gonna Break has a New Orleans feel that is perfect. Get this album if you love early Dylan and don't know his work from the the 2000s.

Bob Dylan ages like a fine wine. Probably my favorite Dylan album.

This album has been criticized for 'stealing' lyrics from other artists. My take is this: No new song is truly original or made in a vacuum. Dylan, better than almost any other current artist, has recognized throughout his career the immense debt that he owes to previous generations of musicians and song writers. From his first album to his latest, the voices of older artists echo through Dylan's music. Dylan doesn't hide the music he borrows (or, as I see it, the music he builds upon). He celebrates these artists and admits, at the same time, his small status in comparison to his musical forefathers/mothers. Dylan may think his status is small in comparison, but judging merely by how many other artists have "borrowed" his style/music/lyrics/material in the past decades, Dylan already stands among the legendary greats. But no one can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell. "Modern Times" seems to me to be especially about "memory". Throughout the album, Dylan seems to be remembering the past while, at the same time, recognizing that the fast pace of "Modern Times" really leaves "no time to think". This can be seen in each of the songs: - "Thunder on the Mountain" is, among other things, a reaffirmation and reevaluation of the beliefs Dylan proclaimed while he was "livin' down the line" ("Some sweet day I'll stand beside my King", "Remember this, I'm your servant both night and day", "I've already confessed, no need to confess again"). - "Spirit on the Water", "When the Deal Goes Down", and "Nettie Moore" use biblical references to the beginning and end of creation to allude to the longing for a lover from the distant past and the desire to spend eternity with her (it could also be seen to be about a Groom still waiting at the altar) - "Rollin' and Tumblin'" is, among other things, a song about forgiving and reconciling - "Someday Baby" - A mocking, condensing song to earthly temptation, or the devil, or whatever has plagued Dylan his entire life, and Dylan's desire to be free from its power. - Working Man Blues - In the face of the stresses of "modern times", "the place I love best is a sweet memory" - The Levee Gonna Break - A song about the tragedy of life forcing us to never stop moving, even when it means parting with loved ones - Ain't Talkin' - Wow. The masterpiece of this album. Continuing the theme of "Levee" and "Thunder on the Mountain", this song is about retaining firm in footing and staying true to oneself and to one's God, no matter how dark it gets. Anyway, that’s the way I see it. Someone else can obviously see things in a different light when they look through the multi-faceted prism that is Bob Dylan.