Posted on: May 2, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Though not as prolific as sometime tour mate Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan has yet to show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. On his 33rd record, Together Through Life, Dylan has clearly gone back to the old Sun and Chess Recordings for inspiration and the result is fantastic for long time Dylan devotees (another obvious influence is Dylan’s Sirius/XM radio show “Theme Time Radio Hour”).

Tending to favor blues over his the more rock-centric songs from his last couple of albums, Dylan turns in a solid, though brief set of 10 songs revolving around themes of love and longing. Tracks like “Jolene” and “If You Every Go to Houston” strain with emotion and sound like they could have easily been recorded decades ago by Chicago or Memphis bluesmen. Well into his 60’s at this point, Dylan’s distinctive voice shows no sign of letting up. Though Together Through Life is not likely to win over anyone who has so far been immune to the legend’s talents, it’s still a solid record for those who’ve stuck by the rock poet for so long.

Top Tracks: “Jolene,” “Life is Hard” and If You Ever Go to Houston”

Ratings: 8 out of 10

Bob Dylan – Together Through Life/CD/2009/Columbia/10 tracks/www.bobdylan.com

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