Product Description

First new album in 5 years featuring great new songs

Track Listing

1. Thunder On The Mountain
2. Spirit On The Water
3. Rollin' and Tumblin'
4. When The Deal Goes Down
5. Someday Baby
6. Workingman's Blues #2
7. Beyond The Horizon
8. Nettie Moore
9. The Levee's Gonna Break
10. Ain't Talkin'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1111 in Music
• Released on: 2006-08-29
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
At a time when the majority of those his age are drifting into retirement, 65-year-old Bob Dylan has put the capper on a three-record run that ranks with the best in his storied, 44-album career. Like Time Out of Mind and Love and Theft before it, Modern Times is a rootsy, blues-soaked pool of the purest form of Americana--skipping the progressive bells or whistles for an understated backing by his touring band. Dylan's voice, which cracks, rasps and moans from the pop singer's pulpit, hasn't been this rich and emotive since 1976's Desire. And while his lyrics prolong his steadfast allusions to a higher power and his own immortality, they are not without the Dylan mirth, as when he sings of tracking pop queen Alicia Keys from Hell's Kitchen to Tennessee in "Thunder on the Mountain," the album's opener, which teams with "Someday Baby" and "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (for which Dylan misguidedly claims writing credit) as the record's most fiery numbers. Still, it's the Dylan that tells of a slave-loving owner ("Nettie Moore"), brings New Orleans to the front burner ("The Levee's Gonna Break") and plays the part of an eloquent lounge singer ("Spirit on the Water," "When the Deal Goes Down" and "Beyond the Horizon") that makes Modern Times sound just like old times. --Scott Holter

Dylan Classics and Collections

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan	The Times They Are A-Changin'	Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61 Revisited	Blonde on Blonde	Blood on the Tracks
No Direction Home: The Soundtrack	Biograph (Box Set)	Bootleg Series 1-3: Rare 1961-1991 (Box Set)

Customer Reviews

My favorite Dylan
I admit, I was slow to buy the newer Dylan CDs. I'm more into Jakob and the Wallflowers than his Dad, now. But, I heard just one song from this CD and started checking out the cuts--well, it's worth buying the whole thing.

Dylan's been backed by everyone, but this band is the best--even better than The Band or Grateful Dead, which I didn't think was possible. I think the reason is these guys were assembled by Dylan for Dylan.

The songs are dark and long. Dylan's voice is a throaty rasp, but he's a lot more understandable than his earlier work.

My favorites:

"Ain't Talkin" talking about a man who's gonna get gone.

"The Levee's Gonna Break" good old Southern style song with a gut punch. This literally sounds like a classic folk song, rather than something new from Dylan's pen.

"Workingman's Blues #2" lament about the condition of working today, including outsourcing.

Rebecca Kyle, August 2008

Bob Still Has It
My first Bob Dylan CD was a Greatest Hits compilation which introduced me to the Bob Dylan of late (Things Have Changed, Summer Days, Feel My Love, etc). After hearing those songs, I knew I had to get Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft and Modern Times. Love and Theft is the only CD I haven't gotten yet.

Modern Times, for the most part, at first seemed a tad slow, if you will. But like a lot of Dylan's material, the more you listen, the more you pick up and begin to appreciate it. I wouldn't put it up there side by side with Time Out of Mind, but it is a close second.

Dylan's voice is definitely in the "gravel" catagory, but that makes this material work in my opinion. Coupled with the great music, the songs would never sound as good with a "clean"-voiced singer.

I got the special edition with the DVD. Love the videos. The Grammy performance of Lovesick is second to none. I didn't catch it at first, but the Things Have Changed video doesn't include the second verse of the album song.."This place ain't doing me any good..." Disappointing.

All in all, this is one of Dylan's best. My kids can't stand it which makes it all the better to me!!

He's been looking for Alicia Keyes? Oh yeah!!
This is one of the greatest albums by the greatest artist in rock history. Pretty strange since the old geezer was hiding in an artistic bunker with such bums as the Aweful Dead. I've been listening to him for 30+ years; trust me, this is as good as his '60's work.