Without a doubt, the best lyricist of the rock era, and a long way in front of number two.
Make fun of his voice, make fun of what he does to his song arrangements in concert (I still remember Stephen McCarthy's brother Nappy commenting he wished Dylan would play the song he had just finished playing-the arrangement was that different and the singing may as well have been in another language), but you cannot make fun of the man's ability with words.
If he would only use it more often.
Fallen Angels is his 37th studio album, and his second in a row to feature covers of "classic American tunes."
We all know Dylan has done covers albums over his career, but I would have thought that at age 75 (tomorrow is his birthday), and with so many of his contemporaries discovering the next frontier this year, that he might feel the need to actually say something original.
I guess he did release an album of new Dylan material in 2012-it just feels like twenty years. It also feels like all he does is albums of covers (a Christmas album and the two standards albums over eight years).
Produced by Dylan under his Jack Frost pseudonym, the arrangements are low key, the backing band top notch, and the record is pretty much on a par with the last, and that one was top ten in 17 counties, debuting at number one in the UK.
The album is not horrible, but it is horrible unnecessary. Over two albums of Sinatra covers, has it occurred to Dylan that Sinatra is the better singer?
Sorry to burst your bubble, Bob.
The other thing that sticks in my craw is that Dylan is following a trend (covering the Great American Songbook) started by Linda Ronstadt and Rod Stewart.
No disrespect to Linda or Rod, but Dylan is following in their footsteps?
Mr. Zimmerman-you're supposed to be setting the bar!
