Dylan - Together Through Life

This is pretty much a workman-like release and keeps the high quality of his later-period work. It doesn't really drop from the high stakes raised by his last three records. I'm only starting to have a problem with his voice, which is sounding really raspy and gnarly here.

This is pretty much in the mood of a stripped-down "Time out of Mind" without the pea-soup
fog production with elements of "Desire" thrown in, especially the mariachi burner of "This Dream of You". I would really like to hear his Nashville Skyline-phase voice on these hispanic-sounding songs but no cigar, I think cigarettes have reduced it to a rakey hoarse croak. On the bluesy tracks like "My Wife's Hometown", I'd imagine a Howlin' Wolf but also no such delights, just too unrefined and croakey.

Otheriwse, the music is solid. The lyrics are cool, none of that profound gibberish as on his mid-60s zenith but I don't really miss that much. 7 out of 10 stars.