Voted the greatest songwriter of all time by reference music
magazine Rolling Stone. Winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize for literature. One of
the most significant influencers on the pop music scene since the 1960s,
non-stop to this very day. Has written more than 500 songs and sold tens of
millions of albums. This could be the encapsulated CV of singer, musician,
songwriter, poet, and writer Bob Dylan.
اضافة اعلان
His latest album, the 39th in his outstanding career, is
titled “Rough and Rowdy Ways”. It was released just a few months ago and has
already been acknowledged as another milestone in pop music history. The living
legend may be an American, but his audience is the world.
How does an artist, who next May will be 80, manage to find
the inspiration and the energy to make and to record a new album? How can he
still sing and captivate the listener this way?
Whereas there may be snippets of explanation, like for
example authenticity, raw talent, and genuine inspiration, the actual magnitude
of the impact, of the achievement cannot be explained. This is inherent to pure
art. This is just the way it is. Some artists are great. There is no need to
seek further explanation.
Now the new album.
From the first track you enter Dylan’s typical world, a
unique blend of no-nonsense lyrics, simple sometimes and mystical at other
times. A blend of original melodic lines, and the master’s trademark singing
style, partly spoken and partly sung, but always expressive, accurate, spot-on,
with impeccable phrasing and rhythm – à la Dylan!
The voice is unmistakable, but it is hard not to admit that
age has made it a bit lower in terms of frequency, which is not necessarily a
bad thing in itself. Surely you cannot sing at 80 the same high notes you used
to at 30 or 40. Besides Dylan’s voice was never described as “a beautiful
voice” in the traditional sense of the word, but God knows how attractive it
is, how much it keeps you listening and enjoying the songs, and how much it
moves you. This is what matters in the end.
The music is brilliant, Dylan’s at its best. There are
accents of blues everywhere, a touch of rock’n’roll here and there. “Mother of
Muses” is a soft, slow, beautiful ballad, clearly in the line of the musician’s
folk music early days inspiration. In “My Own Version of You”, one of the most
moving songs of the album, Dylan sings “I study Sanskrit and Arabic to improve
my mind, I wanna do things for the benefit of all mankind.”
The music of “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You” is
clearly based on French-German Jacques Offenbach’s “Barcarolle” a well-known
lyrical composition from the classical repertoire of the 19th century.
As for the production, the musicians’ performance, and the
recording, they are simply outstanding, as close to perfection as it can come.
The audience rating of the album on the web is an exceptional 4.8 out of 5. The
instruments are all acoustic or electric, there are no digital artefacts or
synthesizers here. With this album it is clearly “back to the roots”.
How much you might like “Rough and Rowdy Ways” depends on
how old you are and how you would approach the album. Fans of Dylan will
definitely fall in love with it. The others, and the younger generation in
particular, should listen with an open mind, take the time to get in the mood,
give the words a careful ear, and let themselves be wrapped in the music and
the singing. They will be rewarded.
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