BEST OF 2012 - #4 - BOB DYLAN "TEMPEST"

One of the first big releases of 2012 was a 4 CD Bob Dylan tribute Chimes Of Freedom put out by Amnesty International.  It had legends (Elvis Costello, Joe Perry and Pete Townshend) younger acts (Band Of Skulls, Gaslight Anthem) and pop stars (Ke$ha, Miley Cyrus).  It was a great tribute and showed the man's far reaching influence.

But as if to remind us of his continued relevance and greatness, a few months later Bob released his latest album, Tempest. It's not a huge departure from what he's done lately:  he takes a lot of influence from pre-rock and roll Americana (a lot of the music that he used to play on his satellite radio show Theme Time Radio Hour), adding his distinct lyrical touch.

I don't love Tempest as much as his last album -- Together Through Life was my favorite album of 2009. Still, its another incredible addition to his untouchable cannon of songs.

I love the first single "Duquesne Whistle" (which, like all of Together Through Life, featured lyrics co-written with The Grateful Dead's lyricist Robert Hunter). The video kind of set the scene for the album, which turns out to be kind of violent.

My favorite song on the album is "Pay In Blood" ("... but not my own!").   There are other songs haunted by death.  The title track is about the Titanic, and even references James Cameron's famous movie.  And "Roll On John" is about John Lennon.  In the very Chess bluesy "Early Roman Kings" he says "I ain't afraid to make love to a bitch or a hag."

It's kind of shocking that this guy who is seventy-something, doing his thirty-something-est album, still has so much edginess to him.  But as he says in the aforementioned song, "I ain't dead yet/My bell still rings/I keep my fingers crossed/like the early Roman kings."  No doubt!

Other than the above video and one very contentious Rolling Stone cover story, he didn't promote the album too much, which is too bad.  On the other hand, it's fine and very Bob.  I guess the deal is, if you're a fan you have it already, and if you're not, it's probably not a good starting place for you.  But there's not a clunker here, the album is great from start to finish.

One other thing I have to mention: David Hildago of Los Lobos, who played on Together Through Life and Christmas In The Heart, joins Dylan again on this album.  He definitely adds a vibe to the album, and I hope Bob uses him again in the future.

BEST OF 2010 - #10 - LOS LOBOS "TIN CAN TRUST"

I've written about Los Lobos' Tin Can Trust earlier this year, urging you not to sleep on them. I hope you took my advice.  Back in the day, critics used to pay a lot of attention to Los Lobos.  In the '80s, How Will The Wolf Survive? got a lot of attention and great reviews, and in the '90s ditto for Kiko and Colossal Head. Sometimes I'm not really sure if reviews actually help a band, but with Los Lobos, I bet they did.  I know that's how I got into them.

So let me urge you to check Los Lobos out, and if you're unfamiliar, why not start with this album, it's really great.  This album makes me want to have a few beers and sit on my porch, that's the vibe they bring, but they've got some bite to them as well. One of my New Year's resolutions shall be to listen to more Los Lobos.

Check for: "Burn It Down" (featuring guest backing vocals by Susan Tedeschi), "Yo Canto," "Tin Can Trust," the instrumental "Do The Murray," "All My Bridges Burning" (co-written with Robert Hunter of The Grateful Dead) and "West L.A. Fadeaway" (a Dead cover, it's better than the original).

BEST OF '09: BOB DYLAN

Is it too early to discuss the best albums (songs, tours, events) of 2009? Hell no! There aren't too many more non-catalog releases. Plus, I'm not great at lists, but I can start talking about my favorite albums and/or songs now.

I can pretty much say that my favorite album of the year is Bob Dylan's Together Through Life (along with The Cocktail Slippers' Saint Valentine Day's Massacre, depending on my mood).

I think that Bob has been on a roll since 1997's Time Out Of Mind, one of my favorite albums by the man. That was my favorite album that year. "Love + Theft" from 2001 was my favorite that year. Modern Times from 2006 may not have been quite as good, but was in my top three that year. Together Through Life is better than Modern Times if not as good as Love + Theft. As he has done on both of those albums, Bob produced it, and doesn't have guest stars on different songs. He just put together a great band that included Mike Campbell of The Heartbreakers, David Hildago of Los Lobos and Tony Garnier of Bob's touring band, and he co-wrote the songs with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. The songwriting is simple but not simplistic and has a sly sense of humor that has infused his music over the past decade, and the band plays as a band, not a backing band. I just love it.

In the '90s, I went to see Bob in concert often, and it was always pretty great. Up until this past summer, I'd only seen him three times this decade, and all three shows were pretty disappointing. Then I went a fourth time and it was an incredible show. And that was before he reunited with guitarist Charlie Sexton, who left the band in 2002. It's amazing how vital Bob is, as he is approaching 70!

BOB DYLAN TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE LYRICS CO-WRITTEN WITH ROBERT HUNTER

I'd heard rumors that Bob Dylan had co-written the lyrics to his upcoming album, Together Through Life with Grateful Dead wordsmith Robert Hunter, and it turns out: it's true. (They've written songs before, the co-wrote "Silvio.") The great Dylan blog Isis not only confirmed that fact, they also have the credits on the album: Mike Campbell of The Heartbreakers plays guitar on the album (he has played on prior Dylan albums and also on the Bob Dylan & The Heartbreakers tour in the '80s). David Hildago of Los Lobos plays accordion and guitar, and Tony Garnier from Dylan's touring band plays bass. Dylan wrote all the music, except on one song, "My Wife's Hometown," which is credited to Dylan and Willie Dixon. I'm glad he gave Willie the credit: Led Zeppelin failed to credit him on "Whole Lotta Love," and tons of people have ripped him off. And Dylan took songwriting credit for "Someday Baby" from his last album Modern Times when it was clearly derivative of the blues classic "Trouble No More." Around that time, Suzanne Vega wrote a piece for the New York Times about Bob's "borrowing." Anyway, what I've heard of the album so far has been great, I can't wait to hear the whole thing.