I like your old stuff better than your new stuff. (Take 302)

A while ago I mentioned that Bob Dylan had a new album coming out called, "Together Through Life." It would be like shooting fish in a barrel to say the album is nowhere near as vital and ground breaking as his earlier works a la Blonde On Blonde, Highway 61 Revisited, Blood On The Tracks and numerous others, so I won't say that. What I will say is that, "Together Through Life" is possibly the best Dylan album I've heard in years, sure it's got a senior citizen shuffle to it, but what we find on the album is some very catchy tunes sung by a particularly - can we say - rejuvenated Dylan. I've been doing a bit of a back track through Dylan's later catalogue and I have to say that, "Together Through Life" is Dylan's best work since "Oh, Mercy," which is definitely Dylan's best studio offering for the past two decades. There is three disc version of the album which has a - one must say - kooky, disc called "Friends and Neighbours" which is a mock radio show made by Dylan which contains a bunch of country, blues, grassroots and rock offerings introduced by a Dylan channeling a late night radio DJ - it's a particularly eerie listening experience let me tell you. So whilst I wouldn't go charging out to buy Dylan's latest offering it's nice to know that the "voice of a generation" is still alive and kicking, still pissed off, still lusting and getting his heart broken.

Here's the best song from Oh Mercy, which still sends a chill up my spine every time I hear it.



And here's the most immediately likeable song from the new album.



In other news, my friend Chris Matthews - Headless Chickens founding member - is in town with his latest musical vehicle, "Robot Monkey Orchestra" and will be performing songs off the debut album called, "Map Of Love" at Cassette Number Nine on Vulcan Lane - hopefully he'll also do some of his old stuff too. Tickets are $10 on the door, so if you're looking for something to do tonight why not pop down, also playing: Charlie Ash, Bang! Bang! Eche!, DJ A.D.A.M. There's also a benefit - of sorts - gig for the late Steve Android at the Bacco Room on Saturday night, Chris will be playing, as well as Newmatics, Spelling Mistakes and the Androids, entry to this is free.