Bob Dylan — Together Through Life

Together Through Life

Columbia/Sony

David McPherson (CHARTattack)

05/07/2009 11:41am

The times they may change, but some singers keep singing the same old song. That's not the case for 67-year-old Bob Dylan.

The veteran songwriter once again reinvents himself with mixed results on his 33rd studio album. Together Through Life finds Dylan ruminating on life once he reaches the great gig in the sky. The bulk of the tracks were co-written with Jerry Garcia's old song-crafting partner, Robert Hunter.

The 10-song collection has a bluesy, Texas feel thanks to his studio band that includes Mike Campbell (Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers) and the Texarkana stylings and rhythmic playing of Los Lobos member David Hidalgo's accordion. The jaunty "If You Ever Go To Houston" is one of the best tracks.

While Dylan's lyrics are less memorable and feel lazy at times, the record's instrumentation turns what might have been a mediocre disc into one of Dylan's better efforts in recent years. While Dylan's voice continues to wane — at times he sounds like a grumpy old man — the fine instrumentation saves this record and makes it worth repeated listens.

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