Synthesizer Patel Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Bob Dylan says the quality of modern recordings is "atrocious," and even the songs on his new album sounded much better in the studio than on disc. "I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past 20 years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. Dylan, who released eight studio albums in the past two decades, returns with his first recording in five years, "Modern Times," next Tuesday. Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway." "You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static." Dylan said he does his best to fight technology, but it's a losing battle. "Even these songs probably sounded ten times better in the studio when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it." Someone's been skim reading threads again! See page 2 for details. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 Someone's been skim reading threads again! See page 2 for details. Sorry - I have been at Dr. Girlfriend's house and have not been spending the usuall 10 hours a day on the internets. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airtaco Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 If anyone is feeling extra generous today, I'd love a PM, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
imsjry Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 After hearing this I think its a good album but I just don't see it as the type of record I would listen to more than a few times. You need to give this more than a few listens. Another Dylan classic for sure. I may actually like it beter than Love and Theft. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheMaker Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Nobody who prefers this record to L&T and/or TOOM will feel that way in six months. Bet on it. The songs just aren't there. There are four tunes that give the best of L&T a run for their money, but the abundant blues re-writes, asides from their obvious toe-tapping quality, just sit there, saying nothing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BolivarBaLues Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 (edited) Nobody who prefers this record to L&T and/or TOOM will feel that way in six months. Bet on it. The songs just aren't there. There are four tunes that give the best of L&T a run for their money, but the abundant blues re-writes, asides from their obvious toe-tapping quality, just sit there, saying nothing. Thank you. It's nice to finally hear a reasoned opinion. I checked amazon.com yesterday and was amazed to see seven reviews already. I can't take any review at this point too seriously, since it's only been out for a day now. I'm perplexed by all of these people that want to declare it "top five," or "top" whatever. It's just too early to properly evaluate this recording. I mean, how many times could someone have heard it thus far, even if they've been sitting on a leaked copy for a few weeks? I'm saying let's not get ahead of ourselves here and hand out any awards just yet. I got my copy yesterday, and based on the one time that I've heard it, I'm not even ready to put it in the company of the two that preceded it. Lyrically, it seems quite good, but he's not doing anything musically that he hasn't done before, or that someone else hasn't already done. The first tune, "Thunder On The Mountain," for example, is merely a Chuck Berry reworking done Highway 61-style, and though the lyrics aren't too bad, at nearly 6 minutes it's about twice as long as it needs to be. One downside to self-producing is not having anyone around to tell you "hey Bob, let's cut that last verse out," and if your own sense of self-editing doesn't catch it, the result is what you have here with the first tune. But the major caveat to anything I or anyone else has said about this record thus far is that it's just far too early to tell. I could put together a list of great records that didn't do much for me on the first few listens, that took sometimes months to properly appreciate, as well as a list of records that on first listen I thought were world-beaters, but wound up gathering dust. So what purpose would a one-day-old review serve in any of these cases? I'm going to sit on this thing for a while before making any bold proclamations; I'll leave that to the deadline-burdened pundits. But my first impressions is that this could easily have been assembled from Love and Theft left-overs. Edited August 30, 2006 by BolivarBaLues Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 i just like the overall sound & feel of the record a bit more than L&T. there were a few songs on L&T i got bored with after 3 listens. i've listened to modern times about 10 times now & still love it. who knows what will happen after one year. i will say that working man's blues is amazing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BolivarBaLues Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 i just like the overall sound & feel of the record a bit more than L&T. there were a few songs on L&T i got bored with after 3 listens. i've listened to modern times about 10 times now & still love it. who knows what will happen after one year. i will say that working man's blues is amazing. Yeah, that song stood out to me as one of my favorites. I also liked "Nettie Moore" and "Ain't Talkin'." Those songs to me really sounded like Dylan moving forward, while the rest sounded like spinning his wheels. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 i think that's why i liked working man's the best. the rest are all great songs but sound like re-treads from the last two albums. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 I love it. Who cares if its LT revisited? It smokes. Workingman's Blues, Nettie Moore, Someday Baby? Are you kidding me? When he does what he does with his voice -- and you know what I mean -- its just unbelievable. I am in heaven right now. Listened to it twice so far. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 BolivarBaLues, do you realize you're praising TheMaker for saying:Nobody who prefers this record to L&T and/or TOOM will feel that way in six months. Bet on it. The songs just aren't there. There are four tunes that give the best of L&T a run for their money, but the abundant blues re-writes, asides from their obvious toe-tapping quality, just sit there, saying nothing....and your reason for praising him is that you're tired of people reviewing the album too quickly? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 One downside to waiting for an official release: I am stoked to talk about the new album but everyone here did that weeks ago and its old news!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 I'm in.My first listen last night to my LP copy was tarnished somewhat by having to flip sides every second or third song (damn you 180-gram vinyl!). Besides that, it was perfect music to end the day by, laying with my lady on the couch, lights dimmed, bad cheap wine spilled on the floor. Thanks for another album, Mister Z. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 I'm in.My first listen last night to my LP copy was tarnished somewhat by having to flip sides every second or third song (damn you 180-gram vinyl!). Besides that, it was perfect music to end the day by, laying with my lady on the couch, lights dimmed, bad cheap wine spilled on the floor. Thanks for another album, Mister Z. Alright - that just weirded me out a bit. That paragraph described my night last night exactly except for the LP part. The couch, the dimmed lights, the bad wine, the wife. I was floored by the experience. Nothing is as good as sitting on the couch with the lights dimmed (cant hurt the eyes if you want the ears to work) listening to Mr. Z. So many emotions listening. At one point, I got a little nostalgic and sad that I probably dont have many more chances to do this with a Mr Z release. How does he DO that with his voice? I will never understand people that dont like his voice. His voice and the emotion it conveys are as complex as any lyric he's written. His voice is just getting better and better. Damn Bob. How does he do it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Wow, that's pretty wild. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 ok, i think tomorrow after work i'm getting some bad wine & then i'm gonna sit down, shut the shades & crank up modern times. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 All the cool kids are doing it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 awesome. i wanna be cool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkstar Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Alright - that just weirded me out a bit. That paragraph described my night last night exactly except for the LP part. The couch, the dimmed lights, the bad wine, the wife. I was floored by the experience. Nothing is as good as sitting on the couch with the lights dimmed (cant hurt the eyes if you want the ears to work) listening to Mr. Z. So many emotions listening. At one point, I got a little nostalgic and sad that I probably dont have many more chances to do this with a Mr Z release. How does he DO that with his voice? I will never understand people that dont like his voice. His voice and the emotion it conveys are as complex as any lyric he's written. His voice is just getting better and better. Damn Bob. How does he do it? Your dead on with that thought about his voice...give you chills. The way he sings the chorus in workingman's blues damn.....that raspy, rattled way he does it. Fuck all the naysayers I love the album dammit...everyones a critic. Sometimes you just like stuff 'cause it makes you feel good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Sometimes you just like stuff 'cause it makes you feel good. That could be a line from a song on L&T or MT. Cool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
P Dub Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 I love the way he sings the last word of a line...like more in Someday Baby and break in When The Levee Breaks... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheMaker Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 I'm going to sit on this thing for a while before making any bold proclamations You pretty much have to with Dylan, don't you? I'm a little worried at this point, having listened to MT a good 25 times over the last couple of weeks, because the stagnant blues numbers aren't really doing anything for my head, even as they keep my toes a-tappin'. Musically, I'm really astonished by what he and his current road band managed to kick out in the studio, but the lyrics aren't giving me whiplash like L&T did from first blush. Nettie Moore and Workingman's are great, but I find most of my enjoyment of MT stems from its production and performances. I think about all the absolutely stunning lyrics that Dylan packed into L&T (Missi-friggin'-ssippi, the almost Shakesperean Moonlight, Mark Twain's Floater, the confounding but defiant Cry a While, etc., etc., etc., all of these songs that were whole universes unto themselves) are sadly missing from this album, but it has other merits that I can see myself enjoying more as I become familiar with it. To my mind right now, this is absolutely one of the old bean's slightest records, but that really doesn't say a thing about how I'll come to regard it in the future. I find Dylan albums need to be worked in like a good hat, and I don't know about other fans, but my favourites tend to change ever so slightly with each passing year I'll admit that New Morning is far from his "best" record, for instance, but when I reach for a Dylan album anymore, it's right up there in my personal top ten. It just takes me to a place where I always feel welcome, and you can't ask more of a record than that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 exactly. just because a record may not be his best (or any artist really) doesn't mean it's not one of my faves. new morning & planet waves are perfect examples of that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 as a total aside: I've been curious about all these remasters/reissues, etc., and was wondering if anyone had an opinion about any reissues of Blonde on Blonde, as the cd copy I have sounds like it was recorded in a metal barrel. poorly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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