2 Good Things

1. The new Dylan album, Together Through Life. I've now played it twice, thought it was great the first time, and just confirmed that on the second spin. Less range in terms of song types than 'Love and Theft' and Modern Times, but totally right within the bluesy, tex-mex feel of the material. (Accordion to die for from Los Lobos's David Hildago.) Dylan has combined with the Dead's Robert Hunter on most of the lyrics and paradoxically generated his most deliberately simple, almost generic wordage in a long time. Only a genius can be this (seemingly) straightforward. And that voice!

2. The fairly new Springsteen album Working on a Dream. I ventured the opinion that it sounded over-produced after listening to it on the flight to NZ. Of course, I was wrong. It's certainly heavily produced, but it’s a sonic feast for all except unremitting puritans. There's the same Brian Wilson-ish feel that emerged on Magic on several tracks; in fact, more than on the previous album. There's the same sense that the Boss is genuinely singing in a lyrical way and singing exceptionally well. But I think lyrically Working on a Dream is an improvement on Magic and sees our hero back on top form. Tears were pricking my eyes by the time I got to Kingdom of Days and if anyone has ever received a finer tribute in song than The Last Carnival (written for the late, great Danny Federici) well I don't know who it is.

Footnote: I'm old enough to remember the days when the music press ran articles wondering who was the new Bob Dylan, featuring Bruce as such. Amazingly this was a s late as Born To Run when you'd have thought even the most obtuse of the hacks would have realised that if Springsteen was the new anything he was the new Bruce Springsteen.