Mirrorball95

Really? I doubt whether you have actually 'listened' to his albums.
Now you may not get me here but what I mean is that its easy to just sit down listening to whatever album with a pessimistic pre-meditated view that his music is now crap or 'past it', but to seriously judge music I think you have to have an open mind i.e. forget about the past and concentrate on the album youre listening to alone.

Fair enough, I can accept it if you dont happen to like his music after 'Desire' as Desire is his best & he has never matched it (IMO), but that doesnt necessarily mean that all his other music is crap.
What I cannot accept is when you brand such a talented songwriter or more fittingly a great storyteller as an 'old hack' shows that you dont pay attention to the music, rather his current age; being totally irrelevant to me when it comes to the music.

When Dylan was young he was at the forefront of his era and was massively popular; at the height of his career, whatever.
But to me he had and still has a very special talent.

That talent doesn't just all of a sudden diminish once an artist reaches a certain age. Just because there not so much 'in the limelight' as such.

I think that your views on Dylan being 'past it/old hack' are very narrow minded/pessimistic based on misconceptions and unfair judgements based on his age/appearance & lengthy career (which in my opinion should be praised; not ridiculed). But your entitled to your opinion, at the end of the day..

Finally, you acknowledge that he 'can' make great music but come to the somewhat odd conclusion that he has been holding this back (i.e deliberately making supposedly 'bad' music) for the past 34 years (if you count 'Desire' as his last worthy album).
So I think your theory that he 'chooses' not to is total bull.

As for his new album, I bought it on the day it came out; also had high hopes for it after being rather let down so to speak with Neil Young's new album; & I love the album & new style he has explored throughout it & I think its one of his perhaps 'interesting' albums in a long time. The first track on the album 'Beyond Here Lies Nothin'' is fantastic & I think this album just proves that even at 66, he can still surprise people and come out with a not only good but an album with a new feel to it.

If your theory of 'just past it' or 'old hack' based on age is applicable to Dylan, then how come you give credit to Johnny Cash who is actually/or tragically was older than Dylan!!

Also you keep going on about how he didnt like Johnny Cash's comeback, is this the sole reason you disregard his music and brand him a 'old hack'??
Like I said before, that is Dylan's own personal taste, if he doesnt like Johnny Cash's comeback stuff then so what?? Why should it bother you?
It doesnt affect his music in any way shape or form!

Personally I loved Johnny Cash's American Recordings sessions & thought that Rick Rubin did a great job in bringing him back to life as such and introducing him to a whole new generation of fans, but if somebody didnt like it then fair enough.
I find this rather intriguing, 'Time Out Of Mind' (1997) is one of the few Dylan albums I own that although I have heard great things about it, I cannot yet 'get into it' as such.
There always 'comes a time' (As Neil Young once famously sang ) when

I go back over albums I couldnt get into in the past and will suddenly 'get' them and really like them.
Also Desire is my personal favourite Dylan album.

He's definitely a strange one is Dylan, but his music is still great. Also I'd urge to you to check out an album called 'Oh Mercy' (1989) which is fantastic.
Also most of his 90's output is worth checking out apart from 'Under The Red Sky' (1990) (unless you want a laugh)- I dont dislike the album as such, just would rather now listen to his other works.
In addition, for the record, 'Under The Red Sky' was actually the first Dylan album I bought!

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