By Daniel Seth Levine
Bob Dylan has changed himself so many times, whether it's going electric, going Las Vegas, going Born-Again or going stately gentleman like in recent years, that it feels like his changes are just another part of his everyday artistic process. With "Together Through Life," Dylan makes another drastic stylistic change. Vocally, the record is similar to "Modern Times," his 2006 release, since his voice is so ravaged by rampant touring that we should be happy he still has one.
However, as soon as you slide the disc into your player, you can feel that things are different. The lyrics are simpler, and all but one song was co-written with Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. The band behind him is different, too. He dropped his two regular guitarists in favor of Heartbreaker Mike Campbell and Los Lobos member David Hidalgo, who also added the accordion, which is all over the record.
The album kick starts with "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'," the single, with Dylan proclaiming that "I love you pretty baby," and right away, the accordion assault starts! It's apparent that this album is allowing for his band to tear it loose. I love the line, "Beyond here lies nothing/nothing but mountains of the past..." Dylan's moving forward, by looking back.
"Life is Hard" starts off with this great mandolin that resonates throughout the track. It has this feeling like "Modern Times's" "Spirit on the Water." He's reminiscing about a lost love, and his vocal is nothing short of funny, especially during the verse about walking by the schoolyard.
"If You Ever Go To Houston" has a really jaunty feeling and more of Dylan going back in time, saying that he "nearly got killed during the Mexican war." The accordion is more present here than any of the beginning tracks.
The waltzy "This Dream of You." Again, this is like the crooner tracks on "Love & Theft" and "Modern Times," but his vocal is much better. The lyrics are beautiful and I love the line, "Shadows dance on the wall/Shadows that seem to know it all." On top of that, the guitar solo is beautiful.
The rolling romp "It's All Good" closes the record. While probably the worst closing track in recent memory on a Dylan album, the truth is that the fun in the melody and the lyrics tells you that Dylan was tired of ending his albums with apocalyptic tracks. "Time Out of Mind" ended with the mammoth "Highlands," which is hardly a positive story about a man with no point to life. "Love & Theft" closed with "Sugar Baby," a slow track about looking at society overall, and "Modern Times" crashed and burned with the "Desolation Row" update, "Ain't Talkin'." I think it's time for Dylan to be able to end an album on a fun track.
I think in the end, the point of "Together Through Life," is to show what Dylan can do really quickly and really fast. The record shows that after three straight, drop-dead serious albums, Dylan took the time to have a fun record with half of his touring group and two excellent guest musicians. I understand why there are a few unfavorable reviews, but is it not possible for Dylan to kick back, have fun and make an enjoyable record? Yeah, there isn't any "Blood on The Tracks" here, just old-fashioned, fun blues and rock and roll.