When Bob Dylan released his most recent album, Together Through Life, I enjoyed it. I recommended it. It’s a good album, but not as strong as his last few studio releases. The last three albums – Modern Times, Love and Theft, and Time Out of Mind – form a trilogy of modern greatness for the ever-changing musician. There’s something about Together Through Life that can fit in with those three previous records. But there’s also something that makes the album seem different. To this listener, Together Through Life is rooted in Dylan’s current style of old tyme rock, if you will, but with hints that he is altering, skewing, or becoming bored with this most recent style of his career. With the production, songwriting, and instrumentation, he was making some subtle shifts.
What does Dylan do when he wants to make a change but hasn’t fully developed what that change will be? Well, he releases an album that frustrates or confuses his fans – Self Portrait, Dylan, and most of his albums of the ’80s.
Come December, we may be able to add a Christmas album to those ranks.
That’s right, Billboard has confirmed that the iconic musician has recorded at least four songs – “Must Be Santa,” “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem” – for this festive album.
The man who announced that “The Times They Are A-Changin’” is making sure we understand that “Things Have Changed.”
Even if Dylan does release this yuletide album, it will not change my attitude towards Christmas albums. I believe Norm MacDonald summed it up best on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update some 15 years ago when he reported, “Kenny G has a Christmas album out this year. Hey, happy birthday, Jesus! Hope you like crap!”
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The world is ending. It's official.
nwb
Posted by: Nate Bowler | 21 August 2009 at 06:07 PM
At least this album will be a charity album. Guardian America is reporting the proceeds will go to Feeding America. They even have a partial picture of the cover. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/aug/27/bob-dylan-charity-christmas-album
Guardian America also says Dylan's voice may be available on GPS systems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/aug/25/bob-dylan-gps-voice
Posted by: The Wheel's Still In Spin | 27 August 2009 at 09:40 AM