this is sad. he's basically sleep talking. do you have any idea about what the song "i feel a change coming on" for example is about?

This man writes such crap, whether it is about Bob Dylan or anything. Writes to provoke. Sad, sad man. Anything to get noticed. Have you read his reviews of Indian classical music? Pretends to be an expert on flute and sitar and all things Indian. What does he know? He drops some Indian words in his reports and claims to be an Indian expert!!! What a sad jerk. Who are you trying to impress Michael?

Mr. Field is a brilliant journalist and, unusually, one with a conscience. This was a music review and is by its very nature a subjective beast. Grow up you all, accept that opinions differ and stop attacking the man.

I agree, it's dreary stuff. I was a huge Dylan fan throughout the 60s and 70s but lost him after that. I bought the three aclaimed albums of recent years hoping they'd be everything the reviewers said they would be, but they weren't..they were dull and pedestrian. There is so much wonderful music in the world right now, but sadly Bob ain't it.

thanks....

You listen to the album a few times...you'll find it is brilliant; the blood of the land is in his voice, dry humour & brilliance. Sounds as though you come from the 'all good' generation, he sums you up nicely with his last song.

Looks as though I’m going to wear out a few copies of this album like I did with 'time out of mind'

There's a difference between a negative review and a bad review - and this is the later.

Dylan left behind the protest thing about three years into his recording career, so why would you expect this album over forty years later to "lead us to the barricades?" The few attempts he's made at protest song since then are the pub favourite "Hurricane" and the godawful "Joey" - seems just as well he's left that behind.

This albums continues in the vein he has been developing since the early nineties pair of trad. covers albums that put him back on track for the amazing run he's had since Time Out of Mind.

You've basically preemptively written into the review (with some ridiculous language choices) that anyone that disagrees with you is a mad blind Bobhead. But I don't think anyone would (or should) agree that Dylan is infallible - there was some terrible stuff from the late seventies to the early nineties (and that's longer than most popular music careers), and he can still fall very flat in concert (while at other times he can be transcendent). On the other hand, Together Through Life is a very good (not great, and certainly not groundbreaking) album. You wouldn't expect it to be groundbreaking, as his goal seems to be synthesising the grand traditions of American music. So perhaps, sounding "like some old coot sitting around in a retirement home with a whole bunch of other elderly souls knocking out some tunes," could in fact be considered praise?!

The reviews of your review have given you a bad review

agree that field's review was what was poor, rather than the dylan album. i have been a follower of dylan from the start, from before "freewheelin", and i think some of dylan's later work in late 80s and 90s("oh mercy", "time out of mind"), are equal to what he wrote in the 60s. his later songs may not have the social or political messages, but they more than compensate by his musings on life itself. there is more to life than trendy protest songs.

HA! HA! HA! Hurrah for Dylan, he can still ruffel a few feathers...God love him! Dylan is Dylan...he has always known who he is and is a free spirit...thats I guess intimidating for some, but ignorant comments only define the one speaking....I remember being at a concert when Dylan did electric guiter and there were those who could only complain, it just wasn't the Dylan they wanted him to be...I could only think, 'Cool, he can do that too.' So step back Jack, Dylan does not need to care what we think as long as he is being true to himself.....and isn't that the best any of us can do anyway? I tip my sunhat to him and say, "Keep on singing your tunes and playing your gee-tar!!