Seems unlikely right? Well here is my first curve ball. No its not an early April Fools Joke. This record makes it on my list because it stood out like a soar thumb, honestly. This thumb needed attention. I was listening to the radio back in 97 while attending University. One day I’m driving around and this song comes on. I was so impressed with how it sounded. It was poignant. Think of an old man’s version of “Blood On The Tracks.” It just simply blew me away that this was Bob Dylan. What a comeback!
“Time out of Mind” is a quote from `Moby Dick’ meaning “from time immemorial” or “as long as anyone can remember.” This 1997 Grammy-winner marks something of a landmark for Dylan in its recognition of the approach of old age. Full of sad, emotional and intelligent song-writing, it marks the initiation of a mature creative period in Dylan’s life. Many people proclaim this as Dylan’s best-ever album, and from the perspective that it gets deeper into your soul with each repeated listening, they might be right.
Deeply personal and serious in tone, the album can make you weep.
`Time out of Mind’ is an album which could not have been made by a young man, and not by any product of the 21st century’s sales-and-image driven global music business. Only a master of his craft, confronting mortality and looking back on a lifetime stained with regret, could produce a masterpiece like this.
The Music Bard 