Bob Dylan’s new album, Together Through Life, is a smash. Each of its ten songs demonstrate that Dylan is a clever and sarcastic lyricist in full command of his vocals and his top-notch band of cowboys. As with his previous release, he has sequenced the album so that a heavy/down tempo alternates with a uptempo, more whimsical number. For example, the dire “Life is Hard (without you near me)” is followed by “(Hell is) My Wife’s Hometown.”
But enough of my text.. here is a track, as made available on YouTube by a fan. It’s my fave from the album. “I Feel a Change Comin’ On.” It’s the “long” song from the record, akin to, most recently, Nettie Moore. The theme is morbid and the music is a groovy shuffle, something you might find on “New Morning” interspersed with accordion*. The music works well because Dylan and his band have perfected a unique way of breaking up the notes. They’ve been working on this new math for some years, and now it’s paying off big time.
The ‘extra’ verses inspire gratitude.
* There’s accordion on each track to varying degrees. On the stand-out track “If You Ever Go to Houston” the accordion provides the rhythm.