The unpredictable result of a studio session

Nowadays, it is hard not to know the name of Bob Dylan, even if your computer play list has none of his songs. This singer-songwriter, actor and artist was given the Pulitzer’s prize absolutely deservedly for his piercing compositions. In 60s, Dylan became one of the prolific artists, who openly told about the human rights. Later, he started exploring the philosophic messages of our being, which also was demonstrated in the creativity of this outstanding musician. Actually, one can write about Dylan’s achievements endlessly, but one thing is clear – this man still continues to write and astonish the listeners with his works. Some time ago, Dylan gathered in a studio his command, with which he perfectly performed during the numerous tours, in order to record only one composition for the soundtrack to Oliver Dahan’s new film My Own Love Song. Thus they recorded Life Is Hard. However, the work did not stop at that moment – vice versa, it only got its start, as it all resulted on a full-length, titled Together Through Life. This disc is the thirty-third long-play by the artist. During this notable session, Dylan also collaborated with David Hidalgo from Los Lobos and Mike Campbell from Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. The first one provided the accordion for the record, while the second artist decorated the disc with mandolin – and both of them accompanied Dylan on their guitars.

The vintage folk rock in all its glory

Which is obvious on the Together Through Life disc from its first chords, is the stylish tint of time. It gives a strong impression that the disc was recorded not in modern times, but many years ago. The accordion and mandolins along with philosophic texts make an amazing atmosphere of the good old times. Such songs, as the bluesy My Wife’s Home Town and the tender ballad Life Is Hard, which was the initial point of this entire album, could be performed by the folk-rockers of the past in some saloon of a cowboy town near the Mexican border. The disc opens with the blues-influenced energetic composition Beyond Here Lies Nothin, in which we can appreciate the concord of the musical collective, gathered by Dylan. The track If You Ever Go To Houston lets us enjoy the harsh vocals by Dylan and accordion play. It is one of the most memorable compositions on Together Through Life to some extend. The poppy rock tune Jolene features the catchy electro-guitar motif and strong lyrics. The song This Dream Of You is the only one on the disc, entirely written by Dylan himself, and it is his songwriting triumph, undoubtedly. The Spanish-like melody of this song is decorated with the passionate violin. The rock composition Shake Shake Mama, placed close to the end of the disc, will refresh the listeners with the witty jokes and a charge of energy. The album closes with two tracks, I Feel A Change Comin On and It's All Good, which manage to be powerful and delicate at the same time.

Together Through Life: a spontaneous and jolly album

It may seem unbelievable, but the famous philosopher and skeptic Bob Dylan, who will be sixty-eight soon, suddenly decided to show us his joyful and fun-loving side. The disc Together Through Life is filled with jokes and broad hints on the fact that everything is going to be all right. The song It's All Good can be a vivid example. After a thoughtful, sometimes absolutely pessimistic long-play Modern Times, the new attempt by Bob Dylan, packed by romantics and hope, really gives us a strong faith in the happy end of our lives. As usually, Dylan was almost prophetic and undoubtedly wise to record an album like Together Through Life, as he made it when the US and other developed countries have hard times. He rightfully decided that there would be time enough to moan about the sins of humanity and transience of life – but right now, it is much more important to sooth the listeners. Besides, Together Through Life acquired astonishing lightness and spontaneity of the work, from which it resulted – one can easily feel the creative input and inspiration in each track on the disc. The sound of Together Through Life also features the charming “rawness”, which is usually characteristic of indie genre. But it is more important, that this imperfection of sound witnesses the fact that the album was recorded in one touch and became the desired prodigy of the artist. It will be half a century soon from the start of Bob Dylan’s career, and Together Through Life is a perfect proof that the singer will pass this Rubicon with pride and a wish to present us with many other wonderful long-plays.

Ninelle Kazakoff
06.05.2009