In a recent interview with AARP Magazine, Bob Dylan had an interesting take on his vast catalog of music, saying he feels songs like “Queen Jane Approximately” feel a little outdated to him these days. It’s an easy attitude to understand. Dylan’s been recording music now for over 50 years and been a something of a legend for most of them. He’s constantly reinvented his image over the years, ranging from mysterious folk singer to drugged out rocker to country crooner to born-again Christian, but he’s always been trapped by his success.
No matter what incarnation he’s appearing as, people want to hear him play “Blowing in the Wind,” “Like A Rolling Stone,” and “All Along the Watchtower.” All of which he’s played well over a thousand times, at least. Now, nearing 75, Dylan’s off onto another tangent: interpreter of the standards. He’s hardly the first rocker to go this route. Rod Stewart, once one of the hardest-singing guys in the business, now makes his money singing honey-sweet tunes from the 40s. And Neil Young went this route last year, recording a covers album so lo-fi it barely has any fidelity at all.
And Dylan himself is no stranger to covers. Over four decades ago, he released Self-Portrait, an album packed with covers of everyone from Gordon Lightfoot to Paul Simon to Copper Kettle, a folksy number popularized by Joan Baez. (See my review of 2013’s Another Self-Portrait here). So there’s plenty of precedent for an album like Shadows in the Night, at least in theory: an aging rocker, resting back on the kind of music he heard a lot growing up and, now that he’s aging, speaks to him again. But still: Shadows of the Night caught me off guard. I’ll explain.
The first thing I noticed is the voice. People have been saying Bob Dylan’s voice has been gone for years, but it’s not as rough as I thought it might’ve been. He’s obviously nowhere near as smooth as Sinatra, who also recorded all these songs, but generally his hoarseness – especially when he tries to get the high notes – works to interesting effect. The second thing was the music: it’s slow, heavy on a pedal-steel guitar and atmospheric. At one moment I’ll think “Blue Hawaii,” at another Blue Velvet. This isn’t as driving as Modern Times or Tempest. It’s spare and sparse, about as Dylan’s voice is these days. And again, it works.
Now maybe the lazy question is where this fits into his whole catalogue, or at least into his mystique. Is this a new Bob Dylan? Is he tired of bluesy rock? Has he gone from elder statesman to just an elder? It’s easy to take a brief listen and think this is a lark or maybe a sign he’s losing the plot. But I don’t think it’s really either. The music here is good, but it’s not like anything else of his you’ve probably heard – probably since you’re not as old as him.
And Shadows in the Night just drips old-time, from the bowed strings to the spare production to the twangy steel-pedal guitar that’s all over the album But the oldest-sounding thing is also something I didn’t notice right away either: the drumming, which is only occasionally there. And remember, a driving beat has been all over his music lately, from “Duquesne Whistle “ to “Thunder On the Mountain.” It’s less a statement from Bob Dylan than a commitment to the kind of music he wanted to make. Remember, old-time country didn’t use drums and they were banned at the Grand Ol Opry for a long time, And Dylan commits to an old-style presentation on this album, which sounds like something beamed out of the late 40s.
That said, it sounds good. Unlike Neil Young’s A Letter Home, this actually sounds like something recorded this century. And I think the performances are better too: the horns on “Lucky Old Sun” sound great, the light drums on “Why Try to Change Me Now” are a good touch, too.
Will you like the music? Depends on how you feel about Bob Dylan: is he a charlatan? A genius? Or something in between? I think it’s good, even if it’s a curveball. But I can see people immediately calling bullshit and writing this one off. At first, I wasn’t sure what to make, but after a couple listens it started to make sense. These are good songs, even if they’re old, and Dylan treats them with respect. He doesn’t play around with the music, changing arrangements or tempos. And it works best if you’re willing to meet him there.
Not that Bob Dylan’s going to ask. As he sings on “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.” And remember, he doesn’t give a damn about your dreams. And Shadows in the Night is maybe as clear a demonstration of those as he’s given in a long time. It doesn’t demand your attention and maybe it’s not for everyone, but those that like it will like it a lot. I sure did.
Rating: 4/5