Modern Times by Bob Dylan (CD, Aug-2006, Columbia USA)

On a scale of 5, I give Modern Times a 10. It's not just Dylan's voice. It's not just his never-ending tour. It's the fact that for nearly 50 years he has given all of humanity his dedication and his wisdom, so generously shared by the brain of the most prolific songwriter of all time. In his lifetime, he has lived a thousand lives. If you don't believe that, listen to any 10 of his albums: it's like listening to 10 different artists. Dylan is THE genius of all the songwriting geniuses; just read his lyrics without listening to the music (which you can do at bobdylan.com) and you'll read the most entertaining and insightful poet in history. Then add that phenomenal music--bearing in mind that Dylan alone wrote the words AND the music for all those hundreds of songs. He's written rock, country, gospel, folk, pop, and swing music songs. What other songwriter (or songwriting team) can even come close to claiming a catalog like his? Modern Times is just another precious music jewel along the way. Dylan's music will be recorded and remembered for centuries.