Okay, I apologize for the flippancy. I have not heard that album yet but I have heard other people said it was a remarkable piece of work, his best since, "Blood on the Tracks" at least. I am a complete Dylan fan up until "Blonde on Blonde." Then I get sporadic. Every once in a while over the years he has done some truly beautiful work, at least as good (and often better) than his first few albums which made me a fan for life. Songs like "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" or "Black Diamond Bay." or "Hurricane."

Also speaking of new releases, I understand John Prine's new album is a good one, too. One of my friends, an anti-Bush nut, said it's anti-war themes and songs were as good as anything Prine did in the 1960's. Prine's 1960's songs in that genre still hit the mark dead-on. It's funny, I got to be a fan of Prine's when I was in the USN during the Vietnam adventure. I wasn't much of a Vietnam War supporter back then (nor now) but I wasn't especially passionate about it. But Prine's lyrics and melodies were freaking works of art. Some of my buddy's back then, C&W fans and pretty conservative, were suprised to hear me listening to old-timey sounding C&W music. They were thinking Hank Snow or something ... until they listened closely to the lyrics. Many of them became fans despite the political disparity.

B