Bob Dylan’s profound influence on popular music in the last century is undeniable, so much so that Nobel’s Royal Swedish Academy, amidst a great deal of controversy, awarded him the world’s most prestigious prize for literature last year, marking the first time this award has ever been handed out to a recipient active in the field of popular music. Dylan’s impact on song and the lyric is unquestionable. His writing deeply affected an entire generation of his peers and beyond, changing the course of popular culture forever. And so it goes that a man who spent the better part of 50 years transforming the world with his words has now chosen to spend whatever time he has left casting light on the poetry of others through the great American songbook. Unbelievably, the last five Dylan records have included 52 covers and not one piece of original music written by the master composer himself, unthinkable just a short time ago. According to Dylan, “I don’t see myself as covering these songs in any way. They’ve been covered enough. Buried, as a matter a fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them. Lifting them out of the grave and bringing them into the light of day”. Of his latest recordings Dylan says, “I am finding these great songs to be a tremendous source of inspiration that has led me to one of my most satisfying periods in the studio. I’ve hit upon new ways to uncover and interpret these songs that are right in line with the best recordings of my own songs, and my band and I really seemed to hit our stride on every level with Triplicate”. Heralded by the record company as Dylan’s first ever triple album as well as his 38th studio album Triplicate is actually three separately themed albums ‘Til The Sun Goes Down, Devil Dolls and Comin’ Home Late all packaged together as one. Expertly backed by Tony Garnier on bass, George Receli on drums, Donnie Herron on lap-top steel along with Charlie Sexton and Dean Parks on rhythm and lead guitars, Dylan has assembled a band for the ages, rivaling every other band he has ever recorded with, including THAT one.
Rating: 8.5/10
