Time Out Of Mind

Never listened to this album all the way through. Blew my mind!

Como lo he dicho varias veces por aquí, suelo no conectar con Bob Dylan. Pero cuando uno escucha álbumes como Time Out Of Mind, no hay cómo no reconocerle su genialidad. Puro blues sufridor para ir caminando por una carretera desierta mientras se recuerda que una vez el amor de nuestra vida estuvo junto a nosotros, pero un día decidió partir. Carajo, Dylan.

Ahead of me there are two men named Bob. I approach the older one. ~~{*}~~ If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: I don't get Bob Dylan lyrics. And chances are, frankly, that I never will. It's sure not for lack of trying on my part, believe me; I've put in the effort to try and understand just what he's going on about. Well, effort short of going and getting a literary degree. But there are times, and plenty of them at that, where it feels like that's the only way I'm going to understand just what in the hell he's blabbering about. I'm AuDHD. Like other people as lucky as me, I have a hard time understanding poetry. I'm the kind of person who needs shit explained to me. Now, I'm not dumb, of course; I **can** get meaning. Just not as easily as other people can. I mean, if I can pull just as much meaning from any random Bob Dylan song as I can the parodies by Weird Al and from the movie 'Walk Hard' ... y'know? It's such a weird little spot to find myself in. Because despite my failure to understand Dylan's lyrics, I **have** bought into the history, myth and legacy that've been built up around him. It just comes with the territory of being the kind of person who treats the 2012 Rolling Stone 500 as a definitive list. I mean, if I can buy the hype around The Beatles — and believe me, I do ... I understand, completely, what he meant to the 60's. I understand why his "finger pointin'" songs were so important. I understand how he influenced so many other artists of his generation. I understand why his turn to electric was so controversial. I get how **that** influenced a bunch of people, too. And I understand why an artist like him would have **seven album** on this list. (By pure solo albums he's tied with Neil Young and only surpassed by David Bowie, who has two more.) Whether or not you like his music, as a songwriter, he is **incredibly** important to the history of Western music. I understand all of that. I just can't make heads or tails of his actual **words**. And if you can't understand his words ... well, like with a lot of other 60's folk singer-songwriters, if you can't parse, you may as well give up and go listen to The Monkees. And I've enjoyed a lot of Monkees songs. The way I understand Bob Dylan's career is that it didn't immediately keel over once the 60's ended. Oh, sure, he seemingly tried to kill it off himself with 'Self Portrait', though it 'twas not be. I doubt he was as big in the 70's as he was in the 60's, but he managed to hang in there. Hell, he put out one of his acclaimed albums come 1975, 'Blood On The Tracks'. He couldn't have been doing **too** badly. Not until the 80's came, anyway. And I don't think I'd have look too deeply into how his 80's went to figure it probably wasn't a very good decade for him. Bob Dylan, in the MTV era? No way. And it seemed like he was done for good once 1990 rolled around and he released what could have been his final album of original material, 'Under The Red Sky'. I've never heard it, but just knowing that it starts off with a song called "Wiggle Wiggle" is not a good sign. After that, it seems he didn't put out much. Two albums of folk covers, a live album culled from 'MTV Unplugged' ... this could have been it for Dylan. He'd been the voice of a generation back in the 60's and had somehow managed to ride that out for nearly three decades. Maybe it was time for this voice to take a rest. And he did. Until 1997. And, suddenly, he's back on top. It was the biggest comeback he'd ever had and exactly the one he needed. It earned him swathes of critical acclaim, and he even beat out Radiohead and 'OK Computer' for Album Of The Year. And 28 years later, he's still going. Dylan owes his latter day career to this album. So I suppose this deep into this review it's about time I finally actually bring up my thoughts about this album. And I'll tell you, from the onset I wasn't looking forward to it. "A 71 minute Dylan album? Oh, no thank you! That's 71 minutes of poetry I can't understand! I would rather not take that long a chunk out of my life just to be confused by ol' Bobby D." Ah, but unless I wanna give up on this project over 600 albums, there was nothing I could do but rip the bandage off and actually give it a shot. So ... how 'bout it, then? What do I think of 'Time Out Of Mind'? Y'know what my favorite part about this album is? Honestly? The words. This is, bar none, the most I've ever loved the words on a Bob Dylan. And **of course** it's when they're at their simplest. This ain't no "Desolation Row" shit, where you need a bachelor's degree in the studies of Dylan to even begin to come up with a thesis, no. These are remarkably straight forward lyrics. And as a result, I am able to get **way** more into these stories he's telling. Maybe it means I'm dumb because I get these and not the songs with big words — but who cares, honestly? Let me have this. It just feels so nice to understand the **emotion** of what he's saying. It's more like I'm reading a novel than trying to decipher poetry, and I **like** that. Shout out to "Not Dark Yet" as a particular highlight. Besides that, the actual music supporting these songs is very good, too. Very bluesy, very melancholy ... it's stuff I would have enjoyed even if I hadn't understood the words, but, surprise, because I do, they both get elevated. The music supports the words, the words support the music ... is this what I've been missing this whole time? Would the endless guitar plonking on those old 60's albums actually sound better if I could parse the lyrics? Though I'd probably still heavily prefer the stuff on here. Seriously, some **good** electric blues stuff. I should bring up Dylan's voice as well. A fellow member of my group compared it to Tom Waits and his raspy growl, and I can see where it's coming from. It's like if Dyan was trying to do a Tom Waits impersonation ... but obviously, he's not. It's just thirty years of age settling on his voice. And it's not the classic kind of nasal warble we know him for, but dang if it don't work for this material. With all of these songs about heartbreak, it's only fitting that Dylan sounds as worldweary as he does. This is a man who's seen some shit in his day, let 'em you. My fellow group member brought up Tom Waits in the context of his album 'Swordfishtrombone', and that's the vibe I get here — though while Waits is up on stage singing songs for and about the people, Dylan's at the bar, telling stories to anyone who'll listen. All in all, I hardly end up noticing the fact that this album is over 70 minutes long. Even the songs that exceed seven minutes, they're gripping enough stories that the time slips away. The only song that didn't really grab me as well as it could have was the closer, "Highlands". It is, in fact, 16 and a half minutes long. It was, additionally, the longest song of his career until "Murder Most Fowl" five years ago (and it only beat "Highlands" by seconds). And, y'know, it's not like there isn't something strangely captivating about this song. There's a lot of "useless conversation" in this thing, which I've always found strangely attracted to; it's one of my favorite things to write in my free time. But after everything else on this album, this song can't help but feel less like Dylan's telling you a story and more like he's going on about how he had to buy himself a new shoe heel one time, so he took a ferry to Morganville (which is what they called Shelbyville in those days). So he tied an onion to his belt, which was the style at the time ... I mean, y'get it. In close, I am actually kind of surprised I liked this album as much as I did. After how much I struggled with his earlier albums (looking back on them in retrospect), I thought a Dylan album would never truly strike a chord with me. Heck, with how much I struggle with fokies of his ilk in general ... and yet, it turns out all I really needed from Dylan was some age, some simpler words, and some time out of mind. And there I am, happily enjoying some Dylan. It's easily my favorite album from him yet. And while I can't tell you it's made me a Dylan superfan yet ... I'm getting there.

Good ol' blues + Dylan's writing = a damn fine album. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 5. Hell, I’m actually probably higher. Hell froze over a while ago; this is a full tundra at this point. When we got Tom Waits’ “Swordfishtrombones” in March of this year, I wrote down that “some of the lyrics on the tracks feel like a sort of contemporary, mildly buzzed Bob Dylan for the 1980s”. Bob Dylan, on this album, feels like the 1980s Tom Waits of the 1990s, which is basically to say that… well, he sounds a lot like Tom Waits here, telling some stories in the same little dirty dive bar that a group member imagined when they reviewed “Swordfishtrombones”. That imagery permeated into my head throughout the album, and I think it really makes the whole thing click that much more. For 1997, this is no longer the voice of a generation writing protest songs, asking people how they feel, or writing endless amounts of vaguely confusing purple prose that felt like a novel to decipher. This is, surprisingly, the most straightforward Bob Dylan album we’ve gotten so far, helped by the fact that a lot of these are just tracks about being an older, heartbroken man sort of lamenting his mortality, his shattered relationships, the futile chase to retain them & the feelings of lost time that come with it. It’s an extremely grounded album, enhanced by Bob Dylan’s more gravely 56-year-old voice. Yes, it’s still kinda goofy, but he’s aged into a sort of old gunslinger of an artist who’s allowed to express these regrets in a way that feels very genuine. In a weird way, this is the most control I’ve heard Bob Dylan have in his voice, which is more than passable on a majority of these tracks. I hesitate to say he finally became a good singer, especially given what Adele did for “Make You Feel My Love” a decade later, but there are moments here where Bob Dylan really does sound confidently strong, and it gives the tracks an added sense of conviction. Daniel Lanois’ production work is what truly, fully makes this album work. Bob Dylan provides a great foundation, but the moodier tones of the backing band, as well as the slight filtering on Dylan’s vocals throughout the album, add the contemporary touch that’s desperately needed to make this album feel like it’s from 1997 as opposed to 1967. In the same way that “Tanto Tempo” subtly infused its extra instrumentation into a bossa nova base, Daniel Lanois adds just the right amount of light grunge / trip-hop elements into Dylan’s style, where it adds to each track in a way that captures the same emotion & conviction that Bob Dylan put into writing & singing each of these tracks. It also helps that there’s a decent variety of genres explored here, perhaps most surprisingly the reggae / blues-inspired energy of “Can’t Wait”. If there’s any one singular all-timer highlight here, it’s “Not Dark Yet”, which is one of the best-written tracks I’ve heard from any artist, ever. The sunset-driven imagery, building with past regrets & eventually culminating in this character on his death bed, felt like a man preparing for a funeral, in a way that reminded me deeply of “You Want It Darker”, with the instrumentation growing more intense in a way that felt reminiscent of Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt”. Granted, Bob Dylan is still alive, 28 years later, so that same emotional impact of his actual death is not there yet (and I hope it’s not there for a while longer), but the fact that the track feels so viscerally indicative of death is impressive all the same. If there’s a lowlight here, well… yeah, it’s “Highlands”, but only because it’s 16 minutes. I actually didn’t mind it at all though; when I was listening, my brain went back to the old dive bar imagery that permeates the album – the stream of consciousness style, while sort of undermined by the repetition in the instrumental, slowly started to come around to work for me. In a way, I’m vaguely reminded of Weird Al’s “Trapped in the Drive-Thru”, where a lot of the dialogue is sort of uselessly conversational, and yet vaguely compelling, for seemingly no reason. (I refuse to give R. Kelly any credit.) Yeah, there’s a whole aside about some waitress in Boston that Bob Dylan barely indulged in drawing a picture of, but it serves to sell the bigger point of the track: Bob Dylan just wants to be a fucking hermit, but he’s in too deep at this point as an artist, and he just has to settle for mentally living in the highlands. Could’ve gotten to the point way faster than 16 minutes, but again, the dive bar imagery in my head made the track work more fruitfully. Overall, it’s a remarkably strong album, and one that I wouldn’t possibly have expected from Bob Dylan, especially 3 decades after his most relevant period. He basically disappeared for the vast majority of the 1990s, only to come out with something that still holds up really well 28 years later. The writing is on point, his vocals have finally caught up, the production meshes perfectly, and I think the slight Tony Bennett-esque career renaissance that emerged from it was probably well deserved. Granted, I’m not sure if it’s “win the Grammy for Album of the Year over OK Computer” levels of deserved, but I’m surprised at the fact that it’s even slightly justifiable in my head. This is a damn good one, and I think it’s the best Bob Dylan album we’ve gotten, and probably the best one we’ll get. We have 3 more of these damn things to go, all from the 1960s. I can only hope at least one of them matches the quality of this one (and hopefully, that’s “Blonde On Blonde”) – to my ears, this is a 5, if not a little higher. It’s that good. Hell of a job, Bob.

Perfection.

The master at work. Like all his best work, depths you can't fathom and breadth that disappears over the horizon. No need for extremes of novelty, Bob's undersell leaves you coming back for more. 4.8 only so as to leave room for some of his even more fine works.

4.5

I did listen to this album twice once with the original mix and once with the new mix and I actually prefer the new mix in that I think it feels more truer to the Dylan sound than the original 97 mix. And with that it brings it up to five stars. The original mix for some reason always I felt a little arms length away from the feel of the album but I always recognize that it's some of Dylan's best material.If I used the original mix it would have been a high 4½ enough for it to be a five on the app anyways so I'm going to post it with the rating of the new mix 10 ★★★★★

Onr of the best albums in existence So dark, yet magnificent. 5 stars

4.5/5

This album is one of the best examples of a comeback album for an older artist I can think of. I think Dylan and Daniel Lanois do a really nice job of crafting an album that sounds modern, but doesn't fall into the trap of using a bunch of production elements that make it sound dated. Much like Tom Waits' stuff from this era, it has a timeless feeling to it that feels both fresh and old at the same time. I think the style of the album really plays to Dylan's strengths too. His voice isn't what it used to be, but in this context, it's perfect. Dylan also turns in some of his best songs too -- "Standing in the Doorway", "Cold Irons Bound", "Make You Feel My Love", "Love Sick", and "Not Dark Yet" being among the highlights. 5 stars.

I definitely have a bias when it comes to Dylan, but it’s been about 10 years since I last listened to this and I think it holds up great. It’s no surprise that his songwriting is strong but it’s quite a feat to carve out a fresh sound when you are in about 40 years into your career. He even manages to not sound very sarcastic on “Make You Feel My Love.” And props to the producer who brought you the soundtrack to Red Dead Redemption 2.

Excellent album

I've actually been putting off listening to this album for a while, I've had a lot of Dylan on this generator, and the idea of another of his double albums felt slightly overwhelming. Well I've finally got round to it, and talk about the perfect album for the perfect moment. I was absolutely blown away by this, and Standing In The Doorway might now be my favourite Dylan track. I am going to revisit this, but right now, I'm feeling an immediate 5.

A modern day master piece that really marked the beginning of Dylan’s current place as a gothic Americana artist.

Den åldrande Dylans pånyttfödelse. Daniel Lanois murriga suggestiva produktion. Dylans röst och ord skär som en kniv genom varenda låt. Det är något uråldrigt och samtida genom hela den här skivan. Inledande Love sick, magnifik. Not dark yet, Cold iron bounds, Highlands i hela sin längd. Och en av mina absoluta Dylan-favoriter Tryin to get to heaven. I’ve been all around the world, boys. Now I’m tryin’ to get to heaven before they close the door. (Jag tror att Håkan Hellström tog en rad därifrån också till Jag har varit i alla städer.)

Боб Дилан крассавчик ( бляяяяя как у него много альбомов )

Bluesy

Love the Lanois production. A top-5 Bob for me.

Brilliant. This is the devastated, gaunt, hobbled, and grizzled counterpart to Dylan's earlier work. It really feels like the inevitable conclusion to Bringing All Back Home, Highway 61, Blonde on Blonde trilogy. After the world has beaten all of the youthful exuberance and enthusiasm out of you, you get Time Out of Mind, and the older I get, the more it makes sense to me.

An absolute raw album of love, longing, and life’s deep cuts.

Just saw someone who commented saying they would punch anyone who said this was their favorite Dylan album in the dick... Well guess I'll never tell anyone then, just to be safe

A pocket of sound that is like alchemy

One of his best. 30 years after his first heyday still creating masterpieces. An atmospheric creation from New Orleans reflecting on life, loss and near death.

You could be forgiven for thinking that Bob Dylan died shortly after this album recorded. And he nearly did! Dark and bitter songs by a man who has seen too much of life. Dylan’s voice is no longer tinny like he’s known for and much more age appropriate. Good stuff.

One of the more interesting albums. It’s Dylan’s take on rock, with some blues and country/folk. Great sound and tunes though.

dans mon top 5 de Dylan

Loved this. I'm a Dylan fan but mainly for his 60s/70s output and I don't know his more 'recent' (ish) work that well. The gravelly, Tom Waits style voice suits his music very well and I love the bluesy style and production As always with Dylan though it's the writing that's the real star... just picking out a few lyrics that I loved (Tryin' To Get To Heaven) You broke a heart that loved you Now you can seal up the book and not write anymore I’ve been walking that lonesome valley Trying to get to heaven before they close the door (Not Dark Yet) I was born here and I'll die here against my will I know it looks like I'm movin', but I'm standin' still Every nerve in my body is so vacant and numb I can’t even remember what it was I came here to get away from (Make You Feel My Love) I could make you happy, make your dreams come true Nothing that I wouldn't do Go to the ends of the earth for you To make you feel my love Could've gone on easily but that'll do. It's easily 5*

own

Relistening after many years and I forgot how great it is! CLASSIC

Dark and brooding atmosphere; it feels like Dylan’s on deaths door. Love sick and Not dark yet are my favourite cuts.

1 star. 1 good song.

The rare late career resurrection - brilliant album. But I'll never understand why musicians of that generation seemed to be unsatisfied unless there was at least one blues-dirge-filler track on each album. Mr. Dylan you've got over an hour's worth of brilliance, you didn't need Dirt Road Blues. Highlights: Love Sick, Standing in the Doorway, Not Dark Yet

The rare late career resurrection - brilliant album. But I'll never understand why musicians of that generation seemed to be unsatisfied unless there was at least one blues-dirge-filler track on each album. Mr. Dylan you've got over an hour's worth of brilliance, you didn't need Dirt Road Blues. Highlights: Love Sick, Standing in the Doorway, Not Dark Yet

I really enjoyed this record and want to slot it into normal rotation.

Time Out Of Mind is Bob Dylan's thirteenth studio album, and one of his more acclaimed albums; it even won a few Grammys. It was seen as something of a "comeback" for Dylan, who had only recorded two, not as well regarded albums in the decade prior. These songs have Dylan become a wise, old man in his story telling. There's a sense of mortality to these stories, but it's not a dark picture. In the resigned sense of his songs, Dylan seems amused with place he finds himself in.

Genius

Low, slow, dark and groovy. I like it. Tom Waits vibes.

Created an incredible vibe that is consistent through the whole album. Bob showing how he can paint the most vivid pictures with his words. Great mix. Full sound with lots of space. You can feel the room they made the record in.

Great later Bob album.

Absolutely bananas that this is his 30th studio album that still has something new to say, sonically and lyrically.

Great Bob Dylan album

He can sing in this one 😅 I like the last, 16min song so much

Geweldig album, rauwe stem, goede nummers, had ik niet verwacht van een late Dylan.

The renaissance record of all renaissance records. What Time Out of Mind did for Bob’s career can never be overstated. Fortunately, it still holds up 25 years later. As he did for Oh Mercy, Daniel Lanois provides a swampy magic with his production, utilizing the exact right amount of reverb and textural coating to sonically enhance the proceedings. By all accounts, he and Dylan had an even harder time balancing their differences while making this album, but the results speak for themselves. For the most part, Time Out of Mind lives in two equally excellent worlds. In the first, we find Bob embracing the blues to a degree he hadn’t since the mid-60’s, and he embodies the spirit of the genre as well, if not better, than he ever has. “Can’t Wait”, “‘Til I Fell in Love with You”, and “Million Miles” are effortlessly groovy and engrossing, never straying far enough to call their “bluesiness” into question but never settling for complete cliché either. The opening “Love Sick” is on another level, a masterclass in dynamic intensity, and “Cold Irons Bound” offers up one of the deadliest combinations of virtuosity and sheer coolness in Bob’s entire catalog. These tracks in particular benefit from Lanois’ production and the first-rate studio musicians that contributed to these sessions (Brian Blade, Jim Keltner, Bucky Baxter, Duke Robillard, and Jim Dickinson among them). In the second world, we find Bob writing some of the most crushing meditations on life and love that he’s ever committed to tape. Whereas he approaches the bluesier numbers with a formidable growl, he deftly handles the melodies on these tracks while continuing to establish the voice he began discovering on Oh Mercy. “Not Dark Yet” and “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven” are hair-raising; even if you didn’t know about the near-death experience Bob had suffered in the year leading up to this record or the myriad of other hardships he’d faced in his life, you’d have to be heartless to not recognize and appreciate the emotional depth of these songs. “Standing in the Doorway” is proof that the man can still write as perfect a heartbreaker as anyone; on the flip-side, he proves he can still casually write a timeless love song with “Make You Feel My Love”, already a modern-day standard. The brilliance is almost unfathomable. I’m also a fan of the four tracks that didn’t make the cut: “Mississippi”, “Red River Shore”, “Dreamin’ of You”, and “Marchin’ to the City”, all available on the tremendous Tell Tale Signs Bootleg Series. Unlike Shot of Love and Infidels, however, I don’t feel as if this album suffers for not featuring these songs. The latter two are atmospherically coherent with the tracks that made the album, but given that they lyrically evolved into “Standing in the Doorway” and “‘Til I Fell in Love with You”, I’m perfectly fine valuing them as strong outtakes. The former two are both beautifully evocative, and I love them individually out of context, but I simply have a hard time imagining how they would have fit on the record. They certainly wouldn’t have made it a worse project, but overall, I’m very satisfied with the final track list. Ultimately, I think Time Out of Mind deserves all of the praise and accolades it’s received in the last two-and-a-half decades, and will rightfully be heralded as a crowning moment in Bob’s discography for the rest of time. Least favorite track: “Highlands”. It’s definitely cool; I tend to zero in on a different series of verses every time I listen to it, though I appreciate the whole journey. I also never skip it when I listen to the album as a whole, despite its length and being the final song. But it doesn’t interest me as much as many of his other epics, and I find a bit more in every other song to enjoy. Favorite track: “Cold Irons Bound”. Lyrically, my answer might be “Standing in the Doorway” or “Not Dark Yet”. This one’s no lyrical slouch, though, and as a full listening experience, it’s a top 10 Dylan track for me. A tidal wave of guitars and organs crash around David Kemper’s irresistible drum beat and an all-time bass performance from Tony Garnier; only “Most of the Time” rivals this track for coolest bass line in Dylan’s catalog. Just an absolutely phenomenal recording, one that will forever be a favorite of mine. 5/5

Bob Dylan released one of his best albums 35 years after his 1st. What. The atmosphere of this album is insane, feels like I'm in a dusty quiet bar playing cards and listening to Dylan and the band play. The lyrics are of course incredible, "You could say I was on anything, but a roll" fuckin amazing. I don't think this tops "Blood on the Tracks" for me but it's pretty close. What a legend Funny side story, my grandma knew Bob Dylan's cousins and they all said he was stuck up 😂

I <3 Bobby D

i'm sure that's the kind of music they play in heaven

5/5

These songs are spare and cold. That makes them memorable to me because this was the first Dylan album released in my lifetime that seemed to really matter. He’d released tons of music, but he was washed. This album was the start of a string of music that was relevant and felt real, important. I understand why some folks don’t like this one, but for me…this is great.

Enjoyed this far more than I'd like to admit...

5 stars

I'm surprised by how much I liked this. Although perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised, considering how much I *love* John Mayer and his moody, guitar-heavy music. 4.5/5 rounded up (-0.5 because the Garth Brooks' and Adele's versions of "Make You Feel My Love" are much better)

Never heard this album before. This album covers a variety of musical styles, but much of it reminds me of the guitar-driven funky grooves from Dylan's late 70s / early 80s period when he had Mark Knopfler on guitar. A lot of this album sounds reminiscent of early Dire Straits. The relatively straightforward lyrics match well with the music, and the production creates some nice atmosphere. Make You Feel My Love is one of the most disarming songs Dylan ever wrote, and I really like this arrangement, which focuses on his vocals. The album is accessible (except maybe the 16+ minute Highlands), emotional, and even a little playful (he seems to be sending up his own nasally vocals at multiple points in the album). This might be the best Dylan album I've ever heard. 5 stars.

"Time Out of Mind" is the 30th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was his first original material since 1990's "Under the Red Sky." Dylan wanted the sound to be influenced by early blues musicians and told producer Daniel Lanois to listen to Charly Patton, Little Walter and Little Willie John. The album was recorded at Criteria in Miami where both Dylan and Lanois brought in their own musicians, a total of 12 contributed to the album, in addition to Dylan and Lanois. The album received mostly positive reviews and for many critics, "marked an artistic comeback after Dylan appeared to struggle with his musicial identity through the 1980's." It did well commercially hitting #10 on both the US and UK charts and won the 1998 Grammy for Album of the Year. The album opens with "Lovesick." A repeating warped guitar, haunted organ in the background and feint drums....very sparse. The desolate lyrics match the music with a theme of love lost. "Standing in the Doorway" is a slow tempo ballad. Dual, layered slide guitars give this a country feel. Really, a nice melody. Dylan's raspy, tender and yearning vocals lament on the death of his happiness and more love lost. The first single, "Not Dark Yet," is another slow beat and sparse song. His vocals are once again yearning. The organ gives this song spiritual vibe. Dylan explores his own mortality. "Cold Irons Bound" is a little more of a bluesy grind with harder edged guitars and drums. A distorted organ and buried, echoing vocals. A man is struggling with his sin and pride and trying to escape his cold irons bound. The music on this album is slow, plodding, grinding, subdued, sparse but at times spiritual. Dylan and the musicians did a fine job succeeding in capturing that early blues' vibe. The vocals are rapsy and mostly longing. The lyrics, really the heart of the album, are melancholic, searching and reflective with a lots of lost love. It is a compelling listen if a long one. An excellent album.

Bob Dylan is awesome

one of his best records ;-)

Always happy to hear Dylan: the poet, the road warrior. He speaks to my heart.

Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits was one of my favourite CD’s as a teenager. I loved the older stuff, but thought the quality declined later. So seeing the date, I was dubious when I put this on to play. But this was good, I really enjoyed it, there was groove and blues. I will definitely listen again

This is quite a lot of Dylan. I mean the last track is 16 straight minutes of him "talking to myself in a monologue" fuck me those are actually lyrics in this mammoth track. Having said that, it's also fuckin Dylan. GOAT.

A personal favorite due to timely lyrics from my generation's shaper

Great album by Dylan that I've never heard.

One of the best songwriters ever. Love his music and gravelly voice. 4.5 rounding up.

Why have I not heard this before. Great album and the matured voice is a revelation.

Very nice.

This has to be up there with Dylan's finest albums and certainly his best album of the last 30 years. It's a superb amalgam of blues, country, rockabilly and jazz and the music is ideally matched to the raspy quality of Dylan's voice. The songs have a generally melancholic, twilight air about them and are generally more personal in nature than the more surreal and mystical songs of 60s Dylan. The more you listen the better the songs get

Dylan is one of my favorite songwriters. But I've liked very few of his albums or songs as a performer. Until now. This album is so good. The sound so intimate, like you're right in the room with the band. It's probably a dark bar that serves fried foods and cheap drinks, in a small Midwestern lake town. Most everyone feels a little cynical yet nostalgic tonight, winter is in the air.

That's easy -> great artist, great album, great performance

Look, I’m a Bob fanatic, but I do try to keep some perspective. Before this album was released, I hadn’t really enjoyed one of his albums since 1989’s Oh Mercy, also produced by Daniel Lanois. I thought Bob had lost the plot with Slow Train Coming (1979 - an album I now love). I didn’t like any of the 6 albums he released in the 80’s between those 2. And I didn’t like any of the 3 albums he released in the 90’s before this one. As for his live performances, I found his versions of his classic songs harder to listen to on each tour he made here. He’s admitted that before Time Out Of Mind he’d lost his way. The album was immediately lauded on release. As for his live performances, I finally realised that he was always gonna mangle the classics, but what was left of his voice always sounded fine when he was singing a song that he’d recorded with the same voice. And so, his live performances of songs from this album have always entertained me. And it helps when he writes crackers like these - Love Sick (the live version that came with the bonus CD on my copy is better than the studio version); Standing In The Doorway & Million Miles are heartbreakers; Cold Irons Bound is just a great track; Make You Feel My Love has become a standard (although I’d rather listen to Adele’s version); Highlands is epic; but Not Dark Yet has always been my favourite, and the older I get, the more it moves me. And I haven’t even mentioned the quality of the songwriting or the band. He hasn’t done an album anywhere near as good as this since.

I loved every second of this album. It was like listening to music with my dad again. It's beautiful and soulful and just makes everything feel familiar somehow.

Thunder wonder plunder. The man is a poet! I never appreciated Dylan until recently. His voicing of social and political issues transcend generations and will keep his legacy alive for generations to come.

I own a copy, I bought it right after the album came out, I felt very strongly then that this was a great record. It's probably the only studio Dylan record that I listen to with some regularity. Giving it another listen now just reinforces that opinion, it's a great record.

Every track on this album is top notch Dylan

All time great; should be good

Gold ol’ Bob Dylan.

Just brilliant. Bob drags is through his influences with a bleeding heart and a voice that fits perfectly. There's something about the delayed delivery of the lines on Can't Wait that makes me laugh.

Song thoughts: Love Sick - smooth rhythms paired with Bob's ragged voice Dirt Road Blues - a classic folk western song. The electric guitar sounds great on this song. Standing in the Doorway - smooth soft rock paired with Bob's signature voice. Million Miles - love the blues sound to the song, Bob knows how to make music. Tryin' to Get to Heaven - Bob's unique voice is on display in this soft rock song. 'Til I Fell in Love with You - the instruments all work together perfectly. An easy song to just groove to. Not Dark Yet - another song where everything works together. Cold Irons Bound - love the bass line and intro. I can see this song playing over a scene where someone walks into a busy saloon. Make You Feel My Love - this is a classic song, if you haven't listened to Adele's version you should go and do that. This is another excellent version. Can't Wait - this song is funky and just makes you want to sway. Highlands - not many songs can be this long and not feel like a drag. This was an incredible album. Each song sounds unique while fitting the theme of the album. The instruments are always on point to blend with Bob's unique voice. I will definitely be coming back to this one!

One of the more important albums in my life. A return to form for the Master. Tight, snazzy sound. Lyrics contemplating one’s mortality. Dylan puts out one of his best all time albums at age 56.

This album is incredible

Cool

Love this album so so much

The best album of 1997. Yes, it's better than OK Computer.

I’m biased, but I love this album. It’s kinda wild to think that this album is 25 years old and that when Bob finished this album, the sixties were 25 years behind him. This is, by some measures, middle period Dylan. This album shows that behind his inscrutable poetry there is a man who feels sadness, humility, anger, and love. I would never introduce anyone to Dylan with this album, but it 100% deserves all the praise it gets. I know this review is already long, but I just have to shout out “Make You Feel My Love” as one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.

Another incredible Dylan album. It’s most comparable to Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker in terms of theme, but Dylan made it 25 years ago. Of course the lyrics are perfect, and Dylan’s voice maturation is so interesting, and it has excellent instrumentation. Just an all-around great album.

Stunning. I’d never visited Dylan’s work outside of the main albums and was suitably impressed. Excellent delivery and swampy blues lines. Very good.

Let's say you're having a barbeque at your house with a bunch of people. The weather is beautiful, everyone's been day drinking and having a great time but as it gets later in the day people gradually begin to head home until the sun's gone down and only a few friends remain. These friends are the real ones and maybe one of them rolls a joint or packs a pipe and conversation gets deep, not necessarily super-serious but one of those good deep conversations that make you smile. This is the album you put on for that occasion.

An album that took real time to settle and work its magic. On a cold wet day, travelling home in the car after a hard week away, terrible tail backs, a long journey ahead. On that day it connected and since then I have always admired this collection of songs. I have to be in the mood, you don't choose this album to be background music it needs attention. The production is a little "murky" the pace "pedestrian" but my word its an emotional ride. I got married to Make You Feel My Love, admittedly it was Adele's version cause the wife-to-be preferred it. But the words were perfect. A classic album by Dylan, and I think an essential record for any collection.

grande mestre

Yes please, give me more of these albums. I enjoy them very much.

That was incredible.

Dope

Excellent album with beautiful tracks. Not sure it would have been on thid list were it not Bob Dylan, but it's Dylan.

Amazing album. You’d be quick to write off Dylan at his age here with his gravelly voice but that only adds to this album’s rough and rowdy ways!

Excellent

“I’ve been to Sugar Town, I shook the sugar down, now I’m trying to get to heaven before they close the door.”

I love Bob Dylan now! Almost cried at some songs!

For Dylan to wander his way through most of the 70s trying figure out who he was only to come back with this album feels like Jesus emerging from 40 days in the desert and being tempted by the devil. It is dark, brooding and gritty. It’s almost as if he somehow knew that he would almost die shortly after this album was recorded. My only complaint is some of the overly echoey vocal effects. Other than that, this album ranks among Dylan’s very best and that is about the highest compliment I can give it.

Yo, I'm here for this. *vibes*

Some of his best writing on this one.

Guys we had a very good week in The Becca Records Club! I’m about to give my 5th 5-star rating here, but that’s not the point. The point is, I am a nut for late-period Bob Dylan. I’ve never listened to this, though I’ve heard it mentioned frequently. I’ve listened to 1989’s Oh Mercy (also produced by Lanois) and 2020’s Rough and Rowdy Ways many times, both of which I love. I find that Bob Dylan is a songwriter, and more importantly a singer, who only got better with age. It's not evidenced on all, but many of these later albums, and especially Time Out of Mind, which is just so stunningly beautiful. His voice sounds like leather and he manages to say so much more with so much less than he used to in the 60s and 70s. He masters the power of silence, of sometimes not saying anything at all and letting the music speak for itself. Musically, he isn’t afraid to get weird and challenge himself later in life too. Playing with different bands and session player. Introducing new genres and instruments, and not just introducing them, but inviting them in and allowing his own writings, voice, and tone to grow around them. You never listen to a Bob Dylan album and feel like he’s wearing someone else’s shoes. No, Bob Dylan always sounds true to himself, but he isn’t afraid to explore all the many shades of that self. And not just explore, but communicate what he’s found or seen with all of us. The lyrical content is as dark, haunting, and profound as any Dylan album I can think of. It’s up there with Blood on the Tracks. And for me, maybe even stands a little taller because of the age and experience he brings to this record. Sonically too, it has such dynamic range. It’s some of the best-sounding music I’ve ever come across, in terms of pure audiophilia. And hats off to Daniel Lanois for his production work here. I can get lost in these songs, his voice, forever. It’s like swimming in the greatest sea of all time. And he just keeps giving. He’s truly the greatest songwriter we have. And that talent, almost 40 years into his career, is on full display in Time Out of Mind. “Make You Feel My Love” is the only moment I can see feeling a bit off. Especially as it’s been covered and grown in the popular conscious after the release of this album. But as one reviewer put it, “In context, “Make You Feel My Love” is not a romantic bauble; it is an ironclad threat in a velvet glove, one final attempt to force love from the listener at any cost. “ And I couldn’t agree more. I think this “ballad” is one of the more tormented moments on the album and in many ways is its centerpiece. But my two favorites songs ares “Standing in the Doorway” and “Not Dark Yet.”

Awesome album.

I even liked it on spotify

Dylan has a brush with death again and decamps to the woods to write this album. He comes back pissed off. The sound of an angry aging man finding his muse again. Love it. Even Adele couldn't ruin his songs. Best Tracks: Love Sick; Not Dark Yet; Cold Irons Bound

This is not in my collection, but is now on the must-have list. Dylan at his most love sick, with a couple classic cuts, including Trying to get to Heaven, and Not Dark Yet

Beautifully rendered songs, atmospheric and bluesy. Dylan's vocal may have aged a little, but it suits the subject matter of these songs perfectly. His delivery is spot on, his songwriting dark, mournful and heart rending. This album is a total mood, but I enjoyed it immensely. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Tryin' to Get to Heaven, Not Dark Yet, Million Miles, Standing in the Doorway, Dirt Road Blues, Cold Irons Bound, Highlands, 'Til I Fell in Love with You, Love Sick, Make You Feel My Love, Can't Wait

The only song I didn’t like was the cover of Make you Feel My Love. Nothing to maudlin, loved the country folky rhythmic vibe. 4.5 album, rounding up because this is some Dylan I can get behind!

OWN A NEW REISSUE Love this album. Such a step up over previous Dylan albums and sparked his renaissance. Production-wise sounds like radio transmitted from space. Muddy, distant, reverby. Lots of instruments in the murk. In that way kinda reminds me of Basement Tapes, in that maybe you won't catch everything unless you listen closely. So many good songs: Love Sick, Million Miles, Til I Fell in love with You, Highlands, etc. Maybe one or two middling old man Dylan tracks, as these late ones are expected to have. Top tier

Classic Dylan!

One thing listeners tend to learn about Bob Dylan is to never count him out. When he seems to be at his lowest ebb creatively, to the point of no return, he would come back with something so potent, so pure, so reaffirming that it would seem ridiculous to have ever doubted him. On Time Out of Mind, Bob (with the help of Daniel Lanois) once more turns all perceptions upside down and begins keeping up with a wave that hasn't subsided since, offering a continuation of the ever mystifying path taking that makes Bob Dylan well... you know. One of the more intriguing, interesting yet under the radar comebacks in music history.

Baladas de Dylan. Vinilo.

A masterpiece from the GOAT.

Never a huge Dylan fan,liked his music and lyrics.Don’t know how I missed this album absolutely loved it right up my musical alley..bluesy and great lyrics…a keeper

Magnificent output from Bob once again. He's just such an impressive artist, growing and changing with the times but also steadfast with his outstanding poetry and storytelling. It's what we love and expect from him. And it's his 30th studio album! He's a prolific artist who continues to create without ever becoming dull or irrelevant; instead he's only gotten better and better at his craft as the time passes. Unlike some of his contemporaries *cough* rolling stones *cough cough* who still write embarrassingly immature songs well into their twilight years. This is a deep, brooding, introspective masterpiece.

Baladas de Dylan. Vinilo.

A fun listen

Legalzinho

Classic songs are good

njegov glas je ko rastopljena čokolada s 85% kakaa-obožavan!

Opet ću se vratit ovom albumu! Divno… Više mi se sviđa ovaj stari glas. “They tell me everything is going to be all right, but I dont know what all right even means” Make you feel my love i Not dark yet najbolje

Good album

Felt a bit like my first Dylan, easy listening and great stuff

Might be my favorite Dylan album. I especially like Highlands.

what is it about him? no one knows

This record has spent a bit of Time Out of Mind. I loved it when it came out and listened to it endlessly for a while. I enjoyed spending time with it all day today. It has been added to my regular playlists.

Its not dark yet

I've heard this album plenty of times and I always really enjoy it. It's dark and brooding. Love Sick, Not Dark Yet, and Highlands are all great.

This has got the strange whiff of an instant classic for my ear!!! Hidden gem in the back catalogue!

Before listening I wondered why this was on the list - Dylan's 30th studio album, well beyond his "prime." But I really appreciated the songwriting and heard greatness in it. Classic Dylan storytelling, and notewotlethy as a return to form after a long dry spell. You can hear him grappling with his age, and he sounds so old. Remarkable to realize that he is still releasing vital material now, more than 20 years after this album was released.

Superb. What a comeback

I have a feeling I might relate to this album one day, for better or worse. Love the storytelling

great album all around, every song is distinct and enjoyable, lyrics are beautiful.

Found a live version which was really enjoyable. Bob dylan is truly a grand master. Soul and passion in every song, thoughts and politics behind every word

Unc still has it

Well Bob finally broke me. I mean after so many albums, and because I have the multiple projects, many of them twice already, I was sure I would never, ever appreciate Bob. Funny, he does a call out to Neil Young on this album, the other singer songwriter from that generation that I truly can’t stand. So, imagine my surprise when he hooked me on the first track. And then I realized this was released in 97. I believe I was dragged (kicking and screaming) to a concert on this tour. I was told, “come on, it’s BOB. DYLAN.” I think I replied, “only if YOU are buying the tickets. AND bringing drugs.” So here I am almost 30 years later and… well Bob had me. Even with his rambling stories and musings on life from an empty restaurant. Damn him. 4 Boolean: True. Can’t deny the Bob

4/5. Bob Dylan’s careers was one of many ups and downs. His 60’s output made him the “voice of a generation” then he basically sabotaged his own image with the over-hated 1970 album “Self Portrait” before having an aimless early 70’s. Then he was suddenly back in peak shape in the mid 70’s with “Blood on the Tracks” and “Desire.” Then he plummeted off a cliff with his weirdly horny Christian era and an awful 1980’s albums (except for Oh Mercy which is a pretty good record.) then most of the 90’s ranged from mediocre to bad. But then came “Time out of Mind” in 1997 which saw Dylan reunite with producer Daniel Lanois, producing what was easily his best album since the 70’s, and in my opinion his final truly great album. This album always makes me feel like I should be in a dingy dive-bar, listening to a man who’s destroyed his life by chain-smoking sing the blues. It’s among his darkest lyrically, and Lanois’ production gives it a very unique feel. Whether that be the guitar hits of “Love Sick” or the organs on my personal favorite track “cold irons bound”. There is also the 16 minute long beast of a closer “Highlands” and though it isn’t quite on the level of other long Dylan cuts like “Sad eyed lady of the lowlands” it’s still a good song. Maybe not the first Dylan record I’d recommend someone, but a pretty great late-era album from him.

I actually enjoyed this album a lot, I loved the instruments in Standing in the Doorway and Not Dark Yet. Favorite: Standing in the Doorway

I like what he’s doing here, the songwriting is truly something different (doesn’t hold a candle to Cameron winter of course)

Standing in the doorway was such a beautiful song!! Not dark yet was a heavy powerful song. I also had no idea Bob was the first to release make you feel my love. Knowing that now made me like this album even more.

Good to relisten. Bob is back to form

Dylan vs. Lanois...Dylan wins, becomes New Dylan.

Прочитав большое количество отзывов, не могу понять негатив в сторону этого альбома. Понятно что он не культовый, не самый лучший, но мне кажется он слишком недооценен. Хороший инструментал, приятная атмосфера и хорошие тексты. Я считаю альбом достойным

8- / 10

Time Out of Mind is the first Bob Dylan album I’ve listened to, and I’m surprised it didn’t bore me—I actually really liked it! At times, it reminded me of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and soundtracks like Peaky Blinders. I’m a big fan of melancholic and vulnerable music, and this album really resonated with me.solide 4

01) Love Sick - 8,0 02) Dirt Road Blues - 7,5 03) Standing in the Doorway - 8,0 04) Million Miles - 7,5 05) Tryin' to Get to Heaven - 8,5 06) Til I Fell in Love with You - 7,5 07) Not Dark Yet - 8,0 08) Cold Irons Bound - 8,0 09) Make You Feel My Love - 9,0 10) Can't Wait - 7,5 11) Highlands - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,86 (79/100)

typical Dylan

I loved this waaaaaay more than I thought I would- good day time listening with Nico (weather also was perfect which helps)

I only fell in love with Bob Dylan a couple of years ago, but it has been an intensely passionate love affair that is showing no signs of chilling out. I am entirely unfamiliar with 90s Dylan and his voice is baffling. Still some solid lines though - standing in the doorway is great. Million miles is slinky. Tryin to get to heaven - yes please. Til I fell in love with you - slinky and silly. Not dark yet is beautiful. WOAH I DID NOT KNOW HE WROTE TO MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE? Has Bob acknowledged Adele. I have to know. There are some lazy lyrics in this album but I enjoyed myself nonetheless - they are only lazy in comparison to Bob Dylan, and that feels unfair, because there’s no-one else you could reasonably compare his lyrics to.

Out of the ashes of what can only be described as a rough time, Dylan rises from a decade and a half of trying to find his footing. With a slinky, almost Lizard King-esque confidence, Time Out of Mind serves up a river delta blues treat of a record. Dylan sounds craggy and wiser than ever, with a soundstage provided by the sparse production giving his voice plenty of room to fill. There's a handful of tracks I could've done without, but Time Out of Mind is proof you should never count Dylan out for the count.

Tuesday, 2 June, 2026 Resurgence for Dylan. Some amazing songs on this record.

Not being the biggest Dylan fan or a fan of the "white man blues" shtick, this one really surprised me. In many ways, I like it more than some of his earlier, more heralded albums. The songs are more straightforward lyrically and are mostly about aging and/or losing someone or something. I especially loved "Trying to Get To Heaven," "Not Dark Yet," and "Make You Feel My Love," all aching and lovely songs. But even the more repetitive, bluesy songs like "Love Sick" and "Cold Irons Bound" worked for me as they cast a spell and the production by Daniel Lanois is spot on. This is a great later career album from a dude who knows what works, how to stay in that groove, and milk it for all it's worth.

I really like the dark and mournful atmosphere and tempo of the album. The more upbeat bluesy tunes feel a little out of place and are less interesting. Particularly enjoyed Not Dark Yet and Love Sick. I think will be a real grower.

Rating: 5.0/5 Short Review: Weathered, haunted, and deeply human. This sounds like a man standing at the edge of life looking backward, forward, and into the darkness all at once. Not young Dylan. Not protest Dylan. Mortal Dylan. Favorite Track: “Not Dark Yet” One of the greatest songs ever written about aging and exhaustion.

I haven’t hated or disliked any Bob Dylan albums so far. In fact when I showed my list to somebody at one point their biggest gripe was that I gave a lot of his albums 3s (which I my defense is a good review IMO, anything lower than 3 means I didn’t like it or hated it. 3-5 is how much I liked it). Regardless, I never realized that what I would’ve wanted from him was basically just rock music. This is the closest I’ve heard him get to like traditional rock music and believe me it’s not truly rock, but rock adjacent. But I really loved the instrumentals and his vocals are like this sweet spot of grizzled and whiney where it just works perfectly. I know his later career is not as critically acclaimed but this album made me super super interested in the entirety of his career. Great album.

This is the first Bob Dylan album I actually like. I kinda admire him, and I really do have great respect for his work and all, but I just can't stand his voice. Not on this album, though, so it gets 4 stars from me.

Bob Dylan – Time Out of Mind (1997) Through the record and its incredibly deep lyrics, you can clearly understand that Bob Dylan was completely reinventing his sound. It is a deep project—like sick deep—proving his songwriting ability was right there like it had never left. Off a first listen, this is a strong 4/5. I really liked the deep emotional weight of "Standing in the Doorway," alongside other standouts like "Love Sick," "Dirt Road Blues," and "Cold Irons Bound." Hearing "Make You Feel My Love" was great, especially knowing its powerful lyrics from Adele's version, and "Highlands" is just an incredible closer to wrap up the journey.

Very atmospheric. Great voice. Lots of great information on Wikipedia about each individual song, helps to put things in perspective.

honestly like it a lot more than some Dylan, got an interesting and very different vibe to what I think of when I imagine him. much rock-ier but still with his voice and lyrics

Eating more and more Dylan humble pie as I go through the list - this was great, I really enjoyed it on the plane home

Rather surprisingly I quite enjoyed this. It’s too long of course, and a bit rambling at times. But there’s some pretty decent stuff on here for Dylan

muy buen álbummm. Bob Dylan es crackkk, lo supe antes de empezar a escuchar.

The voice is a bit jarring to start with but you get used to that. Not a classic but still he rekindles some of the old magic

I prefer rock but it was a great album, calm, accounting. You can see the talent of the real folk king in action ! Love the solo guitar

I enjoyed this album overall, there are some songs that were just ok, but some solid and very enjoyable.

Crazy to think that this was seen as Bob facing his own mortality when it’s now 30 years old and Dylan is still going and going strong. This album really brought him back to relevance and he has been riding the wave ever since. The best tracks here are amongst Dylan very best- Not Dark Yet, Standing in the doorway and Trying to get to Heaven. It’s long, languid and meandering but I think the production is excellent. I have no idea what Dylan’s problem is with it.

I don’t like it as much as Highway 61, but it’s still good.

Fínasta endurkomuplata hjá Dylan. Make you feel my love ótrúlega fallegt lag.

Nice, bluesy and solid recording

If you Can’t Wait to listen to this, just do it. Even if you have to travel a Million Miles.

Bob Dylan, at least later in his career, definitely pivoted towards a more traditional American-folk style rather than pioneering. He's still an excellent song-writer, but some of the creativity from his earlier projects is gone.

I own this album but have never really given it the time it deserves. In truth this is a real highlight of Bob's later years. Daniel Lanois production brings a complimentary ambient air. 'Love Sick', Standing In The Doorway' and the epic closer 'Highlands' are peak Dylan. And it gave Adele a number one song.

I love Bob Dylan. This is not my favourite album but it's still good, and was his return, so that probably warrants a place on this list. Some later albums were better IMO. This album definitely has the Daniel Lanois sound, it doesn't bother me but the later remix does sound a bit more Dylan-esque.

me gusto

Fine Bob Dylan rules whatever. Wanted to be indifferent to this but not dark yet is like one of the best songs I’ve ever heard so whatever. Thank god the last two songs sucked shit and were so goddamn long so I didn’t run a 5. Lyrically amazing, hit or miss songs.

4.3

I’m so used to hearing young Dylan it took me a minute to get used to older Dylan here. I liked this, it often felt easier on the ears than some of his older stuff I love.

3.73

Time Out of Mind isn’t my favourite Dylan album, and it’s hard to see it ever topping classics like Blood on the Tracks, Blonde on Blonde, or Highway 61 Revisited. That said, it’s still a really strong listen. The album starts brilliantly. “Love Sick,” “Dirt Road Blues,” and “Standing in the Doorway” set the tone perfectly and pull you in straight away. As the album goes on though, you do start to feel its length. At 11 tracks and over 70 minutes, it drifts a little, and the lack of variation makes it feel repetitive towards the back end. One of the standout elements for me is Dylan’s voice. The gravelly, worn delivery suits the mood of the album perfectly and adds real weight to the songs. Lyrically, it’s excellent. There’s a consistent thread of cynicism, anger, and longing running throughout, and it all feels very authentic. Favourite tracks: “Love Sick,” “Trying to Get to Heaven,” with my standout being the beautiful “Make You Feel My Love” Least favourite tracks: Nothing bad, but a few tracks in the second half blend together. “Highlands” in particular feels far too long and drags on. Album artwork: Classic Dylan. Simple, understated, and very fitting for the tone of the record.

A solid 4, for a solid album. Except the few first songs, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and was really please with the bluesy vibe

If anyone ever tries to use Time Out Of Mind as evidence that Dylan still had it in the '90s, swiftly remind them that a lot of the success of this album had to do with the fact that he, very much, did not have it. There was a 20+ year slump before this album, and then Dylan kind of has been coasting ever since it came out. It was basically a miracle that Time Out Of Mind is as great as it is. But, deep down, I am glad that Dylan got a really significant late career statement in. It seems fitting that he would find one more blaze of glory in the world of songwriting. This is basically a winding collection of blues-based songs that capture some of Dylan's original magic, and combine it with some elder statesman pathos. The full picture isn't my favorite Dylan album, in fact I'd venture to say it's hardly anyone's favorite Dylan album, but it is thoroughly enjoyable, and of sufficient enough songwriting depth to make things work out. A lot of these songs are really great, Dirt Road Blues, Can't Wait, Million Miles and more are genuinely great Dylan songs. And, he even gets a chance to experiment a little here. Love Sick and Cold Irons Bound both (miraculously) manage to successfully incorporate a reggae feel, and I actually think that they end up as some of the most interesting moments here. And I also feel the need to mention the incredible, sprawling Highlands. His longest song at the time, Highlands' world slowly sprawls and deepens in the enticing, atmospheric way that Dylan's very best songs do. This is probably *still* the best Dylan song since 1975. Unfortunately, I do have a couple of complaints though. It goes without saying that I haven't fully connected with all the songs here, but that's barely a complaint. A more real complaint I have is with Dylan's vocals. When I first put this on, I figured that he had just grown gravely and raspy in his old age. Then, upon looking it up, I realized that he was just in his mid-50s here, which struck me as odd, he sounds like he's pushing 70 here. *Then*, I listened to a little of his much more recent stuff, and I noticed that he was just singing in a much more regular way. So, then it hit me, this album's insane, Tom Waits rasp is just a put on. And it largely sounds fine here, in the context of these dusty, sprawling songs. But knowing the extent to which it *is* put on is definitely distracting, to say the least. Ultimately, Time Out Of Mind is still the best Dylan album released since 1975, there are some great songs, great lyrics, and it just feels like his heart's in it here. Some bizarre vocal decisions aside, Time Out Of Mind serves as an incredible epilogue for Dylan's best era, and it's celebrated for good reason.

Absolutely love Bob Dylan and love his full band stuff. When he gets bluesy, it’s some solid stuff.

A Dylan album I’m almost completely unfamiliar with. Sludgy but still pretty great.

Absolutely fantastic. Maybe the best iteration of Dylan's voice. Older, more whiskey soaked. But what really, really shines on this album is the band that he's playing with. They groove the entire time and it's fantastic.

An amazing album form a person some considered washed at the time of this release. Not only did it change that opinion, I’d consider this a top ten Dylan album of all time. That’s saying a lot.

A wonderful album! Poignant, poetic lyrics accompanied by smooth, easy listening music. A real gem.

I liked it. A good amount. Some of the songs and therefore the album itself kind of dragged on. Especially the final song on the album. Went on for a little too long and was rather repetitive. But overall I did enjoy it.

A great, modern album from Dylan, with still his signature style and voice. Highlights: "Standing in the Doorway", "Not Dark Yet", and "Make You Feel My Love"

I’m not sure how I feel about it honestly… one moment I’m like “this is my favourite Dylan album”, other times I’m just like eh. But it’s a nice change regardless. Also I have gotten 3 Dylan albums in 16 songs what is this randomiser doing lol

Was unfamiliar with this album but enjoy Dylan..I think there are better albums but understand possibly how this made the list much like Elvis from Memphis a demonstration of his talent as he was becoming less relevant . I listened to this album twice and I like it will be played again …

Started out grating on my nerves but about halfway through his vocals seemed to improve and I ended up liking it!

High hopes, everything I’ve heard from Dylan I’ve like. Highway 61 is a goat album. Can’t believe he was still releasing albums in 97. You can tell he’s old but it adds some charm. Love sick is so well written. The background track is very simple but the vocal rhythms work. Dirt road blues is classic Dylan. Love the guitar solo. Standing is too slow for me. His voice just doesn’t work as well on slow songs. Not terrible just not peak Dylan. Guitar riff is really good, song is growing on me as it goes on. Million miles 🔥🔥🔥. The lyrics again are just so good. Trying to get to heaven is pretty forgettable. Cool harmonica solo tho. TIL I fell in love with you would hit in any generation. I’m loving how this album has a clear theme. Piano is so good on fell in love. Every song so far has at least one great element. Not dark yet is really good. Emotional but not necessarily a super slow song. Great lyrics as always. He just keeps spitting. Cold irons bound is just another great song. Great piano again on make you feel my love. Another really emotional song. Can’t wait is interesting because it’s a very 90s sound. Great writing again. Really cool organ. And as he does, an absolute banger 10+ min ballad to close it out. The fact that this album is 30 years older than his best and still almost just as good is incredible. I get the Bob Dylan hype. Wonderful album. 4.3 stars.

4.1/5

I’m so glad Dylan made this album so that the narrative of a formerly good, washed up old singer songwriter didn’t become the way he was thought of. This album started showing he could release good music even as an older man. Now, I understand if someone thinks this album is a little slow. It is, but when you’re in the right mindset for it, the songs hit hard. Case in point is Highlands. It drags on forever…but! When you’re in the right mindset it could keep on going and you’d be grateful. The story about the waitress makes me so happy, even though it’s quite slow and someone might say it doesn’t lead to a conclusion. But it’s also what makes Dylan so great.

Swampy, dark, moody. Easily a highlight of Dylan's late period.

Had never been much of a Dylan fan but this speaks to me and gives me more of a depth of understanding of how he is a voice and songwriter of a generation.

Good album. Perhaps my favorite of his actually. It's overlong but I might actually like his singing for once. The songs are all a good vibe. 3.5/5

i already passed the moment of caring about dylan’s voice. like it or not, it’s whatever. the man can write. he’s in that group of musicians who pull off only their tracks, and this album? goddamn. from this i only knew track 9, “make you feel my love.” simply one of the best things i’ve heard lyrically. but listening to the whole thing now, i see how it fits. it’s still a beautiful track, but it’s not alone up there, it belongs to the body of work. this album is hauntingly effortless cool. slightly dirty like a desert, but very contemplative, like driving at 2 am. “standing in the doorway” is pure chill, that contemplative vibe i’m talking about, almost 8 minutes of yarning and sadness. and i don’t believe i’m saying this, but it’s very cowboy outlaw type of album. funny enough, the whole album embodies that persona: the dusty atmosphere, the lyrical imagery, an old man who’s seen too much but still standing. dylan knows his limits. he’s perfect for his genre, for his lyrics, for his music, but in a very objective way he couldn’t pull more challenging vocal songs. he knows it, so he rests doing his thing. that honesty? i respect it. his pronunciation too is fucking cool, “my eeeeeyes begin to bleeeed.” he works with what he has and makes it hit. and the lyrics… goddamn, man. as a non‑english native i pay a lot of attention to it; this dude almost made me cry a couple of times. it’s not just clever, it cuts. like: “Well, I don’t dare close my eyes and I don’t dare wink / Maybe in the next life I’ll be able to hear myself think” only problem is that 16‑minute track at the end. didn’t get why. but fine. also lyrically the dude carries a cynical vibe, not a huge fan of that usually, but here it works with the whole dusty, 2am thing.

3.5⭐️/5 02.27.2026

Sensación muy casera y original, relajante, sencillo de procesar, sólo es cuestión de dejarse guiar por el ritmo y contemplar los detalles de las melodías. Sería si no es que es un excelente LP, las canciones no hacen un brusco contraste entre sí, siendo más llevadera su escucha y por lo que es complicado resaltar alguna canción que destaque agresivamente sobre el resto.

For his 41st album...this is pretty impressive

I said that I had to eventually rate a Bob Dylan album lower than five stars but...which one....draws the short straw....is it Time Out of Mind??? It shouldn't...it's so good...it's the transition piece to the back half of Dylan's career, his awesome twelve-bar blues phase. Every time I listen to it, I appreciate it more and more. It's so smoky and ruminative, an entire album of Brownsville Girls. I really love it. It took me a little bit to come around on it. When I was first hitting the big Dylan albums about a decade ago, this one did fall sort of flat for me. It's not going to make any converts I don't think but I wanted to listen to it again right after finishing it. Split the difference and relistened to Tempest instead which is like if he had fifteen more years to chew on Time Out of Mind. Damn, Bob's so awesome.

I love you bobby

This is hard because as a bob dylan album it’s a 4 but as a blues album it’s a 3 I will be nice today

Loved this, which I didn't expect to. I've never listened to Dylan because of his voice, but this was really good. Blues and Rock and ballads, and his voice actually didn't bother me, but fit with the music. I'll probably listen to this again.

The writing never reaches Bob's Nobel standard and the melodies all seem a bit familiar, but it's Dylan and like his 30th album. Far be it from me to give it less than a 4.

Sehr sehr gut, da haut Dylan in den späten 90ern in Zusammenarbeit mit dem talentierten Daniel Lanois noch ein Karrierehighlight raus. Die Atmosphäre des Albums ist so stark, es ist sehr stimmig produziert und am Ende des Tages passt Dylans zerschossene Stimme eigentlich ganz gut dazu. Auf Apple Music steht bei der Beschreibung des Albums unter anderem: As the decade entered its second half, Dylan found himself holed up in his native Minnesota, writing reams of heartsick lyrics as the winter pounded outside. Months later, he rendezvoused in a New York City hotel with Daniel Lanois, the imaginative producer who had helmed the sessions for 1989’s strong Oh Mercy. Dylan read him lyrics, handed him a stack of old blues records he loved, and told him that he loved Beck, too. Might they do something with all of that? Yes, Lanois said, and set off to work. Schön!

I'm not a big Dylan fan, but this album was WAY better than I expected. While a lot sounds the same, the vibe through the whole album is just amazing. An hour and 12 that flew by. Good album

Suorastaan Tom Waitsmaista menoa! Tykkään kyllä.

When I got this album in 1997, I thought to myself "Bob Dylan is old, his prime was 30 years ago". Talk about takes that aged like milk. I guess that's exactly the kind of thing a teenager would think... Anyway, was I wrong. First of all, Dylan was only in his fifties at the time of this release. Not old. Second of all, this happens to be one of my favorite Dylan albums that I've heard. It's introspective, has great story telling, creates amazing imagery... all the things that Dylan is so beloved for. The songwriting is on point, the music is classic Dylan with a touch modernity; without overdoing it. This was a great experience.

That was unexpectedly awesome. Don't get me wrong I enjoy me some Dylan, but putting this on as I lay down in bed to read was just perfect.

Impressive to release an album like this 30 years past your peak. Older, slower, and probably wiser. Very understated instrumentation that I feel is quite complex the more you focus on it One of these days I'll go through his discography front to back like I did the beatles. He's only released 40 albums so shouldn't take too long

gooooodddddd

I generally don't care for Bob Dylan but I enjoyed this album.

Bob Dylan does “light” blues. Very good album. His gravelly, non-melodic delivery really works with these songs.

Having heard love and theft which comes right after this I’m wondering if this is the final Dylan album where his voice is listenable. The production and the band sounded phenomenal and I do think they excited his vision of modern sounding old timely blues. “Highlands” sounds like it could have been stream of consciousness lyrics but I love the way the guitarists interweave with each other.

3.5

I somehow missed rating this. Surprisingly good late career Dylan.

Icon. But, not my fave album of his.

Heck of a blues album. Bob hasn’t ever been able to sing, but his music writing and poetry are unmatched. His prowess on the guitar shines through each track. That all said, there w not a ton of variance from one song to the next, which I find causes albums to feel bland, which is why I’m knocking of a point.

Really good

Vocally not very strong but that is made up by excellent songwriting. 4/5

It’s odd that this album seems to be influenced by people like Tom Waits and Nick Cave, who were themselves almost certainly influenced by Dylan. I like the darker, moody ballads here, but less so the noisy blues stompers.

This isn't Dylan in his prime but it was still a fine listen and I enjoyed it. I could come back to this. 3.75/5

This was a surprise for me. Bob Dylan isn’t always my favorite and I thought anything from him in the 90’s would suck. This was a nice bluesy kind of album. His voice is shot but it works in the context

Good album; nice, chill listen

I remember the excitement around Time Out of Mind when it came out in 1997. The consensus was that it was a return to form for Dylan. Listening to it almost thirty years later, that could be true. I'm just not familiar enough with Dylan's output in the '80s and '90s to know. What I can say is that this record is dark and warm. The writing is fantastic. The songs lean more into a singer-songwriter vein than straight folk music here. They are personal and emotional. Dylan still has his signature nasal whine, but his voice is more inviting here. The one complaint I have about this record is that, at an hour and fifteen minutes, it is far too long. The last track, Highlands, is a sixteen-minute lyrical vamp. Bob Dylan is probably the greatest American songwriter, and he pulls it off. But no matter how impressed I was with the song, I don't have much desire to listen to it again. Time Out of Mind might be easy to ignore because it is low-key and somber, but it is ultimately a collection of excellent songs. Four stars.

With at least 40 albums under his belt, I can say I’m not familiar with all of them and this falls into this category. Gave it the obligatory listen this exercise requires and I like it. No one can write lyrics like Mr. Zimmerman.

I liked the bluesy ones

Excellent! And—by far—the best album Dylan had recorded in 20 years (and unmatched since). His vocal delivery is gravelly and interesting. His vocals pair incredibly well with Daniel Lanois’ production. It’s a shame that Dylan himself didn’t realize just how the sound on Time Out of Mind suited him at this point…. Anyway, “Love Sick” is a helluva song, one of Dylan’s all-time best. If I could, I’d give the album 4.5 stars.

I like this album a lot. It's definitely too long - I admit - but the style of it is perfect. Proper seedy old man in a basement bar growling about the past sound. It also disproves the idea that late Dylan doesn't belong with the early stuff. 'Not Dark Yet' and 'Make you Feel My Love' should be in the conversation for every best of collection.

What’s this, a Bob Dylan album that doesn’t feature harmonica and is actually decent? I didn’t think this existed. 4/5

Damn, Punished Dylan

Not my favourite Dylan record. Some very good tracka on this all the same.

You could make the argument that latter-day Bob Dylan kind of runs together, and that's fair. But this is one of those albums that earns its "best since Blood on the Tracks" accolades that always follow Dylan these years. The production by Daniel Lanois is both atmospheric and lean, with lots of shifting moods and texture as a backdrop to Dylan's caterwauling. (I mean it in a nice way.) It's got a couple of genuine classic songs, in "Not Dark Yet" and "Make You Feel My Love," but the other tracks also feed into the mood of the whole thing. This is not going to change music like Dylan's genuine classics did, but I'm not sure that's a fair expectation anyway. It's still very good.

I like this more electric, bluesy side of Dylan. A groovy album, if a bit long.

I recall thinking that Bob Dylan was very old when this album came out. That was 28 years ago and he seems like he was young when Time Out of Mind came out. I can usually go without Dylan's 10+ minute compositions. It's not that I think they are bad but my attention span isn't long enough to consistently hear one of the longer songs. Overall, this isn't an album on par with Dylan's 60's and 70's output (though what is on par with that?) but it's a great "comeback" album and the songs are really strong. I normally disapprove of too many albums by a single artist being in this book, but Time Out of Mind is an important album because it is the beginning of Dylan's late period, and the music doesn't replicate a sound already represented from Dylan in this book. Some of my favorite songs were: Love Sick Standing in the Doorway Tryin' to Get to Heaven 'Til I Fell in Love with You Not Dark Yet To Make You Feel My Love Can't Wait

This is another example of an artist's obvious genius on display. I even could appreciate the songs that skewed country and were out of my personal wheelhouse. I expect big things from this Dylan fellow.

Enjoyed this one more than I expected for a late career Dylan album. First time around I didn't think much of it, but second time I listened in the car at dusk, and it went down very nicely

Every time Dylan comes up I am scared and every time I actually do it I am pleasantly surprised. Maybe he is just good. A few edits needed but this is mostly a good time

There was a huge buzz around this album when it first was released, and I played it a fair amount back then. It's been a while since I revisited it, and while it still holds up, there’s something about it that keeps me from returning to it often. I think people were hoping for classic Dylan—then and now—but that particular magic just isn’t there anymore, sadly.

Good album.

I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. Maybe I am embracing my middle age. Some great lyrics nice grooves. I will probably listen again.

Good Sunday afternoon album, very folky rather than rock, with some borderline blues. If I came across this as a cheap vinyl, I would definitely grab it

After a mostly forgettable 80s and 90s, Dylan comes back with a respectable outing. Admittedly, I've never bothered with the intervening albums between Desire and this one but their reputation tells me not to bother. Maybe one day.

I love Bob Dylan, glad for this one to fall over the weeknd

It’s the 90s. The word on the street is Bob’s washed. His poetry is sloppy, his heart’s weary, and soul nonexistent. Is he going to be able to put out a good album in his twilight years? Hell yeah he can. Bob “got ice water in my veins” Dylan 🥶

The late resurgent comeback began here!

Think this may be my favorite Dylan album. Great sound, understandable and melodic. L

I never like the oldhead albums as much as I feel like other people do. This was pretty good but doesn’t really compare to older Dylan stuff

First track was really cool

Great old Bob.

I liked this a lot in my younger years. Mostly holds up but too much slow blues drag. Standing in the doorway spoke a lot to my heartsore self in my twenties though, and the arrangements/production are nice and dark and mysterious. He was only in his 50s I think, which felt ancient at the time, but he's still doing it! Voice has perhaps even mildly improved?

I'm in Boston town, in some restaurant I got no idea what I want Well, maybe I do but I′m just really not sure Waitress comes over Nobody in the place but me and her Well, it must be a holiday, there's nobody around She studies me closely as I sit down She got a pretty face and long white shiny legs I say, ("Tell me what I want") She say, ("You probably want hard boiled eggs") I said, ("that′s right, bring me some") ~Bob Dylan, The Highlands, 1997 Bob Dylan…the voice of a generation…. Kidding aside, this is a nice mature Dylan album. It has everything I would expect from him over the last 30 years. Chill, relaxed and gritty with tales to be told and revelations to be had. My favorite lyric comes from “Trying To Get To Heaven” I’ve been walking through the middle of nowhere Trying to get to heaven before they close the door 1997 Dylan was so much older then….he’s younger than that now… (sorry) 4 stars for the stories that are told.

As a Dylan album, this is probably a 3 or 4. If I had to pick my favourite 20 or 30 Dylan songs, I don't think a single one of these would be on there. They are good songs, but they don't come close to some of his earlier works. A few of the songs (Standing in the Doorway, I'm looking at you) are just a little slow and tiresome to really be enjoyed. However. As an album, an album made in the wide open playing field of all the popular music ever made by humanity, this is absolutely phenomenally brilliant. Not Dark Yet, Make You Feel My Love, and Dirt Road Blues are all standout tracks. Highlands and Cold Irons Bound are also worth a mention. These are songs which are both beautifully written, performed and produced, but more importantly actually make you feel something deep inside you. So that's the trouble with this system. What do I rate this? How do I give nuance? Maybe this review will just have to be a written record of the dilemma I faced.

I can say I have seen Bob Dylan play live, one month before the release of Time Out Of Mind. Kansas City used to host a free concert festival called Spirit Fest which Dylan played in August, 1997. I went with my cousin Mary. We did not arrive in time to scope out a place to camp out. So we just wandered through the crowd for a few songs. Then we rode carnival rides. While I heard of Bob Dylan growing up, I never really heard Dylan until I got to college. This included The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde, and Nashville Skyline. Blood On The Tracks was on heavy rotation in my CD player during an ill-advised summer in Tucson, Arizona. Needless to say, Dylan holds a special place in my favorite artist pantheon. However, the older Dylan got, the more uneven his output became. By the time he released Time Out of Mind, he was dead and buried multiple times. He was also 56 years old. I am sorry, but 56 year old artists do not release vital music. Time Out Of Mind may have been classified as a return to form. But I saw it as a work by an artist with a sure-handed command of the musical vernacular. I own this CD and listened to it a lot at the time. Though, I have not revisited it since. Time Out Of Mind is fine + 1 for nostalgia.

7/10

The Good: Dylan… The Bad: Not 60-70s Dylan The Ugly: Not understanding the title… time out, out of mind, time? Why not just all it Bob Cooder… I see plenty of comments about putting on this album while sipping a glass of hootch, late at night, when there’s nothing else left to say… Could be correct… Yet, it’s not midnight, and I am not ready for a glass of hootch… Should I give this album 4* so that I can remind myself to play it at some point in the future?

better than his earlier albums

It's nice to get a slightly more recent Bob Dylan offering in this project from amongst the (too) generous number of his earlier albums, and even nicer to get a collaboration with him and Daniel Lanois on production, as I really like Daniel Lanois' work as both artist and producer. (I'm sorry, though, that Dylan didn't end up liking the sound of the album, as I feel Lanois' influence helped him a lot.) The album starts off great with "Love sick", and I enjoyed a few others on the too-long album, mainly "Standing in the doorway", "Tryin' to get to heaven" and the very Lanois-sounding "Not dark yet". (Also funny to hear Dylan sing the often-covered "Make you feel my love", which I'll admit I associate more with Adele.) I'm not sure if it was the Lanois-influenced sound of the album or what exactly (or maybe the extended discussion in the Wikipedia entry about creative differences between Dylan and Lanois), but I think this was the first Dylan album that made me realize that the music itself seems almost incidental to Dylan; the lyrics seem to be the start and end of the process for him. He's very good at this (as his Nobel Prize amply shows), but I think it's part of why I don't particularly gravitate towards him.

Dag, dude was in a bad place when this album started. Dirt Road Blues is a good antidote, but then he gets right back into it with Standing in the Doorway. I don't even want to know what was going on. Not his best but halfway through it's getting there.

Gear: Dunu SA6 Artwork: 🐟👁️📸 Productio): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🧠📝✅ Rating: 🕰️🕰️🕰️(🕰️)/5

Don’t really like his gravelly voice, but it’s still Bob Dylan.

Out of all the Dylan albums I’ve checked out so far on this list, "Time Out of Mind" has been the most fun to listen to. I’m still not crazy about his voice, but I’ve got to admit this one feels like the peak of his career to me. It’s got a bluesy vibe that stands out from everything else I’ve heard from him.

Classic Dylan. Hard to believe this came out in 1997.

Favorite Track: Not Dark Yet

4.6

Dylan fans were desperate for another classic in his repertoire and this is it for the most part. With Lanois back behind the board, Dylan delivers his most meaningful set of tunes in years, thanks to an incident that made him think about his mortal condition

A surprisingly great and heartfelt album from the master of folk songwriting made in the 90s.

Pretty great, and I usually don't care for Bob Dylan

Amazing comeback album from Dylan. Possibly a couple tracks too long, but the quality of the better ones makes up for it! Such a shame Dylan doesn't let others produce his albums anymore. 4 Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes 12/1001, 12/48 (25%) Will I get? Already have!

Pretty good for his 90s work.

After the first track, I thought this might be a 2/5 album. "Standing in the Doorway" really won me around. One thing that's worth noting is that Bob Dylan is really gifted at writing songs of an epic length and holding the listener's attention throughout. It's barely noticeable that "Highlands" is over 16 minutes long.

I usually hate everything that Dylan did after mid 70s. Surprisingly I didn't hate this album. I think it's probably because compared to Dylan's earlier work this album is shit. But if we compare it to other albums on this list I think it's a solid 4 or even more.

a breath of fresh air after some baaaaad 90s albums from bob

scale: 1 - instaskip, 2-meh can be skipped/reaches point to skip, 3 -nothing wrong/easy listen/not seeking out, 4 - would listen to again, 5 - must listen Love sick-5 Dirt road blues-6, radio new vegas lost this one. Standing in the doorway-5 Million miles- 3 Tryin to get to heaven- 4 Till I fell in love with you- 4 Not dark yet- 5 Cold irons bound- 5 Make you feel my love-3 Can’t wait- 3 Highlands- 3 Wanted to do 5 since there are some magical songs in here, but I can’t get with some so 4/5.

scale: 1 - skipping if heard it again/actually skipped it 2- meh can be skipped/reaches point to skip 3 -nothing wrong/easy listen/not seeking out 4 - would listen to again 5 - must listen Love Sick - 4 Dirt Road Blues - 3.5 some of the most benign lyrics that still somehow make me smile Standing in the Doorway - 3.5 saves the best instrumentation for the end Million Miles - 2.5 Tryin' to Get to Heaven - 3 'Til I Fell in Love with You - 3.5 Not Dark Yet - 5 Cold Irons Bound - 4 Make You Feel My Love - 5 Can't Wait - 3 Highlands - 5 - average length bob dylan song

Amazing album!

My first impression was that this was alright, something that I wouldn't turn off but also wouldn't go out of my way to play. Then the last four tracks started playing, what would have been the second vinyl disc. I can understand why they weren't released on their own, but they were incredible, from Cold Irons Bound to Highlands. I'd say 4.5 stars... 4 or even a high-3 based on the first seven songs, and 5 for the last four.

Never was much of a Dylan head, and apart from some classic albums as "Blonde on Blonde", "Desire" and "Blood on the tracks" never bothered to listen to his later work either. But this album got me by surprise, it's pretty good! I love the bluesy and swampy sound, the work of Daniel Lanois, which accompanies Dylan's aging voice well. His gravelly, world-weary tone perfectly matches the album's themes of mortality, love lost, and spiritual searching. Songs like "Not Dark Yet", "Standing in the Doorway" and (the by now classic cover song) "Make You feel my Love" are my personal favourites. As far for the lyrics, Dylan still had the craft! Got my whiskey out and gave it a relisten at night. Did only appreciated it more. 4/5

The older he gets, I understand what he’s doing even less. A couple real bangers here though.

I've never managed to love Dylan, even though I can recognise the genius I fall down a bit on the albums. This was great though, which probably puts me in the world of the sort of person Dylan fans would hate. It's a good set of songs. Lyrically not quite the highs you would expect from Dylan.

Dylan has always played different styles and songs. This is another example, went to see him perform in about 2005 and he had already moved on from this album.

A great late career Dylan album.

So far, up to this point, the only Dylan material I’ve heard has been from his 60s and 70s albums. He stays true to his folk blues roots, but what really drew me in was the humid, murky, and hazy atmosphere. Producer Daniel Lanois gave the album a spacious, echo heavy, and moody soundscape that perfectly aligns with Dylan’s gravelly, ragged voice. Although it’s deeply rooted in the past, the production keeps it relevant for its time, giving it a moody character that reminds me of Lucinda Williams and early Wilco. In many ways, it even feels ahead of its time, considering that over the next few decades a wave of atmospheric Americana albums would emerge from the indie folk scene.

Sounds like a man grappling with his own mortality. These songs are beautiful. Hard to compare this album to Dylan's earlier work as it doesnt speak in the same way. Its still raw and real but in polished, refined and deliberate in a way. Musically it does something different and there are so many lovely ballads. Moody. Reverby. Meditative. Trying to Get to Heaven is beautiful. There are a few moments where, if you're not actively listening in the moment to the lyrics, you might get a bit bored, but not too many. Favourite track - Love Sick or Standing in the Doorway. 8/10

Maybe feeling generous this week but this was an enjoyable listen - particularly for a genre and singing style I don’t normally care for. Scoring to promote me coming back. 4/5

Fav: Make You Feel My Love Least Fav: Can’t Wait For 1997, this is impressive stuff. Usually I assume that 50s/60s artists fade out of relevance by the 90s but not Bob, he was still kicking

It’s great to see how Dylan evolved in the 90s - it’s still him, but with a fresh angle. Enjoyed this album!

Fantastic album! A return to form after several years of sub par albums. Dylan reminds me of Miles Davis in his penchant for changing his musical approach and, in so doing, moving music into new and exciting directions. Or some such bullshit.

It was only yesterday that I had The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan and today I get The Grapplin' With His Mortality Bob Dylan. That might have worked in Time Out of Mind’s favour - hearing how much his voice has aged made it more poignant. And he still managed to knock out another standard with Make You Feel My Love. It makes you glad that the grizzled, contrary old git cheated death and went on to tour for another 28 years and counting.

mysterious

3.8 2x good but not mind blowing. Listened at SFO on was to ATL

Bob Dylan, Revisited. And not revisited for the first time… Dylan visited and revisited himself over the decades, always after something deeper and different than mere acclaim. Dylan’s 30th studio album shows that he ages well, still crafting quality music without trying to grasp at former glory. It’s raw, bluesy, atmospheric, and occasionally arrests you with a particular lyric or reflection. “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven” and “Not Dark Yet” are mature reflections on life’s end game. And yet, Dylan was just beginning…again.

Solid, didn't feel like it dragged on too long - which I was genuinely worried about, given my love-hate relationship with Dylan's voice.

Strong album from Dylan, apparently reviving his career in the late 90s. Most of the time I even liked his singing (unlike a lot of songs where he sounds like a parody of himself). A few exceptions - drop the twang in Tryin' to Get to Heaven, Bob (fun fact - David Bowie recorded a nice version of this song, released posthumously - listening to Bowie growling "Tryin' to get to heaven, before they close the door" is much more powerful than Dylan's twang). A lot of the album is basic blues, but he takes it to the next level through his lyrics and, yes, even his singing. The band is top notch and Daniel Lanois' production is outstanding. Every article I read says that Dylan didn't feel comfortable with the production style and self-produced from then on out. I wonder what happened behind the scenes. Maybe it's as simple as Dylan prefers to be his own boss. No idea. Probably the biggest disappointment is the most covered song on the album: Make You Feel My Love (made huge by Adele - and according to secondhandsongs.com it's his most covered song, period). It ends up being another one of those "Dylan wrote it but others did it better" songs. He doesn't even sound as good on this song compared to other tracks on the album, yet his singing on a lot of other tracks suggests it could have been great on its own (compare to a song like Most of the Time from 1989 - another powerful emotional song, but Dylan sounds great on it). There's just no explaining why sometimes Dylan sounds good versus bad. Finally, Highlands is stupid long, but at least it's a good vibe. I would definitely revisit this album. Favorite tracks: Love Sick, Standing in the Doorway (great vibe, poignant lyrics), Million Miles (a great example of how he makes a basic blues track sound amazing), Not Dark Yet (very powerful, beautiful track), Cold Irons Bound (catchy groove).

I'm no Dylan expert, but I enjoyed this, and I was pleased to learn that this is considered to be one of his best albums. The dude can write songs. I do usually recognize Daniel Lanois' influence when I hear it, though, and to me that is always a good thing.

Such a great album and one of the few I own by Dylan. Listening to it after all of this time it seems a bit slighter than I remember, but it's still solid.

was on the fence a bit but it’s at least a 3.6

Am I a Bob Dylan fan? He was never someone I sought out (knew a few of the big songs) but I've now listened to three Dylan albums (with this being my third), and enjoyed them all. Favorites: Dirt Road Blues, Standing in the Doorway, Not Dark Yet, Make You Feel My Love Would I listen to it again: Yes

Listened in October 2022. I'm not quite as big as some on Bob's late 90s period, so I wouldn't even put this in my top 10 Dylan records, but it's got some lovely tracks on it.