While Dylan's use of a dusty open-E tuning on the acoustic numbers tends to make those songs sound very similar, this album serves as a strong and surprisingly diverse comeback album for Mr. Dylan in the middle of a decade in which he hadn't released new music for awhile. It's not a perfect record; the back-to-back tracks 6 and 7 don't really fit in with the rest of the bunch. If those were removed, the album would better cohere and never feel overlong. For the most part on this record, Dylan's lyrics turn inward to discuss his difficult dealings with his lady. His tumbledown voice quite effectively evokes the appropriate emotions. Favorite tracks: 'You're A Big Girl Now' and 'Idiot Wind' 4/5