Bob Dylan fans suggest Modern Times is ‘lesser version’ of earlier album in his career

Fans of the 2006 album Modern Times have suggested the Bob Dylan album is a “lesser version” of one of his earlier records.

The “hot take” was shared to the r/BobDylan subreddit, where a user believed the album had more in common with a previous album than first thought. Writing of the “commonality” between Modern Times and Love and Theft, Dylan’s previous album, the user suggested this overlap was one of the best examples of similarities between two releases from the legendary songwriter. They wrote: “I’m new to Modern Times, and really enjoying my first listen. Does anyone else feel that the album shares a ton of DNA with Love and Theft? There’s an argument to be made that these two albums have more commonality (arrangements, tone, thematically, etc.) than any consecutive releases in Bob’s career.”

Users have since suggested the two albums are certainly musically linked, though Modern Times is “less interesting” than the 2001 release from Dylan. One user wrote: “I think it’s definitely linked musically to Love and Theft. Lyrically, I think it’s not as playful as Love and Theft. The tone is sarcastic in places. And outright murderous in others (Ain’t Talkin’).

“I think the rhythm and blues tracks are less musically interesting to listen to than those on Love and Theft. Thunder on The Mountain, The Levee’s Gonna Break, and Someday Baby don’t interest my ear as much as say, Cry A While or Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum do, although Rollin’ and Tumblin’ has a good bit of energy going on.

“Nettie Moore, When the Deal Goes Down and Ain’t Talkin are the album’s highlights, but we all dig different things, don’t we? I think it’s a good follow-up to Love and Theft. I just wish there was more imagination going on with the arrangements. Like, say, Tempest had.”

Another user agreed, adding: “Love and Theft is an all-timer from Dylan, I would never argue otherwise, but I love Modern Times. It has a more laid-back, stretched-out vibe to it that I adore. It’s great for long drives in the car. It’s an album that takes its time, it’s unhurried, but the songs all pay off richly if you can get on its wavelength.”

A third wrote: “This album I’ve been listening to recently. It’s not as good as Love and Theft (which is my favourite album), but I’ve been slowly appreciating it more and more. My one complaint is that the alternate version of Someday Baby from Tell Tale Signs is miles better than the album version.”

Some were simply not fans of Modern Times, either. One user wrote: “Very little resonates for me. Doesn’t help that I’m fond of the blues he’s knicking in no small part due to their pithiness. My greater heresy is preferring Beyond the Horizon to anything else on the record.”

But some have since called Dylan’s work on Modern Times his “last gasp of greatness.” A listener wrote: “I agree, and I would say that Modern Times was the last gasp of greatness. While subsequent albums had moments, nothing reached the height of Love and Theft and then the slightly lesser peak of Modern Times.”