Last week, in my discussion of Bob Dylan’s new album Together Through Life I mentioned that the deluxe edition contained an episode of his satellite radio program Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan. I’ve heard great things about the program and have always wanted to listen, but not being a satellite radio subscriber I never had the chance. In the days that have passed since I wrote that last Dylan entry, this disc hasn’t left my living room stereo as it’s the single best radio program I’ve ever heard. Don’t believe me? Listen to a sample here.

The gist of the show is that it’s Dylan sitting in front of a microphone talking about the music he loves and playing tunes from every era and genre of recorded music. Listening to his last few albums, you might expect to just hear old tunes from Dylan’s childhood; country and western standards, folk hits from the era, etc. And while those types of tracks are certainly present, the mix is far more eclectic. On the disc included with Together Through Life, the theme is “Friends & Neighbors”. On this particular episode, Dylan plays tunes by The Rolling Stones, T Bone Burnett, War, and Hank Williams. Each of the tracks, as the title suggests, has a message about being a friend or neighbor. Why Can’t We Be Friends by War, You’ve Got a Friend by Carole King, or Howdy Neighbor by Porter Wagoner & The Wagon Masters. In other episodes, Dylan has played music from artists as varied as Sammy Davis Jr., They Might Be Giants, and Public Enemy. If you’d like to see a full list of episodes, complete with track listings and lyrics, check out this site.

And Bob makes a great host, his gravelly voice cheerfully introducing the next track, discussing the theme, or throwing out a quote from Aristotle. It’s a rare look into his personality, something that he seems to work hard to hide from the outside world. Hell, in concert he barely speaks more than ten words to the audience. And I know; I’ve seen him live seven times.

It’s a shame that only Sirius/XM subscribers are the only ones who get to hear these shows and this one sample has made me extremely jealous. Perhaps one day we’ll get a compilation boxed set, though I suspect getting the rights to release all those tunes would be a major chore. But in the meantime, if you’re planning on picking up Together Through Life, spend the extra couple bucks for the bonus disc. It’ll be well worth the cash.

There are two types of people in life: those who love Bob Dylan, and complete fucking idiots.

Which one are you?

Since you’re here, reading this article, I’ll assume the former. But feel free to post in the comments section and correct me if you’d like to proclaim your status as a complete fucking idiot.

With that out of the way, let’s move on to Bob’s latest. Those who haven’t been keeping up and only know the Dylan of the 60s, that folk-poet-protest-song-singing icon is gone. Dylan is no longer trying to save the world; he’s aged and refined a mellow sound that’s very different than the sunglasses-wearing figure you see in all those rock docs. Since his “comeback” album Time Out of Mind reintroduced him to a whole new generation of music lovers, Bob’s been shaping his sound to something that is now very familiar, and if you enjoyed Love & Theft or Modern Times, Together Through Life will probably hit you in the exact same way.

Structurally, the songs are very simple with a blues and Americana approach that’s worked well for Dylan in recent years. But the influence seems to be more heavily rooted in early pre-rock n’ roll blues than anything from Modern Times. Though these are all new tunes, they sound almost antique and many would seem right at home on Dylan’s radio show “Theme Time Radio with Bob Dylan”. Incidentally, a special disc of Theme Time excerpts is included with the deluxe edition of this disc.

Lyrically, Dylan covers many familiar themes, offering a broad swipe of American culture all seen through his unique and twisted kaleidoscope. For example, take the rollicking closing track It’s All Good, a cheerful take on the ever-descending apocalyptic world around us. As usual, the musicianship is spectacular, with Tom Petty’s guitarist Mike Campbell stepping in as well as Los Lobos accordion player David Hidalgo. Strange as it may seem, Hidalgo’s contribution really makes this album something special; a surprising feat for an accordion player.

Together Through Life didn’t wow me immediately in the same way as Love & Theft or Modern Times. Perhaps it’s because the “old bluesman” sound has become expected. Despite this, it’s certainly a worthy entry into the Dylan catalog and an album I’ll be listening to over and over again for a long time to come.