The artist: Bob Dylan
The album: “Modern Times”

Why it rocks: “Modern Times” shows a much different Dylan than his fans know and love. There aren’t any angry protest songs like “Masters of War.” Instead, the tunes start to sound more like Barry Manilow with a cold. However, Dylan shows that he can still write some of the best songs. In “The Levee’s Gonna Break,” Dylan chronicles the life of a poor man living in New Orleans. “Beyond the Horizon” is a beautifully written love song about a woman who still loves him after all the things he’s done. Dylan ventures into many different genres on “Modern Times” including blues, rock and folk making it feel like you’re listening to a bunch of different records.

Song worth a second listen: “Ain’t Talkin” is probably the one song on the entire album that sounds like a classic Dylan song. Dylan’s voice seems raspier than ever and it adds to the dark and reflective tone of the song.

Our rating (out of five): ***