One of the things any true Bob Dylan fan loves about the man is his ability to change. To shift shapes abruptly and drastically and not to give one iota what you think. And for every single reissue, rehash, best of, essential collection, and bootleg series, there's an album out there that the majority of fans probably hate (Infidels, Street Legal, and Shot of Love to name a few). Which really shows some balls, if you ask me. When was the last time The Rolling Stones attempted change? 1982? It would be so easy for him to rest on his 1966 laurels. Hell, a lot of his fans really wish he would numerous times throughout his career.

All I'm saying is that I hope you weren't getting too attached to the way things were going, because there's word that this new album, {Together Through Life, promises to drop his newest incarnation (from 1997's Time Out of Mind, through 2001's Love and Theft, onto 2006's Modern Times) in favor a new one. Well, a new old one. From what I gather, it's to be a kind of self-aware nod to old Chess Records of the 1950s. When asked about that comparison, he didn't really flinch that much: "...the old Chess records, the Sun records... I think that’s my favorite sound for a record," Dylan said in a recent interview with Bill Flanagan. "I like the mood of those records -- the intensity. The sound is uncluttered. There’s power and suspense. The whole vibration feels like it could be coming from inside your mind. It’s alive. It’s right there. Kind of sticks in your head like a toothache."

I think that describes most of this guy's music, but hey, he could be talking about Chuck Berry and Memphis Slim, too. Just as long as he doesn't get all Blueshammer on this shit, I think we'll be just fine.

Dylan's European tour:
03.23.09 - Stockholm, Sweden - Globe Arena
03.25.09 - Oslo, Norway - Spektrum
03.27.09 - Jönköping , Sweden - Kinnarps Arena
03.28.09 - Malmö , Sweden - Malmö Arena
03.29.09 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Forum
03.31.09 - Hanover, Germany - AWD Arena
04.01.09 - Berlin, Germany - Max- Schmeling - Halle
04.02.09 - Erfurt , Germany - Messehalle
04.04.09 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
04.05.09 - Saarbrücken , Germany - Saarlandhalle
04.07.09 - Paris, France - Palais des Congres
04.08.09 - Paris, France - Palais des Congres
04.10.09 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall
04.12.09 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall
04.14.09 - Basel, Switzerland - St. Jakobshalle
04.15.09 - Milan, Italy - MediolanumForum
04.17.09 - Rome, Italy - PalaLottomatica
04.18.09 - Florence, Italy - MandelaForum
04.20.09 - Geneva, Switzerland - Geneva Arena
04.21.09 - Strasbourg, France - Zenith
04.22.09 - Brussels, Belgium - Forest National
04.24.09 - Sheffield, England - Sheffield Arena
04.25.09 - London, England - O2 Arena
04.28.09 - Cardiff, Wales - CIA
04.29.09 - Birmingham, England - NIA
05.01.09 - Liverpool, England - Echo Arena
05.02.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - SECC
05.03.09 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Playhouse
05.05.09 - Dublin, Ireland - O2 Arena
05.06.09 - Dublin, Ireland - O2 Arena