Modern Times

Released in 2006, Modern Times completed a 'comeback' trilogy that began with Time Out of Mind (1997) and 'Love and Theft' (2001). Self-produced by Dylan under the pseudonym Jack Frost, the album captures the 'Never Ending Tour' band in peak form, favoring a live-in-studio feel that emphasizes groove over polish. The record is famous for its 'intertextuality,' as Dylan famously lifted arrangements from blues legends like Muddy Waters and lyrics from the Civil War-era poet Henry Timrod. Despite the controversies over these uncredited sources, critics hailed it as a masterpiece of synthesis. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, making the 65-year-old Dylan the oldest living artist to achieve that feat at the time. Sonically, it leans heavily into the 'shuffling' blues and 1930s-style ballads that would define Dylan's 21st-century output, serving as a bridge between his rock roots and his later explorations of the Great American Songbook.