It was just earlier this month that we learned Bob Dylan is about to hit us with a brand-new studio album, Together Through Life, on April 28. Today he surprised us again by debuting that album’s "Beyond Here Lies Nothin’" as a free MP3 download from his official website. Never say old Bob isn’t hip to the mile-a-minute pace of music consumption on the Web.
So how’s the tune? Pretty great, at least after a couple of quick listens. I’m a huge Dylan fan who was less than thrilled with the plodding blues of his last studio effort, 2006′s Modern Times. "Beyond Here Lies Nothin’" keeps that album’s traditional chord progressions, but peps up the tempo and spices up the sound with a mean little accordion riff and an electric guitar part that almost sounds like it could have come from a peak-era partner like Robbie Robertson or Mike Bloomfield. (In fact, that’s David Hidalgo from Los Lobos on accordion and Mike Campbell from the Heartbreakers on lead guitar.) I’m digging the lyrics, too, with their classically Dylan motif of making a human connection in a dangerous world.
Right now, at least, "Beyond Here Lies Nothin’" feels like the best new Dylan song I’ve heard in years. But it’ll only be available as a free download through the end of today. So head to bobdylan.com and snap it up quickly — then let us know what you think of Bobby Z.’s latest.
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While I respectfully disagree with your take on Modern Times, I have to agree with your assessment of the new song: This track @#!*ing ROCKS!!!
Modern Times is a GREAT album. Can’t wait to hear new one.
The new Dylan track is spectacular (I CAN”T WAIT FOR THIS ALBUM!). I do have to strongly and respectfully disagree with Levinson’s labeling Modern Times, “plodding blues.” His last three studio albums have been masterworks and I strongly believe that his 2006 album is one of his top five albums to be recognized right up there with Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks. If this single is any sort of indicator, then Together Through Life should make it four in a row.
Beyond here lies nothing is musically more interesting than the majority of Modern Times — I agree with that.
The vocal is roughly equivalent.
But I feel the lyrics take a step down on this new song, getting less captivating as the song goes along…
I’m not worried, though. From what I’ve read, I think Together Through Life will pack plenty of lyrical punch by the time it’s all said and done…
Modern Times was a fantastic album. I do agree that the new song is fantastic, though. I cannot wait to hear the rest of the album.
One thing I will say about Bob Dylan, he gets paid more than anyone in the world to sing off key.
Every bonafide blues fan will recognize “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” as a direct steal from Otis Rush’s famous “All Your Love”, right down to the arrangement and the guitar sound. Pathetic.
I thought Modern Times was a near-perfect album….every single note in exactly the right place. Can’t wait to hear the new record….I’m counting the minutes.
An instant verdict on Beyond Here: words are somewhat ordinary. But the music is great! I love the way the drums, the guitar, the accordion, the brass all mesh together, it sounds like a Carribean blues band and the rhythm really swings.
I’m a hardcore Bobhead, thought the previous 3 albums were as good as anything he’s ever done, and I’m totally digging BHLN. The music is wonderful, the voice is almost as clear as on the extraordinary Modern Times,there are 2 or 3 really good lines. If the whole album is this good, look for some Grammy nominations (and maybe another Oscar).
The song is great, and the performance is cool.
Of course it’s traditional in it’s construction, and we can see that it’s part “All My Love”, part “Black Magic Woman”, part “Who’s been talkin’” and part “‘Till the money runs out”, but what does this tell us, other than it’s much to easy to call it a rip-off on one particular song – let’s see it more like a hommage to a great tradition of the blues.
i think the song is great!!! it is bluesy with a distinct mexican feel.great to hear dylan working with brass and accordian.the lyrics are good,typical dylan lines :”beyond here lies nothing exept the mountains of the past” is the most immediatley striking……but i would like to say,in reaction to some of the comments about Modern Times,that is nothing but a “plodding blues”album.hugely over-rated!!i think he had some great media exposure at the time which led to a lot of hype for the album.but the production on the album is bland and has no dynamics,the lyrics formulaic and predictable.But if this new song is a good example of what “together through life” will be like,i think we are in for a treat and a return to the greatness displayed on “time out of mind” and “love and theft”
i agree with Carl f….the song is great!!! and modern times was a huge let down….boring and predictable,,sounded like he wasnt trying very hard,if youve been writing songs for nearly fifty years i imagine its not so hard to slap afew lyrics together like he did on modern times…nothing heartfelt on it exept for “when the deal goes down” and “aint talkin” and was shocked to hear bob use the word “slut”on that album!! anyway “beyond hear lies nothing” is a joy and i am very very excited about the new album
Nice one from Bob, Modern Times was great for me, looking forward to this one, Blonde on Blonde had great energy maybe with this is one Bob has re-found a trace of that energy?
I’ve been hoping that Dylan would come up with some original melodies for the new album, but this new track is dimming those hopes. Yes, he’s got the accordian working nicely, but he’s back to using the standard 12-bar blues progression on this one.