Stick a fork in Dylan, he's done.

Maybe I’m losing track of the time intervals between new Dylan albums but here lately it seems every time I turn around Dylan’s got something new to offer. I just bought “Tempest” and IMO it’s just OK.

dylan's the best-ever lyricist who's earned his critical reverence, but it's time tell the emperor he has no clothes. personally, i rarely feel compelled to listen to his post "blonde on blonde" stuff, the overrated-but-still-great "blood on the tracks" excepted. i found "tempest" baffling and unlistenable--when i was listening to it in the car the kids were actually threatening to jump out into traffic.

"Blood on the Tracks" and "Blonde on Blonde" are classics, if I had to pick only two. Dylan's voice may not be what it once was, but c'mon, anyone who says they buy Dylan albums for his voice is joking. It's the lyrics, the lyrics! BTW, I am a huge Dylan fan and really like nearly all of his material.

Ginsberg was definitely before my time even though I'll soon be 56. My involvement was more or less a position in no man's land. Under age in the midst of beatniks, protesters, peace activists and political radicals. I think they called us the "lost generation". I just googled Howl and had a listen. His influence on Dylan is unmistakeable. I do believe Dylan was in it for himself though. He's made that abundantly clear in past interviews. I think his own work titled Tarantula was an attempt to invent himself.

Glad to see that No Mercy is well regarded by others here. IMO his most underrated album. The SACD remaster sounds spectacular. For me--Blood On the Tracks, Blonde on Blonde and Highway 61. The new stuff is still good, not great,--although I do like Tempest a lot-- even if he croaks more than he sings--cause he can still emote. Saw him live last mo with Knopfler and found his band and the reimaginings of his classics to be stellar.