Bob Dylan's Modern Times, a new Masterpiece?

Shadorne, as mentioned previously I've not heard the digital version. However, after hearing the vinyl many times, I understand your concerns better.

I guess it's routine to record the instrumental portions first and "dub" the vocal track afterwards. What I'm hearing, you call it compression or whatever, is a "mismatch" for lack of a better term between the instrumental track and the vocals. I do not have any technical recording experience to better explain what I hear but there is a clearly defined difference between the instrumentation and the vocals in this release. In most recordings they are "blended" or "mixed" to sound as if the vocals and instrumentation were performed simultaneously I believe. In this recording it is very apparent the vocals were added afterwards; at least with my analog front end:

Basis 2800 Signature
Basis Vector 3 w/VTA
Zyx UNIverse X LO

All of course IMO

Audiofeil,

I agree with your description. The instruments have a far away kind of sound and the vocals are edgy. Whatever is the cause, I find it has the monotonous kind of sound of much of today's pop music, which lack dynamic range due to compression in order to sound loud.

It is hard to compare Dylan to other pop music (and unfair as he is such a legend) but I would contrast Modern Times with the Oh Mercy Dylan album where the sound has huge and impressive dynamics from very soft to loud.

Imagine taken the scenic route through the beautiful mountains of Colorado and not being able to focus past the glass in the windsheild....

I do not think they were so inept as to master it poorly.
Everything was done for a reason and it is a MASTERPIECE.

I suspect that if one were to hear this recording on a highly resolving system, the deficiency would be readily apparent.
Good luck gentlemen.