Theories, rants, etc.
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WHEN TIME OUT OF MIND WAS RELEASED in September 1997, Bob Dylan was 56 years old. “Shadows are fallin’ and I’ve been here all day,” began Not Dark Yet, and to some the lyrics of Dylan’s 30th album had a valedictory ring. Here was a standard-bearer of the generation who had sworn never to grow old, come to a point where he was grappling with a new sense of mortality. Time Out Of Mind read like a curtain-call for rock’s gilded stars as they confronted the absurdity of continuing into their sixties. “It’s not dark yet, but it’s gettin’ there…”
Well, we got that one wrong, like we’ve got so many things wrong about Dylan. Twenty-six years later, his progress beyond Time Out Of Mind now seems dignified and inexorable – as Grayson Haver Currin’s feature about the album reveals this month, it proved less of a parting shot, more of a catalytic new beginning. Our story coincides with the arrival of Dylan’s Bootleg Series Volume 17:
Fragments, a long, rewarding dive into the album’s sessions. And as you’ll have discovered, this issue comes with a remarkable CD sampler of the Bootleg series so far. Quick reminder: all print subscribers, abroad as well as in the UK, receive every CD from us. Have a look at our offers on page 26 to see how you can (checks notes) bring them all back home.