(**) March 31, 2017 38th Studio Album
The third and (thankfully) final album in Dylan’s trio of traditional Americana songs, many of which were popularized by Frank Sinatra and other similar crooners, has him in fine form vocally, but at this point the formula has worn off, and this is just overkill. The triple album derives its title by being broken into 3 sub-albums: ‘Til the Sun Goes Down, Devil Dolls and Comin’ Home Late. Despite the themes, I find no real delineation between disks, although musically Devil Dolls stands out above the other two with a more upbeat and positive spin. A few interesting songs are the somewhat autobiographical “September of My Years.” and his take on “Stormy Weather,” which is done in a more solemn manner befitting the lyrics, unlike other well-known versions. Horns are also more prevalent on this release than the other albums in the series, Fallen Angels and Shadows in the Night, giving it a more varied sound, but by this point I’m done with this phase of his career.