Time Out of Mind (1997)

"Highlands" For those following along (many of us not exactly, admittedly), this one didn't entirely come out of nowhere. There is the '60s catalog, obviously enough. Bits and pieces of the meditative squawk here can be heard as early as Infidels. On Oh Mercy Bob Dylan and Daniel Lanois first collaborated and began to experiment with the soundscapes that here open into majestic vistas of rugged planets. And on the two albums immediately before this – World Gone Wrong and Good As I Been to You – Dylan reaffirmed his most profound connections, with the folk music of Harry Smith's "old, weird America." A brush with death no doubt contributes to the overarching sound of eternity put on display in every song here – the crucible, like. Whatever it was, Bob Dylan came roaring back to form at every level: musical, visionary, unblinking, and overflowing with love. The above-mentioned "Highlands" plods along for 16:31 with perfect doomy aplomb. At some point, it never misses a beat and becomes an hysterical comedy scene. That's the level he's operating on here. "Desolation Row" levels, we're talking. And beyond.