The eighties were not kind to Bob Dylan. Like many artists who peaked in the sixties and seventies, Bob for the most part struggled to keep up, although he too had his highlights. Knocked Out Loaded, Empire Burlesque and Down in the Groove are regarded by most as being among his most forgettable works, although I admittedly find myself indulging a little too much in the cheekiness of its very existence. And many will surely find some degree of forgiveness in the likes of "Brownsville Girl." But all wasn't lost for Bob in the era of decadence and greed - Infidels is in fact one of my favorite Bob Dylan albums. Precisely why, I don't know. Maybe it's the Knopfler-esque "Sweetheart Like You" or the steady-as-she-goes rhythm of "Jokerman." And as much as I hate political songs, I'm more than prepared to make an exception for "Union Sundown." At the butt-end of the album, Dylan leaves the worst for last - "I and I" and "Don't Fall Apart on Me Tonight" are the least preferable songs here, although they're well and truly far away from delving into crap territory themselves. This album, along with Oh Mercy from 1989, proved that there's always a glimmer of hope, even when everything else, it seems, has turned to the proverbial. A great album. A
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