by
      KIRBY
      FERGUSON
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Good
      as
      I
      Been
      to
      Fou
     
     
      Bob
      Dylan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Sony)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Harvest
      Moon
     
     
      Neil
      Young
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Warner)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pocket
      Full
      of
      Kryptonite
     
     
      Spin
      Doctors
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Sony)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Main
      Offender
     
     
      Keith
      Richards
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Virgin)
     
     
      Izzy
      Stradlin
      and
      the
      Ju
      Ju
      Hounds
     
     
      (MCA)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Neptune
     
     
      The
      Northern
      Pikes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Virgin)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fin
      iia
      vu
     
    
   
   
    
     
      am
      about
      to
      lose
      the
      respect
      of
      my
     
    

    
     
      reader(s):
      ’mnotabig
      Dylan
      fan.
      The
     
    

    
     
      man
      is
      certainly
      one
      of
      the
      greatest
     
    

    
     
      songwriters
      ever,
      rivalled
      only
      by
     
     
      Lennon/McCartney,
      butI’vealways
      hada
      hard
     
     
      time
      getting
      off
      on
      his
      ramshackle
      arrange-
     
     
      mentsand
      that...
      voice.
      Dylan
      was
      once
      quoted
     
     
      as
      saying
      he
      didn’tcare
      whathis
      band
      did
      with
     
     
      the
      music,
      he
      just
      cared
      about
      the
      words.
      And
     
     
      I
      rest
      my
      case.
      ‘Sides,
      I’ve
      heard
      his
      inter-
     
     
      views,
      notto
      mention
      Se/fPortrait,
      so
      he
      can’t
     
     
      be
      that
      great,
      right?
     
    

    
     
      Having
      said
      that,
      I
      also
      think
      his
      new
     
     
      album,
      entitled
      --get
      this--
      Good
      as
      I
      Been
      to
     
     
      You
      (10),
      isnothing
      shortofamasterpiece,
      his
     
     
      bestalbum
      since
      Bloodon
      the
      Tracks,
      topping
     
     
      the
      formidable
      Oh
      Mercy.
      Indeed,
      for
      once
      Bob
     
     
      has
      been
      good
      tous,
      following
      up
      the
      nostalgia
     
     
      of
      the
      Bootlegs
      box
      and
      Dylan
      tribute
      with
      a
     
     
      work
      that
      harks
      back
      to
      Freewheelin’
      days.
     
     
      Good
      as
      I
      Been
      to
      You
      is
      acollection
      of
      solo
     
     
      performed
      traditionals
      ranging
      from
      charming
     
     
      nonsense
      like
      ‘“Froggie
      Went
      a
      Courtin’”’
      to
     
     
      chilling
      blues
      like
      ““You’re
      Gonna
      QuitMe.”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      What’s
      to
      say
      about
      a
      great
      Dylan
      album?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nuthin’.
      Check
      it
      out,
      it
      could
      be
      Bob’s
      last
     
     
      creative
      breath...
      but
      you
      never
      know.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Never
      let
      it
      be
      said
      that
      Neil
      Young
     
     
      doesn’t
      give
      the
      people
      what
      they
      want.
      A
      mere
     
     
      twenty
      years
      after
      the
      fact,
      in
      traditionally
     
     
      schizoid
      manner,
      Young
      has
      released
      a
      ‘‘se
     
     
      quel’’
      to
      Harvest,
      his
      mostsuccessful
      album.
     
     
      If
      you’
      veactually
      been
      waiting
      for
      a
      Harvest
     
    

    
     
      follow-up,
      Harvest
      Moon
      (4)
      probably
      won’t
     
    

    
     
      disappoint.
      For
      the
      restofus,
      Harvest
      Moonis
     
     
      asempty
      of
      feeling
      as
      any
      country
      music.
      The
     
     
      back-up
      vocalist
      pairing
      of
      James
      Taylor
      and
     
     
      Linda
      Rondstadt
      is
      more
      white
      bread
      than
      all
     
     
      but
      the
      yuppiest
      of
      us
      can
      stomach.
      The
     
     
      songwriting
      is
      decent
      and
      may
      have
      flowered
     
     
      in
      more
      fertile
      ground,
      but
      instead
      we’re
      left
     
     
      with
      aremarkably
      dullalbum.
      But
      fear
      not,
      at
     
     
      this
      blistering
      pace
      we
      can
      expect
      Ragged
     
     
      Glory
      ITaround2010.
     
    

    
     
      Actually
      released
      last
      year,
      the
      Spin
     
     
      Doctors
      are
      just
      getting
      spun
      now.
      Pocket
      Full
     
     
      of
      Kryptonite
      (6)
      is
      a
      retro
      funk
      ‘n’
      roll
      set
     
     
      that’
      ll
      bring
      back
      memories
      of
      loads
      of
      seven-
     
     
      ties
      bands
      toomediocre
      te
      dedicatetomemory.
     
     
      Still,
      the
      album
      exudes
      good
      vibes
      and
      the
     
     
      concoction
      of
      Stonesy
      riffs,
      Zep
      thunder
      and
      JB
     
     
      funk
      works
      memorably
      well
      on
      atrio
      oflean,
     
     
      infectious,
      lazy
      rockers:
      *‘Little
      Miss
      Can’t
     
     
      Be
      Wrong,”’
      “‘Jimmy
      Olsen’s
      Blues,’’
      and