The Roving Gamblers - Number one Bob Dylan fansite

Dylan suffered something of a decline during the 80's. He wasn't able to compete with newer pop acts of the time, and was producing albums that were less than stellar, such as "Empire Burlesque", "Knocked Out Loaded" and "Down in the Groove". However, after a tour with the Grateful Dead, Dylan decided that this all had to change. He decided to form the never ending tour, in which he would play over a 100 dates a year, in smaller venues.
	Dylan wanted to have an album to accompany this tour. From the recommendation of U2's Bono, he enlisted the help of producer Daniel Lanois. Lanois created a darker sound around Dylan, giving songs such as "Most of the Time" and "The Man in the Long Black Coat" a spooky feel. The album was released in 1989, and was the best Dylan album for years.
Dylan released Time Out Of Mind in 1997, to fantastic reviews. It recieved the Grammy for "Best Album" and introduced a legion of younger music fans to the work of Dylan. The album was also produced by Lanois, so much of the darkness was still there. The album dealt with a man facing up to his age (Dylan had recently suffered a heart attack), and songs such as "Not Dark Yet" and "Tryin' To Get To Heaven" suggested a man coming to the end of his career. Of course, Dylan is still alive today, and has released "Love and Theft", and album which many (myself included) would consider one of his greatest albums.

Bob Dylan and the Never Ending tour...