Tell Tale Signs: Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 (2008)

Rolling Stone (p.88)
- Ranked #2 in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums Of 2008 -- "The veering tempers of Dylan's medicine-rattle rasp are a wonder to themselves."

Entertainment Weekly (p.70)
- "[T]he generally superb TELL TALE SIGNS repurposes known material in simple, languid, semi-acoustic settings that hark back to '70s classics like BLOOD ON THE TRACKS." -- Grade: A

Mojo (Publisher)
(p.122)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "Dylan's second album with Lanois, TIME OUT OF MIND, is represented by a nice, slow blues alternative take of 'Can't Wait' and four songs that didn't make the final cut....Top prizes go to gutbucket 'Lonesome Day Blues' and harmony-laden 'Cocaine Blues'..."

Record Collector (magazine)
(p.86)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "The overriding lesson from these TELL TALE SIGNS is of Bob's immaculate role as performer. There is no one 'final version' of a track -- just the one that happens to make sense on the day."

In January 2000, Bob Dylan was awarded one of the world's most prestigious music awards, The Polar Music Prize, bestowed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. The Prize committee's citation offers a summary of his career: "Bob Dylan's influence, as a singer-songwriter, on the development of 20th century popular music is indisputable. His achievements encompass almost four decades of constantly changing modes of creativity, always innovative, but always based on American musical traditions and roots.

"Starting with folk music and reaching the heights of critical and public fame, he set aside the rules of the day, appearing no longer alone with his acoustic guitar, but in the company of a rock and roll band. It was a development that required both integrity and determination, a move that cemented his role as one of the greatest rock artists of our time. Bob Dylan's ability to combine poetry, harmony and melody in a meaningful, often provocative context, has captivated millions in all age groups, and in most cultures and societies.

"Through his modest, persuasive musical approach, he has demonstrated an impressive ability to question the most determined political forces, to fight all forms of prejudice, and to offer unflinching support for the less fortunate. Even those who might not have shared his views would find it impossible to argue against Bob Dylan's musical and poetic brilliance."

Dylan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. In referring to him, the Hall of Fame has written, "Bob Dylan is the pre-eminent poet/lyricist and songwriter of his time. He re-energized the folk-music genre, brought a new lyrical depth to rock and roll when he went electric, and bridged the worlds of rock and country by recording in Nashville. As much as he's played the role of renegade throughout his career, Dylan has also kept the rock and roll community mindful of its roots by returning often to them.

"With his songs, Dylan has provided a running commentary on a restless age. His biting, imagistic and often cryptic lyrics served to capture and define the mood of a generation...While [recently] he has been relatively inactive on the recording front, Dylan has spent much of the Nineties on the road like the wandering troubadour he has always perceived himself to be."

The legend remains very much alive with the release of Love and Theft, Dylan's first studio album since 1997's Grammy Award-winning Album of the Year Time Out of Mind.