Although it’s been 46 years since Bob Dylan penned the ultimate revolution song with “The Times They Are A-Changing,” his 33rd studio album Together Through Life echoes much of the same sentiment.

Together, a gritty blues album inspired by the old R&B and blues records being pumped out of labels like Chess Records during the 1950’s and 60’s, shows a rougher side to Dylan, a contrast compared to his early folk-rock albums such as Highway 61 Revisited or Blood on the Tracks.

The album kicks off with the song “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’,” a nitty gritty number that immediately grabs the listeners’ attention with a typical blues guitar riff.

The second song off the track, “Life is Hard,” has the listener wax nostalgia for the days when couples danced cheek-to-cheek during summertime country club dances.

On “Jolene,” a typical blues song that discusses the perpetual “un-gettable” girl, Dylan growls “Jolene, Jolene. Baby I’m the king and you’re the queen.”

The hard edge to Dylan’s voice brought on by years of touring and performing, gets down to the true character of classic R&B and blues tracks, reminding listeners of a rough-and-tumble urban blues club where one could go hear musicians pour their soul into each note.

The song “I Feel a Change Comin’ On,” perhaps inspired by the recent election of President Obama and his campaign for change, is one of the closest songs in recent years that gets back to the revolutionary poetry Dylan became known for in the 1960’s.

It was refreshing to hear Dylan get back to his folk-rock roots, seamlessly blending his lyrical prowess with the blues-rock theme of the whole album.

While not perhaps his most ambitious work lyrically in recent years, Together is still a solid album across the board.

Each track showcases Dylan’s voice as well as his adeptness at performing classic blues.

The album seems to be a more laid-back version of older albums such as New Morning or Nashville Skyline with the emphasis less on Dylan’s lyrics and more on the delivery of each individual song and the work as a whole.

Dylan fans should expect to be surprised by the character of each song and how strong the album is in its entirety.

Like much of Dylan’s work, Together gets better and better with each listen. You may find yourself easily entranced by his smokey voice and powerful lyrics.

No doubt Together is well worth checking out. Dylan  has yet again generated a musical success, while staying loyal to his classic folk-rock roots.

Definitely worth the price for any Dylan fanatic.