I am excited for my first listen of the new album. As a fan, I have no doubt I will enjoy and appreciate whatever it has to offer me.

Yet I always go into a new release a bit hesitant. It has been the Philharmonic show, Modern Times, and all those other albums from recent years that I have done this with.

It's as if I already have some disappointment in that it is not Love & Theft. Of course, I don't really think that anything could ever be Love & Theft. That album was just so "on" so to speak and it just felt right at the time. It still does feel right, but not like it did when it came out. Maybe it was the contrast of the September 11th feel with upbeat songs like Summer Days. It was if you didn't really know what the world was coming to, and yet it was just beginning.

I've read some things that indicate the lyrics are simple and that are missing in this album. But as Dylan has said, it is hard to define poetry and Hank Williams was simple.

I don't think simple is bad, in fact a lot of has to with sound. I would not call Nashville Skyline deep or anything, it has no real message. I mean one could argue for anything, but Country Pie, Peggy Day, Lay Lady Lay...its good stuff and I don't read much into it, I just have fun.

If this is the last official released studio album or if there are more to come, it doesn't really matter. Bob has put forth more to go back and re-discover then anyone I think. It's amazing how much you can continue to gain from songs that are long passed in their release.

Here's to another one!