Dylan at 68

Bob Dylan's new album, "Together Through Life", may be even better than his last ones, which all in all were amazingly good for a rock star who is now 68 years old.  The first thing to say about this record is that it sounds great, thanks to an inspired band which includes an accordionist and a trumpet player. The music is not infused with nostalgia... It is just straight rhythm n' blues, and it rocks. The songs are good too, maybe even great, only time will tell. Dylan still sounds genuine, not like a caricature of himself. To justify the outrageous price of the CD, it comes with a DVD with the demo track of Blowing in the Wind, recorded in 1962 - Bob Dylan looks like he is barely out of school but already sounds like a wise old man -  and an extra CD of the radio program he now hosts, The Theme Time Radio Hour. Here we have Bob Dylan as the literate historian and witty connoisseur of american popular music. I say: let him record more records, but also let him write more books. I read Chronicles I when it came out and I have been waiting impatiently for the next installment of his autobiography. A sacred monster, still alive and kicking. 

Tapas in Barcelona

Mini squids "en su tinta", "arroz negro", peppers "padrone" with lots of sea salt, "pan con tomate", a  bewildering variety of mushrooms, "esqueixada" of vegetables, smelly cheeses from the Pyrenees, "jamon de bellota", naturally, tuna every which way, plus the odd plate of lentils, and the fried artichokes, and not to forget "la tortilla" (called "truita" in catalan), and the "patatas bravas" and all sorts of "pescaditos" - with a dry white wine from the Penedes and, to top it off, some salty chocolate or a "crema catalana" and, feeling lightheaded, you are off to a delightful shopping afternoon on Paseo de Gracia or Rambla de Catalunya. Names and addresses for the best tapas in Barcelona provided on request.

Video art

Minimum-Maximum, the double DVD recording of Kraftwerk's world tour in 2004 is a perfect piece of video art. The stunning graphics accompanying the songs look even better on video than live (I saw the show at the Coliseu dos Recreios, in Lisbon). Kraftwerk always aimed for perfection. No loose ends, no accidents, no superfluous moves. Their hieratic show runs through their entire career, from Autobahn to Tour de France, with a perfect blend of wit and majesty. The visual counterpoint brings to life all their classic songs - from Man Machine to Elektro Kardiogramm. Hypnotic.