I went through my Bob Dylan phase when I was 22 and living in Arizona. Away from home for the first time – really away from home, not just on a trip – I was homesick and lonely, and Dylan – particularly early Dylan – spoke to me.

I think every young man has a Dylan. The same way they all have a Kerouac. It may not be Bob or Jack that speaks to every young man, but they all have their guides through those dark periods.

I haven’t needed Dylan since. Not in that way. I’ve appreciated his music and was overjoyed when Lynne took me to see him in concert (even if he was upstaged by Joni Mitchell).

But I haven’t needed him. That’s a good thing.

I’ve been nostalgic, lately. It’s something I tend towards, anyway, but I think I’ve just entered a phase of reflection. Which is one reason why Dylan’s newest CD, Modern Times, sounds so good to me. It’s not old Dylan, it’s decidely new and, well, modern.

But it reminds me of early Dylan, and makes me remember when I needed him.