I'm Not There

There are tribute albums, and there are tribute albums to Bob Dylan that are two discs long and packed full of hipsters, so "I'm Not There" is one of those ideas that will probably appeal to about as many people as it disquiets. But as you might expect, most of the homages on this sonic all-star game are reverent to the point of worshipful: Jeff Tweedy's "Simple Twist of Fate" is spare and lovely, Jim James and Calexico unite for a gorgeous "Goin' to Acapulco" and John Doe's gospeled-up "Pressing On" (from "Saved," of all places) and "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" are among the best of the bunch. As for the man himself, Dylan turns in the first official release of the oft-bootlegged title track with the Band, recently discovered in Neil Young's archives. —Jeff Vrabel