Yeah, I've been trying to give R&RW more spins before commenting further. It's better than its two predecessors, I'll go that far. And it sounds absolutely gorgeous; I love the instrumentation and the arrangements, the relative delicateness of most of it, it sounds absolutely timeless.
But for me, the "tunes" just aren't there in a large enough number to compete with the two masterpieces from the 2000s. I know music and songwriting aren't just about melodies, but from a man who is so gifted at them, I wish there were just some more memorable ones here. Modern Times has like 5 tracks that I can conjure up in my head immediately, and I haven't heard it in a while (I'll be popping it in today).
I did go back and listen to Love and Theft again, and I'm sorry but anyone who thinks this new one is better is batshit crazy. First off that album ROCKS in a way that Dylan hadn't since...I don't know how far back to go. Mid-80s? Mid-70s? And there are a plethora of memorable tunes, and more importantly in so many variations of style. It really is a tour of American roots music and Dylan is a master at all of it.
It's scratching at my Dylan albums Top 5, if not actually inside it.
I should write more about R&RW, but it's so dense and subtle I need to keep listening. That is to its credit, I'm aware, but I don't see it being a "favorite".