SOY GONE

The deluxe version of the epic new Bob Dylan album Modern Times comes in a nice hardcover package with a bonus DVD of videos that’s a must for Bobophiles. First is “Blood in My Eyes” from World Gone Wrong, his stately 1993 album of blues and folk chestnuts. It shows a Chaplinesque Dylan walking around the streets and saloons of England in top hat and cane as strangers stop, point, shake hands, ask for autographs and exchange pleasantries. It’s surprisingly poignant. Also included is the video of the Oscar-winning “Things Have Changed” from Wonder Boys, featuring stars Michael Douglas, Robert Downey Jr. and pre-abduction Katie Holmes. There’s also a hot run-through of “Cold Irons Bound” from Bob’s film Masked & Anonymous, featuring Bob’s best-ever guitar combo of Larry Campbell and Charlie Sexton.

Best of all is the famous performance of “Love Sick” from the 1998 Grammy Awards. This is when a shirtless male emerged from the Gap-ad-ish dancers in the background and contorted grotesquely next to Bob for 30 seconds or so, before being escorted offstage and promptly shot. Cryptically painted on his chest were two words: SOY BOMB. There was much speculation at the time as to what SOY BOMB meant, but the best anyone could come up with was that it was half-Spanish for “I AM THE BOMB.” (You go, girlfriend!) In spite of the flamboyant distraction, “Soy Bob” and his crack band missed not a beat and delivered a brilliant performance. Mr. Bomb’s 15 minutes have clearly run out, however, as he has been completely cropped out of the Modern Times DVD clip and relegated to the dustbin of popular culture curiosities, where he joins the rainbow-wigged “John 3:16” guy and Wham’s Andrew Ridgeley. Here is your chance to see Mr. Bomb doing what he does best: act like a complete jackass.