There's a reason Sinatra never recorded a Dylan song, and Bennett never has and never will. It's that, given how radically different their styles are (and how incompatible the requirements for performance of same), both understood implicitly that they could not do Dylan plausibly. Too bad that understanding hasn't worked in the reverse direction.

For an idea of what happens when a crooner does Dylan, there's the scene in Andrew Bergman's 1990 comedy The Freshman when Bert Parks warbles "Maggie's Farm." Yes, it's hilarious.

I fear we're facing what may amount to another Dylan Christmas album. Or maybe just a hustle for a quick paycheck, financed by ever-gullible fans, to help Dylan raise money to settle an expensive divorce. Pardon my cynicism. I've been a serious Dylan fan most of my life, but I ceased being a Dylan true believer many grown-up years ago.