Little Hawk, can I back up your comments about Street Legal? Worth the price of admission for the sublime "Changing of the Guards" alone. Although as a mere 46 year old, I have to declare that Street Legal was the first Dylan album I bought, so I suppose it will always have a special place. Other than that, Desire and Blood on the Tracks are wonderful to these ears.

Using old tunes is fine, I'd have thought, as long as you are reasonably upfront about your use of them. Richard Thompson's "Farewell, Farewell" for Fairport Convention is a beautiful song and uses the tune associated with "Willie O' Winsbury" to great effect. In fact, some of my favourite song writing involves adapting old tunes - as long as the new words are strong enough to do them justice...