Dylan and Clapton

I've just finished my first listen to Dylan's Empire Burlesque, and it's not as bad as people tend to say it is. I think it's pretty comparable to Clapton's Journeyman album. Both suffer from the same problems: period-specific production, sometimes cheesy guitar tones, and uninspired songwriting. Dylan's, of course, is better, but it doesn't compare to most of the rest of his catalog. The other key difference is that Dylan got back on track with the brilliant Oh, Mercy; the great Time out of Mind; and the very good Love and Theft. Clapton, on the other hand, has never returned to form. A few of his albums since then have been acceptable, but nothing's been essential, and his collection of Robert Johnson covers is as boring as it gets.