Tempest - Album
Tempest (Album) by Bob Dylan
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Artist Biography For Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan Born Robert Allen Zimmerman On May 24 1941 In Duluth Minnesota United States Is An American Singer-Songwriter. Often Regarded As One Of The Greatest Songwriters Of All Time Dylan Has Been A Major Figure In Popular Culture During A Career Spanning More Than 60 Years.
Dylan Started His Musical Odyssey In 1959 When He Began Playing In Dinkytown Minneapolis While Attending The University Of Minnesota. Shortly After Starting To Play He Changed His Stage Name To Bob Dylan After Being Influenced By The Poetry Of Dylan Thomas Before Legally Changing His Name In 1962. Much Of His Best Known Work Is From The 1960s When He Became An Informal Documentarian And Reluctant Figurehead Of American Unrest Promoted By Joan Baez. Some Of His Songs Such As "Blowin' In The Wind" And "The Times They Are A-Changin'" Became Anthems Of The Anti-War And Civil Rights Movements With Joan Baez And Dylan Singing Together At The March On Washington In 1963. However He Later Became Disenchanted With The Civil Liberty Protest Scene Feeling That He Had Been Used By Them. His Album Bringing It All Back Home Marked A Move Away From The Folk Scene And A Move Towards Rock And Roll And Dylan Began To Consciously Distance Himself From His Early Association With Civil Rights. He Also Started To Become Irritated When Being Interviewed Often Given Facetious Or Irreverent Answers To Questions. Bringing It All Back Home Was A Controversial Album As It The First On Which He Played Electric Guitar. This Was Seen By Some Of His Fans As A Betrayal Of This Folk Roots With Some Saying That It Obscured His Meaningful And Poetic Lyrics. The Second Half Of The 1960s Was Marked By A String Of Well Received Releases With His Song "Like A Rolling Stone" Released In July Of 1965 Later Being Named "The Greatest Song Of All Time" By Rolling Stone Magazine In 2004 Placing #1 In A List Of 500 Titles. It Also Marked The Formation Of Dylan's Backing Band The Hawks Who Would Later Call Themselves Simply The Band . Dylan Embarked On A World Tour Of Australia And Europe In 1966 During Which He Seemed To Be Under A Lot Of Strain And Pressure By Both His Fans The Music Press And His Own Promoters. Dylan Himself Admitted That He Began Taking Drugs Seriously Whilst On This Tour And Found It Immensely Hard Work. On Returning To New York He Crashed His Motorbike Sustaining Serious Injuries In The Process And Went Into A Period Of Withdrawal While He Recuperated. During The Late 1960s Dylan Again Changed Stylistic Tradition Moving Away From The Psychedelic Culture Of The Time. It Was Then That He Recorded All Along The Watchtower Perhaps More Famously Recorded By Jimi Hendrix. The 1970s Were A Period During Which Dylan Was More Sporadic In His Output Releasing Some Poorly Received LPs. He Rarely Appeared In Person Until 1974 When He Began Touring Again With His Backing Band The Band. He Also Wrote One Of His Most Extensively Covered Songs Knockin' On Heaven's Door As Well As What Is Now Recognised As One Of His Best Albums Blood On The Tracks. Towards The End Of The 1970s Dylan Discovered Christ And Released Some Albums Of Gospel Music. He Started To Talk To The Crowd About His Faith During His Performances And Wouldn't Play Any Of His Early Work Which Alienated Some Of His Previous Fans. Dylan Today Still Remains An Influential And Popular Artist Despite A Period Of Little Note Between 1980-2000 His 2006 Album Modern Times Reached The US Chart At #1 As Did His 2009 Album Together Through Life In The US Britain France And Several Other Countries. His 2012 Album Tempest Was Also Critically Acclaimed. Since 1988 Dylan Has Been On The So-Called Never Ending Tour During Which His Performances Have Provoked Controversy With Some Critics Claiming That His Lyrics Have Become Incomprehensible An Experience Which Is Not Helped By His Tendency To Change His Set-List And Vocals Almost Every Performance. Bob Dylan's Strong Influence Over The Past Few Years Is Becoming Even More Prominent Amongst A Growing Group Of Younger Emerging Artists Such As George Ellias And Devendra Banhart. Dylan's Early Lyrics Incorporated Politics Social Commentary Philosophy And Literary Influences Defying Existing Pop Music Conventions And Appealing Widely To The Counterculture Of The Time. While Expanding And Personalizing Musical Styles Dylan Has Shown Steadfast Devotion To Traditions Of American Song From Folk And Country/blues To Rock And Roll And Rockabilly To Gaelic Balladry Even Jazz Swing And Broadway. Dylan Performs With The Guitar Keyboard And Harmonica. Backed By A Changing Lineup Of Musicians He Has Toured Steadily Since The Late 1980s. He Has Also Recently Performed Alongside Other Iconic Artists Such As Paul Simon Joni Mitchell Tom Petty And Eric Clapton. Although His Contributions As A Performer And Recording Artist Have Been Central To His Career His Songwriting Is Generally Held As His Highest Accomplishment. Nobel Prize For Literature 2016 - On October 13 2016 Dylan Was Awarded The Nobel Prize For Literature For “for Having Created New Poetic Expressions Within The Great American Song Tradition”. The Prestigious Award Has Been Given Annually Since 1901 And Previous Nobel Laureates For Literature Include Harold Pinter And Samuel Beckett. Here Is The Speech Written By Dylan Although Unable To Attend Http //www.Nytimes.Com/2016/12/10/arts/bob-Dylan-Nobel-Prize-Acceptance-Speech.Html?_R 0
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Biography - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan Born Robert Allen Zimmerman On May 24 1941 In Duluth Minnesota United States Is An American Singer-Songwriter. Often Regarded As One Of The Greatest Songwriters Of All Time Dylan Has Been A Major Figure In Popular Culture During A Career Spanning More Than 60 Years.
Dylan Started His Musical Odyssey In 1959 When He Began Playing In Dinkytown Minneapolis While Attending The University Of Minnesota. Shortly After Starting To Play He Changed His Stage Name To Bob Dylan After Being Influenced By The Poetry Of Dylan Thomas Before Legally Changing His Name In 1962. Much Of His Best Known Work Is From The 1960s When He Became An Informal Documentarian And Reluctant Figurehead Of American Unrest Promoted By Joan Baez. Some Of His Songs Such As "Blowin' In The Wind" And "The Times They Are A-Changin'" Became Anthems Of The Anti-War And Civil Rights Movements With Joan Baez And Dylan Singing Together At The March On Washington In 1963. However He Later Became Disenchanted With The Civil Liberty Protest Scene Feeling That He Had Been Used By Them. His Album Bringing It All Back Home Marked A Move Away From The Folk Scene And A Move Towards Rock And Roll And Dylan Began To Consciously Distance Himself From His Early Association With Civil Rights. He Also Started To Become Irritated When Being Interviewed Often Given Facetious Or Irreverent Answers To Questions. Bringing It All Back Home Was A Controversial Album As It The First On Which He Played Electric Guitar. This Was Seen By Some Of His Fans As A Betrayal Of This Folk Roots With Some Saying That It Obscured His Meaningful And Poetic Lyrics. The Second Half Of The 1960s Was Marked By A String Of Well Received Releases With His Song "Like A Rolling Stone" Released In July Of 1965 Later Being Named "The Greatest Song Of All Time" By Rolling Stone Magazine In 2004 Placing #1 In A List Of 500 Titles. It Also Marked The Formation Of Dylan's Backing Band The Hawks Who Would Later Call Themselves Simply The Band . Dylan Embarked On A World Tour Of Australia And Europe In 1966 During Which He Seemed To Be Under A Lot Of Strain And Pressure By Both His Fans The Music Press And His Own Promoters. Dylan Himself Admitted That He Began Taking Drugs Seriously Whilst On This Tour And Found It Immensely Hard Work. On Returning To New York He Crashed His Motorbike Sustaining Serious Injuries In The Process And Went Into A Period Of Withdrawal While He Recuperated. During The Late 1960s Dylan Again Changed Stylistic Tradition Moving Away From The Psychedelic Culture Of The Time. It Was Then That He Recorded All Along The Watchtower Perhaps More Famously Recorded By Jimi Hendrix. The 1970s Were A Period During Which Dylan Was More Sporadic In His Output Releasing Some Poorly Received LPs. He Rarely Appeared In Person Until 1974 When He Began Touring Again With His Backing Band The Band. He Also Wrote One Of His Most Extensively Covered Songs Knockin' On Heaven's Door As Well As What Is Now Recognised As One Of His Best Albums Blood On The Tracks. Towards The End Of The 1970s Dylan Discovered Christ And Released Some Albums Of Gospel Music. He Started To Talk To The Crowd About His Faith During His Performances And Wouldn't Play Any Of His Early Work Which Alienated Some Of His Previous Fans. Dylan Today Still Remains An Influential And Popular Artist Despite A Period Of Little Note Between 1980-2000 His 2006 Album Modern Times Reached The US Chart At #1 As Did His 2009 Album Together Through Life In The US Britain France And Several Other Countries. His 2012 Album Tempest Was Also Critically Acclaimed. Since 1988 Dylan Has Been On The So-Called Never Ending Tour During Which His Performances Have Provoked Controversy With Some Critics Claiming That His Lyrics Have Become Incomprehensible An Experience Which Is Not Helped By His Tendency To Change His Set-List And Vocals Almost Every Performance. Bob Dylan's Strong Influence Over The Past Few Years Is Becoming Even More Prominent Amongst A Growing Group Of Younger Emerging Artists Such As George Ellias And Devendra Banhart. Dylan's Early Lyrics Incorporated Politics Social Commentary Philosophy And Literary Influences Defying Existing Pop Music Conventions And Appealing Widely To The Counterculture Of The Time. While Expanding And Personalizing Musical Styles Dylan Has Shown Steadfast Devotion To Traditions Of American Song From Folk And Country/blues To Rock And Roll And Rockabilly To Gaelic Balladry Even Jazz Swing And Broadway. Dylan Performs With The Guitar Keyboard And Harmonica. Backed By A Changing Lineup Of Musicians He Has Toured Steadily Since The Late 1980s. He Has Also Recently Performed Alongside Other Iconic Artists Such As Paul Simon Joni Mitchell Tom Petty And Eric Clapton. Although His Contributions As A Performer And Recording Artist Have Been Central To His Career His Songwriting Is Generally Held As His Highest Accomplishment. Nobel Prize For Literature 2016 - On October 13 2016 Dylan Was Awarded The Nobel Prize For Literature For “for Having Created New Poetic Expressions Within The Great American Song Tradition”. The Prestigious Award Has Been Given Annually Since 1901 And Previous Nobel Laureates For Literature Include Harold Pinter And Samuel Beckett. Here Is The Speech Written By Dylan Although Unable To Attend Http //www.Nytimes.Com/2016/12/10/arts/bob-Dylan-Nobel-Prize-Acceptance-Speech.Html?_R 0 read less
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Dylan Started His Musical Odyssey In 1959 When He Began Playing In Dinkytown Minneapolis While Attending The University Of Minnesota. Shortly After Starting To Play He Changed His Stage Name To Bob Dylan After Being Influenced By The Poetry Of Dylan Thomas Before Legally Changing His Name In 1962. Much Of His Best Known Work Is From The 1960s When He Became An Informal Documentarian And Reluctant Figurehead Of American Unrest Promoted By Joan Baez. Some Of His Songs Such As "Blowin' In The Wind" And "The Times They Are A-Changin'" Became Anthems Of The Anti-War And Civil Rights Movements With Joan Baez And Dylan Singing Together At The March On Washington In 1963. However He Later Became Disenchanted With The Civil Liberty Protest Scene Feeling That He Had Been Used By Them. His Album Bringing It All Back Home Marked A Move Away From The Folk Scene And A Move Towards Rock And Roll And Dylan Began To Consciously Distance Himself From His Early Association With Civil Rights. He Also Started To Become Irritated When Being Interviewed Often Given Facetious Or Irreverent Answers To Questions. Bringing It All Back Home Was A Controversial Album As It The First On Which He Played Electric Guitar. This Was Seen By Some Of His Fans As A Betrayal Of This Folk Roots With Some Saying That It Obscured His Meaningful And Poetic Lyrics. The Second Half Of The 1960s Was Marked By A String Of Well Received Releases With His Song "Like A Rolling Stone" Released In July Of 1965 Later Being Named "The Greatest Song Of All Time" By Rolling Stone Magazine In 2004 Placing #1 In A List Of 500 Titles. It Also Marked The Formation Of Dylan's Backing Band The Hawks Who Would Later Call Themselves Simply The Band . Dylan Embarked On A World Tour Of Australia And Europe In 1966 During Which He Seemed To Be Under A Lot Of Strain And Pressure By Both His Fans The Music Press And His Own Promoters. Dylan Himself Admitted That He Began Taking Drugs Seriously Whilst On This Tour And Found It Immensely Hard Work. On Returning To New York He Crashed His Motorbike Sustaining Serious Injuries In The Process And Went Into A Period Of Withdrawal While He Recuperated. During The Late 1960s Dylan Again Changed Stylistic Tradition Moving Away From The Psychedelic Culture Of The Time. It Was Then That He Recorded All Along The Watchtower Perhaps More Famously Recorded By Jimi Hendrix. The 1970s Were A Period During Which Dylan Was More Sporadic In His Output Releasing Some Poorly Received LPs. He Rarely Appeared In Person Until 1974 When He Began Touring Again With His Backing Band The Band. He Also Wrote One Of His Most Extensively Covered Songs Knockin' On Heaven's Door As Well As What Is Now Recognised As One Of His Best Albums Blood On The Tracks. Towards The End Of The 1970s Dylan Discovered Christ And Released Some Albums Of Gospel Music. He Started To Talk To The Crowd About His Faith During His Performances And Wouldn't Play Any Of His Early Work Which Alienated Some Of His Previous Fans. Dylan Today Still Remains An Influential And Popular Artist Despite A Period Of Little Note Between 1980-2000 His 2006 Album Modern Times Reached The US Chart At #1 As Did His 2009 Album Together Through Life In The US Britain France And Several Other Countries. His 2012 Album Tempest Was Also Critically Acclaimed. Since 1988 Dylan Has Been On The So-Called Never Ending Tour During Which His Performances Have Provoked Controversy With Some Critics Claiming That His Lyrics Have Become Incomprehensible An Experience Which Is Not Helped By His Tendency To Change His Set-List And Vocals Almost Every Performance. Bob Dylan's Strong Influence Over The Past Few Years Is Becoming Even More Prominent Amongst A Growing Group Of Younger Emerging Artists Such As George Ellias And Devendra Banhart. Dylan's Early Lyrics Incorporated Politics Social Commentary Philosophy And Literary Influences Defying Existing Pop Music Conventions And Appealing Widely To The Counterculture Of The Time. While Expanding And Personalizing Musical Styles Dylan Has Shown Steadfast Devotion To Traditions Of American Song From Folk And Country/blues To Rock And Roll And Rockabilly To Gaelic Balladry Even Jazz Swing And Broadway. Dylan Performs With The Guitar Keyboard And Harmonica. Backed By A Changing Lineup Of Musicians He Has Toured Steadily Since The Late 1980s. He Has Also Recently Performed Alongside Other Iconic Artists Such As Paul Simon Joni Mitchell Tom Petty And Eric Clapton. Although His Contributions As A Performer And Recording Artist Have Been Central To His Career His Songwriting Is Generally Held As His Highest Accomplishment. Nobel Prize For Literature 2016 - On October 13 2016 Dylan Was Awarded The Nobel Prize For Literature For “for Having Created New Poetic Expressions Within The Great American Song Tradition”. The Prestigious Award Has Been Given Annually Since 1901 And Previous Nobel Laureates For Literature Include Harold Pinter And Samuel Beckett. Here Is The Speech Written By Dylan Although Unable To Attend Http //www.Nytimes.Com/2016/12/10/arts/bob-Dylan-Nobel-Prize-Acceptance-Speech.Html?_R 0 read less
16 Similar Artists To Bob Dylan - Frogtoon Music
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Tempest Was Very Well Received By Contemporary Music Critics Who Praised Its Traditional Music Influences And Dylan's Dark Lyrics. The Album Peaked At Number Three On The Billboard 200.
Composition. Rolling Stone Reported That The Fourteen-Minute Long Title Track "Tempest" Is About The RMS Titanic And Includes References To The James Cameron Film Titanic 1997 . The Song "Roll On John" Is A Tribute To John Lennon. It Includes References To Some Of His Songs Including The Beatles' "Come Together" And "A Day In The Life."
The Album's Title Initially Spurred Rumors That It Would Be Dylan's Final Album Based On Its Similarity To The Title Of Shakespeare's Final Play. Dylan Later Responded "Shakespeare's Last Play Was Called The Tempest. It Wasn't Called Just Plain "Tempest". The Name Of My Record Is Just Plain Tempest. It's Two Different Titles." Artwork
The Cover Art For Tempest Incorporates A Dark Red Duotone Photograph Of A Statue Located At The Base Of The Pallas-Athene Fountain In Front Of The Austrian Parliament Building In Vienna.The Statue Is One Of Four Figures On The Intermediate Platform Of The Fountain Bowl Personifying The Main Rivers Of Austria-Hungary The Danube The Inn The Elbe And The Moldau. The Figure Shown On The Album Cover Represents The Moldau. The Sculpture Was Created By Carl Kundmann Between 1893 And 1902 Based On Architect Theophil Hansen's Original Plans. The Photograph Was Taken By Alexander Längauer From His Shutterstock Portfolio And The Package Was Designed By Coco Shinomiya. As With All Dylan Albums Of The Past 15 Years The Packaging Features Minimal Credits And No Printed Lyrics.
Tempest Was Released On September 10 2012 In The United Kingdom And September 11 In The United States. It Was Announced For Release On July 17 2012 Through A Press Release On Dylan's Official Web Site. The Release Was Issued As A CD And An LP And As A Digital Download Through Online Retailers. Various Pre-Order Packages Were Available From Dylan's Official Online Store Including A Combined CD/MP3 Download Of The Album An LP-Only Version And Two CD/LP Bundles Including A Signature Bob Dylan Hohner Harmonica In The Different Keys And An Exclusive 11"x17" Poster.
A Segment Of "Early Roman Kings" Was Featured In A Cinemax Commercial For The TV Series Strike Back Vengeance And "Scarlet Town" Was Featured During The End Credits Of The First Two Episodes Both Of Which Aired On August 17 2012.
"Duquesne Whistle" Written By Dylan And Robert Hunter Was Released As The Album's Single Along With An Accompanying Music Video The Video Was Directed By Nash Edgerton Who Had Directed Videos For Previous Dylan Songs. Rolling Stone Wrote That The Video "initially Seems Like A Charlie Chaplin-Inspired Bit Of Light Comedy" But That It Takes A "shockingly Dark Turn".
Tempest Was Very Well Received By Contemporary Music Critics. At Metacritic Which Assigns A Normalized Rating Out Of 100 To Reviews From Mainstream Critics The Album Received An Average Score Of 83 Which Indicates "universal Acclaim" Based On 31 Reviews.
In His Review In Rolling Stone Magazine Will Hermes Gave The Album Five Out Of Five Stars Calling It "musically Varied And Full Of Curveballs" And "the Single Darkest Record In Dylan's Catalog."According To Hermes The Album Draws Upon Elements Common Throughout Dylan's Career—especially The Last Three Albums—with Music That Is "built From Traditional Forms And Drawing On Eternal Themes Love Struggle Death." Hermes Continues Lyrically Dylan Is At The Top Of His Game Joking Around Dropping Wordplay And Allegories That Evade Pat Readings And Quoting Other Folks' Words Like A Freestyle Rapper On Fire. "Narrow Way" Is One Of Dylan's Most Potent Rockers In Years And It Borrows A Chorus From The Mississippi Sheiks' 1934 Blues "You'll Work Down To Me Someday". "Scarlet Town" Draws On Verses By 19th-Century Quaker Poet And Abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier And Allusions To Louis Armstrong And The Isley Brothers Pop Up Elsewhere.
The Title Track About The Sinking Of The RMS Titanic Is A 14-Minute Epic Consisting Of 45 Verses And No Chorus With An Irish Melody Supported By Accordion And Fiddle. The Song Depicts A Series Of Horrifying Scenes—of Passengers Falling Into The Icy Waters Dead Bodies "already Floating" Men Turning Against Other Men In Murderous Acts—presented Against Acts Of Bravery Such As One Man "offering His Lifeboat Seat To A Crippled Child." The Closing Track According To Hermes Is A "prayer From One Great Artist To Another" And Stands As A Reminder That "Dylan Now Stands Virtually Alone Among His 1960s Peers. His Own Final Act Meanwhile Rolls On. It's A Thing To Behold."
In His Review For American Songwriter Jim Beviglia Gave The Album Four And A Half Out Of Five Stars Calling It "the Kind Of Meaty Offering That His Most Ardent Fans Desire Most." The Deceptively Gentle Instrumental Passage At The Start Of "Duquesne Whistle" Beviglia Observes Is A Perfect Opening To An Album Of "sudden Juxtapositions And Mood Shifts That Occur Not Just Within Songs But Sometimes Within Verses."
Through The Easy Tempo Of "Soon After Midnight" The Grinding Blues Of "Narrow Way" The Soulful Guitar Lines Of "Long And Wasted Years" And The Remorseless Biting Lyrics Of "Pay In Blood" Dylan Captures "humanity In All Of Its Flawed Glory At Every Turn." The Musical Antecedents Of Some Of These Songs Are Transparent "Duquesne Whistle" From "Thunder On The Mountain" "Scarlet Town" From "Ain't Talkin'" "Tin Angel" From "Man In The Long Black Coat" And "Black Jack Davey" "Early Roman Kings" From The Blues Classic "Mannish Boy" And "Pay In Blood" From "Idiot Wind" Or "Like A Rolling Stone".
Dylan's Singing Is Strong On The Album Especially On Songs Like "Long And Wasted Years" Where He Toys With The Phrasing Of Each Line Teasing Out "every Bit Of Hurt In This Tale Of Love Gone Wrong." "His Voice May Be Shredded " Breviglia Observes "but He Can Still Interpret A Song Like No Other."
Beviglia Notes That The Ambitious Three-Song Run Concluding The Album "should Silence Any Doubts If They Exist That Dylan Is Still At The Top Of His Game." "Tin Angel" Tells A Story Of A Lovers' Triangle That Turns Into A "Shakespearean Body Pile Providing Plenty Of Fodder For Dylanologists Looking For Symbols And Hidden Meanings." The Title Track According To Breviglia May Be A Metaphor For How Mankind Is "headed Unknowingly Toward An Unfortunate Fate" With Dylan Examining How People React—"some Nobly Some Horribly When Put To The Ultimate Test." The Closing Track "Roll On John" Veers Between Biographical Elements And Lennon Song Lyrics Presenting What Beviglia Calls The "oft-Overlooked Soft Side Of Dylan" That Is Truly Touching.
Beviglia Concludes Unlike The Titanic Watchman Fast Asleep At His Post Bob Dylan's Eyes Are As Wide Open As Ever Even When He's Looking Back. On This Album He Depicts All He Sees With His Typical Insight Dexterity And Honesty Yet He Still Has Ways Of Doing So That Upend All Expectations. Tempest Is Fantastic But Being Impressed By Dylan Is Old Hat. That He Still Finds Ways To Surprise Us Is An Achievement Beyond All Comprehension.
In His Review In The Los Angeles Times Randall Roberts Wrote "Few American Writers Save Mark Twain Have Spoken So Eloquently And Consistently At Such A Steady Honest Clip And The Evidence Continues On Tempest."
According To Randall The Album Reveals A "master Storyteller" At Work As Dylan "continues To Explore The Various Strands Of Early American Roots Music That He Internalized As He Matured."
At Their Best New Songs Such As "Scarlet Town " "Tin Angel" And "Roll On John" Show An Artist Swirling In Musical Repetition And The Joy Of Longevity. Each Is Longer Than Seven Minutes And Each Deserves To Be Heard Again The Moment It Ends. He Mixes These Longer Narratives With A Few Four-Minute Expertly Crafted Gems That Float Like Whittled Wooden Birds Come To Life—especially "Long And Wasted Years " A Bitter Song About A Dead Marriage.
Randall Is Less Enthusiastic About The Longer Pieces "Narrow Way" And The Title Track Noting That "even A Master Craftsman Sometimes Needs An Editor." Randall Concludes "Dylan Lives In Every Molecule Of Our Being Has Taught Us About Lyrical Possibility Has Reveled In The Joy Of Words And The Power And Glory Of Making Things Up From Scratch."
In His Review In The Guardian Alexis Petridis Gave The Album Four Out Of Five Stars But Downplayed Some Of The Superlatives Offered By Other Reviewers Who Have Compared Tempest To Some Of Dylan's Finest Work.
In His Consumer Guide For MSN Music Robert Christgau Gave The Album A "B " Offering A Similar Complaint About The "autohype Machine" And How Some Of The Reviews Were Overly Positive.
Christgau Was Also Unimpressed With The Title Track As Well As The Two Closing Numbers Which "aim Higher With Dubious-To-Disgraceful Results."
In His Review In The Sun Simon Cosyns Gave The Album Five Out Of Five Stars Calling It "a Magnificent Beast Of An Album".
According To Cosyns The Album "continues Dylan's Rich Vein Of Late-Career Form" And In Some Ways Surpasses His Recent Albums Based On "sheer Lyrical And Vocal Power While Managing To Stretch The Familiar Old Timey Sonic Palette In All Sorts Of Unexpected Ways."
In His Review In The Daily Telegraph Neil McCormick Called The Album "among His Best Ever".
According To McCormick The Songs On Tempest Reveal A Dylan "genuinely Fired Up By The Possibilities Of Language" And That The Entire Album "resounds With Snappy Jokes And Dark Ruminations Vivid Sketches And Philosophical Asides."
McCormick Continued Tempest Is Certainly His Strongest And Most Distinctive Album In A Decade. The Sound Is A Distillation Of The Jump Blues Railroad Boogie Archaic Country And Lush Folk That Dylan Has Been Honing Since 2001's Love And Theft Played With Swagger And Character By His Live Ensemble And Snappily Produced By The Man Himself. A Notoriously Impatient Recording Artist Dylan Seems To Have Found A Style That Suits His Working Methods. Drawing On The Early 20th-Century Americana That First Grabbed His Attention As A Young Man And That He Celebrated In His Theme Time Radio Hour Shows And Surrounding Himself With Slick Intuitive Musicians Capable Of Charging These Nostalgic Grooves With Contemporary Energy His Late-Period Albums Seem A Continuation Of His Tours As If He Rolls Right Off The Stage And Into The Studio And Just Keeps Rocking.
In His Review For The Chicago Tribune Greg Kot Gave The Album Three And A Half Out Of Four Stars Calling It "an Inspired Mix Of Blood And Bawdiness." Kot Called Dylan A "masterful Storyteller By Turns Murderous Mischievous And Tender Sometimes All At Once."
In His Review On Uncut Allan Jones Gave The Album Ten Out Of Ten Stars Calling It "the Most Far-Reaching Provocative And Transfixing Album Of Dylan’s Later Career. Nothing About It Suggests A Swansong Adios Or Fond Adieu."
In His Review In The The Gazette Bernard Perusse Gave The Album Five Out Of Five Stars Noting That It "ranks Among Dylan's Darker Works Largely Because It Has The Highest Death Toll." In His Review In The Tampa Bay Times Sean Daly Gave The Album An "A" Rating Calling It "breathtaking But Bleak" And A "mesmerizing Record". In Her Review For USA Today Edna Gundersen Gave The Album Four Out Of Four Stars Calling It "brilliant". According To Gundersen Dylan's "peerless Powers As A Wordplay Wizard And Consummate Storyteller" Have Not Diminished With Age And That Tempest Continues In The Vein Of His Recent Albums "steeped In Tradition And Bent Toward Blues." Dylan's Voice Is Ideal For These Songs Gundersen Noted Whether He's Describing A Triple Murder-Suicide In "Tin Angel" Or Vilifying Modern Robber Barons In "Early Roman Kings".Beneath The Humor And Mayhem Dylan Layers "sexual And Political Metaphors And Bigger Truths About Human Nature Twisted Morals Fate And Mortality."
Anne Margaret Daniel Writing In Hot Press Described Tempest As "Breathtaking Mythmaking Heartbreaking The Songs And Ballads Of Bob Dylan's Tempest Are Composed Of Intricately Patterned Rhyme And Sound. No Other Songwriter Can Marry Words And Music As Richly As Dylan Can And The Perfect-Ten Tracks Of This Record Come Straight To Us From A Bard's Ear And A Poet's Pen."
Rolling Stone Named It The Number 4 Album Of 2012
They Also Named The Song Pay In Blood The 9th Best Song Of 2012
Track Listing All Songs Written And Composed By Bob Dylan Except Where Noted. No. Title Length 1. "Duquesne Whistle" Dylan Robert Hunter 5 43
2. "Soon After Midnight" 3 27
3. "Narrow Way" 7 28
4. "Long And Wasted Years" 3 46
5. "Pay In Blood" 5 09
6. "Scarlet Town" 7 17
7. "Early Roman Kings" 5 16
8. "Tin Angel" 9 05
9. "Tempest" 13 54
10. "Roll On John" 7 25
Total Length 68 31 Personnel Bob Dylan – Guitar Piano Vocals Production
Additional Musicians
Tony Garnier – Bass Guitar
Donnie Herron – Steel Guitar Banjo Violin Mandolin
David Hidalgo – Guitar Accordion Violin
Stu Kimball – Guitar
George G. Receli – Drums
Charlie Sexton – Guitar
Published: 12 Dec 2013, 17:36
Tempest Is The Thirty-Fifth Studio Album By American Singer-Songwriter Bob Dylan Released On September 10 2012 By Columbia Records.The Album Was Recorded At Jackson Browne's Groove Masters Studios In Santa Monica California. Dylan Wrote All Of The Songs Himself With The Exception Of The Track "Duquesne Whistle" Which He Co-Wrote With Robert Hunter.Tempest Was Very Well Received By Contemporary Music Critics Who Praised Its Traditional Music Influences And Dylan's Dark Lyrics. The Album Peaked At Number Three On The Billboard 200.
Composition. Rolling Stone Reported That The Fourteen-Minute Long Title Track "Tempest" Is About The RMS Titanic And Includes References To The James Cameron Film Titanic 1997 . The Song "Roll On John" Is A Tribute To John Lennon. It Includes References To Some Of His Songs Including The Beatles' "Come Together" And "A Day In The Life."
The Album's Title Initially Spurred Rumors That It Would Be Dylan's Final Album Based On Its Similarity To The Title Of Shakespeare's Final Play. Dylan Later Responded "Shakespeare's Last Play Was Called The Tempest. It Wasn't Called Just Plain "Tempest". The Name Of My Record Is Just Plain Tempest. It's Two Different Titles." Artwork
The Cover Art For Tempest Incorporates A Dark Red Duotone Photograph Of A Statue Located At The Base Of The Pallas-Athene Fountain In Front Of The Austrian Parliament Building In Vienna.The Statue Is One Of Four Figures On The Intermediate Platform Of The Fountain Bowl Personifying The Main Rivers Of Austria-Hungary The Danube The Inn The Elbe And The Moldau. The Figure Shown On The Album Cover Represents The Moldau. The Sculpture Was Created By Carl Kundmann Between 1893 And 1902 Based On Architect Theophil Hansen's Original Plans. The Photograph Was Taken By Alexander Längauer From His Shutterstock Portfolio And The Package Was Designed By Coco Shinomiya. As With All Dylan Albums Of The Past 15 Years The Packaging Features Minimal Credits And No Printed Lyrics.
Tempest Was Released On September 10 2012 In The United Kingdom And September 11 In The United States. It Was Announced For Release On July 17 2012 Through A Press Release On Dylan's Official Web Site. The Release Was Issued As A CD And An LP And As A Digital Download Through Online Retailers. Various Pre-Order Packages Were Available From Dylan's Official Online Store Including A Combined CD/MP3 Download Of The Album An LP-Only Version And Two CD/LP Bundles Including A Signature Bob Dylan Hohner Harmonica In The Different Keys And An Exclusive 11"x17" Poster.
A Segment Of "Early Roman Kings" Was Featured In A Cinemax Commercial For The TV Series Strike Back Vengeance And "Scarlet Town" Was Featured During The End Credits Of The First Two Episodes Both Of Which Aired On August 17 2012.
"Duquesne Whistle" Written By Dylan And Robert Hunter Was Released As The Album's Single Along With An Accompanying Music Video The Video Was Directed By Nash Edgerton Who Had Directed Videos For Previous Dylan Songs. Rolling Stone Wrote That The Video "initially Seems Like A Charlie Chaplin-Inspired Bit Of Light Comedy" But That It Takes A "shockingly Dark Turn".
Tempest Was Very Well Received By Contemporary Music Critics. At Metacritic Which Assigns A Normalized Rating Out Of 100 To Reviews From Mainstream Critics The Album Received An Average Score Of 83 Which Indicates "universal Acclaim" Based On 31 Reviews.
In His Review In Rolling Stone Magazine Will Hermes Gave The Album Five Out Of Five Stars Calling It "musically Varied And Full Of Curveballs" And "the Single Darkest Record In Dylan's Catalog."According To Hermes The Album Draws Upon Elements Common Throughout Dylan's Career—especially The Last Three Albums—with Music That Is "built From Traditional Forms And Drawing On Eternal Themes Love Struggle Death." Hermes Continues Lyrically Dylan Is At The Top Of His Game Joking Around Dropping Wordplay And Allegories That Evade Pat Readings And Quoting Other Folks' Words Like A Freestyle Rapper On Fire. "Narrow Way" Is One Of Dylan's Most Potent Rockers In Years And It Borrows A Chorus From The Mississippi Sheiks' 1934 Blues "You'll Work Down To Me Someday". "Scarlet Town" Draws On Verses By 19th-Century Quaker Poet And Abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier And Allusions To Louis Armstrong And The Isley Brothers Pop Up Elsewhere.
The Title Track About The Sinking Of The RMS Titanic Is A 14-Minute Epic Consisting Of 45 Verses And No Chorus With An Irish Melody Supported By Accordion And Fiddle. The Song Depicts A Series Of Horrifying Scenes—of Passengers Falling Into The Icy Waters Dead Bodies "already Floating" Men Turning Against Other Men In Murderous Acts—presented Against Acts Of Bravery Such As One Man "offering His Lifeboat Seat To A Crippled Child." The Closing Track According To Hermes Is A "prayer From One Great Artist To Another" And Stands As A Reminder That "Dylan Now Stands Virtually Alone Among His 1960s Peers. His Own Final Act Meanwhile Rolls On. It's A Thing To Behold."
In His Review For American Songwriter Jim Beviglia Gave The Album Four And A Half Out Of Five Stars Calling It "the Kind Of Meaty Offering That His Most Ardent Fans Desire Most." The Deceptively Gentle Instrumental Passage At The Start Of "Duquesne Whistle" Beviglia Observes Is A Perfect Opening To An Album Of "sudden Juxtapositions And Mood Shifts That Occur Not Just Within Songs But Sometimes Within Verses."
Through The Easy Tempo Of "Soon After Midnight" The Grinding Blues Of "Narrow Way" The Soulful Guitar Lines Of "Long And Wasted Years" And The Remorseless Biting Lyrics Of "Pay In Blood" Dylan Captures "humanity In All Of Its Flawed Glory At Every Turn." The Musical Antecedents Of Some Of These Songs Are Transparent "Duquesne Whistle" From "Thunder On The Mountain" "Scarlet Town" From "Ain't Talkin'" "Tin Angel" From "Man In The Long Black Coat" And "Black Jack Davey" "Early Roman Kings" From The Blues Classic "Mannish Boy" And "Pay In Blood" From "Idiot Wind" Or "Like A Rolling Stone".
Dylan's Singing Is Strong On The Album Especially On Songs Like "Long And Wasted Years" Where He Toys With The Phrasing Of Each Line Teasing Out "every Bit Of Hurt In This Tale Of Love Gone Wrong." "His Voice May Be Shredded " Breviglia Observes "but He Can Still Interpret A Song Like No Other."
Beviglia Notes That The Ambitious Three-Song Run Concluding The Album "should Silence Any Doubts If They Exist That Dylan Is Still At The Top Of His Game." "Tin Angel" Tells A Story Of A Lovers' Triangle That Turns Into A "Shakespearean Body Pile Providing Plenty Of Fodder For Dylanologists Looking For Symbols And Hidden Meanings." The Title Track According To Breviglia May Be A Metaphor For How Mankind Is "headed Unknowingly Toward An Unfortunate Fate" With Dylan Examining How People React—"some Nobly Some Horribly When Put To The Ultimate Test." The Closing Track "Roll On John" Veers Between Biographical Elements And Lennon Song Lyrics Presenting What Beviglia Calls The "oft-Overlooked Soft Side Of Dylan" That Is Truly Touching.
Beviglia Concludes Unlike The Titanic Watchman Fast Asleep At His Post Bob Dylan's Eyes Are As Wide Open As Ever Even When He's Looking Back. On This Album He Depicts All He Sees With His Typical Insight Dexterity And Honesty Yet He Still Has Ways Of Doing So That Upend All Expectations. Tempest Is Fantastic But Being Impressed By Dylan Is Old Hat. That He Still Finds Ways To Surprise Us Is An Achievement Beyond All Comprehension.
In His Review In The Los Angeles Times Randall Roberts Wrote "Few American Writers Save Mark Twain Have Spoken So Eloquently And Consistently At Such A Steady Honest Clip And The Evidence Continues On Tempest."
According To Randall The Album Reveals A "master Storyteller" At Work As Dylan "continues To Explore The Various Strands Of Early American Roots Music That He Internalized As He Matured."
At Their Best New Songs Such As "Scarlet Town " "Tin Angel" And "Roll On John" Show An Artist Swirling In Musical Repetition And The Joy Of Longevity. Each Is Longer Than Seven Minutes And Each Deserves To Be Heard Again The Moment It Ends. He Mixes These Longer Narratives With A Few Four-Minute Expertly Crafted Gems That Float Like Whittled Wooden Birds Come To Life—especially "Long And Wasted Years " A Bitter Song About A Dead Marriage.
Randall Is Less Enthusiastic About The Longer Pieces "Narrow Way" And The Title Track Noting That "even A Master Craftsman Sometimes Needs An Editor." Randall Concludes "Dylan Lives In Every Molecule Of Our Being Has Taught Us About Lyrical Possibility Has Reveled In The Joy Of Words And The Power And Glory Of Making Things Up From Scratch."
In His Review In The Guardian Alexis Petridis Gave The Album Four Out Of Five Stars But Downplayed Some Of The Superlatives Offered By Other Reviewers Who Have Compared Tempest To Some Of Dylan's Finest Work.
In His Consumer Guide For MSN Music Robert Christgau Gave The Album A "B " Offering A Similar Complaint About The "autohype Machine" And How Some Of The Reviews Were Overly Positive.
Christgau Was Also Unimpressed With The Title Track As Well As The Two Closing Numbers Which "aim Higher With Dubious-To-Disgraceful Results."
In His Review In The Sun Simon Cosyns Gave The Album Five Out Of Five Stars Calling It "a Magnificent Beast Of An Album".
According To Cosyns The Album "continues Dylan's Rich Vein Of Late-Career Form" And In Some Ways Surpasses His Recent Albums Based On "sheer Lyrical And Vocal Power While Managing To Stretch The Familiar Old Timey Sonic Palette In All Sorts Of Unexpected Ways."
In His Review In The Daily Telegraph Neil McCormick Called The Album "among His Best Ever".
According To McCormick The Songs On Tempest Reveal A Dylan "genuinely Fired Up By The Possibilities Of Language" And That The Entire Album "resounds With Snappy Jokes And Dark Ruminations Vivid Sketches And Philosophical Asides."
McCormick Continued Tempest Is Certainly His Strongest And Most Distinctive Album In A Decade. The Sound Is A Distillation Of The Jump Blues Railroad Boogie Archaic Country And Lush Folk That Dylan Has Been Honing Since 2001's Love And Theft Played With Swagger And Character By His Live Ensemble And Snappily Produced By The Man Himself. A Notoriously Impatient Recording Artist Dylan Seems To Have Found A Style That Suits His Working Methods. Drawing On The Early 20th-Century Americana That First Grabbed His Attention As A Young Man And That He Celebrated In His Theme Time Radio Hour Shows And Surrounding Himself With Slick Intuitive Musicians Capable Of Charging These Nostalgic Grooves With Contemporary Energy His Late-Period Albums Seem A Continuation Of His Tours As If He Rolls Right Off The Stage And Into The Studio And Just Keeps Rocking.
In His Review For The Chicago Tribune Greg Kot Gave The Album Three And A Half Out Of Four Stars Calling It "an Inspired Mix Of Blood And Bawdiness." Kot Called Dylan A "masterful Storyteller By Turns Murderous Mischievous And Tender Sometimes All At Once."
In His Review On Uncut Allan Jones Gave The Album Ten Out Of Ten Stars Calling It "the Most Far-Reaching Provocative And Transfixing Album Of Dylan’s Later Career. Nothing About It Suggests A Swansong Adios Or Fond Adieu."
In His Review In The The Gazette Bernard Perusse Gave The Album Five Out Of Five Stars Noting That It "ranks Among Dylan's Darker Works Largely Because It Has The Highest Death Toll." In His Review In The Tampa Bay Times Sean Daly Gave The Album An "A" Rating Calling It "breathtaking But Bleak" And A "mesmerizing Record". In Her Review For USA Today Edna Gundersen Gave The Album Four Out Of Four Stars Calling It "brilliant". According To Gundersen Dylan's "peerless Powers As A Wordplay Wizard And Consummate Storyteller" Have Not Diminished With Age And That Tempest Continues In The Vein Of His Recent Albums "steeped In Tradition And Bent Toward Blues." Dylan's Voice Is Ideal For These Songs Gundersen Noted Whether He's Describing A Triple Murder-Suicide In "Tin Angel" Or Vilifying Modern Robber Barons In "Early Roman Kings".Beneath The Humor And Mayhem Dylan Layers "sexual And Political Metaphors And Bigger Truths About Human Nature Twisted Morals Fate And Mortality."
Anne Margaret Daniel Writing In Hot Press Described Tempest As "Breathtaking Mythmaking Heartbreaking The Songs And Ballads Of Bob Dylan's Tempest Are Composed Of Intricately Patterned Rhyme And Sound. No Other Songwriter Can Marry Words And Music As Richly As Dylan Can And The Perfect-Ten Tracks Of This Record Come Straight To Us From A Bard's Ear And A Poet's Pen."
Rolling Stone Named It The Number 4 Album Of 2012
They Also Named The Song Pay In Blood The 9th Best Song Of 2012
Track Listing All Songs Written And Composed By Bob Dylan Except Where Noted. No. Title Length 1. "Duquesne Whistle" Dylan Robert Hunter 5 43
2. "Soon After Midnight" 3 27
3. "Narrow Way" 7 28
4. "Long And Wasted Years" 3 46
5. "Pay In Blood" 5 09
6. "Scarlet Town" 7 17
7. "Early Roman Kings" 5 16
8. "Tin Angel" 9 05
9. "Tempest" 13 54
10. "Roll On John" 7 25
Total Length 68 31 Personnel Bob Dylan – Guitar Piano Vocals Production
Additional Musicians
Tony Garnier – Bass Guitar
Donnie Herron – Steel Guitar Banjo Violin Mandolin
David Hidalgo – Guitar Accordion Violin
Stu Kimball – Guitar
George G. Receli – Drums
Charlie Sexton – Guitar