In commemoration of a 50-year career, American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan reminds old and new fans of why he is the voice of his generation with his 35th album, “Tempest.”
“Tempest” is a true rock ‘n’ roll album that captures the best of America’s golden age of rock, jazz and blues into a dark, yet satisfying album.
The year 2012 has been a special one for Dylan. In May, the folk singer was one of the recipients of a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award, for his contribution as a singer-songwriter to American music.
Next month, Dylan begins his tour.
To promote the new album and tour, the marketing campaign used some different approaches. Fans who visited www.listentobobdylan.com found a map of locations where selected songs from “Tempest” were streamed.
In addition, the day before the album’s release, pop-up stores opened in New York, Los Angeles and London to sell the album a day early alongside memorabilia.
This album is nothing like Dylan’s older stuff, circa the ‘60s, but luckily, he has always been a genius at capturing the times.
And since the times have changed, so have the 71-year-old’s melodies. There is a modern-day taste of Dylan’s poetic genius in 10 tracks.
Despite the vocal changes witnessed throughout the years, the singer’s voice has come to a point where it’s croaky, dry, yet honest and gritty to the core.
A voice that could only work for this album majestically glides through each track as Dylan tells the story of an old America that is dark and bittersweet — themes fans loved in 2001’s “Love and Theft.”
The album starts with the single “Duquesne Whistle,” which is like a blast of fresh, yet familiar air. A little ragtime diddle quietly peers in and then bursts into a jazzy bass, plucking groove with a piano ragging alongside it.
“Spin” magazine described the single’s video as “Tarantino-esque,” which is no surprise, as the song itself takes you on a violent western ride that speaks of life’s troubles.
“Soon After Midnight” showcases Dylan’s sensitive side, as he sings of love. Under the song is a layer of contempt with the lyrics: “Two timing slim — who’s ever heard of him? I’ll drag his corpse through the mud.”
It’s contrasted by the steel pedal guitar, which gives it a magical vibe that floats above the lyrics.
In “Pay in Blood,” Dylan sings about the pains of the human experience under another pedal steel accompanied by a steady snare tempo — another contrast to the lyrics, as he sings, “Or how I survived so many blows. I’ve been through hell, what good did it do?”
Dylan ventures into his storytelling trademark in “Tin Angel.” He tells a tale of doomed love, betrayal and murder. Musically, there’s no variation — the same humdrum going on for seven minutes — but its hypnotic effect draws you into the story of lost hope.
In 45 verses with no chorus, “Tempest” features violins that not only cry for the Titanic, but tell the listener what occurred during the ship’s demise.
After 32 years, in “Roll on John,” Dylan ruminates about the death of his friend and former Beatle John Lennon.
Despite his darkness, this last track ends in hope when Dylan croaks, “Shine your light, move it on, you burn so bright, roll on John.”
The album is laced with history both lyrically and musically. Dylan portrays a sense of the ‘60s culture wafting in the wind of a postmodern world and sentiments of social disorder, families and friends breaking away, and lost senses of humanity — themes that run in contemporary times.
It’s clear why he was deemed the voice of his generation: He is a genius at capturing the zeitgeist of the human experience. Now his songs and stories are social commentary worth listening to because they still resonate so clearly today and onward.
