What will Bob Dylan’s ‘Tempest’ sound like?
Update: Don’t spread it about, but, yes, I’ve heard the new Dylan album. And four or five tracks in, what I was thinking was: how much better is this thing going to get? (Allan Jones writing about his exclusive first listen.)
Bob Dylan has a new album, entitled “Tempest,” set for release on September 11th. So far, not much has been released or leaked by a tight-lipped Dylan other than the track list, see below. This will mark his 50th anniversary as a recording artist. Rather than opening my Shakespeare, I suppose this would be as good a time as any to look back at Bob’s recent-ish releases. Let’s take a listen…
Rumor has it the album contains two epic songs. Rolling Stone is reporting that, “the title track is a 14-minute epic about the sinking of the Titanic, which actually refers to a scene from James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic.”
It will be interesting to see what inspiration Dylan will take from another classic song on the sinking of the Titanic, “God Moves on the Water.” A song written in 1929 by Blind Willie Johnson at a time when even the most terrible of events could be seen as a kind of mercy from God–driving people to despair of their own abilities and surrender to a terrifying (and loving) God for mercy.
Year of nineteen hundred and twelve, April the fourteenth day
Great Titanic struck an iceberg, people had to run and prayGod moves, moves, God moves, ah, and the people had to run and pray
So many had to leave their happy home, all that they possess
Lord Jesus, will you hear us now, help us in our distressGod moves, moves, God moves, ah, and the people had to run and pray
And, yes, the cover art looks like it was made with Microsoft paint, Dylan can do no wrong…
1. Duquesne Whistle
2. Soon After Midnight
3. Narrow Way
4. Long and Wasted Years
5. Pay In Blood
6. Scarlet Town
7. Early Roman Kings
8. Tin Angel
9. Tempest
10. Roll On John
The press release.
Tempest is available for pre-order now on iTunes and Amazon. Click here for Dylan’s 2012 tour schedule.