Bob Dylan
Tempest
Columbia Records
2012
A new Bob Dylan album is always hailed with anticipation and lots of praise. Despite his 71 years, Bob is still around making albums and giving live shows. I totally like that thing, but we should also keep in mind that a legendary artist such as Dylan must know how to protect himself and when to step down. No one can argue that Dylan is and will always be considered as the father of “poetic rock”. His early works have already become classics so I do not think that he needs to prove anything anymore. But what’s the point in going on further especially when there’s nothing left to offer? Going on after that certain point can only ruin some of your “untouchable” personality and music.
“Tempest” has received great reviews, people and critics are praising it every day, some learned Dylan now and some others took advantage of that fact to sell more copies of their “old-fashioned” magazines. One thing is sure; Dylan’s voice isn’t tolerable anymore. He ain’t a blues singer and that’s something obvious from the very first moment. The songwriting is poor and too flat as well. The album lasts about 68 minutes, and there are long songs here as the homonymous one which lasts about 13 minutes. This formula is not working well… it makes the whole result kinda tedious and monotonous. There’s nothing to fancy here, only some good ol’ lyrics by master Bob… but that’s all. Musically the album is one of the same, deprived and dull. There goes the awful cover artwork too.
Surely, some won’t be pleased with this point of view, but we gotta speak the truth and not be carried away by our love & devotion for some renowned “old” artists. Yes, we all like Bob, after all we honored him by putting his incredible album “Blond on Blonde” in the site’s “Hall of Fame” almost 8 years ago. No one can say the opposite… but we must speak our minds at all times. The good thing is that a couple big “dinosaur-like” magazines which are sorta 40 years back will have a great time with this album… Dylan will be on their covers for quite a few months! They’ve just found a way to spend their time… till they write/talk again about a newcomer from the UK called Led Zeppelin… that’s about to take on the world…
“Tempest” has received great reviews, people and critics are praising it every day, some learned Dylan now and some others took advantage of that fact to sell more copies of their “old-fashioned” magazines. One thing is sure; Dylan’s voice isn’t tolerable anymore. He ain’t a blues singer and that’s something obvious from the very first moment. The songwriting is poor and too flat as well. The album lasts about 68 minutes, and there are long songs here as the homonymous one which lasts about 13 minutes. This formula is not working well… it makes the whole result kinda tedious and monotonous. There’s nothing to fancy here, only some good ol’ lyrics by master Bob… but that’s all. Musically the album is one of the same, deprived and dull. There goes the awful cover artwork too.
Surely, some won’t be pleased with this point of view, but we gotta speak the truth and not be carried away by our love & devotion for some renowned “old” artists. Yes, we all like Bob, after all we honored him by putting his incredible album “Blond on Blonde” in the site’s “Hall of Fame” almost 8 years ago. No one can say the opposite… but we must speak our minds at all times. The good thing is that a couple big “dinosaur-like” magazines which are sorta 40 years back will have a great time with this album… Dylan will be on their covers for quite a few months! They’ve just found a way to spend their time… till they write/talk again about a newcomer from the UK called Led Zeppelin… that’s about to take on the world…