Bob Dylan - Empire Burlesque

Say what you want about Empire Burlesque -- at the very least, it's the most consistent record Bob Dylan has made since Blood on the Tracks, even if it isn't quite as interesting as Desire. However, it is a better set of songs, all deriving from the same place and filled with subtle gems -- the most obvious being "Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love?)," but also "Emotionally Yours" and "Dark Eyes" -- proving that his powers are still there. The rest of the album may not be as graceful, but it's still well-crafted songwriting that never fails to be interesting. The record's biggest flaw is its state-of-the-art production; this is every bit as slick as Street Legal, but now sounds more focused and more of its time -- thanks to a reliance on synthesizers and mildly sequenced beats -- than it did upon its original release. All this makes Empire Burlesque seem more transient than it actually is, since -- discounting the production -- this is as good as Dylan gets in his latter days. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Al Kooper Guitar (Rhythm), Horn, Guitar, Keyboards Alan Clark Synthesizer, Keyboards Anton Fig Drums Bashiri Johnson Percussion Benmont Tench Piano, Keyboards Bob Dylan Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica, Keyboards Bob Glaub Bass Carolyn Dennis Vocals, Vocals (Background) Chops Horn David Watson Saxophone Debra Byrd Vocals (Background), Vocals Don Heffington Drums George Tutko Engineer Howie Epstein Bass, Vocals Ira Ingber Guitar Jim Keltner Vocals, Drums John Paris Bass Josh Abbey Engineer Judy Feltus Engineer Madelyn Quebec Vocals Mick Taylor Guitar Mike Campbell Guitar, Vocals Peggi Blu Vocals (Background), Vocals Queen Esther Marrow Vocals, Vocals (Background) Richard Scher Synthesizer Robbie Shakespeare Bass Ron Wood Guitar Sid McGinnis Guitar Sly Dunbar Percussion, Drums Stuart Kimball Guitar (Electric), Guitar Syd McGuiness Guitar Ted Perlman Guitar Urban Blight Horns Horn Vince Melamed Synthesizer