Last Update: 04/05/2026 at 2:50 PM EST
Tempest Finds Dylan Darker And Sharper
Coverage from Nick DeRiso, The Guardian, and others
Articles
13
Latest Article
09/11
Active Days
14246
Executive Summary
Dylan's Tempest draws praise for its dark narratives, blues-rooted sound, and forceful late-career voice, especially on the Titanic title track.
- Tempest blends blues, roots rock, western swing, rockabilly, and folk forms
- The 14-minute title track retells the Titanic disaster in 45 verses
- Several songs center on death, violence, and historical loss
- Early Roman Kings uses accordion and targets murderous, power-hungry despots
- Pay in Blood is driven by a shambling groove and fierce vocal delivery
- Roll On John reflects on John Lennon's death and Dylan's grief
- Reviewers note careful arrangements, close mic placement, and energized singing
Quick Facts
- What: A dark, varied album of narrative songs
- Where: On Dylan's 2012 studio album Tempest
- Why: It shows Dylan's late-career focus on death, memory, and force
- Who: Bob Dylan and reviewers of Tempest
- When: Released and reviewed in 2012
Coverage Timeline: 14246 Days
Featured Article
Bob Dylan released the album Tempest in 2012, featuring the 14-minute title track about the Titanic and reflective closer "Roll On John."
Additional Articles
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On 2012-09-06, the Guardian published a review of Bob Dylan's album Tempest, evaluating its critical acclaim, lyrical content and musical approach.
Rolling Stone reviews Bob Dylan's Tempest in 2012 in the United States.
Rolling Stone published a 2012 review of Bob Dylan's Tempest, analyzing its dark themes and narrative scope.
Dylan's Tempest analysis appears in a Substack post, examining the 34th studio album and its recording craft.
In a Pitchfork online review, Bob Dylan's 2012 album Tempest is discussed for its fixation on death, heartbreak, and historical tragedy.
Bob Dylan's Tempest was reviewed in 2012 on The Tangential, highlighting mortality themes and Dylan's enduring vocal and storytelling power.
In this 2012 review, a critic evaluates Bob Dylan's album Tempest, challenging widespread five-star praise while identifying both misfires and standout songs.
In 2022, PopMatters' All Things Reconsidered column reassessed Bob Dylan's 2012 album Tempest as a key late-period work.
In a Forward culture article, Jay Michaelson evaluates Bob Dylan's album covers, using the release of Tempest as a springboard for ranking designs.
In 2012, Bob Dylan released the album Tempest, later reviewed by The New Yorker as a violent, history-saturated late-period work.
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Bob Dylan is selling a Tempest Tour 2012 T-shirt during the Outlaw Music Festival summer tour, prompting fans to question a bogus 2012 Rosemont date and its link to recent setlist changes.
Bob Dylan released Tempest, his 35th studio album, on 2012-09-11, featuring traditional influences and a Titanic centerpiece.