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Next week marks the 40th anniversary of Empire Burlesque, one of Bob Dylan’s most fascinating—and most divisive—albums. I have a soft spot for it myself, but I know many fans can’t stand it. “Bob Dylan goes '80s” was never going to be the most popular concept (though even the biggest hater will usually admit “Dark Eyes” is great).
The wild sonic choices—the layers of synthesizers, the glossy backing vocals—and the wide divergence of fan opinion make it a fun album to talk about. It’s a rare moment in Dylan’s career where he seems to be actively chasing pop-music trends, rather than setting them himself (or just ignoring them altogether). As a result, it was an unusually chaotic recording process, encompassing months of sessions on both sides of the country with several dozen different musicians. Some stuff ended up on Knocked Out Loaded, and even more left on the cutting room floor.
So, to commemorate the anniversary, I’ve put together a weeklong series I’m calling The Empire Burlesque Interviews. Five days, six interviews—all new, with some of the key figures behind the album. Some you might guess, others you won’t, with some amazing Dylan stories that have not been told before.
There’s an oft-cited moment in the making of Empire Burlesque where Bob Dylan claims he wants to sound like Madonna or Prince. Which, of course, he never will, no matter how many synths he surrounds himself with. The struggle of Bob Dylan trying to embrace the latest '80s sounds is one reason I get such a kick out of listening to Empire Burlesque, and of talking with people about it. Even some of the folks responsible for the record sound mildly apologetic. “Looking back, there are many things I would have done differently,” one of the album’s architects says.
So give the album a spin this weekend to prepare yourself. We’re going deep next week. See (the real) you there.
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