BOB DYLAN: "Empire Burlesque"

Original released on LP Columbia FC 40110

(US 1985, May 30)

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 Erlewine in AllMusic)