Bob Dylan is a legendary singer, guitarist and songwriter whose career started in the ‘60s and isn’t close to ending. He gained popularity in the ‘60s when he wrote controversial lyrics dealing with the social conditions of the time. Dylan, now in his 70s, has recently released his 36th studio album, Shadow of the Night.
Shadow of the Night is a cover album, meaning that all the songs were written by another person, but performed by Dylan. All of the songs are pop standards of the legendary singer, actor, producer and director Frank Sinatra, who is considered one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Dylan’s performance of Sinatra’s work is fantastic and full of integrity. His vocals are heartfelt and heavily influenced by Sinatra’s classic jazz style of singing.
Dylan handpicked 10 ballads that were originally recorded by Sinatra during the ‘50s and ‘60s. They are all soft, slow, emotional and focus on the feelings of loneliness, which were topics and emotions that Sinatra was exploring during the time.
The accompanying band is considered as a jazz combo or a small orchestra as it encompasses guitar, bass, trombone, French horn, pedal steel guitar and percussion. The dynamics of the band are perfect throughout the album, with focus on Dylan’s vocals. The record has a ‘50s/’60s jazz feel that one might experience in a Las Vegas casino or lounge.
The album has received positive reviews since its release on February 3, 2015. Rolling Stone gave it 4 out of 5 stars, Metacritic gave it 82/100, and The Guardian, a national British newspaper, gave it 5/5 stars. The album debuted #1 in the UK, Sweden, Ireland and #7 in the US.
Image courtesy of: Flickr.com / Jean-Luc Ourlin
