Empire Burlesque released: May 30, 1985 BUY

This 1985 album is certainly among the more underrated ones in Dylan’s catalog. Remixed by producer du jour, Arthur Baker, it has a slicker, more “produced” feel to it than any of his previous albums, with the possible exception of Street-Legal. It doesn’t seem to have gotten its due for being what it is, an album full of love songs, most of them with a high gloss to be sure. Standout tracks include the slashing “Seeing The Real You At Last,” which plays a game with lines from old movie dialogue, the fine poetry of “Tight Connection to My Heart” and “Clean Cut Kid,” a scary song about an All-American boy who came back psychologically damaged from war. Some of the songs are flat-out pop tunes, like “Emotionally Yours,” “Never Gonna Be The Same Again,” and “I’ll Remember You,” and that may have something to do with why the set is undervalued. But they are good pop songs, and Dylan sings them well. Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love) | listen | Seeing the Real You at Last | listen | I'll Remember You | listen | Clean-Cut Kid | listen | Never Gonna Be the Same Again | listen | Trust Yourself | listen | Emotionally Yours | listen | When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky | listen | Something's Burning, Baby | listen | Dark Eyes | listen |