Usually the nicest thing anyone can say about Empire Burlesque is that the songs would’ve been pretty good without Arthur Baker’s production. In fact, bootlegs of pre-Baker-ized tunes would fetch a pretty penny. But personally, I think the synthesizer-laden sound actually adds a lot to the album. Maybe it’s just because I was ten and totally unaware of the album when it first came out, that I am able to see it as not so much of a crass commercial attempt to jump on the latest fad. For me the cheesy ‘80s production is no more anachronistic that his ‘60s sound. Of course, his ‘60s sound wasn’t exactly the dominant style of the period, especially the anti-psychedelic John Wesley Harding. But that’s what makes this album so fascinating, never had Dylan tried so hard (and failed) to pander to his audience. Check out the Miami Vice threads on the cover. It certainly shows the most time and care spent in the studio since Self-Portrait. Just take a listen to “When The Night Comes Falling From the Sky” (my favorite track on here). Now compare it to the E-Street Band backed version on The Bootleg Series 1-3, which is far closer to the kind of arrangement you would expect from Bob, without being nearly as good. But thanks to Arthur Baker, the song becomes far more memorable and fascinating (and not just like a car crash that you can’t help but look at). Just listen to those octagonal electronic drums! You can also do a side-by-side comparison of “Tight Connection To My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love)” with the earlier unreleased “Someone’s Got A Hold Of My Heart”. In my mind, there’s no contest. One of the biggest disappointments of Infidels was despite having Sly and Robbie produced by Mark Knopfler, you don’t really get a Reggae-Dire Straits sound. It just sounds like any other Dylan album. At least he’s trying something new here. I love “Tight Connection”, “Seeing The Real You At Last”, “Clean Cut Kid”, “Trust Yourself”, “Something’s Burning, Baby” and “When The Night Comes Falling”. And I don’t know how much I would’ve without Arthur Baker. They are kind of part of the Planet Waves mold. Only the slower songs “I’ll Remember You”, “Emotionally Yours”, and “Never Gonna Be The Same Again” suffer from this high-paced sleek design. Actually the biggest drawback to the album is everyone’s sole favorite, “Dark Eyes”. In returning to the solo acoustic guitar format, it reminds most people of Bob’s entire back catalog - something no one Dylan album can stand up to – instead of forcing the listener to accept the “new” Dylan. “Dark Eyes” hedges Bob’s bets, and Empire Burlesque suffers because of it.