Under the Red Sky: Difference between revisions
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| alt = A black-and-white photograph of Dylan sitting in a rocky field |
| alt = A black-and-white photograph of Dylan sitting in a rocky field |
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| released = {{Start date|1990|9|10}} |
| released = {{Start date|1990|9|10}} |
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| recorded = January |
| recorded = January, March–May 1990 |
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| venue = |
| venue = |
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| studio = |
| studio = Oceanway, Record Plant, The Complex, Sorcerer |
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| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]] |
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]] |
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| length = {{Duration|m=35|s=21}} |
| length = {{Duration|m=35|s=21}} |
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| next_year = 1991 |
| next_year = 1991 |
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'''''Under the Red Sky''''' is the |
'''''Under the Red Sky''''' is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter [[Bob Dylan]], released on September 10, 1990, by [[Columbia Records]]. It was produced by [[Don Was]], [[David Was]], and Dylan (under the pseudonym [[Jack Frost]]). |
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The album was largely greeted as a |
The album was largely greeted as a disappointing follow-up to 1989's critically acclaimed ''[[Oh Mercy]]''. Most of the criticism was directed at the slick sound of rock producer [[Don Was]], as well as a handful of tracks that seem rooted in children's [[nursery rhymes]]. It is a rarity in Dylan's catalog for its inclusion of celebrity cameos by [[Jimmie Vaughan]], [[Slash (musician)|Slash]], [[Elton John]], [[George Harrison]], [[David Crosby]], [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]], and [[Bruce Hornsby]]. |
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==Dedication== |
==Dedication== |
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The album is dedicated to "Gabby Goo Goo", now thought to be Desiree Gabrielle Dennis-Dylan, Dylan's daughter by [[Carolyn Dennis]], born on January 31, 1986.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Under The Red Sky 1990|url=https://www.searchingforagem.com/1990s/International035.htm|access-date=2021-03-03|website=www.searchingforagem.com}}</ref> |
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The album is dedicated to "Gabby Goo Goo", later explained to be a nickname for Dylan's four-year-old daughter. This has led to the popular assumption that the album's more childlike songs were for her entertainment, something that has never been confirmed nor denied by Dylan. |
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==Recording== |
==Recording== |
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Four songs from the album, "Handy Dandy", "10,000 Men", "God Knows", and "Cat's in the Well", were recorded in a single session in Los Angeles on 6 January 1990, before Dylan commenced a four-week tour. ("Handy Dandy" received overdubs subsequently.)<ref>Heylin, C., (2010), ''Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan, |
Four songs from the album, "Handy Dandy", "10,000 Men", "God Knows", and "Cat's in the Well", were recorded in a single session in Los Angeles on 6 January 1990, before Dylan commenced a four-week tour. ("Handy Dandy" received overdubs subsequently.)<ref>Heylin, C., (2010), ''Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1974–2006''. Chicago Review Press. p. 374</ref> Dylan biographer [[Clinton Heylin]] writes that Dylan finished recording the basic tracks for the album in mid-March 1990, but added new vocals to some tracks the following month, with instrumental overdub sessions extending into May 1990.<ref>Heylin, C., (2010), ''Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1974–2006''. Chicago Review Press. pp. 391–392, 502</ref> |
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Unlike the rest of his discography, the album features |
Unlike the rest of his discography, the album features guest appearances by established artists, such as [[Bruce Hornsby]], [[Elton John]] and [[George Harrison]]. Additionally, session musicians like pianist [[Al Kooper]] and guitarist [[Waddy Wachtel]] appear throughout. |
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The opener, "Wiggle Wiggle", features [[Slash (musician)|Slash]]. Dylan, said the [[Guns N' Roses]] guitarist, "is definitely one of the icons of rock 'n' roll, and he was one of the people my parents used to listen to. But it ''[working on the album]'' was just such a bad experience."<ref>{{cite journal|journal= [[Q (magazine)|Q]] |date= March 1994 |page= 72}}</ref> |
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⚫ | |||
"10,000 Men" features [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]] and the title track features a "fine guitar solo" by [[George Harrison]]. Heylin calls this an "important song", noting that it has been a staple of Dylan's performances.<ref>Heylin, C., (2010), ''Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1974–2006''. Chicago Review Press. pp. 383–385.</ref> |
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⚫ | According to producer [[Don Was]], there were two outtakes from the album: "Shirley Temple Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (which Dylan co-wrote with Was and [[David Weiss (musician)|David Weiss]]) and "Heartland" (which Dylan later sang with [[Willie Nelson]] on Nelson's 1993 album ''[[Across the Borderline]]'').<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/bob-dylan/bob-dylan-online-exclusives-under-the-red-sky-with-don-was-interview |title=Bob Dylan: Online Exclusives |
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⚫ | "[[Born in Time]]" and "God Knows" are reworkings of material recorded at the previous year's ''[[Oh Mercy]]'' sessions. Versions of these songs from the ''Oh Mercy'' sessions feature on ''[[The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Bootleg Series, Vol 8: Tell Tale Signs {{!}} The Official Bob Dylan Site|url=http://www.bobdylan.com/albums/bootleg-series-vol-8-tell-tale-signs/|access-date=2021-03-03|website=www.bobdylan.com}}</ref> |
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⚫ | According to producer [[Don Was]], there were two outtakes from the album: "Shirley Temple Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (which Dylan co-wrote with Was and [[David Weiss (musician)|David Weiss]]) and "Heartland" (which Dylan later sang with [[Willie Nelson]] on Nelson's 1993 album ''[[Across the Borderline]]'').<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/bob-dylan/bob-dylan-online-exclusives-under-the-red-sky-with-don-was-interview |title=Bob Dylan: Online Exclusives – Under The Red Sky with Don Was |last=Hughs |first=Rob |date=2008-10-09|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |access-date=2012-09-29}}</ref> "Shirley Temple Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was later recorded by [[Don Was]]'s group [[Was (Not Was)]] for their 2008 album ''[[Boo! (album)|Boo!]]'' as "Mr. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". |
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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{{ |
{{Music ratings |
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| rev1 = [[AllMusic]] |
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]] |
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| rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{ |
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r6451|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine}}</ref> |
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| rev2 = ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' |
| rev2 = ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' |
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| rev2Score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Kot|first=Greg| |
| rev2Score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|date=October 25, 1992|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-10-25-9204060639-story.html|title=Dylan Through the Years: Hits and Misses|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=March 1, 2020}}</ref> |
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| rev3 = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide]]'' |
| rev3 = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide]]'' |
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| rev3Score = {{Rating-Christgau|A-}}<ref name="Christgau">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert| |
| rev3Score = {{Rating-Christgau|A-}}<ref name="Christgau">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=2000|chapter=D|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=D&bk=90|access-date=March 1, 2020|via=robertchristgau.com|title=[[Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s]]|publisher=[[St. Martin's Griffin]]|isbn=0-312-24560-2}}</ref> |
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| rev4 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]'' |
| rev4 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]'' |
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| rev4Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book|page=854|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|last=Larkin|first=Colin| |
| rev4Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book|page=854|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|year=2011|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|edition=5th|isbn=978-0857125958}}</ref> |
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| rev5 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' |
| rev5 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' |
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| rev5Score = C<ref>[ |
| rev5Score = C<ref>[https://ew.com/article/1991/03/29/bob-dylans-discography/ Entertainment Weekly review]</ref> |
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| rev6 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' |
| rev6 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' |
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| rev6Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Hochman|first=Steve|date=September 9, 1990|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-09-ca-257-story.html|title=Bob Dylan 'Under the Red Sky'|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| |
| rev6Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Hochman|first=Steve|date=September 9, 1990|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-09-ca-257-story.html|title=Bob Dylan 'Under the Red Sky'|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=March 1, 2020}}</ref> |
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| rev7 = ''[[MusicHound Rock]]'' |
| rev7 = ''[[MusicHound Rock]]'' |
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| rev7Score = 0.5/5<ref>{{cite book|last1=Graff|first1=Gary|last2=Durchholz|first2=Daniel |
| rev7Score = 0.5/5<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Graff|editor-first1=Gary|editor-last2=Durchholz|editor-first2=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|edition=2nd|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|isbn=1-57859-061-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/371 371]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/371}}</ref> |
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| rev8 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |
| rev8 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |
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| rev8Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite |
| rev8Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070629032022/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bobdylan/albums/album/99588/review/5944172/under_the_red_sky |archive-date=2007-06-29 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bobdylan/albums/album/99588/review/5944172/under_the_red_sky |date=1990-10-04 |title=Rolling Stone : Bob Dylan: Under The Red Sky : Music Reviews |first=Paul |last=Evans |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url-status= dead |access-date=10 September 2011}}</ref> |
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| rev9 = [[Tom Hull (critic)|Tom Hull]] |
| rev9 = [[Tom Hull (critic)|Tom Hull]] |
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| rev9Score = B+<ref>{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom| |
| rev9Score = B+<ref>{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|author-link=Tom Hull (critic)|date=June 21, 2014|url=http://www.tomhull.com/ocston/arch/rhap/rh1406-1.php|title=Rhapsody Streamnotes: June 21, 2014|website=tomhull.com|access-date=March 1, 2020}}</ref> |
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}} |
}} |
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Dylan has echoed most critics' complaints, telling ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in a 2006 interview that the album's shortcomings resulted from hurried and unfocused recording sessions, due in part to his activity with the [[Traveling Wilburys]] at the time. He also claimed that there were too many people working on the album, and that he was very disillusioned with the recording industry during this period of his career. |
Dylan has echoed most critics' complaints, telling ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in a 2006 interview that the album's shortcomings resulted from hurried and unfocused recording sessions, due in part to his activity with the [[Traveling Wilburys]] at the time. He also claimed that there were too many people working on the album, and that he was very disillusioned with the recording industry during this period of his career. |
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Dylan critic Patrick Humphries, author of ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Bob Dylan'', was particularly harsh in his assessment of ''Under the Red Sky'', stating the album "was everything ''[[Oh Mercy]]'' wasn't—sloppily written songs, lazily performed and unimaginatively produced. The first bridge of "2 X 2" ("How much poison did they inhale?") was reminiscent of the menace which pervaded ''Oh Mercy'', but otherwise, where before there had been certainty and sureness, here was confusion and indecision."<ref name="complete">{{cite book | last = Humphries | first = Patrick |
Dylan critic Patrick Humphries, author of ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Bob Dylan'', was particularly harsh in his assessment of ''Under the Red Sky'', stating the album "was everything ''[[Oh Mercy]]'' wasn't—sloppily written songs, lazily performed and unimaginatively produced. The first bridge of "2 X 2" ("How much poison did they inhale?") was reminiscent of the menace which pervaded ''Oh Mercy'', but otherwise, where before there had been certainty and sureness, here was confusion and indecision."<ref name="complete">{{cite book | last = Humphries | first = Patrick | title = The Complete Guide to the Music of Bob Dylan| publisher =Omnibus Press | year = 1995 | location = [[London]], [[England]] | pages = 125–127 | isbn = 0-7119-4868-2}}</ref> |
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Humphries saved his harshest attack for the album's opening song, "Wiggle Wiggle": |
Humphries saved his harshest attack for the album's opening song, "Wiggle Wiggle": |
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The album did have some critical support, particularly from [[Robert Christgau]] of ''[[The Village Voice]]'', who wrote: "To my astonishment, I think ''Under the Red Sky'' is Dylan's best album in 15 years, a record that may even signal a ridiculously belated if not totally meaningless return to form … It's fabulistic, biblical … the tempos are postpunk like it oughta be, with [Kenny] Aronoff's sprints and shuffles grooving ahead like '60s folk-rock never did."<ref name="Christgau"/> And [[Paul Nelson (critic)|Paul Nelson]], writing for ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]'', called the album "a deliberately throwaway masterpiece". When the ''[[Voice]]'' held its [[Pazz & Jop]] Critics Poll for 1990, ''Under the Red Sky'' placed at #39. |
The album did have some critical support, particularly from [[Robert Christgau]] of ''[[The Village Voice]]'', who wrote: "To my astonishment, I think ''Under the Red Sky'' is Dylan's best album in 15 years, a record that may even signal a ridiculously belated if not totally meaningless return to form … It's fabulistic, biblical … the tempos are postpunk like it oughta be, with [Kenny] Aronoff's sprints and shuffles grooving ahead like '60s folk-rock never did."<ref name="Christgau"/> And [[Paul Nelson (critic)|Paul Nelson]], writing for ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]'', called the album "a deliberately throwaway masterpiece". When the ''[[Voice]]'' held its [[Pazz & Jop]] Critics Poll for 1990, ''Under the Red Sky'' placed at #39. |
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In the end, album sales were disappointing, peaking at #38 on the US charts and #13 in the UK. According to the book ''Down The Highway: The Life Of Bob Dylan'', the disappointing record sales of this album made him depressed. On top of that, Dylan's second wife had just signed for divorce in August 1990.{{ |
In the end, album sales were disappointing, peaking at #38 on the US charts and #13 in the UK. According to the book ''Down The Highway: The Life Of Bob Dylan'', the disappointing record sales of this album made him depressed. On top of that, Dylan's second wife had just signed for divorce in August 1990,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Down the Highway Summary - eNotes.com|url=https://www.enotes.com/topics/down-highway|access-date=2021-03-03|website=eNotes|language=en}}</ref> although their marriage was completely unknown to both Dylan's fans and the media until the 2001 publication of ''Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan'' by [[Howard Sounes]].<ref>{{cite news|url = http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1273409.stm| title = Dylan's Secret Marriage Uncovered| access-date=12 May 2022|work=BBC News | date = April 12, 2001}}</ref> |
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==Legacy== |
==Legacy== |
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Dylan continued the style of the album with his recording of the nursery rhyme "[[This Old Man]]", which was released on the Disney charity album ''For Our Children'' in 1991. For his follow-up album, ''[[Good As I Been to You]]'' (1992), Dylan went back to his acoustic roots, recording more serious songs. |
Dylan continued the style of the album with his recording of the nursery rhyme "[[This Old Man]]", which was released on the Disney charity album ''For Our Children'' in 1991. For his follow-up album, ''[[Good As I Been to You]]'' (1992), Dylan went back to his acoustic roots, recording more serious songs. |
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In 2005, [[Q (magazine)|''Q'' |
In 2005, [[Q (magazine)|''Q'']] included the lead-off track "Wiggle Wiggle" in a list of "Ten Terrible Records by Great Artists". ''[[Time Magazine|Time]]'' placed "Wiggle Wiggle" on the list of The 10 Worst Bob Dylan Songs, noting that it "sounds like the theme song to one of those tripped-out television shows beloved by toddlers and drug users".<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://entertainment.time.com/2011/05/23/10-worst-bob-dylan-songs/slide/wiggle-wiggle/ | magazine=Time | title=The 10 Worst Bob Dylan Songs | date=2011-05-23}}</ref> The song was covered on the 2014 tribute album ''[[Bob Dylan in the 80s: Volume One]]'' by [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] and [[Gene Ween|Aaron Freeman]].<ref>[http://www.jambands.com/news/2014/01/22/widespread-panic-marco-benevento-slash-tea-leaf-green-deer-tick-gene-ween-craig-finn-built-to-spill-and-members-of-my-morning-jacket-confirmed-for-80s-dylan#.UuAAp3bTnnD Widespread Panic, Marco Benevento, Slash, Tea Leaf Green, Deer Tick, Gene Ween, Craig Finn, Built to Spill and Members of My Morning Jacket Confirmed for 80s Dylan<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Its lyrics were also the namesake for the Danish pop/rock band [[Big Fat Snake]]. |
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==Track listing== |
==Track listing== |
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{{track listing |
{{track listing |
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|all_writing = Bob Dylan |
|all_writing = Bob Dylan |
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|headline = Side one |
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|title1 = Wiggle Wiggle |
|title1 = Wiggle Wiggle |
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|length1 = 2:09 |
|length1 = 2:09 |
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|title5 = T.V. Talkin' Song |
|title5 = T.V. Talkin' Song |
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|length5 = 3:02 |
|length5 = 3:02 |
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|total_length = 17:05 |
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}} |
}} |
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{{track listing |
{{track listing |
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|headline = Side two |
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|title1 = 10,000 Men |
|title1 = 10,000 Men |
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|length1 = 4:21 |
|length1 = 4:21 |
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|title5 = Cat's in the Well |
|title5 = Cat's in the Well |
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|length5 = 3:21 |
|length5 = 3:21 |
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|total_length = 18:23 |
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}} |
}} |
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*Bob Dylan – [[acoustic guitar]], [[electric guitar]], [[piano]], [[accordion]], [[harmonica]], [[Singing|vocals]], [[Record producer|production]] |
*Bob Dylan – [[acoustic guitar]], [[electric guitar]], [[piano]], [[accordion]], [[harmonica]], [[Singing|vocals]], [[Record producer|production]] |
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;Additional musicians |
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{{col |
{{div col|colwidth=35em}} |
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{{col-3}} |
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*[[Kenny Aronoff]] – [[Drum kit|drums]] |
*[[Kenny Aronoff]] – [[Drum kit|drums]] |
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*[[ |
*[[Sweet Pea Atkinson]] – [[Backing vocalist|backing vocals]] |
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*Rayse Biggs – [[trumpet]] |
*Rayse Biggs – [[trumpet]] |
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*[[Was (Not Was)|Sir Harry Bowens]] – backing vocals |
*[[Was (Not Was)|Sir Harry Bowens]] – backing vocals |
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*[[David Crosby]] – backing vocals |
*[[David Crosby]] – backing vocals |
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*[[Paulinho Da Costa]] – [[Percussion instrument|percussion]] |
*[[Paulinho Da Costa]] – [[Percussion instrument|percussion]] |
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{{col-3}} |
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*[[George Harrison]] – [[slide guitar]] |
*[[George Harrison]] – [[slide guitar]] |
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*[[Slash (musician)|Slash]] |
*[[Slash (musician)|Slash]] – guitar "Wiggle Wiggle"<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Tolinski|first=Brad|title=Slash Discusses Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Michael Jackson and Guns N' Roses in 1990 Guitar World Interview|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/gw-archive/slash-discusses-bob-dylan-iggy-pop-michael-jackson-and-guns-n-roses-1990-guitar-world-interview|magazine=[[Guitar World]]|date=October 6, 2011|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Grow|first=Kory|title=Slash and Aaron Freeman Team for Bob Dylan Cover 'Wiggle Wiggle' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/slash-and-aaron-freeman-team-for-bob-dylan-cover-wiggle-wiggle-87859/|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=February 24, 2014|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref> |
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*[[Bruce Hornsby]], [[Elton John]] – [[piano]] |
*[[Bruce Hornsby]], [[Elton John]] – [[piano]] |
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*[[Randy Jackson|Randy "The Emperor" Jackson]] – [[bass guitar]] |
*[[Randy Jackson|Randy "The Emperor" Jackson]] – [[bass guitar]] |
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*[[David Lindley (musician)|David Lindley]] – [[bouzouki]], guitar, slide guitar |
*[[David Lindley (musician)|David Lindley]] – [[bouzouki]], guitar, slide guitar |
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*David McMurray – [[saxophone]] |
*David McMurray – [[saxophone]] |
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{{col-3}} |
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*Donald Ray Mitchell – backing vocals |
*Donald Ray Mitchell – backing vocals |
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*[[Jamie Muhoberac]] – Hammond organ |
*[[Jamie Muhoberac]] – Hammond organ |
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*[[David Was]] – backing vocals, production |
*[[David Was]] – backing vocals, production |
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*[[Don Was]] – bass guitar, production |
*[[Don Was]] – bass guitar, production |
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{{col |
{{div col end}} |
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;Production |
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{{col |
{{div col|colwidth=35em}} |
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{{col-3}} |
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*Dan Bosworth – assistant [[Audio engineering|engineering]] |
*Dan Bosworth – assistant [[Audio engineering|engineering]] |
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*Marsha Burns – production coordination |
*Marsha Burns – production coordination |
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*[[Ed Cherney]] – engineering, [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]] |
*[[Ed Cherney]] – engineering, [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]] |
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{{col-3}} |
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*Steve Deutsch – assistant engineering |
*Steve Deutsch – assistant engineering |
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*Judy Kirshner – assistant engineering |
*Judy Kirshner – assistant engineering |
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{{col-3}} |
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*Jim Mitchell – assistant engineering |
*Jim Mitchell – assistant engineering |
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*Brett Swain – assistant engineering |
*Brett Swain – assistant engineering |
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{{col |
{{div col end}} |
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==Certifications== |
==Certifications== |
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{{certification Table Top}} |
{{certification Table Top}} |
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{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Switzerland|artist=Bob Dylan|title=Under the Red Sky|award=Gold|certyear=1990|relyear=1990}} |
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Switzerland|artist=Bob Dylan|title=Under the Red Sky|award=Gold|certyear=1990|relyear=1990}} |
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{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Bob Dylan|title=Under the Red Sky|award=Silver|certyear=1990|relyear=1990}} |
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Bob Dylan|title=Under the Red Sky|award=Silver|certyear=1990|relyear=1990|id=7887-3101-2|access-date=August 27, 2022}} |
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{{Certification Table Bottom}} |
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.bobdylan.com/albums/under-red-sky/ Lyrics] at Bob Dylan's official site |
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* [http://dylanchords.com/33_utrs Chords] at Dylanchords |
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== Further reading == |
== Further reading == |
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* {{cite magazine|last=Christgau|first=Robert| |
* {{cite magazine|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|magazine=[[Playboy]]|date=September 1990|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/play/1990-09.php|access-date=March 1, 2020|via=robertchristgau.com|title=Neil Young, Bob Dylan}} |
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{{Bob Dylan}} |
{{Bob Dylan}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:1990 albums]] |
[[Category:1990 albums]] |
Revision as of 03:32, 13 July 2024
Under the Red Sky | ||||
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![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 10, 1990 | |||
Recorded | January, March–May 1990 | |||
Studio | Oceanway, Record Plant, The Complex, Sorcerer | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 35:21 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | "Jack Frost" (Bob Dylan), Don Was, and David Was | |||
Bob Dylan chronology | ||||
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Under the Red Sky is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 10, 1990, by Columbia Records. It was produced by Don Was, David Was, and Dylan (under the pseudonym Jack Frost).
The album was largely greeted as a disappointing follow-up to 1989's critically acclaimed Oh Mercy. Most of the criticism was directed at the slick sound of rock producer Don Was, as well as a handful of tracks that seem rooted in children's nursery rhymes. It is a rarity in Dylan's catalog for its inclusion of celebrity cameos by Jimmie Vaughan, Slash, Elton John, George Harrison, David Crosby, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Bruce Hornsby.
Dedication
The album is dedicated to "Gabby Goo Goo", now thought to be Desiree Gabrielle Dennis-Dylan, Dylan's daughter by Carolyn Dennis, born on January 31, 1986.[1]
Recording
Four songs from the album, "Handy Dandy", "10,000 Men", "God Knows", and "Cat's in the Well", were recorded in a single session in Los Angeles on 6 January 1990, before Dylan commenced a four-week tour. ("Handy Dandy" received overdubs subsequently.)[2] Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin writes that Dylan finished recording the basic tracks for the album in mid-March 1990, but added new vocals to some tracks the following month, with instrumental overdub sessions extending into May 1990.[3]
Unlike the rest of his discography, the album features guest appearances by established artists, such as Bruce Hornsby, Elton John and George Harrison. Additionally, session musicians like pianist Al Kooper and guitarist Waddy Wachtel appear throughout.
The opener, "Wiggle Wiggle", features Slash. Dylan, said the Guns N' Roses guitarist, "is definitely one of the icons of rock 'n' roll, and he was one of the people my parents used to listen to. But it [working on the album] was just such a bad experience."[4]
"10,000 Men" features Stevie Ray Vaughan and the title track features a "fine guitar solo" by George Harrison. Heylin calls this an "important song", noting that it has been a staple of Dylan's performances.[5]
"Born in Time" and "God Knows" are reworkings of material recorded at the previous year's Oh Mercy sessions. Versions of these songs from the Oh Mercy sessions feature on The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs.[6]
According to producer Don Was, there were two outtakes from the album: "Shirley Temple Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (which Dylan co-wrote with Was and David Weiss) and "Heartland" (which Dylan later sang with Willie Nelson on Nelson's 1993 album Across the Borderline).[7] "Shirley Temple Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was later recorded by Don Was's group Was (Not Was) for their 2008 album Boo! as "Mr. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore".
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | A−[10] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | C[12] |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
MusicHound Rock | 0.5/5[14] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Tom Hull | B+[16] |
Dylan has echoed most critics' complaints, telling Rolling Stone in a 2006 interview that the album's shortcomings resulted from hurried and unfocused recording sessions, due in part to his activity with the Traveling Wilburys at the time. He also claimed that there were too many people working on the album, and that he was very disillusioned with the recording industry during this period of his career.
Dylan critic Patrick Humphries, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Bob Dylan, was particularly harsh in his assessment of Under the Red Sky, stating the album "was everything Oh Mercy wasn't—sloppily written songs, lazily performed and unimaginatively produced. The first bridge of "2 X 2" ("How much poison did they inhale?") was reminiscent of the menace which pervaded Oh Mercy, but otherwise, where before there had been certainty and sureness, here was confusion and indecision."[17]
Humphries saved his harshest attack for the album's opening song, "Wiggle Wiggle":
Then there's "Wiggle Wiggle": worse than anything Dylan has ever recorded? Maybe not that bad, but certainly up there, jostling for position in that particular part of hell, where the jukebox plays nothing but "Joey" (from Desire) and "Had a Dream About You, Baby" (from Down in the Groove). "Wiggle Wiggle" was the one the critics jumped on, particularly the line "Wiggle wiggle wiggle like a bowl of soup", which was taken as proof positive that Dylan had lost it, definitely, permanently, irrevocably. It was hard to disagree—it is hard to reconcile such a line with the man who wrote "Desolation Row" (from Highway 61 Revisited). Of course, you can't get Hamlet or "Like a Rolling Stone" every time out of the traps, but "Wiggle Wiggle"?[17]
The album did have some critical support, particularly from Robert Christgau of The Village Voice, who wrote: "To my astonishment, I think Under the Red Sky is Dylan's best album in 15 years, a record that may even signal a ridiculously belated if not totally meaningless return to form … It's fabulistic, biblical … the tempos are postpunk like it oughta be, with [Kenny] Aronoff's sprints and shuffles grooving ahead like '60s folk-rock never did."[10] And Paul Nelson, writing for Musician, called the album "a deliberately throwaway masterpiece". When the Voice held its Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 1990, Under the Red Sky placed at #39.
In the end, album sales were disappointing, peaking at #38 on the US charts and #13 in the UK. According to the book Down The Highway: The Life Of Bob Dylan, the disappointing record sales of this album made him depressed. On top of that, Dylan's second wife had just signed for divorce in August 1990,[18] although their marriage was completely unknown to both Dylan's fans and the media until the 2001 publication of Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan by Howard Sounes.[19]
Legacy
Dylan continued the style of the album with his recording of the nursery rhyme "This Old Man", which was released on the Disney charity album For Our Children in 1991. For his follow-up album, Good As I Been to You (1992), Dylan went back to his acoustic roots, recording more serious songs.
In 2005, Q included the lead-off track "Wiggle Wiggle" in a list of "Ten Terrible Records by Great Artists". Time placed "Wiggle Wiggle" on the list of The 10 Worst Bob Dylan Songs, noting that it "sounds like the theme song to one of those tripped-out television shows beloved by toddlers and drug users".[20] The song was covered on the 2014 tribute album Bob Dylan in the 80s: Volume One by Slash and Aaron Freeman.[21] Its lyrics were also the namesake for the Danish pop/rock band Big Fat Snake.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Bob Dylan
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Wiggle Wiggle" | 2:09 |
2. | "Under the Red Sky" | 4:09 |
3. | "Unbelievable" | 4:06 |
4. | "Born in Time" | 3:39 |
5. | "T.V. Talkin' Song" | 3:02 |
Total length: | 17:05 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "10,000 Men" | 4:21 |
2. | "2 × 2" | 3:36 |
3. | "God Knows" | 3:02 |
4. | "Handy Dandy" | 4:03 |
5. | "Cat's in the Well" | 3:21 |
Total length: | 18:23 |
Personnel
- Bob Dylan – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, accordion, harmonica, vocals, production
- Additional musicians
- Kenny Aronoff – drums
- Sweet Pea Atkinson – backing vocals
- Rayse Biggs – trumpet
- Sir Harry Bowens – backing vocals
- David Crosby – backing vocals
- Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
- George Harrison – slide guitar
- Slash – guitar "Wiggle Wiggle"[22][23]
- Bruce Hornsby, Elton John – piano
- Randy "The Emperor" Jackson – bass guitar
- Al Kooper – Hammond organ, keyboards
- David Lindley – bouzouki, guitar, slide guitar
- David McMurray – saxophone
- Donald Ray Mitchell – backing vocals
- Jamie Muhoberac – Hammond organ
- Jimmie Vaughan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Waddy Wachtel, Robben Ford – guitar
- David Was – backing vocals, production
- Don Was – bass guitar, production
- Production
- Dan Bosworth – assistant engineering
- Marsha Burns – production coordination
- Ed Cherney – engineering, mixing
- Steve Deutsch – assistant engineering
- Judy Kirshner – assistant engineering
- Jim Mitchell – assistant engineering
- Brett Swain – assistant engineering
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[24] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] | Silver | 60,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ "Under The Red Sky 1990". www.searchingforagem.com. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- ^ Heylin, C., (2010), Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1974–2006. Chicago Review Press. p. 374
- ^ Heylin, C., (2010), Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1974–2006. Chicago Review Press. pp. 391–392, 502
- ^ Q: 72. March 1994.
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(help) - ^ Heylin, C., (2010), Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1974–2006. Chicago Review Press. pp. 383–385.
- ^ "The Bootleg Series, Vol 8: Tell Tale Signs | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- ^ Hughs, Rob (2008-10-09). "Bob Dylan: Online Exclusives – Under The Red Sky with Don Was". Uncut. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Under the Red Sky at AllMusic
- ^ Kot, Greg (October 25, 1992). "Dylan Through the Years: Hits and Misses". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (2000). "D". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved March 1, 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 854. ISBN 978-0857125958.
- ^ Entertainment Weekly review
- ^ Hochman, Steve (September 9, 1990). "Bob Dylan 'Under the Red Sky'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 371. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
- ^ Evans, Paul (1990-10-04). "Rolling Stone : Bob Dylan: Under The Red Sky : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-06-29. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ Hull, Tom (June 21, 2014). "Rhapsody Streamnotes: June 21, 2014". tomhull.com. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ a b Humphries, Patrick (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Bob Dylan. London, England: Omnibus Press. pp. 125–127. ISBN 0-7119-4868-2.
- ^ "Down the Highway Summary - eNotes.com". eNotes. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- ^ "Dylan's Secret Marriage Uncovered". BBC News. April 12, 2001. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "The 10 Worst Bob Dylan Songs". Time. 2011-05-23.
- ^ Widespread Panic, Marco Benevento, Slash, Tea Leaf Green, Deer Tick, Gene Ween, Craig Finn, Built to Spill and Members of My Morning Jacket Confirmed for 80s Dylan
- ^ Tolinski, Brad (October 6, 2011). "Slash Discusses Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Michael Jackson and Guns N' Roses in 1990 Guitar World Interview". Guitar World. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ Grow, Kory (February 24, 2014). "Slash and Aaron Freeman Team for Bob Dylan Cover 'Wiggle Wiggle'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Under the Red Sky')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ^ "British album certifications – Bob Dylan – Under the Red Sky". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
External links
Further reading
- Christgau, Robert (September 1990). "Neil Young, Bob Dylan". Playboy. Retrieved March 1, 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.