Shadow Kingdom the album, then, turns out to be an extremely useful addition to the Dylan catalogue, and very much of a piece with his current manoeuvres. Think of it as a companion to Rough And Rowdy Ways, and that album’s ongoing tour: as if Dylan were reinventing those ‘Early Songs’ in the same silvery light, and getting them out of the way before he hits the road again to concentrate on his Latest Songs. Who knows what he’ll be getting up to next. Dylan’s career has lasted more than 60 years and, now in his early eighties, he still surprises, confuses and delights us. Long may it continue. Matrix / Runout (Runout side C, variant 3): 19658767481-C #13 MRP4265/19658767481-C RKS STERLING 254435E3 1428640 Album Review: Shadow Kingdom – The Early Songs Of Bob Dylan". June 4, 2023 . Retrieved June 4, 2023. Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 1): 19658767481-A 254435E1 1518598 RKS STERLING MRP4265/19658767481-A #21

The slow and moody version of ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’ definitely sounds like it’s been influenced by the arrangements on Rough and Rowdy Ways, as do some of the other songs on the album. Writing in Uncut, Richard Williams rated the album four out of five stars, arguing that its sound seemingly grew out of Dylan's previous album Rough and Rowdy Ways. Williams called the music a "loose, fluid instrumental mesh" and described how "slow swells of accordion, acoustic guitars and bowed string bass" underline "the carefully articulated front-and-centre vocal". [9] He told the Wall Street Journal: “It’s an open space, with concrete pillars and an iron floor, with obligations and sacrifices. It’s a path, and destiny put some of us on that path, in that position. It’s not for everybody.” In the past, Dylan told Pete Townshend that it is the preordained fate of the folk musician, one programmed into Dylan as soon as he took to the stage. “I asked Bob Dylan why he does so many gigs,” Townshend recalled of their encounter at Desert Trip. “He told me, ‘I’m a folk singer. A folk singer is only as good as his memory, and my memory is going.’ He’s doing it to keep his memory alive.“A Rolling Stone review by Michaelangelo Matos named Shadow Kingdom one of the "Hear This" recommended albums for the month of June 2023, claiming that Dylan makes his classic songs "seem stunningly brand new". [23]

There’s a poignant ‘Forever Young’ and ‘What Was It You Wanted’ sounds moodier and sultrier than the original – in its new incarnation, it’s even more powerful. Oinen, Janne (June 2, 2023). "Bob Dylan Shadow Kingdom". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved June 2, 2023.Billboard Japan Hot Albums: Week of June 7, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese) . Retrieved June 7, 2023. Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 1): 19658767481-B MRP4265/19658767481-B #21 RKS STERLING 254435E2 1520126 Now, shortly after Dylan’s 82 nd birthday, which was on 24 May this year, we’ve been treated to an official release of the songs on Shadow Kingdom. Certainly, these scenarios recreate the vibe of the sleeve art of last year’s Rough and Rowdy Ways. But in a blog post, the journalist Richard Williams suggests that the live stream’s aesthetic might be inspired by the 2017 stage musical Girl from the North Country, based on the songs of Dylan, which met with the musician’s approval. Four selections turn up on both Shadow Kingdom and in recent live setlists – When I Paint My Masterpiece, Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine), I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight and To Be Alone With You. And while the roadhouse rhythm of the touring band is replaced by more of a stealthy cantina sway – lots of accordion and acoustic guitars, no piano or fiddle – there’s a clear affinity. Songs hang in the air, implying rather than asserting uncanny dimensions. Dylan’s voice, again, is quite beautiful, with a control and nuance so many thought he’d lost.