Desire At Fifty

The Glide Magazine piece revisits Bob Dylan's 1976 album Desire in light of the Rolling Thunder tour, highlighting haphazard studio sessions, Jacques Levy's co-writing, and Scarlet Rivera's violin as defining elements. The article argues that live Rolling Thunder performances of songs such as Hurricane and Isis surpass the comparatively stiff studio versions later documented on official box sets. It also contrasts Desire with the harsher Hard Rain live album and notes the iconic cover art's role in sustaining the record's legacy.

Marking the album's 50th anniversary, the article traces how Bob Dylan created Desire in 1975–76 through intensive collaboration with playwright Jacques Levy, violinist Scarlet Rivera, and singer Emmylou Harris. It describes writing sessions in New York and the Hamptons, the spontaneous studio approach that preserved first takes, and the narrative focus of songs like Hurricane, Isis, and Joey. The piece also connects Desire to the Rolling Thunder Revue tour, where the same core musicians brought the material to the stage.

Paste Magazine's retrospective traces how Bob Dylan's 1976 album Desire emerged from intense collaboration with lyricist Jacques Levy, violinist Scarlet Rivera, and singer Emmylou Harris. The article recounts writing sessions in New York and the Hamptons, spontaneous studio practices that favored first takes, and the creation of narrative songs such as Hurricane, Isis, and Joey. It also follows these musicians onto the Rolling Thunder Revue tour, where Desire's sound evolved in long, theatrical performances.

This Hot Press anniversary article, prompted by Bob Dylan turning eighty, examines the creation and legacy of Dylan's 1976 album Desire. The piece reconstructs the 1975 New York and Minnesota recording sessions, highlighting contributions from Scarlet Rivera, Emmylou Harris, Jacques Levy, and producer Don DeVito. It connects Desire to Blood On The Tracks, the Rolling Thunder Revue tour, and films such as Renaldo & Clara, arguing that Dylan used collaborators, cinematic storytelling, and stage personas to mask intensely personal material.

In this 2026 SalutFolk piece, Steve Peck revisits Bob Dylan's 1976 album Desire on its 50th anniversary, tracing the shift from Blood on the Tracks to a more theatrical, collaborative approach with Jacques Levy. The article recounts chaotic New York recording sessions with Scarlet Rivera, Emmylou Harris, and others, links the material to the Rolling Thunder Revue, and evaluates key tracks such as Hurricane, Isis, Joey, Sara, and Abandoned Love within Dylan's evolving 1970s persona.

Published by Cult Following in January 2026, the article offers a retrospective review of Bob Dylan's 1976 album Desire, arguing it concludes Dylan's golden age. It details Jacques Levy's lyrical collaboration, Scarlet Rivera's crucial violin contributions, and the complex recording process involving abandoned sessions and songs. Key tracks such as Hurricane, Isis, Joey, Mozambique, and One More Cup of Coffee are analyzed, and Desire is contrasted with Blood on the Tracks, Hard Rain, and later album Oh Mercy.

Marking the 50th anniversary of its January 5, 1976 release, the article examines Bob Dylan's album Desire as a restless, collaborative project shaped alongside playwright Jacques Levy, Rolling Thunder Revue musicians, and singer Emmylou Harris. It traces key songs from the protest narrative Hurricane to the intimate Sara and the controversial gangster portrait Joey, emphasizing Scarlet Rivera's defining violin sound, the album's commercial success, and Desire's lasting reputation as a vivid, unresolved narrative tapestry.

Desire arose from chaotic 1975 New York studio sessions that narrowed to a core lineup, featured spontaneous jams and a Hurricane re-recording, and led to the Rolling Thunder Revue and a January 1976 release.

Desire followed Blood on the Tracks as Dylan assembled a large studio band in July 1975, then pared down to a quintet including Emmylou Harris and Scarlet Rivera. Jacques Levy co wrote two narratives and a Joseph Conrad inspired screenplay threads through three other songs. Hurricane opens the record, centering on Rubin Carter, while Joey Gallo is the focus of an extended track; Mozambique and Sara close the nine song set. The Rolling Thunder Revue soon toured with the material.

Pitchfork's Sunday retrospective revisits Bob Dylan's 1976 album Desire, recounting the mid-1970s New York and Rolling Thunder Revue context of its creation and highlighting collaborators Scarlet Rivera, Emmylou Harris, Jacques Levy, and Rob Stoner. The article analyzes major tracks from Hurricane to Sara, emphasizing narrative liberties, surreal imagery, and tangled ethics around figures like Rubin Carter and Joey Gallo. Desire emerges as a hit record that exposes Bob Dylan's impulse to refashion public events and private relationships as stylized theater.

In the summer of 1975 Bob Dylan partnered with Jacques Levy and assembled a pick-up band in New York to record Desire over a few days. The album blends imagined and reportage songs, highlighted by "Hurricane," and features contributions from Scarlet Rivera and Emmylou Harris. Desire's sessions and musicians carried over into the Rolling Thunder Revue tour, cementing the record as a distinctive, theatrical entry in Dylan's mid-1970s output.

The article ranks twenty-one major rock albums released in 1976, presenting the year as the polished peak of corporate rock before punk. Among these records, Bob Dylan's Desire is praised for shifting from the stark introspection of Blood on the Tracks to a lush, cinematic, collaborative sound. Built around Scarlet Rivera's violin and material from Rolling Thunder Revue sessions, the album is described as a vibrant, accessible collection of narrative songs like Hurricane and Isis.

Fifty years after its release, Desire is reassessed as a collaborative ensemble project rather than a single star vehicle. The album brings together a large cast of musicians, with Emmylou Harris and Scarlet Rivera among the core contributors, and songs co written by Dylan and Jacques Levy. The centerpiece Hurricane recounts Rubin Carter, while Joey and other tracks weave cinematic, narrative sagas alongside more intimate portraits such as Sara. Recording sessions are described as chaotic yet ultimately focused, yielding a theatrical, emotionally extreme record.

Desire was released in 1976 on Columbia Records and was largely co written with Jacques Levy. The album features musicians from the Rolling Thunder Revue and includes cinematic tracks such as Hurricane, Joey, Romance In Durango, Isis, Black Diamond Bay, and Sara. Recording began in July 1975 with a burst of energy, and a later October session addressed Hurricane re recording due to legal issues. Scarlet Rivera's violin and Emmylou Harris's backing vocals contribute to the distinctive sound.

Robert Plant discusses Bob Dylan's 1976 album Desire, viewing it as a symbol of creative freedom during the Rolling Thunder Revue era. Plant recalls Dylan's return to live performance and notes how Desire blends folk roots with international textures, including bouzouki and violin, aided by Scarlet Rivera. He contrasts Desire with the less adventurous Self Portrait period and suggests that such spontaneous artistry marked a transformative moment in Dylan's career, one unlikely to be replicated in today's music industry.

Dylan released the 1976 album Desire, featuring long narrative songs and guests Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, and Scarlet Rivera, with tracks about Carter, Gallo, and Sara.

This article profiles violinist Scarlet Rivera ahead of the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan's 1976 album Desire, drawing on a recent telephone interview from her home near Los Angeles. It recounts Rivera's chance meeting with Dylan in New York, her spontaneous, chart-free contributions to studio recordings like Hurricane, and her prominent role on the Rolling Thunder Revue tour and the live album Hard Rain. The piece also notes Rivera's later collaborations and her ongoing solo recording projects.

The article examines a group of landmark 1976 rock albums—by Rush, Aerosmith, Boston, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, and Bob Dylan—arguing these records remain vital. It emphasizes Desire for its narrative songs like "Hurricane," personal tracks such as "Sara," and contributions from Jacques Levy and Scarlet Rivera, situating the album among other ambitious, studio-crafted works that defined album-oriented rock in 1976.