The man born Robert Zimmerman has announce that he’s releasing a brand new studio album in September, and like fellow music icons The Rolling Stones, its to celebrate a 50th Anniversary.

Tempest, Bob Dylan’s first studio album of new material since 2009’s Together Through Life, will be released on September 11, 2012 – a full half-century to the day of the release of Dylan’s self-titled debut in 1962.

The new album will be produced by ‘Jack Frost’, the pseudonym Dylan’s been using to self-produce his records since the turn of the century.

Dylan’s 35th studio album arrives after a bit of a career resurgence that arguably started with 1997’s Platinum-selling Time Out Of Mind, earning him multiple Grammy Awards while Love And Theft took out the award for ‘Best Contemporary Folk Album’ four years later. 

Modern Times followed in 2006, again sweeping the critical faculties with glowing reviews cropping up internationally as well as the #1 slot in 8 countries (including Australia). Together Through Life achieved a similar feat three years later, crowning the charts in both US and the UK.

The collection of ten new compositions that make up Tempest, is likely to be similarly successful, particularly given that 2012 marks the 50th Anniversary of Bob Dylan.

Australian artists have already helped celebrate the milestone with the recent Bob Dylan Night concert series, where musical friends like Kav Temperley of Eskimo Joe, Josh Pyke, Kevin Mitchell of Bob Evans/Jebediah, Holly Throsby and The Grates’ Patience Hodgson played a surfeit of Dylan material across the country (with plenty of great photo opps).

The album artwork for Tempest is below, along with the tracklisting.

1. Duquesne Whistle
2. Soon After Midnight
3. Narrow Way
4. Long and Wasted Years
5. Pay In Blood
6. Scarlet Town
7. Early Roman Kings
8. Tin Angel
9. Tempest
10. Roll On John

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