Kronos Quartet — Hard Rain

With daily threats of more war, humanity lurches ever closer to nuclear annihilation. Bob Dylan’s 1962 song ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ captured this angst, fear and horror then and has become a rallying point for Kronos.

— David Harrington, Kronos Quartet

Making progress on nuclear risk will require reaching beyond academic and policy circles to engage the broader public. As part of our outreach efforts, the Assembly collaborated with the Kronos Quartet to organize both a public concert and the creation of a recorded EP to amplify our message about the existential risks posed by nuclear weapons, reaching new audiences who might not otherwise engage with traditional policy discussions. This collaboration between renowned artists, including Allison Russell, Willie Nelson, Ringo Starr, Iggy Pop, and Asha Bhosle,  and the global scientific community represented by our Assembly is not only an artistic achievement but an illustration of global unity in the face of these indiscriminate threats.

Hard Rain EP

Released alongside the Declaration on the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test and beginning of the nuclear age, the Hard Rain EP features nearly 50 other artists from around the world across three tracks. The project features two covers of Bob Dylan’s (Literature, 2016) “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” The original was recorded on December 6, 1962 shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis and expressed the dread people felt. Sixty years later, the world is approaching similar levels of tension. 

Hard Rain is a striking rendition of Dylan’s song. In order of appearance, singers including Allison Russell, Iggy Pop, Satomi Matsuzaki (Deerhoof), Stephin Merritt (Magnetic Fields), Tanya Tagaq, Dai Wei, Gustavo Santaolalla, Laurie Anderson, Asha Bhosle, Slowspin, Zanai Bhosle (Asha’s granddaughter), Peni Candra Rin, Sara Parkman, Lollise, and Willie Nelson trade lines. They are supported by buoyant strings, performed by Kronos Quartet, members of Belle & Sebastian, Patti Smith Group, and Deerhoof. A backing Brooklyn artist choir, made up of Arthur Moon, Frankie Cosmos, Constant Smiles, Raia Was, Anjali Rose, Lou Tides, Xenia Rubinos, and more, heightens the catharsis.

The back half, Hard Rain (Drone), is more singular and disconcerting. A bed of droning strings and harmonium are topped by spoken word performances of Dylan’s poetic lyrics, courtesy of readers Ocean Vuong, Sampa The Great, Dai Wei, Sleaford Mods, Nadya Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot), Satomi Matsuzaki (Deerhoof), Iggy Pop, Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Stephin Merritt (Magnetic Fields), Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willie Nelson, Laurie Anderson, Mahsa Vahdat, and the one and only Ringo Starr. They are joined by an instrumental ensemble comprised of Kronos Quartet, Laurie Anderson, Shahzad Ismaily, Elia Einhorn, and Suhail Yusuf Khan. 

Komal Reshab Asavari is a cosmic and existential Raga collaboration with Terry Riley, who was inspired by David Harrington of Kronos’ ethos and mission.

 

Listen to the Hard Rain EP here:

Kronos Quartet + Allison Russell Concert

Watch Recording on YouTube

Closing out the Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War, the Kronos Quartet along with a special guest Allison Russell invited attendees to reflect on the past, present, and future of nuclear risk. This stirring musical journey was interwoven with spoken-word stories of nuclear near-misses and moments that almost ended the world. In order of appearance, the speakers and their readings were: 

  • Excerpts from Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto’s diary, August 1946, Read by Tatsujiro Suzuki 
  • Excerpts from Nikita Khrushchev letter to John F. Kennedy, October 1962, Read by Togzhan Kassenova
  • General Lee Butler, Commander, Strategic Air Command, address to the Canadian Network Against Nuclear Weapons (1999), Read by Alex Wellerstein

Allison Russell joined Kronos Quartet to close the event with a powerful performance of “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.”