Rare success for Bob Dylan in the tumultuous 1980s is not revisionism, it is a brutal fact. When the spotty and imperfect Infidels is his finest calling for nine years, the times are changing to moments of trouble. Real Live is a hopeful endeavour set on promoting the album – and odd it must be to do so with the hits of nearly two decades before its 1983 release. Still, those in attendance for the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour are likely as rabid as any to hear those classics. Whether it would be in the simple, straight shots of form found on Real Live is yet to be seen, especially considering the highs of the Rolling Thunder Revue and the punchy and furious nature of other live recordings like Hard Rain.
It was going to fall after all, and without The Band, Dylan marks a return to simpler, pressing adaptations of his best works. Taking to Wembley Stadium and rattling off the likes of Highway 61 Revisited and Masters of War as straight rock songs does no favours to Dylan. Granted he is searching for a new style for a voice inflicted with a need for change, but Real Live catches the man himself at a crossroads where a choice was yet to be made. It is remarkable to hear the finest tracks from this bundle of hits is the Infidels material. Strained vocals on Maggie’s Farm are sullied with a swinging, feverish demonstration on the keyboard and an out-of-pocket performance from Dylan. Therein lies the problem, but also the reason.
I and I stands out as the first solid piece of this performance. Dylan has retrofitted his classics into the religious saunter and spiky guitar rock observations of the Infidels era. He is yet to find a suitable transfer of style for this material by the time Real Live rolls around. Letting the crowd fill in the blanks on It Ain’t Me, Babe, is a wonderful experience – it is what live albums are all about, after all. But from there it all feels vacant and absent of real, punchy classics. Even with Ballad of a Thin Man and Tombstone Blues in there, the latter playing out this ten-track live session, it all feels weightless. Average rocking guitar antics from Dylan and a stripped-back band. Even without the context of his work with The Band just a few years prior, something feels off about this one.
It is likely the lack of swagger and indifference to material those in attendance, at this concert and even now, would kill to hear. Real Live has no passion lingering under it. The few peaks to be heard are from Dylan throwing in an Infidels single and a crowd who bolster one of his finest tracks. Dylan can lean on Real Live as an example of why artists must not recede into covering their best works and continuing without a change of pace or new flourish to their music. More to his credit for not falling for this on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. It just goes to show the confidence necessary to present new material – it is a mismatched and moody dud for much of Real Live.
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Fair. I’m surprised you didn’t feel the substantially rewritten Tangled Up in Blue warranted mention. Personally I feel it was a highlight of the album. (I do think though that the Slane Castle show tape is overall much better than this one.)
Agreed, Tangled up on blue is the highlight here. Not as bad an album as is often reviewed.
Weightless is a good word. Dylan going through the motions. Bang it out and onto the next gig. Ho hum.
Barcelona is far better and one of the best Dylan concerts ever.