Bob Dylan – Let One Tear Fall Review

Covering the traditional songs which defined artists of a certain generation will never not be moving. It is the easiest way to explain Let One Tear Fall, an immaculate collection of six performances from Bob Dylan from 1992. BennyBoy outdoes himself as ever with this production, traipsing through the catalogues of history and pulling out six fine and tender performances, primarily in Australia. A closing cover performance from Canada rounds out this six-piece set – but it is the conduct of beauty heard on these covers of Female Rambling Sailor, a classic track which, as heard on other BennyBoy compilations like Nothing Lasts Forever, finds a comfortable spot in Dylan’s live work. A silence falling over the audience for this performance should be an indication of the intensity of these covers. 

Introduced as a song about a sailor, Dylan gets to the point and plays on through these Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne dates. Another shining example of just how lacking a tome The Philosophy of Modern Song was when it comes to detailing the rich musical knowledge Dylan holds. This traditional Australian piece makes sense to play at these gigs – obviously. But what may not strike through as clear is the slight rewrites, the differences between this collection of daunting times for the unnamed female rambling sailor. Key changes can be heard on this but the intonation and the rich textures which come through this instrumentally charged piece are clear, no thanks to some fine recording qualities from the 1990s. There is a rooted folk appeal to this track, and it is a crying shame it was not played more or released in some official quality. 

All hail the Bootleg Tapes of forums, then. The April 3rd performance has a crowd who seem to let on to knowing this tune, much of it reliant on the core female warrior story spun as a folk tale. It settles in nicely and suits the vocal inflictions Dylan was working with at the time – his powers moving away from chesty proclamations and into a higher octave of nasal and speech-like rhymes. As a new turn of form, it works rather nicely, and Let One Tear Fall does a tremendous job of piecing together all these rarities. Crucial bits of history uncovered by those dedicated to finding them – the passion put into this project is just as delightful as these renditions of an unrefined gem of a cover. 

Dylan is no stranger to covers either, his flirtations with the great American Songbook would dominate his career and so too his Rough and Rowdy Ways live performances. Female Rambling Sailor would not slot into the jazz and lounge aesthetics found on this latest tour though it would mark a triumphant full-circle moment should it appear, which it will not. Beyond it being a niche traditional, it is not like Dylan to look back, certainly not enough to return to folk roots. Female Rambling Sailor highlights the necessity to uncover lost treasures. It leads to homemade EPs such as this, with an incredible cover image right down to the tender joys of a rarely outed song. What a treat not just for Dylan fans but those who wish to learn more about Australian folk.