Bob Dylan – Only a River Review

One final show on the Japanese leg of the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, Bob Dylan delivers a rare and exemplary cover. His decision to piece together the flickering favourites of his own and the public in moments of seemingly impromptu creativity is a rare treat. Thankfully those moments were recorded, jotted down into history and pieced together with incredible skill from expert BennyBoy. His remaster collection Nothing Lasts Forever brings together the best bits and pieces from an at-the-time ongoing tour and Only a River, the Bob Weir and Josh Ritter classic, lends itself so well to the vocal range Dylan now possesses. But listen in a little closer and this rip from the Nagoya show sounds far closer to the perceived glory days than it does the croaky crackles of his recent era of American Songbook covers. 

It speaks to the quality of the mixing here and the refined work from BennyBoy that Only a River sounds so exceptional. Live recordings are fickle things though the absolute masterwork found on here is exciting and a real chance to hear the band in full swing. Only a River brings new light and love to the stage, an exceptional experience which floats naturally through the newfound vocal stylings Dylan can present. Writings from a college stairwell taken to the great stages of Asia – it should be no small experience for Weir to hear an all-time great cover of his musings from all those years ago. Dylan is in fine form for this performance let alone Only a River. He suits the lyrics well, the river of love running through a life well lived and reflected on neatly by Dylan, whose twilight years are a time for reflecting on the songs which shaped him.  

Only a River gives him much of this range, which he brought out in his forgettable recent book, The Philosophy of Modern Song. While Only the River may surprise those in attendance, and rightly so, it feels like it fits the fabric of the Dylan tours of late. Experienced musicians charm their attendees with sudden displays of wonderful covers. This is not just any old cover though, it is the sharp playing style which features throughout – the strong work from Bob Britt on guitar and Tony Garnier on bass sounds crisp, pure and full of life. You can tell they are settled in their roles in this powerhouse of a band, and the experience is like no other. There are flickers of youthful energy in this recording, and we are better off hearing it.  

Of course, the time and links between Dylan and Only a River go back further and deeper than just Weir. His clunky showcases with The Grateful Dead are to be credited for the sharper meanings found on this one. Where Dylan was in a slump and so too was The Dead, they kindled their work and returned stronger. It is no surprise Dylan wishes to pay tribute to the band which helped him through the roughest patch of his artistic productions, then. Only a River is not only a song but a signal of thanks from a great artist to another pair, with Weir and Ritter receiving a nod of approval and thanks from a great of the stage.