Bob Dylan – Big River Review

Bob Dylan covering Johnny Cash. It could not be more natural than this. The pair enjoyed the recording studio time and time again. Big River, a Cash song which soon felt its way into the never-ending live showcases from Dylan, feels like a shared experience between the pair despite the Man in Black writing it long before he met Dylan. The Sun Records classic has made its way through the recording studio and live shows Dylan has thrown his fans over the last few decades. One man and his guitar create a fiery energy on the original 1958 recording and though the song has been ripped through, expanded and covered over and over, it is, of course, Dylan who finds his way to the heart of it on this recent live performance.  

Lost loves with a traditional swing and palm-muted flourish Cash would bring to the forefront of country stylings is not lost on Dylan. Influential moments in his listening experiences are taken to the stage and brought forth with a swinging style fitting into the Rough and Rowdy Ways experience. Rightly so. He has done it several times for this Cash song, but the likes of Billy Joel and The Grateful Dead find themselves adapting to this rhythm and blues style too. Cash feels more fitting of this style, the hunt for a passing love at the core of Big River inevitably benefits from the understated rambling ways of its protagonist, brought to life by a gruff-sounding Dylan backed by instrumental perfection.  

A slicker recording of the song is available on Travelin’ Thru but lacks the one overzealous Dylan fan whooping every other line. Annoying it may be, it makes for an almost impossible listen, an inconsistent fade in and out from a man who destroys the moment. But why whine about someone moved about hearing a song Dylan last performed twenty years ago? Other recordings are available. It is the instrumental instinct, the piano additions and the vibrant swing which add new layers to this Cash classic – yet those original tones and the country fundamentals are still buried within. What a treat it is to hear Big River in any capacity, though the issue comes from crowd work. Those who feel the need to make their voice heard at a venue where their name is not in the spotlight. What you can make out from this, and the various other recordings available, is Dylan is comfortable with the words of Cash.  

Enough performances exist of Big River already but this one feels different. Rough and Rowdy Ways has served as a neat core of songs new and old for Dylan to dip into, but it also features a delightful increase in cover opportunities. For those in attendance, it must feel like a golden ticket, but for the man on stage, it offers a time of reflection on the songs which have influenced him over the years and led to this point of musical contribution. Rough and Rowdy Ways was always built on the subtext of its references and the passage of time. For Dylan to dive deep into those songs which he holds to the highest acclaim should be no surprise, yet it is, and the excitement which drifts through this Big River version is a delight.