Occasionally, it is a shock to think Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead worked together so closely. They were of the same place and era, but musically they could be no more different. Dependable efforts from both paved the way to long-running collaborations, tributes and tips of the hat, and most recent of all is this piece from Dylan, who covers Brokedown Palace at his Rough and Rowdy Ways stop in Boston. Their interplay and crossovers are timeless and frequent, though their latest published works together, the snooze-inducing Dylan and The Dead, is a poor sign of their efforts.
Brokedown Palace, then, feels like a tribute to the fallen. They may linger but the likes of Jerry Garcia left us some time ago, and this cover from Dylan is knowing of that and seems stunned somewhat by how much time has passed. Those rising, twinkling acoustics featured in this Boston performance are as tender as it gets for the live Dylan spectacle. The whoops and hollers, and cheers from the crowd on this short and sweet piece are essential to the mood and groove featured throughout. Brokedown Palace lives on thanks to its participation from those in attendance just as much as the Dylan vocals right at the core. As powerful a cover as it gets for Dylan on these pieces, who was drawn more and more to the great works of The Grateful Dead on the Rough and Rowdy Ways showcase.
It is likely one of the final times Dylan will get to explore these songs. Fitting appropriations of the afterlife are taken under the wing of Dylan for this one, who delivers a booming and instrumentally affectionate performance of a fine piece of music. There should be no surprises there, though. Dylan often does these live experiences justice and the sprinklings of extra dedication here and there to The Grateful Dead feel almost tearful for the man who worked so closely with them, trading lyrics and sharing music with them live on stage. Impressive and essential workings from these live shows could be lost to time if it were not for those daring few padding themselves with recording devices. We are better for it, even if Dylan’s wish to leave these concerts phoneless is broken.
Audiences know better than the artist sometimes and for avid deep-cut fans, Brokedown Palace will prove an essential listen for its shimmering instrumental sway and its demanding performance from a moved Dylan. Wonderful stuff the whole way through and the catcalls of the crowd, in this rare instance, are welcomed. They set the scene wonderfully and bring out a rare cover, a reflective one which should be a must-listen for anyone hoping to keep hold of the Dead/Dylan collaborations. They are not as frequent as they used to be and whether they happen again, be it through working together or from Dylan on a covers album of The Dead songs, is yet to be seen. For now, revel and relax into this cover of an essential American Beauty cut.
