Bob Dylan – In the Summertime: Volume 1 Review

Crumbling glories left Bob Dylan sinking lower and lower through the 1980s. His desire to catch up with the popular themes of the time led to some zany and uncharacteristic choices. Some of his worst works to date were to follow In the Summertime, selections of a 1981 tour which featured his notorious Born-Again routine. Slow Train Coming and Shot of Love have warmed over time and hearing the likes of Gotta Serve Somebody on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour proved rewarding. What was it about its appearance on Volume 1 of this compilation which made it so hard to engage? Was it the raw and emotional range Dylan offered or was it the frank change of pace, the left-field observations and sound coming to the forefront and replacing the routine of hits? Whatever the case, the 1981 summer tour makes for an intense and interesting listen. 

Hindsight is a beauty. Behold the intensity and sparks of life on opener Gotta Serve Somebody – the backing vocals taking the front seat as Dylan drifts away from the spotlight and into an instrumental slot. I Believe in You struggles for consistency. A whining and higher-than-usual pitch for Dylan is symptomatic of the period but the instrumentals rescue him from a complete disaster. These tracks sound better in the gruff, modern blues presentation of recent tours. But again, hindsight is a beauty. Classics soon filter through but the rushed temperament of Like a Rolling Stone is telling. Dylan has no interest in the hits, yet his audience does. It leads to some clunky experiences where backing vocalists are called on to take the reins. In the Summertime: Volume 1 may feature one of the worst Like a Rolling Stone live performances in Dylan’s career. Grumbling, harsh renditions are no stranger to live shows, but this gravelly blowout is shocking. 

Even I Want You feels subdued despite the bubbly and upbeat flow. Trouble No More suffers the same with its Bootleg Series diving deep into studio recordings and shows across the globe to make good on a shaky period. Hattie Carroll suffers too, another loose and wavering performance which is more the fault of Dylan than anything instrumental. Solid acoustics and neat interjections of piano all make the difference but many of the performances within In the Summertime sound vacant of soul. Dylan at this point was filtering through some of his best works but mired by time in the studio and inconsistent at best. It reflects in his live work too. His religious-oriented proclivities take centre stage and yet fail to persuade of their qualities. Man Gave Name to All the Animals cannot shake its nursery rhyme-like beat no matter what it tries. 

Turn your attention to an electrified and buzzing Maggie’s Farm performance. Bitter and venomous. The sort of vitriol which is usually reserved for Idiot Wind. It single-handedly salvages In the Summertime – an excellent collection of polished live recordings for those who want to hear them. The latter half is an inspired turn and some exceptional, unique live recordings. Barbara Allen serves as a purifying addition. Hellbent on showcasing Dylan is still a vocal force to be reckoned with, these final tracks of In the Summertime serve as an intense marriage of slick and heavy guitar riffs with a Dylan vocal benefitting from the dip into dangerous covers and often forgotten material. Joan Baez once more salvages a rough patch for Dylan, and In the Summertime is all the better for it.