Bob Dylan – Kansas City Review

Back to the classics of his youth Bob Dylan goes. Kansas City, aptly played at a venue in the eponymous area on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, hears Dylan at peace with his influences. He has spent the last decade charting them and their tensions, how it affected his covers on Triplicate and more recently the reflective notions of his pop-oriented desire on his recent release of originals. Taking to the stage with Kansas City at the start of his setlist is not just a way to pay tribute to one of the historic cities on this tour date list but also a mark of respect to Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. This live recording lingers as a rough way of inserting Dylan into the classics. He now appears alongside the likes of Wilbert Harrison and Little Willie Littlefield as great artists who have covered this track. Kansas City remains a wonderful song, and the affectionate tone, and the swinging style Dylan takes on this, add wonderful layers.  

Keeping a similar tempo and style to the Harrison cover from 1959, guitar prominence is crucial, and Dylan gives his usual run of gruff and hoarse vocals. They work better now Dylan has figured out a matching tone – it makes all the difference when compared to his early 2000s performances. Where Harrison holds firm in an R&B style which now serves as a wonderful flashback to the early days of music as an art rather than a dynamic background noise to swing with. Dylan does well to capture this essential new turn and strong work is done to bleed the instrumental opener as the band sets foot on stage into this classic track. Kansas City bursts to life, the overlap of guitar work on the piped-through instrumentals a charming start to an often rigid setlist.  

The backing band keeps the same tone as the Harrison recording. A near note for not adapting a wonderful song. Dylan marks double duties with his piano flickers making all the difference. It is this extra layer which gives Kansas City a new edge, a spritely style which evolves from a 50s hit into a mean, snarling piece of wonder. Dylan has this effect on many of the songs from his youth and those he pays tribute to on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. Harrison and later Dylan would tackle Kansas City and, to some degree, perceive it as a challenge. This live performance from Dylan hears the affected, emotive tones of a man intertwining those youthful pangs of musical influence, an attempt to match it with his necessary evolution as an artist in the twilight years.  

Sixty years on and still there remains an edge to both the studio and live performances of Dylan. His experience and deep-rooted love for the songs he chooses to cover can sometimes find themselves stranded in a potential mess of overwrought love and a passionate attempt to rekindle the past. Not so on this performance of Kansas City, which hits the right groove and features a responsible innovation to a classic track. Use this as a reference point for covers of any artist working in the same wonderful genres and compare. Dylan has added his flavour of personal charm to a long-standing track and, in turn, provides both a tribute to the great writings of the pre-album experiences and the glory of the stage and how volatile it can be.  

If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to our Patreon.