Bob Dylan – Beyond Here: Unreleased Live Recordings, Spring 2016: Act One Review

A long-running love for the venues of Japan hears Bob Dylan, officially and unofficially through decades of recordings, lay down his finest work in Asia. A grand cultural divide makes the “Big in Japan” mockery of some artists feel foul. How different our audiences are. Compare the whoops and hollers with the considered claps found on this unofficial bootleg, Beyond Here: Unreleased Live Recordings, Spring 2016: Act One, and revel in the quality. These are crisp and fundamentally changed experiences of classic tracks – the songs which catapulted him back into public interest. Open with the monumental changes of Things Have Changed and revel in the calm splendour. For everything between music, wrestling and film, there is a dedication from the crowds heard in this first act to consider the quality of the art, and let it play out without involvement.  

Classic tracks like She Belongs To Me have an exceptional sound to them, both in the quality of the recording and the performance from Dylan and the band. Wonder-filled consistency hits the stage across a series of shows in Japan and for Dylan, it means tying himself to those highs felt on the Budokan stage. Bob Dylan at Budokan may do a solid job of interpreting the infamous performance and the flurry of alternative arrangements but they are not the only example of such changes. Beyond Here: Act One does an excellent job at taking those Blood on the Tracks and underrated examples from Together Through Life (an incredible Beyond Here Lies Nothing features in this collection) and bringing new power to them through the instrumental changes. Those changes are expected at this point in the Dylan live performance timeline. What’ll I Do sounds as close to the Rough and Rowdy Ways experience as it gets for Beyond Here.  

Naturally, the Frank Sinatra cover is a step in the right direction for the contemplative 2020 originals from Dylan, but years of searching for that sound on stage kindled a spirited, swinging blues style. Further evidence of its early sound can be found on That Old Black Magic, a Johnny Mercer cover which became a staple of the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. Its slack, jolly rock motion is a very different occasion for Beyond Here but captures the overarching sounds Dylan was building towards. This is an unofficial stopgap between covers and contemporary originals for Dylan and the band, and it works wonders in piecing together how he got to the point of blues-rock originals.  

The same can be said for Tangled Up in Blue. It is as clear a vocal performance Dylan offers audiences at this time and for some time it would be the only clear impression he offers. His gruff mannerisms and croaky, rushed vocals elsewhere are either loved or hated, like spreadable condiments or latter seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Here is a pang of late-stage clarity from Dylan – a reminder his occasional vocal reductions are a choice and part of the act. Beyond Here is a wonderful collection of Japan-based performances. They are of utmost quality from a period with a sincere focus on covers and classics, though Dylan does not forget his groundbreaking works. 

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