Bob Dylan – Money, Honey Review

Bob Dylan is no stranger to covers. Nobody is a stranger to Elvis Presley. Many are to Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters. What a collection of names to associate with this live performance of Money, Honey. Drop four minutes into this Ithaca, New York performance. The turn of the 2000s would pave the way to plentiful covers but this, Money, Honey, is delightful. A leg-shimmying Dylan provides a fine form on the Cornell University stage and appears as articulate and well-moved as could be hoped for in the post-Time Out of Mind days. One of the sharpest live recordings around. We are often given the chance to listen in to these setlists, and long live the bootleggers. But this recording of a 1999 set has met the high bar of studio work. Forget live additions, this sounds fresh from the cutting room floor

Yet it is not and proof of this is in the sliding Dylan’s presence, kicking his legs and sliding back and forth across the stage like a country star with cramp. Whether it is pins and needles impacting this movement or simply the joys of covering McPhatter songs, the energy is there. Money, Honey provides a slick interaction for Dylan and the rest of the band from a show where covers appeared frequently. This Wheel’s on Fire and Not Fade Away, the latter of which given the occasional stage showcase, appeared too in this fiery performance. But Money, Honey is where interest lies. Not just for those tremendous antics on stage, a fresh burst of footage for those used to seeing Dylan skulk away behind the piano, but also as an admirable instrumental piece.  

Get your eyes away from the wiggling hips of a man who shows more movement here than he did in all the Rough and Rowdy Ways performances. What is striking about this cover is the conviction of the vocal performance. Dylan does not toy with the fabric of the original as much as he would on his later covers of The Grateful Dead or Johnny Cash. He is keen to cement the joy and rush of listening to McPhatter originals and pays tribute in as close an adaptation of Money, Honey as possible. It is a masterclass in toeing the line of planting your flag in a classic song and treating it with respect. Dyan has walked that line time and again, coming out with Money, Honey is no small feat. But he makes it sound so easy. 

There is a magic behind the scenes of this and it is found in the band around him. The many guitarists and percussion Dylan had the benefit of at the time, their finely tuned desire to play up the thrills of these covers. It means the seeming spontaneity of a classic track can come through without so much as a stumble or panic. Joyous renditions like this are there for those who seek them out – and Money, Honey benefits from sharp camera work from the audience member who whipped out what must have been a mighty camera at the time. We are better for these covers and the Ithaca, New York performance from 1999 seems like a sly, legendary set filled with an abundance of cool charm and flavour.