Bob Dylan – Slane Castle 1984 Review

A stacked cast of guest artists and a few surprise additions to the usual lineup give Bob Dylan the edge. 1984 is an unremarkable year in a remarkable career. Slane Castle hopes to challenge this image of Dylan as a dwindling artist exploring his faith through choppy songs and intensely misunderstood writing. Slane Castle 1984 is the place to go for it. He is backed by his contemporary greats as he does so. With Van Morrison and Bono appearing in this set the stakes were never higher, and Dylan finds himself blessed with a chance to make his at-the-time fresh material work. Even then he relies on the hits and a few Infidels tracks instead of those deeper cuts which wade through his set now. An interesting mixture of hits pours through then, a rejection of the born-again trilogy and a desire to play hit after hit.  

It opens with Highway 61 Revisited and flies from there. Dylan has tinged his best works with the born-again groove of Shot of Love and it makes all the difference. Just Like a Woman is the real sense of change here and the Mick Taylor additions brought to the guitar sections are nothing short of magic. Slick guitar solos and spots of glory for him to feed the rest of the band. Simply incredible work all around, held together with Colin Allen on drums and the late, great Gregg Sutton on bass. Disc three is the real meat and potatoes of this release with all the additions expected of Van Morrison and Santana playing out nicely. Slane Castle 1984 is a show where every song is a hit. This is the star-studded experience some audiences would expect from the still-touring legend. 

But it is a credit to Dylan, who has no interest in repeating the past, to snub those hits. There had to be a piece out there where the hits were collected and performed live in great succession, and this is it. Slane Castle 1984 is the definitive hits showcase. Throw in a collaboration with Morrison on It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue and Bono for Blowin’ in the Wind and this soundboard collection becomes the stuff of legend. A tightly tuned band playing to the best of their abilities with a frontman whose slow slide into some obtuse and awkward material had not yet started. We are not yet at the point of Knocked Out Loaded, long may it stay away from this Slane Castle 1984 set. This is an exceptional recording with an absolute necessity to it.  

Dylan has always provided his best materials when he is on the road too, and the energy it gives him is clear in the recording process. Those excesses of excitement are featured well in Slane Castle 1984. A monumental collection of the very best works from Dylan all performed to the highest standard. Ian McLagan cannot go unmentioned. His keyboard work on Maggie’s Farm and the upbeat, swinging tone it takes is masterful. A real ace in the hole McLagan is, and so too is this collection. A must-have live recording experience. Without question one of the tightest Dylan sets salvaged from the soundboards of old. Slane Castle 1984 is a sharp, shooting experience with plenty to love. If a Morrison-featuring Tulepo Honey does not win you over, your heart is made of stone.