Bob Dylan – On the Banks of the Old Pontchartrain Review

Another Hank Williams number for the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, Bob Dylan delights in offering songs which shaped his youth. On the Banks of the Old Pontchartrain is more than just a neat cover but the closest we may hear to The Philosophy of Modern Song in practice. With some scope given to string and piano arrangements, Dylan’s cover of this classic Williams track is nothing short of excellent. But this is the expectation of these rarities and live performances which consider the range of classic material. Those who have stuck with Dylan to this stage of his career will know the joy to be heard in covers – it is a practice which stretches back to his debut album after all. But On the Banks of the Old Pontchartrain is a move away from the contemporary classics and into a spot of personable influences, which Dylan hopes to chart through this live performance.  

He does well – his voice sounding up to the task of carrying the string backdrop and the piano which he tries his hand at in recent shows. A welcome break from just the vocals, the instrumental fascinations of Dylan are played out on the stage with an emotional embrace to them, easier it is for an audience to fall into it that way. A traveller’s tale, and all in all a welcome road-worthy journey planted by Williams and adapted well by Dylan. Whoops of realisation are an expectation now of the covers heard in the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. There is a softer-spoken flourish to this performance, a rewardingly warm experience for the crowd in attendance.  

This all comes from the string sections backing Dylan. A bold and well-weathered experience of instrumental form, the high standard present in this is a leading reason as to why so many are still enchanted by Dylan and his stage presence. His turn of vocal form for On the Banks of the Old Pontchartrain is a nice introduction to this new sound. Dylan has captured the essential essence of the Williams original – which was just as reliant on those wonderful fiddle inclusions. But the crucial change made for the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour is the use of piano. More reliant on it than ever before, Dylan appears to be enjoying the range it provides him on stage, and for On the Banks of the Old Pontchartrain, it makes all the difference.  

Another bolt from the blue from Dylan, who manages to hold the line between consistent covers and surprise in hearing him provide them. Vocal inflictions from Dylan give the song a consistent pause to the lyrics, a new bridge here or there made up out of the tempo Dylan now utilises. It works well, a nice series of inclusions for a song as engaging as this. It does not take much to make a fitting addition to On the Banks of the Old Pontchartrain, but the consistency at which Dylan works with these live covers is a joy. A faithful adaptation of a classic Williams track which feels more like a chance for the artist on stage to pay tribute to one of the greats than for him to prove anything in particular. An exceptional addition to the live show, and what a recording it is.