Great bootleg recordings are not just soundboard rips or leaks from artists. Some are from the field. Those with the arm strength necessary to lift a phone or recording device through checks and into the show, to provide those who could not make it with a trickle of the magic. Such is the way many heard Bob Dylan back in the day – and even now as he unveils rarities on stage seemingly out of the blue. Every show is a chance for an all-time great performance or some sudden push for a new sound. Life Sentence is a fascinating showcase of Dylan at his very best. Some of his finest moments shaken to life on a double album bootleg. It features all the classics, the stand-out moments of a fiery, Street-Legal tour. But the expectation of hits remains and this Dylan show is filled with plenty of those.
Those Street-Legal offerings are fantastic. A quick flash of brilliance from Dylan, songs which never made it into setlists all that much after this tour for his beliefs had changed. It is a shame but for those listening to Life Sentence the run of Baby Stop Crying into the instrumental changes of Mr. Tambourine Man, almost identical to the At Budokan controversies, is a stellar listening experience. An outstanding performance either way, with Dylan sounding as lyrically in touch with the efforts of his past as ever. Shelter from the Storm follows suit. At Budokan may have kicked up a fuss at the time but this was the style which Dylan had been performing with the whole way through this tour. It should not have been as big a surprise as it was, though is a welcome departure from what may have gotten stale for the artists on stage.
Much of this Life Sentence bootleg is of an almost identical quality to At Budokan. What separates it is the slight differences in vocal quality, Dylan trialling a new elongation here or there. The crowd whooping and hollering certainly adds to it too. Tangled Up in Blue has never sounded as heartbreaking as it does here. Slowed to a crawl and arranged with saxophone solos and a removal of the acoustics which made the track such a jumpy tale of lost and found love, Life Sentence provides a wildly different style for some songs. Ballad of a Thin Man and Maggie’s Farm benefit well from these overwhelming instrumental changes. Punchy new feelings from Dylan, who after a decade of performing these songs was searching for something new. He finds it, and Life Sentence is a wonderful slice of this quality.
Best of the bunch is Like a Rolling Stone, a punchy and upbeat rendition of one of the all-time greats. Life Sentence is a charming piece of work not just because it hints at a progressive new sound for Dylan but also because it sounds as though he is enjoying the songs of his past. A hits-laden set where new life is brought to old material. Sometimes that is all that is needed to reinvigorate the creative interest in a song. An outstanding performance thankfully captured by those recording the gig. It shines a light on a positive performance from Dylan, something about this set of songs and the joy throughout connects artist and audience that little bit closer. Dylan would rarely ever show this vulnerable, openly joyous side in stage performances again.
