A slump in quality prevented Bob Dylan from reaching what could have been an overhaul of his sound in the 1980s. It is easy to say it in hindsight but the instrumental choices were at fault during this period. From the crumbling methods deployed on Empire Burlesque to the abominable overall feel of Knocked Out Loaded, the times were changing for Dylan, and they were changing for the worse. But there was some joy to be had in his live performances, as there always is. Unofficial bootleg Self-Portrait II serves a similar purpose to that of the original release, Self Portrait. It is a continuation of the very idea Dylan presented – of looking at himself as a catalyst for social change not through any particular action but with the spirit of his words and their frankness.
This collection looks to scrape the fitting and reflective opportunities Dylan afforded audiences during a lacklustre year or two. From Farm Aid performances to studio outtakes, Self-Portrait II is well-stocked with flickers of a new narrative. Trust Yourself is as it says in the title, a live performance where Dylan rallies himself forward, a chance to reveal he does believe in the sound he is pursuing. That belief is limited even now but conviction is half the battle for live performances such as this. Down in the Groove outtakes are for those who want the deepest of Dylan cuts and can find some love to be had for the forgotten gem of Dylan’s discography. Yes, it truly is a solid entry and pieces like Important Words or Just When I Needed You Most prove it. Backing vocalists are on their way out, but the formidable phase Dylan found himself in, of being reliant on others, is heard clearly.
Dylan did not lie to listeners when he wrote of this period in Chronicles. It was a rough experience, for the artist and the audience. The likes of Got Love If You Want It provide an upbeat sound in the face of downtrodden difficulties. Repetition of its titular offering, yet no response to feed back from, hears Dylan sound almost desperate, not for a connection but for a way out of the perceived rut. Self-Portrait II certainly paints a revealing picture of Dylan during this time. He recedes into the background of his instrumental flurries and backing vocals, a thin veneer to hide behind as Dylan struggles to piece together something fresh from this era. But he did, and there was enough of it to warrant pushing on.
Much of this compilation is made up of Down in the Groove outtakes, an album less and less likely to receive any sort of official release in The Bootleg Series. But we can hold out on hope and hope alone. Spots of genius do flicker through this period, the likes of Sidewalks, Fences & Walls has an affectionate twang to it if you can get through the mid-1980s piano fumblings. Could it be used for the backdrop of some hokey Tom Hanks movie? Absolutely. But it has a sensible charm to it, as does much of Down in the Groove. It is an album, as heard here, battering against the Hearts of Fire influence. Speaking of, The Usual is given a slot in here. Ultimately Self-Portrait II succeeds in doing what Self Portrait did. It provides a series of songs where reflection is clear and Dylan’s mind is not at all on the topic at hand.
Every artist uses songs as an extension of themselves but with Self-Portrait II there is a compilation of songs where Dylan sounds off, vulnerable even. He still has the skill and professionalism to power through with some great charm and instrumental intensity but something has got to give. It soon would. The anxieties of the time would give way on Oh Mercy, and the context from song to song on this Thousand Highways-made compilation is frankly genius. It fills in a few gaps of interest and the outtakes provided are of a clear, crisp recording quality. It is what we fans want from bootleg tapes and so frequently get. While we lap up the spoils of The Band live recordings or reinventions of classic tracks, it is always worth returning to a stream which had all but dried up. Hear Dylan struggle through and the works which hit better, before and after this period, sound revolutionary once more. Self-Portrait II is a fantastic compilation of where it went wrong, and how Dylan recovered by treading new ground.
