Where the 1980s may not have been a stellar decade for Bob Dylan’s studio work, his fascinating approach to stage work kept him going. Collaborations with George Harrison, the Grateful Dead and attempts at catching the pop spirit of the times tanked just about every release from Saved to his brief respite on Oh Mercy. There is work worth hearing during this time – live albums which shine a light on the better performances. But even then, this period The Legendary Broadcasts 1985 – 1993 hopes to highlight is filled with duds. Infamous performances like Stuttgart 1991 are thankfully overlooked for this patchy collection of newfound copyrighted material. “Transcendent Bob Dylan,” are the first words heard on this compilation. Ballad of Hollis Brown is a bold open, ripped right from 1985 and displaying all the effortless highs and staggering lows of a shaky decade.
Keith Richards and Ron Wood appearing on this first track should be a tell of where this comes from. Keen-eared fans will place the Live Aid 1985 performance, the microphone screech to follow. The whole performance is right here, as is the Farm Aid performance from that same year and a stunning David Letterman performance to close out the compilation. The Legendary Broadcasts 1985 – 1993 is what you would expect of the period. We still head to Dylan, as the audiences did then, for a shot of the legend. A short performance mired by technical difficulties and an odd selection of songs. Ballad of Hollis Brown follows on into Dylan asking for care to be given to those struggling to pay their mortgage, an admirable ask before When the Ship Comes In of all songs. These erratic performances have more in common than first thought.
This is not just a compilation of moments over the years but a decent portrayal of Dylan and how he was struggling to find a new sound, a better vocal inflexion, in this period. Blowin’ in the Wind benefits from this style, the croaked and choked fatigue of a man who knew nothing but the stage and showy style of music for decades. It all caught up to him and The Legacy Broadcasts 1985 – 1993 shows it. Basic bar blues on Shake are the makings of an indifferent moment for Dylan, one of many profiled by this collection. Most of the Farm Aid 1985 performance, as well-intended as it is, falls rather flat. Even The Byrds and Dylan feel underwhelming as they shift Mr. Tambourine Man into the spaced-out psychedelics of their cover. By the time Dylan feels his way into the song it is almost over, and he adds very little to it. Part of the guitar work here sounds like Day Tripper from The Beatles but flatlines.
Such is the case of Dylan during this period, as tragic as it may be. There is still a great performer buried in there but getting him out, digging around the edges of poor performance, is tricky. Masters of War is certainly a low point. No surprise it is from the same year as Stuttgart 1991. Whining and strained beyond recognition, Dylan at this point is at the lowest moment of his career. A debilitating battle with his doubts as a songwriter and an inability to throw off this vocal tinge. Borderline unlistenable this performance may be it is bookended, blissfully, by a Guitar Legends spot. A neat instrumental change-up which still strikes through even now as Dylan takes to adapting it into Rough and Rowdy Ways. His vocal performance leaves a lot to be desired, but so do his performances elsewhere in this collection.
The Legendary Broadcasts 1985 – 1993 serves its purpose. A reminder that even the best have off seasons. An off decade or two, even. Like a Rolling Stone and Forever Young certainly pick things up towards the end but the Letterman performance where an uncomfortable Dylan provides television with a rare appearance, pales in comparison to other compilations. Is it worth suffering through just for that track? Absolutely not. Fish those out and get moving. Unremarkable compilations like this are no doubt in the works still because to make good on a multi-million-dollar deal means re-releasing as much of his live and unofficially recorded work as possible. Prepare for the deluge.
