Early years and live recordings for Bob Dylan fans are not as sparse as first thought. With his YouTube channel team hard at work flogging what they can of the playlists and earliest recordings, Life and Life Only assembles some of those works. These were and still are exemplary pieces of live material from a period before success. The commercial and critical joys to follow these performances do not appear to have had a surface-level impact on Dylan. Details of his changing desires and interests, both on and off the stage, were the subtle changes made by a push into the mainstream. Life and Life Only presents a time before that. A time before the acclaim and a brief period for Dylan where pushing through localised radio, performing in coffee shops and fine-tuning his originals preceded a momentous realisation made by his first few records.
An opening from the Riverside Church paints the scene. Bobby Dylan, as he is referred to here, takes to the stage and stuns through this compilation of four years of work. Very early versions of works which would soon find themselves mainstays in music culture, Life and Life Only are filled with broad strokes and brilliant-sounding bits of the future. First track Handsome Molly has a breathless Dylan apologise for hurrying, for tuning, before detailing the seaport towns and immense joys to be found on the trail. Those Riverside Church pieces remain charming. Early years work from an artist who, while having a confidence in their writing quite unlike anything else, remained a little reserved in a live scenario. Dylan has reverted into this quieter presence in his later years, not to return to his roots but because it serves a mystique which was not present in the likes of Omie Wise or Acne.
This neat collection of Riverside Church pieces continues to Folk Festivals and live shows where material of great interest is given an early outing. Selections like Girl from the North Country are performances which reveal the show host has no idea what they have on their hands. A “Dylan original” from the Oscar Brand Show is an electrifying performance. Dylan’s bright sparks of nostalgic, tender writing paired with a modern love of folk inspiration is a gut punch like no other. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue from the Les Crane Show is a similar moment of sheer brilliance. A little wear on this tape but a staggering rendition of a song which, even now, defines Dylan as one of the greats. One of those many pieces which put together the picture of a great artist.
Life and Life Only may be a meaningless title but it is an exceptional assembly of live performances. A multitude of truly great experiences to be had, with plenty of depth and difference for the early to mid-1960s. Life and Life Only provides a timeline, however brief, of a growing confidence Dylan would utilise through the years. It is the calm before the storm which provides plenty of interest for listeners wanting to understand that little bit more about the tracks Dylan followed. About the sounds and influences of his earliest days and how they informed his original material. A fantastic listen in every sense, made all the better by recordings which still sound great.
