Live albums from the discography of Bob Dylan are under fire from fans of the legendary songwriter, with one release dubbed “pointless.”
The Dylan and the Dead collaboration between Dylan and Grateful Dead had promising results in the rehearsals, though, with the rehearsal tapes dubbed “better” than the finished, official release. A post to the r/BobDylan subreddit had fans discuss the lacklustre release, with one asking: “What’s everyone’s thoughts on Dylan and the Dead? I think it’s an awesome reimagining of some of these songs. I liked it a lot better than Garcia Plays Dylan.” Though the collaborative piece was praised for the principle of joining Dylan and Grateful Dead members, the finished release leaves a lot to be desired, according to fans.
One user wrote: “The rehearsal was better.” Another wrote: “The shows themselves are pretty good, but the album is a really bad representation of them. I believe Jerry talks about in an interview how when they were finalising the track listing, Bob demanded certain songs be included on the album. Probably why we got songs like Gotta Serve Somebody and Joey.”
A third user agreed, saying they feel the same and “barely listen to the official album.” It seems users are keener on the tour rehearsals which preceded this live album, a compilation of Dylan and Grateful Dead’s efforts off stage. Other fans have pointed to a Grateful Dead compilation which is far superior to the live album.
Another user wrote: “This one’s for hardcore fans only. Dylan was not in the right headspace for this tour. Jerry had almost died. Postcards of the Hanging (comp of Dead covers of Dylan) is much better.”
Some have suggested the live album is better than listeners are letting on, though, with one user writing: “Forget where I read this but I’ve heard it referred to as Dylan’s worst album and also the Dead’s worst album. However, I think it rips. It’s loose and fun.”
There were not many positive opinions on Dylan and the Dead, though, with one user writing: “It was one of the most lifeless concert albums. Definitely the worst as far as I’m concerned. So much better material available via bootleg.”
Another added: “Honestly, and I really hate to admit this, but I’d rather not even think about this album. It could have been so much more, but sadly isn’t.” A third wrote: “I like the idea of this way more than the actual album, which is a shame.”
One user still remembers listening to the album for the first time, writing: “When I first saw this album and read the track list, I was so excited to give it a listen. Especially since I was just getting into the Dead. But I was very disappointed with the result. I usually end up skipping these songs when they pop up in my rotation
“I feel like Dylan forgets some of the words to these songs. I know on his other live albums, he changes the lyrics but on this album it feels unintentional. I don’t know what his headspace was during these recordings but I found the album very underwhelming for what otherwise could have been (should have been) a phenomenal addition to his repertoire.”
Discover more from Cult Following
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
