Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks – I Shall Be Released Review

A song which toiled in some unreleased form for years soon became one of the best Bob Dylan songs. I Shall Be Released can fit into any moment in his career, from the early and best years to the religious period where quality went out the window and was replaced by a sincere dedication to new observations. Pairing I Shall Be Released with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac is, on paper, a slam dunk. In practice, it is even better. How could it not be? Nicks and Dylan, especially when the latter is on his way to a Time Out of Mind resurgence, is magnificent. What a turn of form. This return is not thanks to Nicks, but it certainly brings out the best in Dylan during a time of previously questionable stage presence. But here is a fantastic duet from Dylan and Nicks, a brilliant pairing.  

Nicks and Dylan are a tad far apart when it comes to instrumental consistencies but the cheers from the crowd are clearly up for the occasion. Nicks’ consistencies as a vocalist may be far removed from the rather raspy chokes of Dylan, whose vocal performance here is a mark of slight improvement compared to the early years of the 1990s. In a set where Dylan rekindles his folk love with Mr. Tambourine Man and Masters of War, Nicks’ appearance rips the man back into the main event, right into the heart of the modern world. Their duet on I Shall Be Released is still golden. Bucky Baxter is crucial to making this one work, while John Jackson adds a neat acoustic layer to what is a song which attracts a certain expectation of quality. From recordings with The Band to Joan Baez, I Shall Be Released has been passed from legend to legend.  

Dylan still has a hearty performance with I Shall Be Released, and the moments where Nicks does not join in hear the band back him instead. There is an exciting, must-hear layer to the song when Nicks does join in, though, made all the better by some slick instrumental work. Recordings around this time were far superior in their quality than those from the previous decade. They are not as harsh on the ears and the moments of would-be quiet are filled with whoops of admiration from the crowd and some steady thuds of drumming from Winston Watson. I Shall Be Released remains an exceptional part of the Dylan discography, and in these live occasions is a great sense of passion for one of his oldest songs.  

Adding Nicks into the mix gives it a burst of spontaneity, a modern twist at a time when Dylan was keen to revisit those old songs and evolve as an artist with his upcoming works. A performance of I Shall Be Released should be no surprise given the context of the performance and the year it lands on, but it is a welcome treat to hear what Nicks can add to the song. Plenty, is what she brings. A shame it was never given the studio treatment, but such is the joy of a live performance. Nicks and Dylan pair well on a song of religious redemption, something Dylan had written of in style and in pangs of passion and pain all through the 1980s, to mixed successes.