Bob Dylan – East Berlin 1987 Review

At a time when political division, and literal division, were alive and well in Germany, the decision to perform in East Germany was a surprise. For Bob Dylan and Tom Petty to take to the stage of Treptower Park Festwiese in East Germany when they had been scheduled for a show in West Berlin is a statement like no other. Musicians are still using their art as a platform for the issues of the world, and while some struggle to get their point across, there is no clearer hope for unity than crossing the wall and playing a surprise, hit show. Roger McGuinn and Tom Petty step aside after their sets, and Dylan appears for an hour-long, impromptu performance where the hits are rolled out with a real sharpness to them. Either the occasion or the acclaim of compilation efforts at the time is what steadies Dylan here. East Berlin 1987 is a performance full of surprises, not least the appearance of Dylan.

Magnificent guitar work on the opening song When The Night Comes Falling from the Sky sets the tone of the set, a rocked-out collection of greatest hits. I and I is the contemporary piece for this set featuring The Queens of Rhythm and Petty on guitar. It is quite the assembly on stage, and that momentum of playing a surprise show, not least one in a country which had tramped down the musically inclined, is a shock. East Berlin 1987 is more than a shock though; it is an early sign of what was to come with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Music transcends that physical barrier, and that is up to a performer to carry through their performance. Dylan does just that with some searing renditions of I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight and Maggie’s Farm. These are excellent quality recordings from the show too; the fourteen-song set is in listenable quality and captures the slight tensions of the day.  

But what comes through more than anything is the confidence Dylan has in these rearranged efforts. No surprise to those who are well-versed in bootlegs at this point, but the studio versions differ greatly from how Dylan was performing the likes of Shelter from the Storm and Like a Rolling Stone years after their release. The piano-led turn for Simple Twist of Fate is a delightful example of how well these songs sound in different forms. It is the lyrical choices which are long-lasting, and though the traditional instruments, the arrangements heard on the album, are of a timeless quality too, there is no harm in searching for a new sound. It is what hinders artists who are dead set on offering a direct replication of their work in the studio. Electric Light Orchestra is a stellar example of this. A band whose studio works are clean and quality, but do not translate all that well, or interestingly enough, to the stage.  

Even songs as hollow and underwhelming as Dead Man, Dead Man, sound stunning. It is not the context of the performance or even the spirit of the moment, but the adaptations made. Seeing the heaving crowd in photographs is astonishing, as is the quality of the performance. East Berlin 1987 is a definitive listening experience for those who were wondering how Dylan fared during an all-time low point in the studio. Quite well, is the answer. He relies on fellow Traveling Wilbury’s member Petty, not to carry him through the show, but to warm the audience and play out some staggering live versions. Some excellent moments, especially this Like a Rolling Stone, are now just a footnote on the list of Dylan live shows. This one is special, though, for more than just the music.