Bob Dylan – Rehearsals in Verona, 1984 Review

A few moments of interest from a decade of touring are a bit embarrassing. Even with Hard Live releasing, there is little to celebrate when it comes to Bob Dylan on stage in the 1980s. There are performances where he elevates the lacklustre studio material of the times, while some appearances show he was fading fast from his previous spot as an influential figure in music. When award nods are more to appreciate a legacy than the contemporary output, the slow decline begins. It did for Dylan, who, despite being handed Grammy Awards and honours across the globe, was not playing or writing to a standard which warranted acclaim. The Rehearsals in Verona package is a brilliant example of Dylan struggling through this period. But it also showcases some extremely rare songs, revamped versions which would never make it to the stage, and a lot of noodling.  

Those unnamed instrumentals which open the unofficial bootleg are nice enough. Their purpose seems to be warming up. Drifting, guitar-focused offerings which capture the tone of the times well enough. It is as close as a listener will ever get to hearing Dylan tackle the easy-listening genre. Considering the two shows Dylan performed shortly after these rehearsals, it is clearer to hear that he was preparing to introduce classic songs. Highway 61 Revisited and Tombstone Blues returned to his setlist for the first time in decades. Shelter from the Storm is added too, and closes out this compilation, though it is just a brief cut. Another Shelter from the Storm can be heard shortly after Dylan begins tackling hits, which would form the core of his set. All Along the Watchtower, Jokerman, and Just Like a Woman precede Highway 61 Revisited here. Each rendition is what you would expect of this period. Dylan chasing the pop tone of the times and, rather half-heartedly, bringing his biggest hits to an instrumental which simply does not suit them.  

We cannot knock him for trying. Not just because Dylan doesn’t care what people think of his adaptations to stage, but because he was at least trying to find a new line of inspiration on stage. Just Like a Woman sounds to be the closest to how it sounded in the glory days of Dylan tours, but even then, his fine enough vocal performance is not backed by a rewarding instrumental. It sounds too casual. As though it were being played by someone listening to a tape delay in another room, feigning their way through a simple rendition. Unfortunate it may be to hear, to hear it at all is a treat. These rehearsal tapes are invaluable to those wanting to better understand the stage choices of Dylan during a much-derided time for the performer.  

You can hear that close to greatness style on Highway 61 Revisited, a rather flat version which succeeds despite the strange guitar work. It sounds like Dylan is trying to adapt the tempo, but not the tone of the songs. Where it may work for his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, it does not work when he is trying to incorporate rock standards at the same time. Where it works best is for the Infidels material, because that is the instrumental tone Dylan is using most frequently of all. Ballad of a Thin Man sounds all too loose given the structure of its story, while When You Gonna Wake Up benefits because it does not have anything of lyrical interest in it. The Rehearsals in Verona tapes are an interesting listen, but not a good one.