The Isle of Wight performance has a historical prominence as interesting as the year Bob Dylan decided to go electric. Five years after disappearing from the stage, he launched a monumental comeback with recognisable tones far closer to what folk-loving listeners had wanted. Their hasty dismissal of Dylan during his revolutionary change to electrifying rock and roll is a peculiar moment, but it should not be all that unexpected. His return to the stage did not continue the rock and roll which had revolutionised his studio sound with Bringing It All Back Home and Blonde on Blonde. Instead, Dylan stripped his work back to its basics, either as a way of appeasing the folk fans he had disappointed a half-decade before this performance, or, more likely, because this appearance suited an acoustic moment. Wild Mountain Thyme is a beautiful choice from Dylan, whose performance in the UK pays tribute to the traditional folk song.
Eventually released as part of Another Self Portrait, this rendition of Wild Mountain Thyme has languished in vague obscurity for some time. It is well worth a listen. For those sick and twisted individuals out there, those who enjoyed Self Portrait and still sneak a listen of Wigwam in the dead of night, this Wild Mountain Thyme rendition will prove delightful. It is a tremendous song and Dylan, a tremendous performer, is the right man to bring this to the stage. The Isle of Wight festival is interesting not just for what Dylan played, but what he did not. There are grand omissions here and a sense of differing not just from fan expectations, but assumptions altogether. His frequent cover songs, from here to the most recent days on the Outlaw Music Festival tour, are often a tremendous surprise. It is how any artist, let alone Dylan, adapts these moving words that matters most.
Was it a mere coincidence that Dylan’s version was followed closely by covers from Van Morrison? Probably not. The latter man has been influenced time and again by Dylan, and this Wild Mountain Thyme performance is a spark of brilliance. Everyone in that crowd, from a young Elton John to The Beatles (minus Paul McCartney), witnessed a return which would last well beyond the ‘70s. Not just to the stage, but to a form which differs greatly from the early years of touring. This Wild Mountain Thyme cover is a quality moment from Dylan in a historic yet par for the course set. It’s a moment of brilliance in a decade of madness for the songwriter, whose tackling of so many songs, contemporary or traditional, continues to this day.
His rendition is a strong and unexpected one. Dylan’s return to the stage is a stripped-back moment. He did not chase the ghost of his electrified days but the folk roots. He starts again by starting anew. There is much to love about this softly delivered Wild Mountain Thyme, from the acoustic steadiness to the warbling voice singing of beautiful nature, but best of all, it gives us a moment which shows Dylan is headed in a new direction. Nothing predictable about this performance, one which utilises a fundamental of Dylan’s earliest years. The one man and his guitar approach wins out, at a festival no less. It’s a remarkable recording which hears Dylan contemplate the direction of his music. He would quickly abandon this style and follow through with some of his very best works.
