Bob Dylan with Tom Petty – Hard to Handle Review

A series of shows which would see Bob Dylan and Tom Petty tackle everywhere from Australia to East Germany, the Hard to Handle recording is mesmerising. It is a showcase of what Dylan was relying on during a major career slump. His work in the studio was overproduced, underdeveloped and, frankly, a step away from the best works. He knew it, his audience, too. It is why he began pairing up with the greats. His peers seemed to welcome him, both on stage and in the studio. Between the collaborations with The Traveling Wilburys to appearing on Grateful Dead bills for much of the year after this performance, Dylan was keeping busy and promoting his work through different avenues. He was not playing to different audiences, not really, given the overlap between The Dead and Dylan, but Petty and The Heartbreakers offered him a new backing.  

You can hear it come to life on Hard to Handle, an excellent documentation of the pair’s on-stage chemistry. A magnificent run-through of hits like Just Like a Woman, Like a Rolling Stone and Ballad of a Thin Man are inevitable highlights. This period for Dylan on stage still had a few troubles. His indifference to the hits was not because of his desire for contemporary material to overtake it, but he had stretched the instrumental overhaul of these songs to their very limit. What happens is a collection of similar-sounding renditions. Heavy on the guitar, rocked out beyond belief. In the Garden from Saved is a bold opening track choice, but it works well enough. The Heartbreakers are steady in supporting Dylan here, as are the backing vocalists. It’s a lighter touch from the guitar work than first expected, especially when compared to performances which were yet to come.  

Blame it On Rio is the jumping the shark moment of this rock and roll overhaul, though he would back off from that sound soon after. This hits-heavy set is directed well, too. Where the focus may be on surprise renditions of Girl from the North Country and Lenny Bruce, credit must be given to the simple directing style. A camera which occasionally rises above Dylan’s head, looking down on him and then cuts to a side stage clip to show Petty and Dylan performing together. It keeps the energy of the set alive, especially during a few spots where the energy begins to flag. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky is an example of how Dylan was trying and failing to keep up with the tamer tone of rock and roll. Empire Burlesque was all about that shift to mainstream appeal, and it failed.  

Back he goes, then, to the recognisable hits. Dylan and Petty round this show out with Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, a fitting end but also somewhat of a surprise. It’s a popular song, likely one of the best-known, but it never feels quite right on the setlist, no matter its place. Dylan getting applause for blasting a harmonica is evidence enough to see how audiences will, to some degree, accept whatever the legendary musician is willing to throw them. That’s all fair enough, especially considering how brief a watch Hard to Handle feels. The rapturous applause continues, the harmonica receiving as loud a pop as Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. Dylan was already established as a legend of the stage, and if it were not for Petty shouting the words into the microphone, this could have been an all-time show ender. It’s a strong performance, nonetheless.