Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler – Madison 2012 Review

They may have worked together in the 1980s, but the chances of Mark Knopfler joining Bob Dylan on stage felt unlikely. The Dire Straits legend did appear for a handful of shows, however, and offered an instrumental backing which can very easily feel as though a rock and roll show may burst through. It is on the edge of a 1995 blowout, the likes of which were only felt a few glorious times before the release of Time Out of Mind. Though he would not feature for the whole show, an extended cameo from Knopfler is more than enough to enjoy. It’s a performance which has him offer his incredible, unique playing style to some of Dylan’s best efforts. Where else will you hear Knopfler and Dylan collaborate as well as they do on this version of Tangled Up in Blue? Nowhere, that’s where.  

The rest of the set is also an encouraging one, highlighting the strength Dylan had in playing up to audiences expecting hits. Preceding Knopfler’s appearance is a delightful rendition of I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight. A roaring Things Have Changed is what follows, upbeat and intense thanks to Knopfler’s additions and Dylan’s grizzled clarity. It’s a swinging-like adaptation of the song which brings the beat to the forefront. His vocal changes and emphasis on a few words of peculiar choice are certainly interesting. It feels like a louder version of the song vocally and instrumentally far more complex. Tangled Up in Blue is another solid overlap of these unique instrumental talents, though Dylan goes from rough to rougher with his vocal work. What follows the four-song appearance from Knopfler (which ends with Rollin’ and Tumblin’) is a strong set from Dylan. He sounds keen to play his greatest hits here, which he does for the remainder of the set.  

Madison 2012 offers a remarkable stretch of best-of songs from Dylan. Chimes of Freedom, Highway 61 Revisited and Like a Rolling Stone are featured here. They are all impressive moments from the setlist, though When the Deal Goes Down from Modern Times is a dark horse in this race for best song of the evening. It’s a song which suits Dylan’s vocal style for this performance. A lower octave, a darker moodiness, which translates well to Thunder on the Mountain. Even its upbeat tone cannot stop the groovier, blues-like influence. Round it out with the likes of Ballad of a Thin Man and All Along the Watchtower, and you have a monumental set from Dylan which captures a thin slice of that rocker energy felt in bootlegs from the 1990s.  

These are excellent variations, all the same, which is what we must seek out the more we listen. Knopfler is enough reason to listen in, though Dylan’s steadiness on stage with the usual backing instrumentalists, Tony Garnier and Charlie Sexton, particularly, are reasons to stick around. A comfortable performance with a few notes of interest from the long-serving instrumentalists on stage for Madison 2012. Blowin’ in the Wind as a set closer is a nice note to end on, with the violin and light taps of percussion preceding one of Dylan’s all-time greatest songs an incredibly sweet touch. It’s a set which does not forget how the right order of songs is crucial to the smooth flow not just of instrumentation, but of mood and tone. These are brought together on a hits-heavy set, an inevitability of Dylan on the road around this time.