When we are so fixated on one contemporary rise, it is sometimes easy to forget that it takes place at the same time as another. Bob Dylan and The Beatles were both rising through the charts, cementing their spot in music history, around the same time as one another. Other great acts like The Rolling Stones and Leonard Cohen, too, were plying their trade but would not come into their own until much later. These overlaps are constant, but the artists are separate, offering unique musical qualities that one could and another could not. Under the Red Sky, which released on this day in 1990, takes those stars of music history and has them collaborate. George Harrison, Elton John, and Slash are just a few names to feature in the credits for Dylan’s first album of the 1990s. It is a mess because of these appearances, but each one makes sense.
Dylan had collaborated with Harrison before, but never on a released studio project. His close relationship with Harrison lends itself to a like-minded musical style, and this, on paper, is a clear success for Under the Red Sky. John had begun his Dylan period, a uniquely popular talent on stage whose studio releases were underwhelming at best. Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash is a fascinating addition, but his inclusion offers the album a contemporary edge. Other additions from David Crosby, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Al Kooper suggest Dylan was calling in a stack of favours to capitalise on the success he had with Oh Mercy. It was not to be, though, because Under the Red Sky was a considerable drop in quality. Part of that comes from the songwriting, which was, at best, joyless. When a song calling on listeners to dance with freedom sounds like a cat scratching at a door, it is perhaps not a good sign for the rest of the album.
But Wiggle Wiggle is at least vaguely fun in an ironic way. Slash’s guitar work is unrecognisable, shuffled in a mix which has every one of these advertiser-friendly special guests drop into the background. Thirty-five years on, and the problem for Wiggle Wiggle is still its studio excess. This compilation of all-time greats does not affect the songwriting or the intent in the studio, but it does set a precedent. Smarter listeners will know the collaboration of big names is rarely capable of meeting the high bar set, but usually, there is shared vocal work or a far smarter division of duties. Having Crosby on backing vocals feels like an easter egg more than an inclusion. A moment that could not catch the average listener out. But that is the point of Under the Red Sky.
It’s an album which banks on name value. Dylan did just that with several questionable releases through the ‘80s. Even the worst of his material, the Knocked Out Loaded moments, are picked up because he has a dedicated following. Pair that with the listeners of other acts like Harrison or John, and you start to sense these names are there for commercial purposes rather than artistic value. There is skill in making Harrison’s slide guitar sound like session work on the title track, but is that not the point? Sell an album on featuring the Was Brothers but relegate Don to bass guitar on seven songs. It’s a bait and switch that Dylan still applies on tour. There is a humour to it which only seasoned listeners can stomach. Why else would you have the Welcome to the Jungle guitarist give a barely recognisable display of his style on Wiggle Wiggle?
There is reason beyond “it’s funny” for Dylan to make all these inclusions. Harrison appears because of those close ties with Dylan, made firmer by The Traveling Wilburys. Time with the band drew Dylan’s attention away from Under the Red Sky, meaning studio reinforcements are a must. Dylan’s influence even now means he can work with just about anyone. It’s not just a way to advertise the album but to bring in new influences. It is a shame Under the Red Sky is not given the attention it needed, because those Slash and Elton additions could have, should have, been fleshed out and found a new style for Dylan. Listen to bootleg recordings from the year before and after this recording, and you will hear a burnt-out Dylan trying and failing to find a new on-stage style.
Instead, he reverts to the same rock and roll duds which had him consider quitting the industry. Dylan’s choice of instrumentalists is a clear sign he had an idea of what his next sound would be, but transitioning that to the stage and showcasing it on an album he spent little time on proved impossible. Jamie Muhoberac, who would later feature in My Chemical Romance, gives solid Hammond organ work on God Knows and Cat’s in the Well, while the veteran Grammy Awards winner, Bruce Hornsby, appears on Born in Time. Dylan had a grasp of great musicians and could afford to feature them because his name value was, even with the drop in quality through the ‘80s, still powerful.
He assembled a great team for Under the Red Sky, a sparkling guest list of talent. Even the big names featured are willing to become part of the studio sound, rather than a standout or featured artist. That is the crucial element here. That studio excess is seemingly well managed, and it even makes sense. Pool together the artists of interest of the time and see what they can do together. They did little not because there was no chemistry, but because the time to find it simply was not available. Under the Red Sky is still a remarkably poor album which shows no sign of any legends, but it is one of the greatest “what could have been” moments in Dylan’s career. His next original album would be Time Out of Mind, a release which would revive his career, a return to form which has been consistent ever since.
Could Under the Red Sky have been that? Possibly. The list of studio legends appearing on the album is to be taken with a grain of salt. There are still horrendous, career-low songs from Dylan here. Wiggle Wiggle is at least enjoyable for its nonsense wordplay, but the static of T.V. Talkin’ Song and 2 x 2 are worth remembering. Under the Red Sky is not some hidden masterpiece. It’s a burnt out songwriter relying on big names of the time to see if they can conjure up some magic. They did, or at least could have, had Dylan been in a little better form. Between Traveling Wilburys, studio duties, and live shows of his own, it was hard to see where a break in this new sound would come. It never does, but it remains a logical moment from Dylan in an otherwise maddening time.
