Bob Dylan – Brixton Academy 1995 Review

Hit after hit is the route Bob Dylan would take in his live shows in the mid-1990s. Galvanised by the MTV Unplugged set and feeling for a new sound ahead of Time Out of Mind creates a perfect storm. What a show it is at the Brixton Academy, a fantastic recording from dedicated fans looking to upgrade the sound of every second Dylan spent on stage. Video footage is featured too from this Brixton Academy set, which opens with Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood) and does not stop bringing out the surprises. An incredible recording, not just of the show, but of the instrumental sections which bring the likes of Tombstone Blues and In the Garden to life. Not so much deep cuts as they are songs from periods of interest, the 1980s now well behind Dylan, who begins reintroducing hit songs Like a Rolling Stone and Mr. Tambourine Man with a sound more like their studio tone to the set.  

That is not to say Brixton Academy 1995 is a run-of-the-mill showcase of Dylan’s hits. Far from it. Seeing how Dylan works on stage is a brilliant experience. Those who have seen him live, be it on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour of recent years or the footage collected from across the decades, know the tone is set by his movements. Swaying on the spot with a microphone in one hand and a slow turn to each of the instrumentalists on stage, checking on their work, is how he opens this set. Footage of the 1995 Never Ending Tour is surprisingly easy to find, from the legendary flu-riddled set to this one, there are plenty of examples of how Dylan operated with the long-standing band. Tony Garnier and Bucky Baxter are an essential double bill of instrumental talent, bringing out the very best in those early moments of All Along the Watchtower and I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met).  

The latter song is one of the many surprises featured in what appears to be an innocuous show. Instrumental brilliance from Dylan and Baxter for All Along the Watchtower is a remarkable moment, but so too are the strengths of a collaboration-heavy encore. Elvis Costello, Chrissie Hynde, and Carole King appearing for I Shall Be Released and Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 is a remarkable moment. A show-stealing experience which somehow becomes the highlight of this Brixton Academy appearance. It’s tough competition, though, with a run of The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue, and Highway 61 Revisited featuring. Dylan and the band sound in good form as ever, the boisterous rock and roll style of this tour a nice middle ground between the rocked-out 1980s and the essential sound of his studio work in the 1960s and 1970s.  

Brixton Academy 1995 is, like many of the shows from this tour, a meeting of all those musical moments. It’s the finest blur Dylan has ever offered to rock fans. Those early years songs like I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) and Tombstone Blues are excellent. The adaptations of material which was, at the time of its release, not looked on with much favour, like In the Garden, is a nice touch. It’s all about blurring the line between what an audience wants to hear with what they may not know they wanted to hear. Dylan does that best of all here, and a wonderful collaboration with Costello is part of the charm. They would appear on stage together occasionally, and here is just one example of their fine work together. Another strong set from the ‘95 tour, arguably the best from Dylan and this line-up.