Bob Dylan – Saratoga Springs Review

In that beautiful spot between Time Out of Mind and Love and Theft were all-time great performances from Bob Dylan. A brilliant stage presence with some all-time great performances. It was a common occurrence which was supported not just by the reintroduction of Dylan as a figure of interest but also through his releases at the time. He is keen to apply that style to his earliest works, to figure out whether the detail and soft rock style could work for Highway 61 Revisited and Positively 4th Street. A performance like Saratoga Springs highlights not just how well it could sound, but how different it would make these hits sound. Some had been performed nearly a thousand times by the time these shows rolled around, and to hear new influences and a succession of changes at play is a delight. Crucial to this is the blur of old songs and new.  

Traditional ballads, which would later release on The Bootleg Series, are mixed with all-time classics such as To Ramona. Preceding it is a delightful cover of Duncan and Brady. These are strong moments which highlight the common instrumental occurrences of Dylan at the time. A placid but pleasant guitar structure is what backs the bulk of these songs. Desolation Row and The Ballad of Franke Lee and Judas Priest could not be more different in tone and occasion, yet are neat setlist neighbours here. It’s the contrast they create which lingers best of all. Catchy versions and an easy-going momentum are what carry Saratoga Springs. There’s a niceness to the performance which never crosses into passive. It’s as focused as the heavier rock and roll soundtrack Dylan was utilising a decade before this performance. Solid soundboard recordings are rarer the further you head back into the archives, but here is an unofficial bootleg with as great a quality as you can ever get from these shows. 

So to hear Searching for a Soldier’s Grave and Country Pie in this quality is of real importance, perhaps more importance than some of the official archive releases. These are borderline studio quality, moments which can be segmented from this show and added to your ever-growing playlist of Dylan deep cuts. Keep an ear open for a brilliant Tombstone Blues, too. Dylan has enough of a strong, early discography to excite and surprise an audience on almost every show. It’s the depths of the 1960s and ‘70s which is what he relies on through Saratoga Springs. It’s not giving in to the hits, it’s offering them to a receptive audience. That’s the real change. Things Have Changed brings on a note of contemporary thrills too, with the Academy Award-winning song well placed before the encore.  

For those wanting a very steady piece from Dylan’s stage shows in the twenty-first century, you would be hard-pressed to find a better one than Saratoga Springs. All the hits are there, with a run of Like a Rolling Stone, It Ain’t Me, Babe, Highway 61 Revisited and Blowin’ in the Wind closing out a set with several deep cuts and covers. It’s about as balanced as can be for a Dylan set in the run-up to Love and Theft. That dependable balance is crucial for those wanting to hear a wider range. She Belongs to Me and Wicked Messenger are delightful moments from this set. Saratoga Springs is a quality soundboard where the acoustic instrumentals pair so brilliantly with Dylan’s voice. There’s a freshness to this performance rivals that of the live showcases in the ‘70s. These songs are still exciting, and instrumental overhauls are what keep them that way.