Bob Dylan – Stuttgart 1995 Review

Just four years on from a disastrous show, Bob Dylan returned to Stuttgart, Germany. The difference is clear. Four years before this show and Dylan was in a career rut. Now, with the MTV Unplugged performance behind him, the RayBan sunglasses secured to his head once more, the reinvention is complete. But that rejuvenation comes from reviving the early years. Just the image, not the voice. Stuttgart 1995 is an excellent way to hear Dylan in fresh form. That patch post-MTV Unplugged and pre-Time Out of Mind is a fantastic run. These bootlegs offer the formation of tones that his 1997 album would rely on. A cooler, softer rock groove which has stuck with him for the rest of his career. A suitable sound but also a selection of instrumentals which can reclaim an urgency. These shows are all about showing Dylan could still perform with an effective, fresh take on his greatest hits. He offers that well enough on Stuttgart 1995.  

Crank up the volume and listen to some true deep cuts. The Man in Me is a rarity from Dylan, with the New Morning classic featuring early in the set. A solid rendition of an overlooked song. It’s the case for many of Dylan’s deep cut selections around this time. Silvio and God Knows also feature later in the set, the latter sounding far stronger than it did during those Under the Red Sky studio efforts. Those efforts are enough to keep you interested in a set which is defined by the usual hits of the tour. Not quite inspired, but solid efforts for All Along the Watchtower and Like a Rolling Stone feature. They are crucial additions, essential additions to the set, which offer Bucky Baxter and John Jackson a chance to let loose. 1995 is a vintage year for Dylan and his band, and performances of All Along the Watchtower and Born in Time showcase what changes were made to make this happen.  

Instrumental improvisation with a similar collection of notes and tempo to other shows on this tour. It’s the little details which bring about those great changes. A gliding moment of guitar bliss can be heard on that All Along the Watchtower performance, a highlight of the set as it so often is. Born in Time and Shelter from the Storm highlight that instrumental bliss. Dylan brings such a command to these moments. It’s a rewarding experience even without those overhauls but the change of groove, the new tone found, makes all the difference. Frequently featured on this tour is the hits-heavy encore. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat through to Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35 is a magnificent showcase of Dylan playing at his best, with his best songs.  

Not every show is of that vintage, but the run of form heard through the mid-1990s is magnificent. An immaculate show with an ever-present, swaying quality. Those pedal steel and slide guitar pieces from Baxter would become crucial to the covers Dylan released two decades after this show. It’s a source of influence for Dylan even now. That is why the likes of Stuttgart 1995 are so incredible. There is a through line to the past from, of all places, Shadows in the Night. An outstanding showcase of top-quality Dylan songs, all played with a sense of pride which had been revived by a performance just a year ago. It makes all the difference, and it’s a far stretch better than the show in the same city just four years ago. What a difference an image revival makes. It would continue long after this performance, a second golden age for Dylan.