Bob Dylan – Forever Young: Live on Letterman Review

Television appearances from the legendary Bob Dylan are rare. But few, if any, can reject the charms of David Letterman. The Late Show is a chance, like Dylan’s Saturday Night Live appearance, to hear where the veteran was in his career. It’s an opportunity to see what he had in store for audiences attending his live shows. Where his appearance on the long-running comedy show was to promote the first of three religiously inclined albums, this performance of Forever Young comes a decade later. Despite having new material to peddle with World Gone Wrong, even Dylan could be convinced that performing a cover song on television watched by millions is, at the time, a misfire. It was a time when nostalgia was in and the old guard of music was back in the cool, contemporary scene. Just a year later, and Dylan would be appearing on MTV, Raybans and all, rekindling a love for his classic tracks. But that love came a little earlier than first thought. 

His appearance on The Late Show is magnificent. Dylan would perform occasionally on the show, but this rendition of Forever Young is fascinating. This is a career low for Dylan in the grand scheme of things. World Gone Wrong is an exceptional album, Forever Young one of his all-time greatest pieces, but this performance comes at a time when stock in Dylan was at a brutal low. Undeservedly so, it must be said. Oh Mercy should have been a revitalising moment for Dylan, but it would take five more years following this performance for the songwriter to recapture the magic in the studio, and by extension the attention of an audience. Tony Garnier on a double bass drowned out by the heavier percussion and double acoustic guitars, along with Dylan ripping a beautiful solo halfway through, it’s nothing short of magnificent.  

A peculiar moment, but a brilliant one all the same. It’s a chance for Dylan to prove he still has a masterful, moving grasp on his greatest hits. Forever Young is a classic, but the older Dylan gets, the less he performs it; the track becomes far more special. It’s a brilliant piece of work without the added context of a fading star almost ready to quit the industry after decades of work. Here, Dylan looks as though he’s having real fun performing for the crowd. Not because they’re there, but because he can start, play, and finish, all within five minutes to a definite applause. Usually, Dylan looks a little uncomfortable when performing to the camera, especially in recent years, but he seems relaxed and plays well here. It’s more a psychology than anything. An artist can only play well if they feel well. That’s what you get from this Forever Young performance. 

Dylan would perform on The Late Show a few times after this, but this Forever Young rendition is the definitive appearance. A chance to hear Dylan rattle off a classic with new context, backed by a new album he was looking to promote. The best promotion he could offer was of himself, though, as an artist not scared of playing out the past with a sincere interest in what it could mean for a new generation. Letterman is eager to give Dylan that chance. What he argues here, like so many of Dylan’s fans, is for the longevity of an artist. We must back our favourites even in the times when they aren’t at their best. All it takes is one moment of interest, a heartbreaking performance or a return to the roots, and the public is back on side. It’s all the more satisfying when you live those years in the rough, as Dylan found himself to be around the time of this Forever Young performance.