Bob Dylan – San Francisco 1992 Review 

For those who watch the video accompanying San Francisco 1992, you may not notice John Jackson looks strikingly like Eric Clapton. Or at least, he does on first glance and without glasses. It’s a moment of jubilation which soon turns into a different sort of excitement. Jackson, like Tony Garnier, is a stage staple for Bob Dylan and is put to work well in this performance. Dylan, acoustic guitar in hand and a harmonica holder buried in a scarf, looks to be in excellent form, as are the band. An instrumental rendition of Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 before delving into religious material from the decade before this performance is classic Dylan. He gives the audience not just what they think they want, but what they will tell their friends about on the ride home. San Francisco 1992 has some exceptional deep cuts within, and quite a few of those have never sounded better.  

Every Grain of Sand into Union Sundown is a marvellous example of how Dylan can create a mood, a real, incredible atmosphere, without a reliance on his hits. Those classic tracks remain, of course. He even adds vocals to most of them, though Blonde on Blonde fans will be heartbroken. His performances of Tangled Up in Blue and Love Minuz Zero/No Limit are immaculate, backed well by the instrumental talent on stage. These are the years before a rekindled spirit would overwhelm Dylan on stage and in the studio, leading to some of his career-best efforts. San Francisco 1992 is a stage where you can hear Dylan piecing together a softer, easy-going rock sound that would form the base of not just the MTV Unplugged show, but Time Out of Mind too. That swaying but steady rhythm guitar and the percussion from Charlie Quintana is crucial for San Francisco 1992.  

It’s using those classics to get to that new sound that works best in this set. Tangled Up in Blue is given an upbeat instrumental but a deadpan delivery from Dylan who barely has his voice waver. Interesting, sure, though there are better performances of that hit out there. Later in the set are some brilliant moments and a few rarities worth knowing. Idiot Wind is hardly going to make a return to Dylan’s setlist anytime in the future, so to hear it sandwiched between Cat’s in the Well and The Times They Are A-Changin’ is a delight. So too is the run of songs towards the end of this set, an immaculate run of Like a Rolling Stone, Absolutely Sweet Marie, and capped off with some bold renditions of All Along the Watchtower and Blowin’ in the Wind.  

Take note of the acoustic Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right, too. A beautiful performance where, like many of the songs featured, the energy of the crowd and the new instrumental style is what brings it together. Wonderful arrangements and a set crammed full of hits, San Francisco 1992 is a wonderful piece of work from the legendary songwriter. You would be hard-pressed to find a better collection of his hits from around this time. It’s a moment of contemplation for Dylan, who around this time was considering covers and nothing more. He finds the fire once more in this set, a magnificent showcase not just of his instrumental evolution but the ongoing relevancy of his greatest works. Even those songs which were not received well at the time of their release are given new life on stage with the phenomenal instrumental range. Difference makers like that are part of the appeal for Dylan’s live shows.