A version of I Want You from Bob Dylan has been hailed by fans as a version of the song that “warms their soul”.
Dylan would perform the song intermittently on tours following the release of Blonde on Blonde, with the track a hit with fans in 1990, specifically during a show in London. An attendee recorded the gig and footage of the I Want You performance has since been uploaded to YouTube. Fans have left their thoughts on the show in the comments, with many considering it to be one of the best moments for Dylan on stage, with the version praised by most. One fan wrote: “I just came across this again tonight. It is so fantastically beautiful, it warms my soul. His lovely face and voice and hands and smile. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.”
Another viewer added: “Exquisite! No one can write a love song like Dylan. The way his body moves, his energy, the sheer joy in his face makes you want to sing. When he smiles, you can see the 20-year-old who lit the torch and looked to the east and crossed the Rubicon.”
A third wrote: “I loved this punky period with Bob liberated from being encumbered by big bands and backing singers. It was like he could decide any moment to take it in whatever direction he chose.”
Dylan’s punk-like sound on this performance is a far cry different to the Americana tone he uses now, which many fans believe he has relied on since he released Time Out of Mind in 1997.
A fan asked: “What is Bob Dylan’s most pop-sounding album? Easy/pleasant listening, on the shorter side. One thing I love about Bob is that he doesn’t really do much pop stuff. Whatever he’s playing, you know it has a deeper meaning than what it’s letting on (Must Be Santa, for example, just kidding). If you were asked, what would you say?”
While fans would suggest the likes of New Morning and Nashville Skyline gave Dylan a lighter sound, others took the chance to sound out the Americana sound which had become prevalent in the 1990s. Some listeners believe the sound appeared most prominently on Time Out of Mind, and that Dylan has continued with that tone ever since.
A fan wrote: “I’m going to change this a bit and answer when and why Bob stopped making poppy albums. I think much of the ’80s material took on a more deliberate poppy sound as a way to generate more commercial success.
“It started to some extent with Infidels (drum machines), then went a little sideways with his follow-up 80s albums. Daniel Lanois had the golden touch and helped get Bob back on track with his production of Oh Mercy (similar soundscapes to what Lanois produced with Peter Gabriel’s So, Neville Brothers’ Yellow Moon, U2’s The Joshua Tree, and Willie Nelson’s Teatro). Maybe these aren’t poppy, but you can’t deny the commercial success.
“My understanding is Bob was ever thrilled with the Oh Mercy sound, but I think he absorbed quite a bit from Lanois. He fiddled with the sound in the early ’90s, then paired up again with Lanois for Time Out of Mind (though this time around, it’s much less a signature Lanois sound and more a collaboration between the two).
“By the time Bob emerged from the mid-80s through the late 90s, he had finally found his Americana sound that has been with him, more or less, through today.” Another fan has suggested Nashville Skyline is the most accessible of Dylan’s albums, because of that pop sound.
You can watch the I Want You performance below.
