Performances post-Love and Theft from Bob Dylan have a magic to them that didn’t quite last. A decade on from this performance, and it felt as though Dylan was struggling to find that next step in his sound. He would find it, of course, but it was a slow transition that started, really, a few years after the release of Love and Theft. Between that 2001 classic and Modern Times, Dylan spent five years tinkering with his on-stage sound, and many of the changes he made were in vocal delivery and track tempo. No problems there, there are some great additions and revisions made by the veteran songwriter, as heard on live bootleg Bleeding Shadows, but the killer instinct Dylan had afforded audiences between 1995 and 2003 was now slipping. But in that slip is the evolution of his sound, the next steps of his music are in full swing here. A fantastic variety of those inevitable hits, reimagined with electric guitar forming the core, and a few contemporary tracks that brought Dylan back from the brink. Â
That overlap makes for a sensational listen, but leading the charge is some truly remarkable work on guitar from Larry Campbell and Stu Kimball. The pair reinvigorate a classic like Maggie’s Farm, which serves as the opener of this Motril, Spain performance. A gruff vocal working from Dylan ties the piece together nicely. It acts as a contrast to the slick instrumentals, some gravelly and, let’s be clear, very enjoyable, work from Dylan here. That roughness adds a fantastic tone to Tell Me That It Isn’t True, a surprise rendition of the Nashville Skyline track here, but Bleeding Shadows is full of surprises. Not just in the instrumental swell, the nicely flowing guitar work is the focus for those early songs, but later, when Dylan whips out a harmonica for If Dogs Run Free or Positively 4th Street, the impact of such a moment on the crowd is not lost. Decades later and it still sounds fantastic.
Even with that roughness, that gravelly voice, there are moments of softer beauty on Bleeding Shadows. It’s a performance that’ll be of real interest to those who enjoy the post-Love and Theft sound, but also to those who want to hear Dylan collect some of his rarities and revise them with some convincing, fresh renditions. Girl from the North Country and Cry a While are fantastic early additions to the set, and with Not Dark Yet closing out the main set, it’s nice to hear some of the contemporary material bled into this show. A triple bill hit of Mr. Tambourine Man, Like a Rolling Stone, and All Along the Watchtower is fantastic, inevitably so. It’s a closing trio which Dylan would usually change up slightly, dropping Mr. Tambourine Man occasionally and making space for one of the many other hits from his discography. Whatever the setlist change may bring, this 2004 performance is a fascinating listen.
Bleeding Shadows is a sensational live show. At times it crosses the border of great playing and into that rare spot of outstanding. Highway 61 Revisited is a particular highlight, the guitar riff holding the song together so far removed from the original, yet fitting all the same. It’s this fluid instrumental change, the ongoing pursuit of a sound that still suits the song despite being a different genre, a new sound, that makes returning to these shows exciting. You’ll never get the same version of a song, and for those wanting new renditions of A Hard Rain’s A-Gopnna Fall and Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues, then Bleeding Shadows is the place to head. Some remarkable instrumental work from Campbell and Kimball is what keeps this show together, though the vocal range from Dylan evolves once more, and hearing that is a treat.
