Bob Dylan – Irving Plaza Review

Renewing interest is what drives Bob Dylan through the 1990s. Not from an audience to his music, that would come because of his renewed interest in his work. Time Out of Mind would mark a culmination of those efforts to rekindle a sincere grasp of his musical output. Dylan’s return to form can be traced back to around the MTV Unplugged session. The years to follow featured some of his very best on-stage performances, and that confidence is no doubt felt alongside the instrumental talent and near-death experience that marks Time Out of Mind. Hearing the performances from immediately after the release of his Grammy-winning album, you can also hear the interest rekindled. Dylan had thrown out two decent cover albums to kick off the 1990s, but neither was close to the level he consistently worked at in the 1960s and 1970s. His show at Irving Plaza is a culmination of a growing interest, a rekindled love for the music, and having a topic worth writing. 

What it means for Time Out of Mind and the songs featured in the Irving Plaza show is a resounding rock and roll quality. It affects the classics featured, too, with some all-time great songs here in the form of Highway 61 Revisited and Rainy Day Women #12 & 35. But look a little deeper into the set, and you’ll find some moments of sheer quality and surprise. I and I features, as does ‘Til I Fell in Love With You. The former is an infrequent feature; the latter is a real thrill, a surprise to hear Dylan detail one of his easier, breezier songs, with such rock and roll clarity. Much of that thrill comes from the line-up, the ever present brilliance of Tony Garnier as de facto Dylan translator, setting a groove and tone for the rest of the musicians to follow. It’s a role he has even now, though here he sounds as though he’s enjoying the guidance given to guitarists Bucky Baxter and Larry Campbell.  

Both are in sensational form for the contemporary material, Love Sick in particular, but there’s a real thrill to be had with the reimagining of hit tracks. Maggie’s Farm and You’re a Big Girl Now are tremendous. Both feature that stylish quality which would last in the Dylan shows between this one and Love and Theft. Upbeat brilliance which contrasts the often darker meaning which can be interpreted when the song is slowed. Dylan would do this frequently, and still does, with the Blood on the Tracks material. Wandering instrumentals, that’s the style here. It all comes back to this lyric or that call from Dylan, who is keen to let the improvisational feel, the laid-back approach to adapting these songs, take form. Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You has some beautiful guitar work underscoring it. A sincerely perfect blur of vocal strength, instrumental boldness, and atmosphere. 

Context or not, the show Dylan and the band put on at Irving Plaza is an all-time great. It’s a fantastic example of what the band would do in the years to follow. Those looking for an all-rounder piece from the Time Out of Mind tour are served well here. Cold Iron Bounds and the acoustic break with the likes of Cocaine Blues and Tangled Up in Blue are particular highlights. You get the full scope of what Dylan could do as a performer when backed by the right musicians. Here, he gets the balance utterly perfect. Irving Plaza has a quality that’s hard to beat. As far as bootlegs of his shows go, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable sound from this period. Some staggering electric guitar work, the pedal steel from Baxter a particular treat at points. It adds that new dimension to songs which had it in the studio, but lost it over the years. Reinvention is a real treat for these songs.