Three legends performing one song is not, necessarily, better than just the one. Stacking the deck high with a rendition of Highway 61 Revisited that features not just songwriter Bob Dylan, but two artists he had clear influence on, is a bold risk. Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen join Dylan for this performance, both men having performed with him on stage before this, but never as a three-piece. A supergroup to end all groups there, though not an overlap we will likely see again. Three of the all-time greats in music history did at least perform Highway 61 Revisited together, adding it to the pile of songs Dylan has enlisted his peers to perform. The Roseland Ballroom performance would come right around the time Dylan had started to push for a comeback, there was a special feeling in the air. Having Young and Springsteen join him for such a performance is a sign of his ongoing relevance, his pull in music circles despite his last great album being four years before this.
A sensational performance whatever the line-up, that’s what you can expect from Dylan around this time. That build towards both the MTV Unplugged appearance and, later, Time Out of Mind, is filled with a real love for material of the past. He had finally found a suitable sound after so many years in the rock and roll wilderness. It’s a groovier sound, and with Young and Springsteen backing him, it’s hard not to feel like the spectacle and talent on stage may overwhelm the song. A fantastic recording of the show is available, nothing but quality for those who want to hear an overlap of all-time greats. It’s not as though Young and The Boss are throwing their own vocals in, it’s more just the instrumental jam the trio brings. You can hear the guitar work from each man starting to overlap, and it does push Dylan into feeling like a slightly weaker link for the performance. Vocally, that is.
Thirty years on from the release of Highway 61 Revisited and, naturally, he would sound a little different. But it’s still a strong vocal performance. Backed by the weight of two legends, it’s quite a phenomenal listen, though they don’t leave too heavy a mark on Highway 61 Revisited. Dylan is left to lead the song, as he should be and is often the case with collaborations elsewhere. When Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, or Stevie Nicks appeared on stage with him, they served a welcome surprise but also, crucially, didn’t overwhelm the song with their style. It’s the same here, and for many, had they not been told Young and Springsteen were performing with Dylan here, they’d likely not know. For the keen listener, though, you can identify the guitar playing style Young brings, he has that Mirrorball-era guitar work on full display here.
Even knowing the pair are on stage isn’t enough to elevate the performance. Bucky Baxter could’ve thrown his weight behind a left-field guitar riff and that’d be enough to cause some clear interest. But the name value of Springsteen and Young serves its purpose here. A real thrill of a listen for those with lots of time for the two featured artists, whose guitar style you can pick up on if you’ve worn the grooves of Born in the U.S.A. and Mirrorball as many will have. The Roseland Ballroom setting feels like a dreamy scenario to relaunch Dylan’s career, and though that would come with an appearance on MTV, it does feel like change is brewing throughout this performance. A clean recording, a strong performance, and you can’t help but feel Dylan deserves to look back on those greatest hits and play around with their style that little bit more after a performance like this.
I was there and Bob was clearly having fun playing with these guys, on his own ‘solos’ he’d make faces at Bruce and Neil. A great set. Three great nights of music.