Bob Dylan and Bono’s ‘raucous’ performance of Blowin’ in the Wind praised as ‘best’ version of the song

A performance of Blowin’ in the Wind that featured Bob Dylan and Bono has been hailed by fans as a “raucous” rendition of the song.

Dylan took to the Slane Castle stage in 1987, and was joined by Santana as well as music legends Van Morrison and Bono for a hits-heavy performance. The U2 frontman was on hand to help Dylan out with a performance of Blowin’ in the Wind, which has since been uploaded to YouTube. Fans were keen to praise the pair for their performance, though some referenced the irony of Bono performing the Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan hit. One person noted: “The funny story of Bono’s ignorance of the lyrics to this famed Dylan song is well documented in Neil McCormick’s book, Killing Bono.”

Another added: “Bono’s self-penned account of this performance on page 186 of his Surrender memoir has me in stitches. Self-parody is a great gift.” A third fumed: “It nearly makes me go as red now as I did at the concert. Bono hadn’t a clue about the words key or anything.”

Others were more engaged with the performance than those criticising Bono. One person wrote: “Raucous. Not sure about Bono changing up so much with the words. Then again, Bob does that all the time himself.

“Bono’s performance does add a very unique feel to this all-time classic. Bob’s into it too, and from the looks of it, he enjoyed himself. Cool combination of people who care about the world around them.”

Another added: “This performance wasn’t about the lyrics nor the original sound. If you don’t like changes to a song, just keep listening to the original, don’t go to a live performance with guest appearances. This performance mainly became about Bono adding raw soul to it, changing and exploring what he could do with it. Even Dylan was blown away by Bono’s free adaptation. Best performance of the song ever, in my opinion.”

A third shared: “So Bono didn’t know the words. It’s still an excellent performance!” Bono’s appearance at the show may be controversial, but music lovers believe he ranks among some of the very best lyricists and vocalists in history.

One fan wrote on the r/U2 subreddit: “It’s hard to unbiasedly rank him in my opinion. I will say I think he had some of the most raw talent of all time though.” Another agreed, adding: “I like this take. His emotive range is among the best and he has a lot of raw power in his voice. You could make the argument that others are more consistent or proficient, but few had what he had!”

A third user suggested: “Vocalist? Maybe top twenty-five. Frontman? Top ten.” Another wrote: “This was my take. As a singer, he’s good. As a frontman, he’s great.” A fourth added: “I would even say top five frontmen, alongside Freddie Mercury and Axl Rose at least.” One user even suggested Bono could not sing but says he has enough “soul” to carry the songs.

You can listen to Bono and Dylan cover Blowin’ in the Wind below.