Bob Dylan – Paramount Theatre 1980 Review

A 26-song show from an artist who had recovered himself on stage and lost himself again to a whole new persuasion. That is what this Paramount Theatre 1980 show offers. For those who found themselves returning to the Trouble No More bootleg, then this Bob Dylan performance is tailor-made for you. Staggering performances of Slow Train Coming material with the instrumental swagger and religiously-charged interpretations of hit songs found throughout. Nothing short of amazing material across this bootleg. It’s a remarkable chance to hear the likes of Girl from the North Country, Blowin’ in the Wind, and A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall with a whole new interpretation. Not only are the instrumentals refreshed, but Dylan finds himself detailing these songs with a new outlook on the world around him. Slow Train Coming and the follow-up albums in his religious trilogy, Saved and Shot of Love, fundamentally changed how he wrote, listened, and engaged with his audience. You can hear that come to life here.  

Just four years on from the high point of Hard Rain, and here is Dylan throwing himself fully into the instrumental tone of the era. Not quite the synth and lazy rock notions of the mid-1980s, more a reflection on the bluesy tone of his peers. Opening track Gotta Serve Somebody has some delightful keyboard work to it. Instrumental breaks like this, and backing vocalists giving Dylan’s raspy but thrilling voice a bit of a heavier punch, is the frequent pull of this bootleg. Moments where Dylan finds himself drifting away from his lyrics and into the little flourishes of his electric guitar work, those are the bits where he can rely on the backing vocalists. Not every show managed to deliver that perfectly, but this Paramount Theatre 1980 show is an exceptional example of what Dylan could do when left to cut loose on stage with fresh instrumental interpretations. Dylan mixes it up with All Along the Watchtower considerably, a rocking piece of work that evolves further than the magic of the Jimi Hendrix cover.  

Dylan has always been a musician, liberal with the history of his songs. He is keen to change them, evolve what he can and where he can, for the sake of it. Often, it leads to wonderful and refreshed interpretations. All Along the Watchtower here, be it because of the slightly eroded tape quality or the staggering piano work backing those punchy electric guitar moments, has an urgency which benefits the track massively. A promise of releasing Ain’t Gonna Go to Hell for Anybody is a bit ironic, given it still hasn’t been released outside of The Bootleg Series, but it’s great to hear it all the same. An excellent piece of work, but a tad light-hearted considering the lyrical context and how Dylan would flesh out his religious material in the studio. Still a strong song to act as a transition into the run of covers and oddities. Let’s Keep it Between Us is a highlight, another song which also hasn’t been released outside of The Bootleg Series.  

Paramount Theatre 1980 proves to be a monumental recording because of the sheer volume of unreleased songs that, at this point in his career, Dylan had been hot on releasing. He never would get to that point, but considering how many songs he has written, it’s likely a case of pursuing another thread after pawing at another. A fair switch-up for sure, but a shame to hear what was left on the stage. A time when Dylan had dropped his objectively greatest hits and replaced them with songs that were lingering on the fringe, but were classics all the same. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue, It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding), and Simple Twist of Fate are his very best works and are suitable alternatives to Like a Rolling Stone, Mr. Tambourine Man, and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. A staggering setlist and an opportunity to get to grips with Dylan’s unreleased best are at hand here.