The story goes that in 1989, while recording “Oh Mercy”, Bob Dylan exclaimed to producer Lanois, ‘This is archaic music we’re making.’ In other words, Dylan realised he was no longer on the cutting edge of rock music, Listening to some of these recordings from 1999, I’m struck by how 1950s the sound is, or at least how obviously and deeply rooted in the origins of rock music Dylan’s music is. Call it primitive, call it primal, call it dance music, call it roots music, call it whatever, Dylan determinedly evokes music from a previous age. Not just rock music but rock-and-roll, pre-rock. While the album “Time out of Mind” shows the influence of that ‘archaic music,’ more consciously and deliberately than “Oh Mercy”, his live performances tap directly into the music of a previous age.
listening to Dylan performing the song at Tramps, New York, ‘Not Fade Away’ is not an isolated example. ‘Alabama Getaway’ is a Robert Hunter song, released by the Grateful Dead in 1980, but it taps right into Chuck Berry and the more ‘primitive’ tradition of 1950s countrified blues. I imagine Dylan likes the song because it’s doing what he wants to do, ‘Tombstone Blues’, for example, takes us right into the simple, jangling chords of old rock-and-roll, jump music. Dylan’s twin guitarists, Charlie Sexton and Larry Campbell, make all this possible with their happily expert, retro playing.
Bob Dylan was back in the game. After a decade of hit-or-miss releases; six years without releasing a new, original song; and a near-fatal heart infection, “Time Out of Mind” came out of nowhere with a sound that was both timeless and brand-new, and a resurgence of the language and form that characterized his greatest song writing. It won the Grammy for Album of the Year and marked an entirely unexpected creative explosion as Dylan neared sixty. The live shows were getting more consistent, too. For a co-headlining tour with Paul Simon, his band had settled into a line-up (Larry Campbell and Charlie Sexton on guitar, Tony Garnier on bass, David Kemper on drums) that would be his most formidable group since the mid-‘60s performances with The Band. Prior to two nights at Madison Square Garden, Dylan booked a last-minute date at a Chelsea nightclub that captured all of this new momentum. It was a magnificent set, leaning surprisingly hard on his ‘60s masterworks (including a miraculous ‘Visions of Johanna’), but also turning a forgotten song like ‘Seeing the Real You at Last’ into a thrilling highlight. With Elvis Costello joining in for a final take on ‘I Shall Be Released’, the full show remains something of a marvel and is now released on vinyl for the first time on this new two-instalment set.
‘Down Along the Cove’ comes as the second to last track on “John Wesley Harding” (1967), but we had to wait until 1999 to get the first live performance. Bringing it forward at this point, nested among the “Time out of Mind” songs, and antique songs, is yet another indication of the influence of this retro music on Dylan’s own songs. It’s a Dylan song but could almost be someone else’s. It’s a straight no frills rock blues. A treat for the ears.
in ‘Highway 61 Revisited,’ another retro sounding song, although less obviously derived from the blues. Again the complexity of the lyrics is set against a simple, ‘primitive’ jump music structure. It’s a lot of irreverent fun. This Tramps performance really pushes it along, the wild lyrics flying by before we can get a hold of them. Taming Dylan’s lyrics to the page hardly does justice to the madcap, whirling effect this song creates.
Bob Dylan & His Band performing at Tramps, New York City on 26th July 1999 –
Complete [-1] set. 1. Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie (Elizabeth Cotten) 2. The Times They Are A-Changin’ 3. Boots Of Spanish Leather 4. John Brown 5. Visions Of Johanna 6. Seeing The Real You At Last 7. Ballad Of A Thin Man 8. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine) 9. Every Grain Of Sand 10. Tombstone Blues 11. Not Dark Yet 12. Highway 61 Revisited — [ 13. Love Sick – missing here, copyrighted, officially released ] — 14. Like A Rolling Stone 15. It Ain’t Me, Babe 16. Not Fade Away (Norman Petty/Charles Hardin) 17. Blowin’ In The Wind 18. Alabama Getaway (Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia) 19. I Shall Be Released – [Elvis Costello is in town and joins Dylan & His Band on the last one] Line-up: Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar), Charlie Sexton (guitar), Larry Campbell (guitar, mandolin, pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar), Tony Garnier (bass), David Kemper (drums & percussion), Guest – Elvis Costello – guitar & vocals on “I Shall be Released”
The Fat Angel Sings 