Bob Dylan 33: Dylan & The Dead

In the late ‘80s, the Grateful Dead had achieved a certain level of commercial success, thanks mostly to a generation of kids with dirty feet who had only just been born when the band had originally started, and wanted to indulge in the same drugs. Bob had some history with the band, and after playing some shows in 1986, both embarked on a sizable tour in 1987. Dozens of songs were rehearsed and performed, but when a cash-in album was released—likely in the wake of the Wilburys, certainly spurred by the Dead’s own commercial resurgence—only seven rather pedestrian tracks were selected. (The Dead supposedly suggested six additional tracks during the course of mixing the album, which were ignored.)

The set begins promisingly enough with a spirited “Slow Train”, and a case could be made for the vocal performance on “I Want You”; in fact, Bob does sing, rather than shout, on this album. He mumbles most of “Gotta Serve Somebody”, but somehow manages to keep “Queen Jane Approximately” in pitch despite the Dead’s reputation. But there’s simply no reason for a full nine-minute version of “Joey”, “All Along The Watchtower” is energetic but ordinary, and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” hardly rousing.

In fact, there’s little reason at all for Dylan & The Dead, except that it was easy money. The cover art is mildly inspired, but give or take some of the backing vocals and Jerry Garcia’s guitar, the band isn’t distinctive. That’s understandable, since they’re used here simply for hire, and not in the position to do any of the epic stretching they would do with their own material. What’s more frustrating is that even besides the other songs these guys played on this particular tour, the Dead, and particularly Garcia in his various solo and side bands, had been deconstructing and reinterpreting Dylan material for some time on their own. In time, vault excavations would explore the possibilities deeper. But this album, coming when it did, didn’t give Dylan fans much hope for the future.

Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead Dylan & The Dead (1989)—2½