Dylan’s ‘Mtv Unplugged’ Album Is A Testament To His Enduring Talent
“MTV Unplugged” has not only sparked an acoustic trend that’s threatening to become its own musical genre, but it’s also just about the only way old guys can get on the youth-obsessed cable channel.
Ask Tony Bennett. Was there a chance the old-style crooner would ever be seen on the channel without the format? Now, his “MTV Unplugged” album has earned him his first album-of-the-year Grammy at age 69, too.
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, as well as the Eagles, launched the ‘90s chapters of their careers with MTV specials that had their roots in the “Unplugged” concept.
So it wasn’t surprising last fall when Bob Dylan stepped up for his own “Unplugged.”
The album version of the event, “MTV Unplugged” (Columbia), already out on vinyl, was released earlier this month on compact disc and cassette.
Dylan may continue to be a shadowy, enigmatic figure, but he has certainly become more commercially savvy. He performed at the Grammys when it was time for him to win a lifetime achievement award. He agreed to a tribute concert that turned into a career highlight. He played the ‘90s version of the Woodstock festival after pointedly avoiding the first.
And although he has released two acoustic solo albums of obscure blues and folk numbers in the past couple of years, his shows have continued to concentrate on material from 20 years earlier or more. Like his audience, Dylan seems to agree that his best material is from the past. But rather than present a rote exercise in nostalgia that replicates the original recordings, he breathes new life into the songs every time he plays them, stressing a different phrase here, turning a syllable inside-out there, indulging in a little guitar interplay in the middle.
This approach has meant some hit-and-miss shows. But for the “Unplugged” sessions taped in two nights in New York last November, Dylan was in exceptional and consistent form.
This was obvious in the original December broadcast, as he swung through just eight songs culled from the 18 recorded. Underscored by the additional organ work of Brendan O’Brian, Pearl Jam’s producer, Dylan’s voice was strong, and the song selection was peerless.
But like so many of the “Unplugged” broadcasts, the pictures sometimes obscured the music. As in the Nirvana “Unplugged” sessions, so oft-played they served as a televised wake following the death of front man Kurt Cobain, the unnerving close-ups undermined the music. It wasn’t until the band’s “Unplugged in New York” was released late last year that we could hear more sharply the strength of the songs and the passion of his delivery.
That’s the case with the album version of the Dylan show.
There have been plenty of live Dylan albums through the years. But “MTV Unplugged” shines as an enduring tribute to his abilities.
It begins with a searing “Tombstone Blues,” one of three songs not featured in the original broadcast. The other two also are highlights. “Desolation Row” takes on a harrowing new presence. And the simple anti-war song “John Brown” retains its power, as one of Dylan’s oldest songs makes its first appearance on an official release.
There are enough rock standards that even young listeners will recognize - “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” a rollicking “Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35,” the ominous riffs that have couched “All Along the Watchtower” ever since Jimi Hendrix covered the song a quarter-century ago.
There are surprises in the chestnuts, too - an especially heartfelt “Like a Rolling Stone” and a pair of political warnings that echo relevance: “With God on My Side” and “The Times They Are a Changin.”’
Dylan doesn’t use guest stars, doesn’t banter about the setting, throw in odd cover songs or employ orchestras to decorate his moment in the “Unplugged’ stage. With songs like these, and such a spirited performance from the enduring artist, he doesn’t need to.
xxxx DYLAN IN CONCERT Bob Dylan will be performing at the Lilac Bowl in Spokane’s Riverfront Park on June 7 at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are $25, or $10 for children 13 and under. Tickets are available at all regional G&B Select-a-Seat outlets, or by calling 325-SEAT or (800) 325-SEAT (credit cards only).