From an uneven decade for Dylan (the 80s), this album stands as a testament to Dylan's unabated power as a performer, and the exciting intimacy of the live concert. Backed by name-musicians, well mixed and recorded, REAL LIVE is an album that holds up perfectly all these years later. It has energy, excitement, and DYNAMICS - that's to say that Dylan both rocks loud and also plays the quieter solo acoustic material. Yet, within both modalities, Dylan's sound expands to FILL the stadium. Overall, though, this is a hard-driving album and the band really shines as they rip through a superb playlist. Highlights include a lyrically reworked version of Tangled Up In Blue, a great version of It Ain't Me Babe (...and tell me if it doesn't give you the chills to hear the crowd come in to sing the chorus on this song, and also to hear their excitement build as Dylan's harmonica solo (more of a repetitious riff) escalates through the chord progressions) and a fantastic arrangement of Masters of War. An intriguing collage of classics and INFIDELS material (the album that was the basis for this tour, circa 1984), REAL LIVE stands tall among his live albums. Listen. Listen again. And see if this album doesn't inextricably take residence in your mind.
From an uneven decade for Dylan (the 80s), this album stands as a testament to Dylan's unabated power as a performer, and the exciting intimacy of the live concert. Backed by name-musicians, well mixed and recorded, REAL LIVE is an album that holds up perfectly all these years later. It has energy, excitement, and DYNAMICS - that's to say that Dylan both rocks loud and also plays the quieter solo acoustic material. Yet, within both modalities, Dylan's sound expands to FILL the stadium. Overall, though, this is a hard-driving album and the band really shines as they rip through a superb playlist. Highlights include a lyrically reworked version of Tangled Up In Blue, a great version of It Ain't Me Babe (... and tell me if it doesn't give you the chills to hear the crowd come in to sing the chorus on this song, and also to hear their excitement build as Dylan's harmonica solo (more of a repetitious riff) escalates through the chord progressions) and a fantastic arrangement of Masters of War. An intriguing collage of classics and INFIDELS material (the album that was the basis for this tour, circa 1984), REAL LIVE stands tall among his live albums. Listen. Listen again. And see if this album doesn't inextricably take residence in your mind.