Dylan & The Dead

Performer: Bob Dylan
Engineer: John Cutler; Guy Charbonneau
Producer: Jerry Garcia; John Cutler
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead: Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir (vocals, guitar); Brent Mydland (keyboards); Phil Lesh (bass); Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann (percussion). Recorded live in July, 1987. Quite possibly the worst album by either Bob Dylan or the Grateful Dead, the live Dylan & the Dead completely squanders its promise. Working from an intriguing selection of songs -- it includes staples like "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and more obscure gems like "Joey" -- the Dead and Dylan contribute listless, meandering versions that are simply boring. Both artists have done much better -- reportedly they have done better together, according to various bootleg fans -- but Dylan & the Dead is a sad, disheartening document. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Featuring Bob Dylan together with the Grateful Dead, the live Dylan & the Dead has an intriguing selection of songs, including staples like "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and more obscure gems like "Joey," although both artists have done better. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine This document of the historic summer-of-1987 live pairing of the rock era's premier singer/songwriter and its longest-running psychedelic adventure-cum-sideshow is not nearly as great as the shows themselves were. Yet, it exemplifies rather eloquently what each brought to the party. Dylan, obviously, brought the tunes--but not just the acknowledged classics. As the dry reading of "Joey," his mid-'70s tribute to gangster Joey Gallo, rightfully suggests, Dylan kept the Dead on their toes with his choices. The Dead, of course, brought their indescribable way with a song, their ability to turn any tune into a jam-friendly, lyrical boogie. And as the opening "Slow Train Coming" rightfully suggests, when this weird combo of talents clicked, every dusty corner of Dylan's catalog got a unique makeover.

Bob Dylan began as a Woody Guthrie acolyte, imitating the dust-bowl balladeer as faithfully as a baby boomer from Hibbing, Minnesota, could. It wasn't long before he found his own voice, spearheading the early-1960s folk revival as well as the singer-songwriter movement, and introducing poetry into pop music. Through countless changes in sound, image, and even religion, he retained his unique artistic vision even when his popularity occasionally waned. By the 21st century, he was enjoying an upsurge of critical and popular interest based on a series of powerful late-career albums that crystallized his aesthetics and unique world view.

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