Recorded July 1987 | Length 43:07 Release date 6 February 1989 | |
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Released February 6, 1989 (1989-02-06) Similar Bob Dylan albums, Rock music albums | ||
Dylan & the Dead is a collaborative live album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead, released on February 6, 1989 by Columbia Records. The album consists of seven songs written and sung by Dylan, with the Grateful Dead providing accompaniment. The album was produced by Jerry Garcia and John Cutler.
Contents
Dylan & the Dead was recorded in 1987, during a successful stadium tour of the same name, that featured the two artists performing separately and together. Songs from two of the Grateful Dead's performances from the tour are documented on the album & video View from the Vault IV, and one of the tour-rehearsal songs is on the album Postcards of the Hanging.
Though ultimately poorly received, the album initially sold well, reaching #37 on the Billboard charts in the U.S., #38 in the UK, and earning gold status in the United States.
In 1992, a bootleg of the first concert of the tour was released under the title "Orbiting Uvula". It includes the first-ever live performance of "Queen Jane Approximately", the first live performance of "John Brown" since 1963, and the first live performance of "Chimes of Freedom" since 1964.
Reviews
Despite strong initial sales, the album was poorly received by critics. Rolling Stone stated that the record "makes you wonder what the fuss [over the tour] was about", although they did have some kind words for several of the tracks. Writing for The Village Voice, influential music critic Robert Christgau said that what Dylan "makes of his catalogue here is exactly what he's been making of it for years—money". Amazon.com's Steve Appleford lamented that "if these were the stadium tour's best performances, pity anyone who actually sat through one of these concerts with a clear head." Stephen Thomas Erlewine's review for AllMusic was particularly harsh, giving it one star out of a possible five, and calling it "quite possibly the worst album by either Bob Dylan or the Grateful Dead" and "a sad, disheartening document".
Musicians
Production
Songs
1Slow Train4:57
2I Want You4:04
3Gotta Serve Somebody5:51