Riding the Stadium Train
In an era when stadium shows defined the summer concert scene, 1987 had a pairing of two iconic figure in rock/pop culture - Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead - on a six city tour.

The seven numbers which clock in a few ticks over 43 minutes highlight Dylan on guitar, harmonica and vocals - with the Grateful Dead as his backing band - that were recorded during four of the half-dozen July dates that comprised the tour.

With uneven performances, the album - released in 1989 - is a choppy capsulation of the collaboration, but is interesting nonetheless for fans of the artists or those seeking an audio slice of rock during an era when bigger was seen as better from the perspective of record company executives, concert promoters and artists.

Is there more than one?
My best friend and I used to listen to a Dylan and The Dead tape that must have had at least 12 songs. One was 'Maggie's farm'. I don't remember the others but I was really looking forward to hearing them again. None of the songs on the CD I got were on the one that must have been made much earlier, based on the songs on this CD.
There is nothing wrong with the CD and I received it much sooner than I expected. The only problem with this order is that I did not make sure this was the CD I thought I was ordering. I have enjoyed this one a lot and, again, I am extremely pleased with the product and quick delivery.

If You Were There You Would Understand
I actually saw Dylan and the Dead on 7/4/87 at Foxboro.
When I listen to this cd the emotions it brings back and the memories are priceless. I am crying as I write. If you attended one of these concerts,
you would understand what an important cd this is. It is a document
of a special time. It was July 4th with some 60,000 people. Unforgettable!

Let's Keep This In Perspective
Over the years, I held off on purchasing this disc due to the almost uniformly scathing reviews blasting it - some of the most virulent and sarcastic can be found here on Amazon. However, the intriguing pairing of these two classic artists (and I'll admit like other reviews state - the beyond cool album cover) got the better of me and I bought it used as a hedge.

I've taken a listen - what do I think? a) Dylan and The Dead is not the place to start your collection of either artist; b) There are better commercially available live albums of each artist individually; and c) keeping those caveats in perspective, this is a ragged, free-wheeling, and ultimately satisfying performance that I will go back to from time to time, because I seek out this type of music for the feel and inspiration it gives me.

Contrary to what I have read, Dylan's vocals are acceptable, and they are intriguing for what he chooses to include and leave out given the generally accepted crossroads he was at in his career. The Dead's sound is unmistakable, and provides an interesting filter to standard and not so standard selections within Dylan's substantial song catalog.

Finally, I find this unique album (it will never happen again with all the same key players present) every bit as listenable as any of the countless live Dave Matthews/Phish/String Cheese Incident/You Name It albums out there that I have heard bits and pieces of but would never be motivated to purchase based on their meandering sound and lack of songcraft.

All and all, a worthy album that you will be surprised by if you are a fan of either artist, given the amount of negative reviews associated with it.

a puzzling dud
You can love Dylan and the Grateful Dead. You can listen to this album repeatedly, waiting for some type of magic to kick in, incredulous that the performances, the sound, the spirit, the magic are all nowhere to be heard or found. The Dead had done Dylan songs with much success, both before and after. Bob has, of course, performed a few of Jerry's songs with wonderful style and feeling. Yet, the combination, as represented here (there were a couple of decent shows during the brief 1987 run) is a complete failure. Dylan, after a glitzy 1986 tour with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, later resumed touring with TP in 1987, in a series of relatively understated but superior and wonderful performances. Inexplicably, the shows with the Dead were just meaningless transitions. And yet, the recording itself is largely to blame. For example, if they had released the entire July 19th performance, from Eugene, Oregon, the results would have been far better. If you have a vast collection of Bob and the GD, this album is probably at the bottom of your listen list.