Bob Dylan on acoustic guitar? Sure. Dylan wailing away on harmonica? Obviously. But Bob Dylan playing the piano? The casual fan of the legendary singer/songwriter probably doesn’t imagine him that way.
Truth be told, Dylan is quite a deft piano player, one who possesses a clever rhythmic touch and an innate feel for just what a song needs. Here are five times he tickled the ivories and did his classic songs a great service in the process.
“Sign on the Window” from New Morning (1970)
New Morning was a bounce-back album of sorts for Dylan, as Self Portrait, released just a few months prior in 1970, caused him to take a critical beating. The songs on New Morning weren’t epic like the ’60s classics, but instead revealed a relaxed Dylan singing about the joys of hearth and home. “Sign on the Window” is slightly more melancholy, in that it comes from the perspective of a narrator who is missing out on those things. Dylan’s piano strolls through the proceedings confidently, and he plays nicely off the surprising flute part.
“Dirge” from Planet Waves (1974)
Dylan reunited with his old buddies The Band for an album and then a massive tour in 1974. On this track, however, the only instrumentalist present besides Dylan on the piano is Robbie Robertson. Bob tried this soul-baring song first by playing acoustic guitar himself. He then switched to piano. That’s when Robertson came in and added his part. The two good buddies display a natural understanding of when each should recede or should step forward in the mix, and they’re just right on a song whose lyrics deserve a lot of attention.
“I’ll Remember You” from Empire Burlesque (1985)
The idea that Dylan was artistically adrift in the ’80s doesn’t really hold water upon further review. While there are a few albums where he struggled to find the right tone, there are others where he took chances in putting his songs in new settings. Many think Empire Burlesque was a misfire because of Dylan’s attempts to modernize his sound. We’d disagree, especially when you consider unabashedly pretty tracks like “I’ll Remember You,” a sweetly sentimental testament to a special someone. And Dylan’s subtle work on piano is one of the main reasons it’s so successful.
“Ring Them Bells” from Oh Mercy (1989)
Dylan worked with Daniel Lanois on Oh Mercy in 1989. Although the producer helped him out of his artistic doldrums, Dylan wasn’t always crazy about the swampy sound Lanois favored. (He collaborated with Lanois again on Time Out of Mind, and the same cycle of successful record and Dylan complaining about the production continued.) But even Bob had to concede the vibes conjured by Lanois on “Ring Them Bells,” a touching throwback to Dylan’s religious period, were magical. Dylan helped the cause with his evocative work on the keys.
“Blind Willie McTell” from The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3: Rare & Unreleased 1961-1991 (1991)
The 1983 album Infidels was a solid Dylan effort, but it could have been so much better had Dylan included some of the songs that were written for the project, including “Blind Willie McTell,” an absolute masterpiece. He couldn’t find an arrangement of the song he liked. By the time the first edition of the Bootleg Series appeared, a few artists had already covered the song (including The Band). Why Dylan didn’t think the version included on that collection, which featured his stormy piano playing accentuated by Mark Knopfler’s acoustic guitar, was worthy is hard to figure, because it’s sheer perfection.
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