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Dylan & the Dead
Live album by Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead
Released	February 6, 1989 (1989-02-06)
Recorded	July 1987
Genre	Rock gospel
Length	43:23
Label	Columbia
Producer	John Cutler Jerry Garcia
Bob Dylan chronology
Down in the Groove (1988) Dylan & the Dead (1989) Oh Mercy (1989)
Grateful Dead chronology
Dead Zone: The Grateful Dead CD Collection (1977–1987) (1987) Dylan & the Dead (1989) Built to Last (1989)

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.

Dylan & the Dead was recorded during a successful stadium tour known as the Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead 1987 Tour, featuring the two artists performing separately and together. Songs from two of the Grateful Dead's performances from the tour are documented on the album and video View from the Vault, Volume Four, 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 No. 37 on the Billboard charts in the U.S., No. 38 in the UK, and earning a Gold certification in the U.S.

In 1992, a bootleg of the first concert of the tour was released under the title "Orbiting Uvula". It includes the first 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.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	C−
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
MusicHound
Rolling Stone

Despite strong initial sales, the album was poorly received by critics. Rolling Stone stated that the record "makes you wonder what the fuss was about", although they did have some kind words for several of the tracks. Writing for The Village Voice, 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". 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".

Track listing

All songs written by Bob Dylan except where noted.

Personnel

Musicians

• Bob Dylan – guitar, vocals

Grateful Dead

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals, production
• Mickey Hart – drums
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar
• Brent Mydland – keyboards, vocals
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals

Production

• Guy Charbonneau – engineering
• John Cutler – production, engineering
• Joe Gastwirt – mastering
• Herb Greene – photography
• Rick Griffin – art direction
• Gary Hedden – engineering
• Peter Miller – engineering
• David Roberts – engineering
• Billy Rothschild – engineering
• Chris Wiskes – engineering

See also

• List of Grateful Dead covers

References

1. "Olof Björner at www.bobsboots.com". Archived from the original on 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2014-11-06.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Dylan & the Dead". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 9, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
3. "Robert Christgau review". Archived from the original on 2009-08-19. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
4. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
5. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 371. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
6. "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2017-08-05. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
7. Fricke, David. Dylan & the Dead review Archived 2017-08-05 at the Wayback Machine at Rolling Stone
8. Christgau, Robert. Dylan & the Dead review Archived 2009-08-19 at the Wayback Machine at RobertChristgau.com
9. Dylan & the Dead at AllMusic

• 1989 live albums
• 1989 collaborative albums
• Columbia Records live albums
• Bob Dylan live albums
• Grateful Dead live albums
• Albums produced by Jerry Garcia
• Albums with cover art by Rick Griffin