Dylan in new Tom Petty rockumentary

Watch the trailer for Runnin’ Down A Dream, the new Tom Petty rockumentary directed by lauded veteran Peter Bogdanovich, and, I’ll bet, your eyes will be drawn to the singer duetting with Petty on two clips – from the Dylan/Petty 1986 tour and the Traveling Wilburys project.

In his ‘80s creative trough, Dylan made some perplexing decisions, and touring with Petty was one: surely their musical styles were too far apart – what was Dylan doing with mainstream stadium rockers?

Surprisingly, the pairing worked well. If nothing else, the shows were audience-friendly. The problem was, Dylan looked diminished in the company of the Heartbreakers: unaccountably, Petty’s rock-lite shtick seemed to dwarf the greatest popular musician of the century.

Or did it? Maybe that perception flowed from the general malaise afflicting many Bobfans in those barren years?

It’ll be instructive to dig out and re-evaluate the VHS tape of the Dylan/Petty Sydney show, broadcast some years ago on BBC TV. I have a sneaking feeling that Dylan’s performance will, almost miraculously, have somehow improved since the film was shot.

Runnin’ Down A Dream is reviewed, with link to the trailer, at:


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