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Post by Allen Wiener on May 18, 2011 8:12:17 GMT -5
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Post by mjbrathwaite on May 18, 2011 17:05:43 GMT -5
Interesting. One of my favourite Dylan performances is the electric set at Newport. Until the 1990s, whenever Dylan came to New Zealand, he never came to Christchurch, but he does now. I've also seen him in America a couple of times, and was particularly knocked out by his electric version of "Gates of Eden" at the Concord Pavilion in 1988 and his outstanding renditions of "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" and "Queen Jane Approximately" at the Greek Theatre in Berkely in 1989 - although the latter concert got off to a shaky start with a 12-minute rendition of "Positively 4th Street", most of which was a guitar solo by Dylan.
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Post by Richard Weddle on Dec 31, 2011 12:20:54 GMT -5
Bob Dylan is one strange individual. I never know where he's coming from but I always know he's sincere and genuine. I love those songs he wrote in the 1960s and 1970s most of all. I've been going to see him perform since the mid-1970s. He had real courage in those days. I'll never forget the 1979 tour when he introduced the new Biblical songs. People screamed insults, threw things at him and then walked out in large numbers. He stood there unfazed, watching his audience dwindle, and sang his heart out to the few people who remained. His vocals on that tour were astonishing, like Frank Sinatra from hell, or the hellhound literally at Robert Johnson's heels. Those concerts were intense. Ten times louder than he plays now. You never know with Dylan. Sometimes he is brilliant, like a man possessed, and other times he shouldn't be performing at all. I guess he's never less than professional. He was energetic and in good voice when I saw him in Phoenix and Tucson in July 2011. It's as if he has three different voices coming out simultaneously and he just lets them do what they want. I wish he had performed more of the old songs and less of the newer ones. Someone sent me videotapes and audience tapes, so I have souvenirs of both shows. But tapes barely hint at the power up there.
Richard
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Post by Jim Boylston on Dec 31, 2011 14:18:45 GMT -5
I've seen Dylan a few times, most recently on the "Love and Theft" tour, and I agree with your assessment. He's never predictable, sometimes ragged, often brilliant. I saw him on the "Shot of Love" tour, too. Though many in the audience seemed puzzled, it was one of the better Dylan shows I've attended.
Jim
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Post by Richard Weddle on Dec 31, 2011 16:05:00 GMT -5
He's a living legend. It's been interesting to watch Dylan's legend grow and evolve over the years. I'm very interested in how legends start and are sustained during the lifetime of the person. The Shot of Love tour from 1981 is generally considered some of his finest live work. Hard to believe it was 30 years ago. Even when he barely shows a pulse onstage, there is nobody else even remotely like him. Everybody should see Dylan at least once in their life. His ticket prices are lower than most touring acts. Very low, in fact, considering his status. He's sort of like the John Wayne of music in the sense that his legend is bigger than he is, and no way can he live up to it when you see him. Until after the fact, that is.
Now that he's 70 years old and climbing I doubt if he'll be able to perform much longer.
Richard
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