Gazza
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Rat Bastid "We piss anywhere, man.."
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Belfast, UK
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Just a few notes from the show I saw in Prague on Friday night.
Apart from the Barrowlands club show in Glasgow in 2004 (and maybe the two Brixton shows in Nov 2005), it was possibly the best of the 15-16 Dylan shows I've been at since September 2000 - a European leg which I consider to be the absolute high water mark of the entire Never Ending Tour.
Was very pleasantly surprised it was so good as for the last year or so, a lot of the shows have got a bit too predictable for my liking. However, this was the first time I've seen Dylan since Charlie Sexton returned on guitar in October last year after a 7 year absence.
The difference is like night and day. Sexton is the most perfect lead guitarist Dylan's ever had in his band (and considering some of his predecessors have been the likes of Robbie Robertson, Jerry Garcia and Mick Taylor) thats saying quite a lot. The kick in the arse that his presence has given Dylan is noticeable from the first few notes. Sexton is all over the place, roaming the stage, crouching down beside Bob and doing a great job in working the crowd up.
Bob spent a lot more time away from his keyboard than at any show I've seen him do in many years. Much more than he's been doing for a long time, I would say. On a couple of songs (Cold Irons Bound and Ballad of a Thin Man) he spent the entire song standing at the mic with just harmonica in hand. The setlist was a bit less 12-bar blues based than many shows in recent years - a good sign, I think. I dont know if there's a connection but Dylan's bassist and bandleader Tony Garnier spent the entire show sitting on a chair - I can only assume he's done his back in. He still seemed to having a great time, with quite a bit of banter going on between himself and George Recile on the drums right behind him.
To the songs - Rainy Day Women as an opener. Usually the opening song is a bit of a plodder, but this was much better than it has been in ages. Bob came out front halfway through and played guitar for the rest of the song. The icing on the cake though was Stu Kimball playing the riff of Link Wray's "Rumble" over the arangement for the last couple of minutes.
Lay Lady Lay - Nice vocal performance by Bob, Charlie's guitar licks on the chorus were quite similar to the Nashville Skyline version.
Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues - One of my favourite Dylan songs ever, and a version for the ages. Bob still on guitar and the latter part of the song saw him doing a magnificent little duel with Sexton which I just didnt want to end. (I was shouting "keep it going keep it going" like a madman)
Just Like A Woman - Bob back on keyboards. The audience even sang along on the chorus, and Bob, unusually for him, sort of allowed them to.
Beyond Here Lies Nothing - First time I've seen him play this one. Back on guitar and growling the words out, with some nice trumpet by Donnie.
Shelter From The Storm - Pretty nice arrangement. Never ceases to amaze me how many ways he can rearrange the same song from one year to the next.
Honest With Me - This one has just passed its sell by date for me when it comes to being played live, although nowhere near as much as is the case for it's 'Love & Theft' stablemates 'Tweedle Dum' and 'Summer Days' - both of which were mercifully omitted tonight. This wasnt bad actually - at least they reworked the arrangement to keep it a bit fresh.
Mr Tambourine Man - Lovely slowed down version, with Bob out front second half on guitar.
Cold Irons Bound - usually a hellacious, noisy rocker, Bob was out front doing some bizarre harp wailing, but a good vocal and a nice arrangement.
Workingman's Blues No.2 - First time I've seen him play this one too, and it was absolutely beautiful. He wrung every emotion out of the lyrics, and then came out front to nail a great harp solo.
Highway 61 Revisited - Nothing much changes with this one. Thunderous as usual.
I Feel A Change Comin' On - Quite a pleasant surprise to get this one. I dont think he plays it too often and it was really good.
Thunder On The Mountain - Never had the same impact live as it is on record. Always sounds a bit rushed. This was no exception.
Ballad of a Thin Man - Six years ago I saw Dylan play a version of 'Like A Rolling Stone' at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow which even Bob said immediately afterwards got the greatest reaction between himself and a crowd ever. This may well have been the nearest thing to that moment for this song from the same album. It was fucking incredible. He stood at the mike, harp in one hand (it was almost 'Renaldo and Clara'-like for those of you familiar with the versions of 'Isis' from that era) , arms outstretched, crouching and pointing at the crowd as he did so, gesturing backwards with his other arm at George Recile as he crashed down on the cymbal - and absolutely roaring and snarling the lyrics. When he got to the line about "F Scott Fitzgerald's books" he spat the 'f' out as 'f, f, f, f' as if he was reciting Hannibal Lechter's classic line in 'Silence of the Lambs'. Absolutely no question - this was the best version of the song since 1966 - and it brought the house down.
Encores -
Like A Rolling Stone - always goes down a treat. Terrific vocal performance by Bob (if a bit too much arseing around on the keyboard) and the crowd enjoyed it very much
Jolene - another new one for me. Not one of my favourites off 'Together Through Life', but it was pretty solid.
All Along The Watchtower - still manages to get the crowd worked up, and understandably so. Terrific version to close.
At 69, I was starting to wonder how much more he can wring out of this endless touring cycle, but just when you think he's starting to lose his edge a bit, he draws you back in with a performance as glorious as this.
May his song always be sung.
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Anything Dylan on RO... Part 5d (Read 562,549 times)
