I had both the pleasure and displeasure of going to a Dylan concert yesterday. I was struck by how much of the groups music included either slide or pedal slide. Without it there would have been much less color to the music.
He is definitely losing vocal strength. Not once did he pick up a guitar. He played for 1.25 hours, took a 10 minute break for applause and came back and did a two song ovation. The only address to the crowd was to introduce his band. At the end of the concert, they stood in a line and didn't even take a bow. They just walked off the stage. It was like they were saying you paid to see us; here we are. Adios. He did play some on the harp. But that was pretty uninspired. Most of the songs were covers of his original however they were almost unrecognizable; pretty normal for his later work.
"A wailing song and a good guitar are the only things that I understand, poor boy."
At Willie Nelson's 4th of July picnic, Dylan played keyboards and harmonica....ok the voice is a little shot, but he has a very good backing band, and the songs he played that night were recognisable....
I didn't care about the voice though, I was just so pleased to see Dylan... I enjoyed it, anyway!!!!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
When I saw them standing in line at the end of the concert, I couldn't help but think I was looking at a modern day Do-Do saying "look at me, I won't be around for long." Definitely a finite resource. I wish I had seen him in his prime in the mid sixties.
Just to add some more of my perspective, in 1965 I was 13. I lived in Manhattan and would sneak down to the Village after school. There was a place then called the Cafe Wha (it still exists as such but it has been much revamped and no longer is the hep little place it was). They use to allow us in to watch music and buy sodas. The waitresses wore low cut black leotards. The MC was talking about the year before when Dylan had played there; he wasn't big at that point. He said, just hearing him he new then that he'd make it big. I don't think anyone knew how big.
"A wailing song and a good guitar are the only things that I understand, poor boy."
Like I said on another board, I wouldn't pay a nickel to hear Dylan play, then or now.
But he sure did hit the big time with that Victoria's Secret ad gig!
:P
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
