Review by William Sigmon Love
Well, the master continues his legacy and the never-ending tour continues.
I think Back to when "time out of mind" just came out and he wasn't
playing anywhere near Arizona. I flew to Dallas and for whatever reason
literally was leaning on the front of the stage, stage right for the whole
show in awe of really seeing a new form of music it just seemed like
something I had never heard and I still believe that to this day. This,
really beginning when Anton took the drums and turning Tony up and Bob
devoting himself to keyboard virtuosity, this was And is pretty much that
today undoubtedly because of the advent of Julian Lage, a new type of
musicality never before heard. in Phoenix, Bob was grooving. It was a
subtle sway shake back-and-forth some two handed playing and I get
reminded of John Cage where Bob is playing notes within the note. The band
is constantly on the verge of explosion, but just as constantly holding
back and it makes for an amazing smooth and subtle pressure. It's not
jazz. It's not rock 'n' roll. It's certainly not fusion and it's
all of those things in one. Since my first show at the newly built
Stabler Arena in Bethlehem Pa, I believe 1980, "The born again tour",
don't think Bob has ever sounded more clear vocally. His intonation,
his aural instrument is at an apex.
Specific highlights for me: The jamming in general, False prophet in
Phoenix was amazing. It's become Bob's "sympathy for the devil",
"fire", And every Bob song ever about the devil, his vocalizations are
sinister and the mood and music is an offbeat minor predator - romp through
Hades. In Phoenix, it was indoor with fantastic acoustics. It was maybe
the third time I've seen him. They're not the greatest acoustics but
pretty dang good night. Too was outside at a 4000 capacity amphitheater
including the grass so it was intimate, but it was over 100 the entire
time. Bob was still in the white sweatshirt and the total show was only an
hour 23 versus an hour 30 for the indoor show in Phoenix. Bob had less
energy and understandably why whoever booked that show I'm sure got
scolded regardless of that, there was surely no place I'd rather been.
Night 2 sweetness had to be "it ain't me, babe", 1st time in 6-1/2
years I do believe. Ok, I wish he didn't substitute it for
"watchtower" and I could complain as many do of the nightly song list
repetition, but it was entirely different both nights; take these shows
for what they are and know that Bob is constantly reworking things as
he's always done. Listen to. "before the flood", "hard rain",
especially "I threw it all away".
I remember reading an article that people complained of Joe Jackson not
doing songs like on his albums and he referred to Bob Dylan. "I try to
be like Dylan, If you want to hear those songs play the album". The
reworkings of "rough and rowdy ways" are masterful, and I guess the
real typification nowadays is in "masterpiece", where it is a Samba
and and there was probably a two minute long intro to it on night one in
Phoenix and a different version in Tucson. I like the lyrical subtle
differences too, the biggest being "I'm going back to my room to wash
my clothes and get all the grease Out". I imagined in Phoenix I heard him
say "traveling the world in an old Cordova", but that might've just
been me thinking that versus gondola…Long live Bob and thank you Bill
Pagel for continuing to keep us current with our master and to all fellow
Dylanquents, keep keeping on..
William Sigmon Love
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