July 26, 2011
Review by Ken Rayes
Leon Russell
1 Delta Lady - Nothing like opening with possibly your most famous song.
(Sound is a bit muddy)
2 Rolling in my Sweet Baby's Arms - Full Hank Wilson's Back mode , but much faster
3 Unidentified blues medley - two songs
4 Back to the Island - Almost unrecognizable at first - faster rock arrangement
5 Wild Horses - Nice cover - good harmonies from the band
6 I don't know or recognize this one
7 I've Just Seen a Face - The Beatles song - nice galloping version - seems perfect for him
8 Out in the Woods - Again, almost unrecognizable at first until the chorus comes.
Nice "Amped - up" rock arrangement, faster than the original.
9 Leon's lead guitarist sings and plays a blues song - He's very good - gets the loudest
cheers of the night so far.
10 Song For You - Leon alone at the piano - A great reminder of his songwriting
talent - sounds very vulnerable
11 Medley - Jumping Jack Flash / Papa Was A rolling Stone / Paint it Black / Kansas City
Leon is known for his long medleys, and the crowd gives him a standing ovation after this one.
12 Encore - Roll Over Beethoven - Good way to end the set - back to Rock N Roll.
Bob Dylan
1 Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 - Dylan at organ - nice job! Swingin his legs, into it.
2 It's All Over Now Baby Blue - Dylan is into it! His body English rolls and struts in place.
Vocals are great!
3 Things Must Change - Version given a bit of a country twang. Dylan is in great voice
tonight and he really is into enunciating. Smiles after almost every line.
4 Tangled Up In Blue - Fantastic version of a song he often completely changes up.
Kind of a talking - blues style verses and then the band comes in for a subtle punch in
the chorus. His first harmonica solo and he is great - really into it strong feeling and
great body English.
5 Beyond Here Lies Nothin' - slinky blues - he's really into it
6 Sugar Babe - Mellow and silky textures to the vocals - he is in great form!
7 Cold Chains Bound - I never was too much into this song, but he totally got me
with this one - really intense, singing like he means every line.
8 Simple Twist of Fate - Dylan plays lead guitar on this one - fantastic - he meshes in
with the band perfectly, and you can see him leading the group with his looks and
body English. The band is fantastic - perfect tone for each song - wild and electric in
some places, warm and inviting in others.
9 Highway 61 Revisited - Great controlled energy - the band build up to each chorus
and the end literally explodes with the volume amped up. Crowd gives first standing
ovation - they know we are having a special night.
10 Forgetful Heart - Band switches to violin and cello and guitars. Powerful. Dylan is
having a great night and so are we.
11 Thunder on the Mountain - I've previously thought this was kind of a throwaway,
but this version was "thunderous" - great galloping rock. Dylan moves his legs at some
point - putting one up by the organ leg - he is into it! Dylan plays an organ solo that is
fantastic - just like his harmonica solos but transposed to organ. He is not just fingering
the keyboard tonight - his organ playing anchors the band and can be heard whenever
he's at the organ. Great Job!
12 Ballad of a Thin Man - a definite highlight - Dylan just stands center stage and
sings - no guitar or organ. Builds well - the sound and the band is right in the
pocket - knows all the moves. Ends with a fantastic harmonica solo that melds with
the band and explodes in volume at the end. Standing ovation and the band walks off.
13 Encore - Like A Rolling Stone - This is the one song that they mess up a bit on.
Dylan seems to miss one of the transitions and seems to throw it off a bit. Still a good
time though.
14 All Along the Watchtower - Fantastic! Revelatory! The electric style version a-la
Jimi Hendrix, but Dylan takes the solos with harmonica and puts a much more controlled
sense of menace to the song. Played a little slower than usual. Wow - this is what it's
all about - A great song reinvented in a new way while keeping the spirit of the original,
played expertly. Dylan is into it.
15 Second Encore - Yes - they stay for one more - Blowin in the Wind - What else can
you say about this one - everybody remains standing throughout the song. Played with
the whole band - very nice.
One of the best Dylan shows I've seen. The main thing is that he was in the best voice
I've heard in about 30 years. Also he was completely engaged with the songs - the
phrasing was intense and well thought out - playful even. His persona was great - his
body was moving along with the songs, emphasizing some lyrics, etc. His organ playing
was a revelation - it was an integral part of the songs, not just punching chords.
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