Canute - take it easy, but take it!

Well, I've done this before and nothing came of it. So, let;s try again and add to this 'blog' ... Hmmm. I've been leaving notes in the Community letterbox but, sadly, apart from a couple of friends, I have heard nothing back from the Dylan Team who apparently run this operation ... who knows? Anyway, I quite like it around here ... I can feel mostly relaxed. All I want is more Bob Dylan - and why not. That's not too much to ask at bobdylan.com is it. Over at Hunger City I got the opportunity to download the entire setlist that was once upon a time up at bobdylan.com ... complete? Who knows. It is eight CDs worth. I already own a bunch of CDs which allegedly come from the 'vaults'. Eventually, I will get round to listening to them all and making a judgement. I've mentioned Hunger City - it is a good site and well run. You get an answer to your questions there. Another great site, possibly even greater than HC is dime ... to be accepted to join dime is an honour, really ... I've been there quite a while. It offers an unparalled selection of downloads ... for me? Well, Bob, of course, John Hiatt, even Randy Newman, Graham Parker, Lightnin' Hopkins. Now, Graham Parker. His new official album, Don't Tell Columbus (I did buy it!) is quite superb. A great comeback by a great artist who has been sadly overlooked in his homeland, but, happily, is having more success in the US of A. Well deserved. Bob's tour has now ended with a great show at Santa Barbara. Here's the set list and a review by someone, Iris Seifert, who was there to see it ...
THE SET LIST:

1. Cat's In The Well (Bob on keyboard)
2. The Times They Are A-Changin' (Bob on keyboard and harp)
3. The Levee's Gonna Break (Bob on keyboard)
4. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Bob on keyboard and harp)
5. Million Miles (Bob on keyboard)
6. Desolation Row (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on electric mandolin)
7. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on electric mandolin)
8. Honest With Me (Bob on keyboard)
9. I Believe In You (Bob on keyboard and harp)
10. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on banjo)
11. When The Deal Goes Down (Bob on keyboard)
12. Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on keyboard)
13. Ain't Talkin' (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on viola)
14. Thunder On The Mountain (Bob on keyboard)

(encore)

15. Like A Rolling Stone (Bob on keyboard)
16. Blowin' In The Wind (Bob on keyboard and harp, Donnie on violin)

THE REVIEW:

Iris Seifert writes: Driving to the airport the next morning, listening to Debussy’s Sacred and
Profane, it becomes evident that my inner world is battling the Lonesome
Day Blues. Realizing this, it occurs to me what the attraction to Mr.
Dylan’s music is: it is a mix of the sacred and the profane, an unusual
harmony, and this is what made this show last night, and the other nights,
so different.

Seeing the winner of a long race cross the finish line strong and making
you contemplate and reflect after this show in Santa Barbara.

All songs were really tight; the openers being the same as the night
before, yet, it seemed as though they set the audience on fire more in San
Diego. The bluesy ‘Million Miles’ came especially over well, and started
the reflective mode after “Don’t Think Twice” had sounded the whistle. The
follow-up with Desolation Row in a great rendering left no doubt. ‘It’s a
hard rain’ could not be a better song to keep going on that ladder, and
was remarkable mainly for the drawn out, softly intoned and resonating
“hard". And that harmonica kept singing that blues. The performance of
Honest with Me was even yet better than in San Diego in my opinion; near
every word clear and intended, underlined by a great solo by Mr. Kimball.
Only to set the scene for an unbelievable ‘I believe in you' - it makes
your heart stop. “It’s all right Ma” poured gasoline on the gleaming
timbers and here we go, only to return to a contemplative “When the deal
goes down”. Every time I hear this song I think it’s better than the last;
it’s just so dear. The obligatory Hwy 61 lit up the crowd; this version I
liked especially with the words being sung more and Mr. Freemans “siren”.
To put the dot on the I: Ain ’t talkin’ – definitely from the lyrical
point of view my favorite song performed today. Transforming that, the
Thunder was again rumbling on the mountain strong and clear, and when it
couldn’t be better, the encores topped it yet. This is the first time I
actually enjoyed Blowing in the Wind.

Whatever mission it was that i embarked on last October, this Odyssey
began with the closing shows in Chicago of last year’s tour, and ends
after excursions to Europe and New York tonight with the end of this tour.
Mr. Dylan and his band have come full circle and delivered a show with
every song played near perfectly; it seems that the songs are taking on a
more defined individuality – rhythmically, style-wise as well as lyrically
– thank you for singing. You can hear some of these songs performed in
dance halls with people knowing how to dance to them, men dressed like the
men on stage and women like women – wouldn’t it be lovely – and yet they
deliver such poignant lyrics that cut right to the core: how honest can i
really be with myself and others, and do i even consider their feelings?
What am i really doing, and for what purpose?

Thank you for reading these reviews, and after putting my foot into my
mouth with every one, just to see if I could, it really is lonesome
without the prospect of another show in the near future.