Is It Still Worth It To See Bob Dylan Live?

I simply reject the idea he was subpar suddenly for an entire eight year period in his touring career. That is simply not true. Read the Dylan concert blog page, BobLinks, if there is any doubt.

 

It's been done:

 

reject away, but I didn't start or state that idea - so please don't position it as if we having an argument.
go pick on the guy who said he fell asleep at a show!

signed,
doubtless

 

I'm 1 for 3 - or 1.5 for 3. 1986 show was okay, I liked the 1988 show, didn't enjoy the 2004 show.

Had no interest in seeing Dylan again after that bad 2004 show, but I almost went in 2010. My then-girlfriend was - and is - a HUGE super-fan, and I was going to go to make her happy.

Earlier in that day, someone stole her purse - and the tickets along with it. She got them from Craigs List, so we couldn't replace them. I wasn't happy to be out the $50 or whatever, and I was sorry she got her purse stolen - though it was largely her fault.

I wasn't sad to skip Dylan, though - I KNOW a fight would've ensued when I didn't think the show was the Bestest Thing Ever!

 

Comments posted on a page made by/for super-fans proves that he wasn't "subpar"?

 

it's true the band is good, but -- they're kept on an increasingly tight leash. Much of the show in recent years is conducted at a hushed volume, I assume to accommodate Dylan's voice. If "All Along the Watchtower" isn't in the set list, you won't hear them crank up at all.

 

Dylan wrote some great songs and do have a fondness for early Dylan...when his voice just went plain weird it was hard to listen to him, but I always enjoyed his melodies...his voice suited his songs as well as his guitar accompaniment.

 

I'll get the home video with a running soundtrack while he sleeps.

 

probably just his age...it takes a toll...

 

Absolutely. You won't regret it. Legend.

 

anyone can post on BobLinks. You don't have to be member of some kind of secret Dylan club or something. Even the people who don't understand Dylan can post there.

 

I saw him several years ago. The Raconteurs were the opening act (a bizarre combination) and my son wanted to see them so I took him and a few friends,

In short, Dylan was terrible. His voice was totally shot. He sounded like an ill bullfrog. He also stood virtually motionless at a keyboard and had zero rapport with the audience. He seemed to be just collecting a pay check.
On the other hand, it was fun for me and the guy next to me to play "Who can name this song?" as songs were often sung or played in bizarre ways.
And in terms of playing, his band was excellent. A highlight was when they played "All Along The Watchtower". They did the Hendrix version and it was great.
So overall I cannot give a positive recommendation to seeing Dylan live.

As a side comment, the Raconteurs were very good. Much better than Dylan!

 

They can, but how many non-fans are going to do so? A place called "BobLinks" is going to appeal to big fans, not some casual fan - and the casual fans seem even less likely to dig into the highs and lows of individual concerts. To most people, "concert analysis" = "that was fun" and nothing more - they're not going onto artist websites to delve into the details...

 

I think people that state " Oh my god, he was horrid. His voice sounded like crap..etc etc" must not know much of Dylans last ten years worth of music or they wouldnt be disappointed. He has sang like this for quite some time.

 

man, i'm still grieving for the poor girl who got her purse stolen...on the day of a Dylan show of all days.
and why don't girls use pockets anyhow? I hate purses as a concept. nearly as much as heals.
i'm going to light a candle for her and play a concert in her honor tonight.
i no longer bring loved ones to shows, it's too distracting - might lose my wallet or something -
in fact, last Dylan run, i DID lose a phone in a taxi! and that was the last show the mrs. attended.

most people quite simply don't understand Dylan.
it's challenging enough to get quality, discriminating feedback from people who are actually paying attention to the guy on his own fansites. no shortage of vocal and opinionated experts though!

then you move into wider music circles and you get the 'man, he's been sucking since the eighties, how 'bout liveAid, man?'
then you move into the wider world and not a page refresher goes by or a nanosecond without hearing comments about frogs or cookie monsters. as if that's somehow descriptive of what he's doing. it's not. it's an attempt at a comical insult, and it aims nothing towards describing an experience. so yes, keep turning over whatever stones you need to in order to find Truth.

but the people who only critique a concert with 'that was fun!' or not, are most likely not going to enjoy themselves or encounter any of the enjoyable things at a Dylan concert - so why try to account for their barometers anyhow?

 

Saw him once in '06. Had a good time and it's nice to be able to say I saw him, but I won't be seeing him again. More of a "crossing a name off the list" thing than anything else.

I was pretty excited when they played The Man In Me though.

 

I saw him 3 times near the end of last year............best I've seen him in a long time (since 2002). As stated earlier in the thread, be prepared to hear most of his recent material in comparison to the older stuff. If you're fine with his singing on Tempest, you'll be fine with him live.

So..................yes, go see him.

 

If you haven't seen him before.....GO. Keep a few things in mind - his voice is shot and don't expect to hear anything remotely sounding like the recordings. At least now he is more lucid and you can understand him! I've seen Bob 3 times, most recently a few years ago when he had Leon Russell with him and Bob opened his set up with Rainy Day Women. The first two times, no matter if I was in the back of the building or in the 3rd row...ZIP. Most of the songs were unrecognizable until the first half was done.

 

I saw him in 1999 with Paul Simon. It was one of the first big shows I ever went too. I was 15 and a huge Paul Simon fan (still am) but had only been listening to Dylan for maybe a year and hadn't listened to much past Desire. Paul played first and was outstanding, Dylan, not so much. I've looked at the setlist since the show and thought "Man, that would have been a great show if I knew what song he was playing..."

Saw him again in 2012, and really enjoyed. He was having a great night, and I was glad to have seen it. My girlfriend a friend and I will be seeing him in Baltimore in April, then in Richmond the next night, and I couldn't be more excited. My girlfriend however is not a huge Dylan fan, but has embraced his sing singing up to the "Time Out of Mind" era. I've warned her that she may not enjoy it, and to keep her expectations low.

 

^ as long as her commentary is kept brief, you should make it through okay!

 

Well, luckily she'll only be at the Baltimore show, and for Richmond my friend and I somehow scored 4th row center seats. That will be hard to ruin!

 

sounds solid. she will also probably enjoy seeing you in the gaze of Your Precious.
I almost steered towards Richmond, i have a sister there. but it was too complicated,
so i'm thinking about Memphis. gotta get tix tomorrow.

 

Is it worth it to get out of bed in the morning?

 

Remember when concerts were affordable and the decision to go wasn't much more involved than deciding to see a movie?

 

As much as I hate to say it: he sounds more like Captain Beefheart now.