charlene
11-08-2006, 07:00 AM
makes me thankful that Lightfoot is so 'audience' friendly...
Dylan tangled up in blues groove
Nov. 8, 2006. 06:37 AM
VIT WAGNER
POP MUSIC CRITIC
The songs of Bob Dylan are as instantly recognizable as those of any popular musical artist of the past half-century.
And yet, if anyone ever did a Dylan study — and given the obsessive nature of the iconic songwriter's fan base, it's quite likely someone has — they would find that the moment of applause that signals audience recognition of a tune being played at one of his concerts has become increasingly delayed in recent years.
At one time, this was because Dylan threw in a little feint at the beginning, appearing to launch into one song when he was actually preparing to embark on another. Now, it is because the arrangements are sometimes so divorced from their original context that the effect is genuinely befuddling.
In principle, this is not necessarily a bad thing. But when a song like "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" starts to sound like just another indistinguishable blues number — as happened during Dylan's packed show at the Air Canada Centre last night — a certain unwelcome sameness starts to set in.
Dylan's current album, Modern Times, includes his take on the Muddy Waters' standard "Rollin' and Tumblin'." By the time Dylan and his five accompanists got around to playing that song, nine tunes in, it felt like another variation on the same bluesy theme applied to "Positively 4th Street," "Highway 61" and other classics.
Last night's show wasn't a shoddy effort, but it was probably the least engaging of the seven that the 65-year-old performer has delivered in Toronto this decade. This might partly have had to do with an unfortunate echoing effect in the arena, which was even more evident during the opening set by Foo Fighters — if only because the acoustic delivery by Dave Grohl's band permitted more breathing room between the notes.
A lighter touch, introduced by Dylan towards the end of the program, elevated "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and "Tangled Up in Blue," both of which were genuine standouts. But even customary closer "Summer Days" lacked the sprightly verve of former outings.
Typically, Dylan was mute between songs, not even bothering to so much as nod in the audience's direction or express gratitude for the applause. The contrast to opener Grohl's gregarious engagement with the crowd couldn't have been starker.
After the conclusion of each song in Dylan's set, the stage went dark for a period of time, before the lights came back up and the band launched into another number.
Because "Summer Days" ended in the same manner as the rest, the audience didn't immediately realize that the set was over. It was only when it became apparent that Dylan and company had departed down a side staircase that the demand for an encore began.
Somehow, the disorientation seemed strangely fitting.
Wed, November 8, 2006
Dylan ain't a changin'
By BILL HARRIS
Distant but dignified. Dignified but distant. But in decidedly good voice.
This may invite the wrath of multitudes, but Bob Dylan is not the most compelling live act, visually speaking.
That is in no way meant to question the 65-year-old Dylan's status as a legend or his continued above-average output in the recording studio. He's Bob Dylan, for goodness sake, the voice of a generation whether he wants to be or not.
The vast majority of the sold-out crowd at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto last night assuredly went home happy because they got to see and hear Bob Dylan in person. But the hearing bit was by far the best part.
In 2006, perhaps you go to a Dylan concert mainly to be able to say that you saw him. His live show -- evaluated strictly as a show -- is achingly plain.
Still, only Paul McCartney can match Dylan these days for the sense of history that is in evidence when he walks on stage. And from the first few phrases of opener Maggie's Farm last night, Dylan's raspy voice was notably rich and deep, combining with his stellar and tastefully reserved band to fill the vast venue with surprising depth.
Dressed in black cowboy attire, Dylan didn't move much or speak until he introduced his band prior to the final song, All Along The Watchtower. And if you were sitting on the south side of the arena, you rarely saw Dylan's face because he spent all night standing at a keyboard facing north.
Simplistic charm aside, it would have been nice had a big video screen been set up. It's common practice at major rock shows in the 21st century, and as Dylan should know as well as anyone, the times do change.
But as Dylan played chestnuts like She Belongs To Me and Tangled Up In Blue, as well as songs from his new CD Modern Times, you could close your eyes and still feel as if you were getting your money's worth. That's rare.
And at the end of it all, there even was a visual memory to take home, too.
After the lights went down and the applause was just dying down, the lights came back on and Dylan was standing there, swaying slightly, as his band stood stoically behind him. No waving, no mugging, just taking in the ovation.
Pretty cool stuff. Distant but dignified, you might say.
There aren't many performers famous enough to attract Foo Fighters as an opening act, but Dylan is one of them.
Foo frontman Dave Grohl engineered a truncated version of the acoustic concert his band played at the Hummingbird Centre mere months ago.
Grohl last night got a standing ovation for his solo run at Best Of You, but he admitted he initially had left the song off the ACC setlist.
"I didn't know if I wanted to scream at people for four minutes, it might freak them out," Grohl said. "But then a friend of mine said, 'Dude, they're Dylan fans, come on.' "
Dylan tangled up in blues groove
Nov. 8, 2006. 06:37 AM
VIT WAGNER
POP MUSIC CRITIC
The songs of Bob Dylan are as instantly recognizable as those of any popular musical artist of the past half-century.
And yet, if anyone ever did a Dylan study — and given the obsessive nature of the iconic songwriter's fan base, it's quite likely someone has — they would find that the moment of applause that signals audience recognition of a tune being played at one of his concerts has become increasingly delayed in recent years.
At one time, this was because Dylan threw in a little feint at the beginning, appearing to launch into one song when he was actually preparing to embark on another. Now, it is because the arrangements are sometimes so divorced from their original context that the effect is genuinely befuddling.
In principle, this is not necessarily a bad thing. But when a song like "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" starts to sound like just another indistinguishable blues number — as happened during Dylan's packed show at the Air Canada Centre last night — a certain unwelcome sameness starts to set in.
Dylan's current album, Modern Times, includes his take on the Muddy Waters' standard "Rollin' and Tumblin'." By the time Dylan and his five accompanists got around to playing that song, nine tunes in, it felt like another variation on the same bluesy theme applied to "Positively 4th Street," "Highway 61" and other classics.
Last night's show wasn't a shoddy effort, but it was probably the least engaging of the seven that the 65-year-old performer has delivered in Toronto this decade. This might partly have had to do with an unfortunate echoing effect in the arena, which was even more evident during the opening set by Foo Fighters — if only because the acoustic delivery by Dave Grohl's band permitted more breathing room between the notes.
A lighter touch, introduced by Dylan towards the end of the program, elevated "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and "Tangled Up in Blue," both of which were genuine standouts. But even customary closer "Summer Days" lacked the sprightly verve of former outings.
Typically, Dylan was mute between songs, not even bothering to so much as nod in the audience's direction or express gratitude for the applause. The contrast to opener Grohl's gregarious engagement with the crowd couldn't have been starker.
After the conclusion of each song in Dylan's set, the stage went dark for a period of time, before the lights came back up and the band launched into another number.
Because "Summer Days" ended in the same manner as the rest, the audience didn't immediately realize that the set was over. It was only when it became apparent that Dylan and company had departed down a side staircase that the demand for an encore began.
Somehow, the disorientation seemed strangely fitting.
Wed, November 8, 2006
Dylan ain't a changin'
By BILL HARRIS
Distant but dignified. Dignified but distant. But in decidedly good voice.
This may invite the wrath of multitudes, but Bob Dylan is not the most compelling live act, visually speaking.
That is in no way meant to question the 65-year-old Dylan's status as a legend or his continued above-average output in the recording studio. He's Bob Dylan, for goodness sake, the voice of a generation whether he wants to be or not.
The vast majority of the sold-out crowd at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto last night assuredly went home happy because they got to see and hear Bob Dylan in person. But the hearing bit was by far the best part.
In 2006, perhaps you go to a Dylan concert mainly to be able to say that you saw him. His live show -- evaluated strictly as a show -- is achingly plain.
Still, only Paul McCartney can match Dylan these days for the sense of history that is in evidence when he walks on stage. And from the first few phrases of opener Maggie's Farm last night, Dylan's raspy voice was notably rich and deep, combining with his stellar and tastefully reserved band to fill the vast venue with surprising depth.
Dressed in black cowboy attire, Dylan didn't move much or speak until he introduced his band prior to the final song, All Along The Watchtower. And if you were sitting on the south side of the arena, you rarely saw Dylan's face because he spent all night standing at a keyboard facing north.
Simplistic charm aside, it would have been nice had a big video screen been set up. It's common practice at major rock shows in the 21st century, and as Dylan should know as well as anyone, the times do change.
But as Dylan played chestnuts like She Belongs To Me and Tangled Up In Blue, as well as songs from his new CD Modern Times, you could close your eyes and still feel as if you were getting your money's worth. That's rare.
And at the end of it all, there even was a visual memory to take home, too.
After the lights went down and the applause was just dying down, the lights came back on and Dylan was standing there, swaying slightly, as his band stood stoically behind him. No waving, no mugging, just taking in the ovation.
Pretty cool stuff. Distant but dignified, you might say.
There aren't many performers famous enough to attract Foo Fighters as an opening act, but Dylan is one of them.
Foo frontman Dave Grohl engineered a truncated version of the acoustic concert his band played at the Hummingbird Centre mere months ago.
Grohl last night got a standing ovation for his solo run at Best Of You, but he admitted he initially had left the song off the ACC setlist.
"I didn't know if I wanted to scream at people for four minutes, it might freak them out," Grohl said. "But then a friend of mine said, 'Dude, they're Dylan fans, come on.' "