Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Nov 02 - 11:29 AM

Concert review: Musical maverick, revisited, in Bob Dylan return
Jon Bream
Star Tribune

Published Oct. 31, 2002 DYL31

On Tuesday night, Minnesotans celebrated the legacy of a maverick Minnesotan with a loud, emotional evening in a basketball arena in Minneapolis. On Wednesday night, a Minnesota maverick celebrated his legacy with a loud, passionate evening in a hockey arena in St. Paul.

Paul Wellstone and Bob Dylan -- two curly-haired guys who always marched to the beat of their own drums, steadfast in their styles and convictions, howling winds who became the consciences of our nation.

Like the various constituencies reacting to the memorial service-cum-rally for the late senator, the 9,137 people attending Dylan's homecoming concert at the Xcel Energy Center might have been divided in their assessments. He sparkled on covers of Neil Young's "Old Man," the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar," Don Henley's "End of the Innocence" and Warren Zevon's "Mutineer." But, as one baby boomer put it afterward: "I wish he covered his own stuff as well."

He was often casual on his tunes, not always finding a groove with his band. Still, there were vocal passion, guitar fireworks and positive vibes to make this a memorable evening.

Besides the covers of some unexpected songs, what set this two-hour concert apart from previous local Dylan gigs was that he didn't play the harmonica (his most crowd-pleasing instrument) and that he played electric piano extensively for the first time on the road. Not that anyone is going to confuse him with Bruce Hornsby. But Dylan has probably advanced a bit on the keyboard since 1959, when he was passing himself off as a pianist named Elston Gunn and he played two tentative shows backing Bobby Vee.

On Wednesday, Dylan stood there and vamped chords, never taking a piano solo. Nonetheless, this new wrinkle was as refreshing as his interpretations of other stars' songs. "Old Man" brought Dylan's most forceful singing, and the harmonies on the chorus were positively CSNY-like, though Dylan took the part of the gravelly voiced Stephen Stills and guitarist Charlie Sexton sang Young's high part. The lustful "Brown Sugar" invigorated the crowd, especially every time Dylan sang "feels so good," with "good" sounding sinister the first time, scrumptious the second time and, finally, sinfully delightful.

Of his own material, what sounded best were the songs from last year's "Love and Theft" CD, even though Dylan has a new drummer, George Receli, to whom he often had to give cues on Wednesday. "High Water" was an organic swamp blues, "Bye and Bye" was jaunty musically with an intense vocal, and the jump, jive and swing "Summer Days" was about as jazzy as Dylan ever gets.

He also played a few somewhat obscure oldies ("In the Summertime," "Love Minus Zero") and some strong staples -- an insistent, twangy "Watching the River Flow," a haunting for Halloween, John Lee Hooker-like treatment of "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Girl of the Only Bleeding)," the pretty "Girl of the North Country" (during which he got lost in his acoustic guitar playing) and the always electrifying "All Along the Watchtower."

The 61-year-old Duluth-born, Hibbing-bred troubadour offered a stirring version of "Forever Young," a tune that also was played at Wellstone's memorial service. Five songs after Dylan declared "The Times, They Are A-Changin'," with a quavering urgency, he mentioned that that song was "for my man, who reached the end of the road up there in Eveleth." Yep, Dylan knows something about being up in the North Country and about being a maverick Minnesotan.

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Nov 02 - 11:26 AM

Next couple of posts will be cut and pastes of local press reviews:

MUSIC REVIEW: Band gives Dylan much-needed boost
BY ROB HUBBARD
St. Paul Pioneer Press

On the night after Minnesota said goodbye to Sen. Paul Wellstone, an icon of idealism shaped by the cultural battles of the 1960s, it said hello again to a man who helped define the dialogue of that era, Bob Dylan.

The protest singer who founded folk-rock and inspired more than one generation with his lyrical brilliance performed before 9,137 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul Wednesday night, spearheading an evening of wide-ranging emotional and musical dynamics.

While the Hibbing, Minn., native has sometimes not given his rich repertoire the respect it deserved in past local concerts, Wednesday's affair was among the most musically interesting of his Twin Cities shows. That's because he's brought a band out on the road with him that may be the best since he and the Band parted ways.

Many of the musicians who accompanied Dylan on "Love and Theft," his latest album (and most acclaimed in decades), are present on his current tour. Guitarists Charlie Sexton and Larry Campbell, drummer George Receli and longtime bassist Tony Garnier proved a splendidly simpatico unit, providing electric fireworks on robust rockers like "Cold Irons Bound" and lovely accompaniment on such sweet acoustic ballads as "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" and "Girl From the North Country."

Clad in matching gray suits that might have once adorned Buddy Holly and the Crickets, the group made Dylan look like a virtual fashion plate in his red-trimmed black suit. They surrounded their leader as he bounced about on one leg while pounding his electric piano.

That's right: piano. For the first time in at least a couple of decades of Twin Cities appearances, Dylan spent much of the evening eschewing his trademark Stratocaster and acoustic guitars in favor of tickling the ivories. He spent more than half of the 20-song set at the keys, croaking into an attached microphone.

And, unfortunately, it was croaking. Dylan was in far from impeccable voice. While some would argue that he's never been an exceptional singer, the bard of Minnesota's Iron Range sounded as if he were battling a cold, with any sustained note crackling and wavering.

But what it lacked in vocal beauty, the evening made up for in impressive instrumental work. Fresh interpretations of such '60s staples as "Tombstone Blues" and "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" as hypnotic swamp rockers were leavened with soft and sweet takes on "Bye and Bye" and "Forever Young" (which accompanied a film at the Wellstone memorial the previous night).

Speaking of Wellstone, Dylan did so in his only spoken words all evening. He introduced the vitriolic rocker, "High Water," by saying, "This is dedicated to my man, who reached the end of the road up in Eveleth."

When the band launched into an extended jam on "Summer Days" near evening's end, then offered the contrasting moods of two '60s songs, "Blowin' in the Wind" and "All Along the Watchtower," the faithful likely were left feeling that Dylan's had better nights, but now at least he has a band that can mask his vocal shortcomings.

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Nov 02 - 11:23 AM

Is it somehow telling that many Minnesota folk music fans aren't big Dylan fans?

He apparently did dedicate another song to the late Senator Wellstone, but I can't remember which one. I'll see if I can find the information in the local press and post it here.

His song "Forever Young" was used in the Wellstone memorial, as the sound for a video montage of the Wellstones shown on the big screens as part of the service. It was an excellent choice of Dylan songs. Very moving.

The only person I know who went to the concert was Wellstone's opponent, Norm Coleman. He hadn't decided at the time of the interview if he would be campaigning at the concert or not. He said it didn't matter to him if Dylan didn't support his candidacy, he is just a big fan of Dylan's music.

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: Big Tim
Date: 02 Nov 02 - 02:45 AM

Of course it doesn't rank with his best, including IMO, Time Out of Mind, but I'm finally, having stuck with LH's advice, getting much real pleasure from it. For me the voice itself is almost as important as the lyrics. It also never ceases to amaze how Dylan can just churn out the melodies without any apparent effort, hundred and hundreds of them. The man is a true genius, IMO!

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: Hrothgar
Date: 02 Nov 02 - 12:32 AM

Mercury mouth???

Does that mean poisonous heavy metal?

:-))

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 05:47 PM

Ha! Good quote, Peter. The lyrics Dylan came up with in '65-66 will probably remain as the most extraordinary and brilliant lyrical popular song expressions of all time. Of course, those were the "missionary times", and it was very different from now. And his was the mercury mouth.

- LH

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: Peter T.
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 04:49 PM

I remain unregenerate, it's a statue made of matchsticks.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: Big Tim
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 04:13 PM

I can only speak for myself.

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 04:07 PM

Hmmmm. Well, I will have to give it a couple of "spins" and see. I bet you can't convince Peter T., though.

- LH

Subject: RE: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: Big Tim
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 03:23 PM

I wasn't there me but I'd like to hear about it, in the great man's home State.                                                      

LH, if you're still out there: I now LOVE "Love and Theft".

Subject: Review: Dylan in Minnesota last night
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 07:09 PM

anyone there, at the concert,that is?