Expecting Rain

So the drums are no longer the main instrument...Stu's acoustic is. George is playing with brushes a great deal and the overall band dynamic seems to be keyed down somewhat. Even Bob's vocals are noticeably more hushed. Does this change represent a conscious effort to accommodate Bob's deteriorating voice?

I think it might represent a subconscious effort to accommodate more bitching about deterioration and change.

When have the drums ever been the main instrument???

I think that is a reasonable explanation. It may also have the added benefit of preserving those often overused pipes.

They had been for years.

I agree, and I also think it has to do with the voice, both preserving it and making the most of what's left of it. There may be other reasons for moving into more subtle vocal territory, and of course there's a different guitar player now, one with a pretty serious pedigree, and the sound may be evolving party to make use of the band's current strengths. The voice must be on his mind, though, to at least some degree.

LOL i dont know what youve been listening but the drums are more upfront now than ever.
the bass has been turned way low, thank you bob about time, and stu mostly strums along on every song. like i would strum on top of old smokey back in the fourth grade,

bob vocals have been 'deteriotating' sp LOL for many many years yet remain as powerful as ever. dogs bark and wolves growl LOL bob is neither he is a human being who sings. in fact he sings better than just about anyone ive heard sing, including but not excluding the Three Tenors, whoever they may be. Capice>entedez vous? LOL
no growl no bark just singing.

If you want a really good example, give a listen to Summer Days from the Akron show (4/19). I have 30 versions of this song in my collection, plus I've heard it live probably close to 10 times. It has never sounded like this. The acoustic is definitely front and center. Bob's vocals are quieter and, dare I say it, gentler than ever, while still being expressive and fun. The use of brushes on the drums changes the texture of the song immensely. I like it a lot, mostly because it fits what Bob can do vocally now and what the new lead guitarist brings to the band. There's still a build up in dynamics in the long solo section (nothing compared to the Larry/Charlie days of course), but the song now has a jazzy central feel that is unique to this tour, at least to my ears.

It's a great sound, no doubt.
As for Summer Days, I wouldn't argue with him if he put it up on the shelf with Leopard, Tweedle and LARS. Enough's a enough.

Well, the band dynamic/sound has changed quite noticeably. Many have recognized this. The drums aren't nearly so prominent as they used to be. George is playing half of the show with brushes (or at least he did in Buffalo). Several songs have been rearranged around Stu. I mean, it's not just coincidence that lots of people hear this.

As I said, even Bob's vocals have been brought down a notch. There's still plenty of barking and growling, but his delivery in general is understated. He's definitely not pushing it as hard as he was.

Overall the biggest quantum jump in band dynamic since...I dunno, 2005? Maybe earlier?

Also, I agree that this change is a good one. It almost gives the impression that for the first time in ages Bob sought the advice of some outside party. That he turned over complete authority to someone who knew what they were doing, with the one provision being that the personnel stay pretty much unchanged. That person then did an "Oh, I see what you're trying to do there", fiddled with the knobs a little, and suddenly the homogenous slurry Bob's band has been churning out for a decade now has come into focus like a pair of binoculars that someone has, after 10 years, finally figured out how to adjust.

Or it could have been as simple as Bob approaching Tony and saying, "We need to tone things down a little."

I dunno. All I can say for sure is that it's a huge shift. I have a feeling that this is as close as we're ever going to come to the reverting to a stripped down acoustic format that we always fantasize about.

LOL a few songs have been rearranged around Stu LOLLL. let me join up the band and have them arrange some songs around me LOL i can out strum stu any day, in the peoples key of E LOL

the reason you can hear the brushes is because the drums have been left up front while everybody else has been brought down. its all drums piano and mostly bob vocals.

this has been an ongoing process but it finally hit tony

LOL goombay LOL what LOL is LOL your LOL age LOL ? LOL

I'm not sure it's about any instrument being the prominent instrument in the band these days. If anything, it is about Dylan's voice. Stu's acoustic guitar is definitely more prominent in the mix than it has been in recent years. And George is playing with brushes on more songs. Yet overall, the mix and dynamic of the band is quieter in general, allowing Dylan to sing without having to compete with the drums or with, for instance, a loud electric rhythm guitar.

I've seen Leonard Cohen a few times on his past two tours and the band behind him is super "quiet." They are excellent, don't get me wrong. But the drummer plays with brushes and the relatively low volume of the band compared to other stage acts allows Cohen's deep baritone to really shine through. Cohen sings with a range of dynamics without having to strain to come through the mix of the band.

I think this is the basic idea with Dylan's new shows and it is an excellent one. It allows his vocal performances to be much more subtle and to show a great range of expressive vocal dynamics from the tender hushed tones to the emphatic bark.

well if no one will, i will then say THANK YOU LONG PONY TAIL MAN since i almost got handcuffed just looking at his sweet rig in Newark. after the show, as we walked out, i prodded the local folks behind me who were gushing how great the sound was in that echo-box arena, to compliment him - they chimed up, and he graciously said thanks.

when i saw no buddha, i knew something was up. good luck lion man!

LOLLLLLL old enough to know that nobody, least of all bob, is gonna have anything arranged around Stu.

hahahahahaha

LOL that type of post appeals to little kids

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

LOL children, you can play for about 30 more min but when you hear that R Thompson Trio music, you ll know its bed time LOL

Hee-larious! Thanks for keeping me smiling Goom.

Guess so, I certainly LOLLLLL'd.

dont forget to eat your wheaties, so you can grow up to be like marcus tullius cicero. LOLLLL

LOL I certainly will LOL

LLOOOOLLLLL... well seems you already have LOLL

i figure the way things are going, everybody here will not only be following me around but posting like me using all my rhetorical devices and grammatical oratory. this is a very bizarre turn of events LOLL