Expecting Rain

Here's a thoughtful review of Dylan's Berlin concert. Good to see someone express themselves so well.

"While it has become notorious in the media to hype virtually everything Dylan does these years – a dubious compliment, as he is often praised for the sake of being praised, not for what he actually does, on stage for instance –, a concert review in yesterday’s “Berliner Morgenpost” made an inspired remark. It compared Dylan to “the speaking dog” – a famous humorous TV cartoon by the German comedian Loriot. In that cartoon a big fluffy dog sits next to its master who makes it repeat words and complicated phrases. What the animal does, though, is simply bark one and the same hoarse vowel over and over. His master, pleased with these results, is perfectly oblivious to what the dog actually does. As for the
comparison with Dylan ... you get the picture. After not having seen any Dylan show in the last 2 ½ years (and not having heard any new live recordings either) it took the first two songs on Saturday for me to
realize that
a) Dylan truly cannot sing anymore
b) he indistincly barks his way out of the conscious raising of a)
c) he doesn’t seem to care a bit about the lyrics nor the songs’ melodic requirements anymore. "

It seems odd to me it took the person only two songs to realise these things. This person must be very sure of them self to be sure of these ideas in so little time. I always feel a little wary of someone who has so little self doubt..

Here is the "Morgenpost"-piece (in german) the reviewer is refering to:

http://www.morgenpost.de/kultur/article ... aetze.html

i´ve always loved the german word "schrat"/"waldschrat". is there any sufficient translation for this in any language?

I can assure this reviewer that Dylan vocals in 2011 contain both words (typically the correct ones) and different pitches. Any other questions?

+ 1

not a thoughtful review, a nonsense and totally wrong review.
You may think about the way he sings as you like it.
That he ist able to sing very well, can be proved by the doubting people when the listen to the slow songs (as Forgetful Heart f.ex.); I love this way of singing as I love the so called barking (most of the time). Never heard someone bark so expressive before!
I'd wish there were more such Howlin' Wolves alive!

I agree, I feel something similar to you, HopE.

Well, my guess would be that the reviewer sat through the entire concert...and nothing happened to change his mind. That said, at times on this tour...usually after too many shows in too few days...his barking, and overall singing, has been horrendous. BUT...there have been shows, where he has sung very competently, and even well, at times. To me, when Bob is at his best, average singing is enough...as there are other elements that can be attractive. I find on this tour...he has alternated between terrible...and very good.

I want to listen to more shows... only really heard the two I was at — and at one of those shows I drank too much wine on the train journey there, meaning the whole show is a bit of a blur — not a good move.

Yeah that's maybe what happened... nothing that happened after the first two songs changed his mind. Although it seems that sometimes if someone makes a decision about something then from that point onwards they hear the thing through clouded ears — they won't allow their decision to be changed. Is this not sometimes a natural human trait?

both, because I like the dogs and I love Howlin'

http://youtu.be/tyfgb9sDT1I

A good strong bark of a dog is a beautiful thing.

Comparing what is coming out of BD mouth these days to a dog bark...is an insult to dogs.

Great joke, where did you learn to make such wonderful jokes?
And so original, I'm full of admiration fo such a witty person, so sorry, I don't know you.

What do you think, Sir Dog???

What a weird thing to say. "The media" doesn't give a shit about Bob Dylan. Which is fine by me, but what world does this guy live in where CITH/TTL/TTS/The mono box/The Bootleg Series or even his concerts are "hyped"? Hell, the weird China story is the most attention he's gotten in ages. Does the review think that the stories collected here on the front page represent some 24/7 obsession in the mainstream?

The rest is just the same regurgitated insults one can find on ER each and every day. Not very "thoughtful" at all.

bored of this, now.

go see him, or don't

I went and saw Bob for the first time in concert in Manchester earlier last month. I must say, I was disappointed. It got me thinking about a lot of things Dylan.
I expect everyone on this forum will know about the infamous Manchester concert where he went electric. Obviously.
I didn't know the details but I educated myself and thought Manchester would be a fine place to listen to Dylan. It was only after the concert when I read a review of the concert on the CityLife website [http://www.citylife.co.uk/news_and_reviews/reviews/10019934_bob_dylan_and_mark_knopfler___m_e_n__arena] that a comment made by that reviewer (Neal Keeling) stuck me quite firmly:
"Forty-five years on, and Dylan is still capable of infuriating his flock – by delivering his songs how he wants."
Just like he did in '66 in the self-same city...
I guess what disappointed me was that I went in expecting to hear the studio-Dylan of old. Sadly, his renditions of Tangled Up in Blue and Simple Twist of Fate (from my very favourite album) were far removed from the originals. Perhaps Tangled Up was more true to the spirit of the original recording i.e. a tempo ballad(?), but it did lack some of the original jangling melody. He just couldn't spit the words out fast enough. I guess that's what disappointed me. But I made other mistakes like sitting high up in a side block looking onto his back as he played the keyboard, there were too many people moving around and so forth.
As I walked away about 3/4s of the way through it was to the strains of some great harmonica playing. It almost made me turn around, but like Dylan I had to follow the strength of my convictions.
I blogged about my collective experience of the Manchester visit here: http://leopassi.wordpress.com/2011/10/3 ... n-concert/
PS I remain a dedicated fan

hi there,
just want to say that i was there and loved it.
exactely this year listening to recordings of concerts i visitied i had sadly to realise one of the biggests errors of my live:
to be able to appreciate the concert you have to post yourself exactely in the right place, right in front the speakers.
this is what that concert in berlin gave us. the sound was absolutely clear, the band well conneted and the singer having a lot of fun. mark knopfler was phenomenal, too.
only remark is that god dammned wailing organ dylan plays, lonesome tones out off everything else happening..
except that, i loved it. waiting excitedly for the recording(s)...hopefully.
strophob.

For those, who understand the German language, I recommend this review of the Oberhausen-show.

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/p ... 03672.html

It's the best one, I read during the last weeks.

Quintessence: In Oberhausen (as in other venues) we had the chance to see a very vivid Bob jumping around, having a good time, and could listen to some really strong performances, wether some people left the arena or not. What a great luck, that Bob still deterres some people from embracing him. what a joy, that he is not everybody's darling, what a pleasure to see people shaking their heads about him. We heard it for years that he can't sing. We heard it for years, that he sounds as if he had tb. We heard in the 80s/90sthat someone with an alc.problem shouldn't enter the stage. In the 80s lots of people (me too a little bit) didn't like his conversion-albums.
In the 60s someone cried "Judas", in every decade lots of people turned away from Bob because of good or bad reasons; sometimes because of his lyrics, sometimes because of his behaviour, in the 60s because they didn't like the sound of the band, this fall because they don't like the sound of Bob's voice. And for me, that's wonderful. I'm pleased, that some people don't like him. And much better: Bod doesn't care and does what he wants to do. It#s a similar thing as in the sixties.
I hope for lots of shows, when he is 71, 72, 73 ...80. I hope, he will manage to come over to Europe then. I hope, I will stay alive to see him in 2020 standing firm behind his microphone or sitting alive and proud in a rocking chair on stage. Still barking or whispering, and still asking himself and us "How does it feel?"!
That's the Bob-phenomen, that such a vision isn#t absurd, that you can imagine this might become true.

So basicly he's saying it's shit, but it's okay because it's Bob Dylan. And that he likes when other people think it's shit, because they just don't get it. Okay, I can dig that.

It doesn't say it's shit, does it? What's shit? The person said they think some people don't like Bob's voice now.

Are you sure that you read the above passage, Tim Finnegan?

It's not shit, it's great. And if another person had the same power and charisma, I would be thankful and would be enthusiastic too. And I love it, when someone doesn't care what other people say but does his own thing (especially when there are lots of people left who are thankful for this), when someone is sure about the things he does.
It's you, who does not want to accept, that the Caruso-like voice isn't the standard, by which a rock-, blues-, pop-voice can be reviewed.
When I accept your view, I would have to say, voices like the ones of Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Bonnie Prince Billy or even Bob's voice of the 80s and 90s are not shit-voices.
And that's absolutely nonsense, because the standard you try to use, is - in my opinion - the wrong one.
Bob touches me with the voice he has and with the one, he had years ago.
And I'm not sure, which one is the best (for me).
But of course, it's your right to judge about his voice as you want to. But I think it's a strange thing to call Bob's vocal performances shit.
Don't try to convince the people who have think something else. Don't believe that your look at the actual performances is the only right one - and that those who love the 2011-Bob, are dumb and deaf Bob-fans, unable to see what's the truth, blinded by their fan-dom.

Because there is a mistake in the text, this is the corrected version:

It's not shit, it's great. And if another person had the same power and charisma, I would be thankful and would be enthusiastic too. And I love it, when someone doesn't care what other people say but does his own thing (especially when there are lots of people left who are thankful for this), when someone is sure about the things he does.
It's you, who does not want to accept, that the Caruso-like voice isn't the standard, by which a rock-, blues-, pop-voice can be reviewed.
When I accept your view, I would have to say, voices like the ones of Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Bonnie Prince Billy or even Bob's voice of the 80s and 90s are shit-voices.
And that's absolutely nonsense, because the standard you try to use, is - in my opinion - the wrong one.
Bob touches me with the voice he has and with the one, he had years ago.
And I'm not sure, which one is the best (for me).
But of course, it's your right to judge about his voice as you want to. But I think it's a strange thing to call Bob's vocal performances shit.
Don't try to convince those people who think something else. Don't believe that your look at the actual performances is the only right one - and that those, who love the 2011-Bob-voice, are dumb and deaf Bob-fans, unable to see what's the truth, blinded by their fan-dom.
I know I can't persuade you and I don't want it. But I don't want to accept either, that some people try to decide for all others what is wrong or what is right, what's good, what's bad.
That's the Pope's job, not yours!