Expecting Rain

So the tour is almost done.

So what do you think - could Knopfler add anything to Bobs next album?

Personally I think he has added a fresh flavors to th song has complemented Bob very well for the most part when performing togehter. Eventhough he's not getting much room, he still has managed to add elegant playing to songs like Baby Blue and TUIB....

And he shines on THC and Blind Willie. They are clearly comfortable together and seem to be enjoying the segments they play together. I'd like to see it happen.

I've seen them play together at 11 shows so far, and Bob has done his best to just ignore MK each time. If that's the way that he shows enjoyment.... then he might well hire him to play on some record. Otherwise, no way. The band enjoyed playing with MK tremendously, while Bob did his best to play some of the boldest guitar notes he could come up with.... all over Mark.

.......and all of them out of tune!

Big x ditches in the middle of the road
You pay a hundred dollars just for fillin’ in the hole
Listen to the general every goddamn word
How many ways can you polish up a turd

- Tom Waits, 'Hell Broke Luce'

I think its doubtful but it would be welcomed by me... however, that is a road he's already walked and if the NET has shown anything, its that Bob prefers the Untrodden Path.

I would love them to make another album together, especially if it was as good as the previous two!

In my opinion , Bob's best period as a recording artist is 1993-2011 ( or maybe 1963-1976 , i'm not sure ). So i wouldn't have him change a thing . I really like his current band the way it is. But that's just me i guess...

That's just his style and his challenge, making perfection go off the rails.

A clip from a post on Guy's forum:


To see him solo between Sexton and Knopfler was embarrassing. There's a comedy aspect here, sure, but you can't expect a stadium full of people to pay for that.

Knopfler's a strong presence on record; I've heard duets with John Fogerty and Van Morrison where he pretty much overpowered them.

Well Guy, people do pay for it. There are people who know what to expect from seeing Bob Dylan these days. He's never held a claim to being a guitar hero, but at least he's not b.o.r.i.n.g.... there's a joyousness in doing as one pleases instead of trying to please. He's been right to do it all those years ago, and he's right doing it now. You wanna boo, boo.... time will tell just who has fell and who's been left behind.

Well, Johanna, Mark has always been one to do as he pleases, just as he did on this particular tour. He could have played the "hits" to please the audience, but he chose not to on this occasion - quite the opposite, in fact, to what was predicted on this very forum before the tour began, as I recall!

@ Johanna:

Well its Bob who invited Knopfler to join the tour. And it seems to be good business for both parties.

Which European artist would you like to see Bob share the bill with on gigs instead of Knopfler if he absolutely would have to?

Just curious

Here is the full post: I actually think the guy has some good points...

I've been to both the Geneva and Zurich shows, and before I start complaining, let me say that enjoyed them tremendously. Both Mark and Bob seemed inspired, and the two bands were as good as ever, if not better. While the Geneva crowd seemed to be just as much into Dylan as they were into Knopfler, Zurich had much more of a "split" audience. This seems to have been the case for several shows on this tour, and it made me sad to witness it myself yesterday. A lot of people (Dylan fans) obviously didn't enjoy Mark's set or parts of it, and even more people (Knopfler fans and estranged Dylan fans) simply walked out once Mark had played his four songs with Bob. I hated to see this and thought it showed a lack of respect for two of the greatest songwriters ever and two fabulous bands. But when I talked to some disappointed people during the break and after the concert, I had to admit - reluctantly - that they did have a point. Two points, actually. Here's what they said, pretty much in accord: 1. Dylan is becoming a parody (maybe consciously, who knows, but still). If he wants to continue touring, he should see a very good doctor and hope that his voice can be somehow saved. Otherwise, he's going too lose it completely. His raspy howl of late used to be unique and fascinating when it still functioned, but now he's losing even that. The same is true for his guitar playing. He should either stop or start practicing it again. To see him solo between Sexton and Knopfler was embarrassing. There's a comedy aspect here, sure, but you can't expect a stadium full of people to pay for that. 2. Knopfler should finally kiss the 80ies goodbye. That doesn't mean he shouldn't play any songs from that era, but he'd have to rearrange them to make them fit in a folksy, bluesy, non-pop set. That worked really well for Brothers in Arms (wonderful Hammond sound), but the synths in So Far Away, Speedway at Nazareth and in the intro to Donegan's gone are just plain ridiculous. Sorry. The latter was mentioned by several people in Geneva: Slide guitar and soapy synths - it just ain't working. The contrast between the two bands helped to accentuate these weaknesses, and, sadly, to divide the fans. There are of course thousands of them - like me - who agree that you'll hardly find two better bands on the planet. And of course they don't have to sound the same. But even the very open fans I've talked to all seemed to agree on the two points above. Why no one seems to care about them within the bands (or maybe some people do, but are afraid of mentioning it), remains a mystery. I don't know what could or could not be done about Bob's voice, but as for the rest of it - it all seems so obvious and unnecessary. I'm posting this on your forum, Guy, because you could play a major role here as far as Mark's sound is concerned. If you consider this relevant at all. Just wanted to let you know that a lot of music lovers do.

and Guy's answer:

I won't comment on Bob's part of the show but the synth critique is a new one on me. I think our set is very well balanced considering the 70 minute limit. The intro to Donegan's gone is a piece called 'Dark was the Night, Cold was the ground' originally by Blind Willie Johnson and redone by Mark and I for the documentary 'Seeing in the Dark'. I love it.

If it pleases him to be so slick and pleasant, then good for him. I can't discern any emotion in his act. Each note each time is the same every night. Since all of his stuff sounds alike, people probably thought they were all hits!

Exactly that's what it is, a business decision. Do you really believe that Bob just thought to call up Mark to invite him on the tour? As I said before, it seems that he can't wait for MK to leave the stage. Mark's always trying to hug everybody when he finally leaves, just like he does with his own band, and I've seen Bob shove him away several times. They're not brothers in arms.

That said, I don't want any support acts / guests / hangers-on on any tour. I don't see why that would be necessary. Of course, it's all about making money.

Rome concert was recorded on video and audio. There were video cameras and microphones of audience. If I am not mistaken.

PD. Well, just only during MK's show

Sorry JP, the number of people who pay to hear Bob noodle on the geetar these days is extremely limited. They pay to see the legend and they *tolerate* the guitar-playing. Personally, I think the quote above is spot on.

Also, it's a different thing if you make a better guitarist like Sexton (who Bob pays) play rhythm, but it is indeed rude to invite MK on stage to avoid half the audience fleeing the scene and then play badly all over his solo opportunities.

(And if you REALLY think all of MK's stuff sounds alike, yet Bob's blues jams are all totally different, well...)

And nobody pays to see Dylan do what he pleases. People pay to see Dylan do something unexpected in the hope they like what they paid for, which brings us back to the beginning: very few pay to see Dylan play guitar these days.

As long as there's a next album he can have Jay-Z and Bieber on it for all I care.

Yes well, didn't the both of you have posted many similar inputs all over the treads? When will either of you ever learn that the other's opinion is carved in stone? Save your energie for some more important matter (or is is just a zickenkrieg?).

"Inviting" MK to the stage is a business decision just like "inviting" him on the tour. Bob's just showing his contempt for these things by doing what he does - that's how I see it anyway. Fact is he just doesn't need another guitar player up there, and they don't interact in any way, nor does Bob concede to giving the audience the songs that they expect from BD / MK combined. He just does his own thing regardless, and I admire him for that.

And about the guitar playing.... I seem to recall there were lots of people wanting / expecting / missing it throughout the keyboard years. It might just be part of the iconic image, but people do want Bob on guitar.

Yes, yes, Johanna, you keep going around the houses, saying the same things over and over again! IMO The things you are saying don't reflect very well on Bob as a person and I'm sure you are completely wrong about him pushing Mark away!

BTW I'm sure Mark's decision to tour with Bob had nothing to do with money - it was all about the honour of touring with his hero and Guy has confirmed this many times, including the fact that Bob is the only artist that Mark would open for, because of the great respect he has for him. I think Guy knows just a little more than you about such things, being MK's right-hand man!

Yes!

I agree seeing Bob alone is a lot better - but that doesn't answer the question.

It's perfectly fine that you can't stand MK, but your arguements doesn't hold up Johanna

If Bob wouldn't want him around - why has he been on stage with him every night the last few weeks? We all know Bob good enough to know that he wouldn't just do it for the fans sake.

MK wasn't invited on stage during the first UK shows. So there's no reason why Bob couldn't stop having MK around again. Also does Bob really need to do "good for business" decisions against his will to keep the "train going" ?

Lets not get mistaken here: Bob does exactly what HE wants and what HE likes. BTW that includes playing static setlists every night, up-singing, making Christmas albums and everything in-between...