Expecting Rain

I saw Bob in Innsbruck on Nov 8th, I am a musician and am fascinated by the approach he takes to live performances.
My review is here: http://www.dammitmusic.com/bob-dylan-an ... innsbruck/ and the comment added by Andrew Brel was particularly interesting. Performance art? It's the only explanation that has the ring of truth about it!

I came to the same conclusion as Andrew Brel (Family of The Brel?) during my last Bob concert in Antwerp. If you want you can read my recall of BOB's performance art it is in the Tour thread. I was blown away when I least expected it.

Thanks for your review jay_dammit. Welcome to ER. Don't forget to check our Rare Dylan Recordings

welcome to ER - stick around! you have come to the right place, unfortunately the price of leaving is your brain so you have to stay now don't you? what do you play? wanna post something on the hootenanny thread?

i just heard an incredible recording of him in milan this year - any doubts as to his current ability were sent scurrying into the corner... like anyone he has good nights and bad, some of your review I sympathise with and even agree but he does still have the ability to amaze at times... even the last 2 lps (discounting xmas) are not the work of an infant but someone who, if they had been his first albums, would be heralded rather than berated. So while I agree with you I also disagree.... again, welcome to ER where bad is good and excellent is appalling but we mostly love each other in an electronic kind of way. BZZZZZZZZZZZ.

So, what kind of music do you do? Have you been very successful at making a living at it or perhaps you musical ability shows the same lack of ability to delivery as your common sense in making a point of coming to a Dylan fan website and the first post out link to a crap review..... You list your thread as a musician's perspective......... well, from your so called review I would say that you must not be a very knowledgeable one........ your review does not read like a musician... ......... But then maybe you are just attempting to get some interest for your posting and come here to try to get some drops in because your web site isn't doing any better than you musical career......... so do tell, what are you musical credentials, I like the idea of you posting in the hoot section.......... might be fun to do a little review of your work.... you know from a music listeners perspective.

I usually am know to say Welcome to ER to first time posters..... but I really don't this it is appropriate this time ....

I don't really like your review either , but i'm also fascinated by the approach he takes to live performances .

"So, what kind of music do you do?"

my guess: pat methaney.

November 10th, 2011
REPLY QUOTE
This from Andrew Brel I saw Bob at the Hammersmith (Odeon) about 5 years ago. My first reaction was much the same as you describe. But then I considered this. Bob is a great artist. His musical gifts are a matter of record. His ability to present his songs in a live context are a matter of many records and of course his intellectual gifts are considerable, if we put to one side that embarrassing period in the 80′s when he claimed that every grain of sand was put in a specific place by an invisible man who manages all of human behaviour.
Considering Bobs musical and intellectual position – as I watched a second rate pub band play a set so poor that – they would not be asked to return by our local pub – mixed by a sound engineer who was quite clearly intent on colouring the sound to maximum ugliness – it suddenly occurred to me that I was witness to one of the great moments in performance art. Bob is many things – and a second rate performer he is not. This was – I suddenly realised – one of the most outstanding and courageous pieces of performance art I have had the pleasure (admittedly not the most appropriate word choice) of witnessing. I was in the room with an all time legend. One who knows how to execute a flawless version of his songs. One could easily put together a band of professional players to professionally interpret every note in every place that would have any crowd going ‘Oh my word – what an amazing guitar solo Satch played on Tambourine Man’. Where is the challenge in that? Where is the art in that that has not been done a thousand times before by this very artist. What possible reason could he have for going through the motions of presenting the most predictable. For me, Dylan the performer, showing his experience at after some 50 years on stage is the consummate professional – challenging your perceptions of musical art.
I remember my visit to the Bob Dylan ‘Now think about it’ show as one of the most impressive musical statements from one of the most impressive musical statement makers.

^^^^Yes. Exactly.

I don't necessarily agree but what is being said kind of matches up with what another of my musical heroes - Alex Chilton- once tried. He had been a big hit in the 60s, aged 16, with the Box Tops 'The Letter', went on to form Big Star who got virtually ignored for twenty years and then, as an accomplished guitarist, went on to make some records and live performances where he deliberately tried to play "like a 13 year old who was just learning" (his words, not mine)... a perverse but ultimately successful attempt - if you aint heard his LP "like flies on sherbet" you aint lived!

This

Complete, utter BS.

Performance art? So, if you can't sing, diddle around on an instrument, and bore 99% of the audience to tears...and send a good deal of them heading for the door...we call that performance art?

"I was in the room with an all time legend." Thats it. If he wasn't "Bob Dylan" he wouldn't have any gigs.

This delusional poppycock about "performance art" is hilarious.

He's written some great songs. Undeniable.

He used to be a riveting performer who had a very interesting, compelling voice.

He is not what he was. That's what you witnessed.

These kind of reviews are similar to people who see the virgin Mary in a Cinnamon Bun.

OMG
Just this morning............. It's a miracle.............There she is .............
Only it was toast and she was in the butter and melted..............
but somethings are true if you wanna believe it or not..........

I dont think that Bd bores 99 of his audiences he`s touring nonstop since 1988 and he still plays in venues
with a decent capacity all around the world. Its not as if he plays bars or clubs when he tours...and I dont
see that happen in the future - there are still enough who come back to see him

millions of people apparently think sarah palin has a brain, that doesn't make it true. i dig bob btw, or i wouldn't be here.

i kind of thought the same of my stockholm gig. i still stand by the assertion that he can amaze in unique ways (phrasings, new melodies and expressiveness etc.) and has done so through out the noughties and before that. the stockholm gig was pretty horrible. worst To Ramona i've heard and i've seen people on here call that sublime. sometimes i'm on the other side of that. the band as well as bob's harmonica playing was as good as any show i've been to, so it had its positives.

maybe it's bob's "performance art" that gives me the strong reactions that no other performer does.

Wow Lily Rose, that's an impressive collection of chips on your shoulder!
My musical credentials? 35 years as a session musical working with artists including Roger Waters, Scott Walker, Mike Oldfield and more.
If you would like to review my music I'd be delighted: you can find me here:
www.jaystapley.co.uk
My review was written from the perspective of someone who has spent decades standing on stage with artists doing what Dylan does.
Hope this helps.

P.S., where is the "hoot" section LilyRose referred to? I'd like to post something there.

Look to the lower section..... in the Other Artists section...... it might have moved off the front page.....but I think this will work

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=60657&start=775

Thanks Lily: posted.