wineman wrote:
Grain...I looked through all the posts on this thread (yawn
) and I didn't read any that said those that enjoyed the video's, were wrong. I didn't hear that at all. There are and always will be two camps here. The one's that relish anything Bob does in concert, and those that can't stand it. And one's not going to change the other...so why try? That was my point. One side believes Bob can do no wrong (in performance) and those that...believe the opposite. The one's that don't enjoy what he's currently doing...come in with a pre concieved opinion, in your view. Well, you could say the same for the other side. I don't think that Benny or any of the dissenters listen to links posted with an opinion already formed. I really don't. I have objectivety. And no...I don't agree with many of the raves. I thought Hard Rain was...extremely poor...a strange vocal pattern (well, I guess it's not longer strange. as it's become the norm)...with no authenticity. Like a man singing a song...just to throw a hit out there. A man that no longer feels what he's singing. A man that's past bored. That's what I got out of it...and nobody can change that...just as nobody is going to change those that thought it was an amazing version. To me...Tangled was mangled...the lyric gutted to the point where there's little sense to what was one of Bob's greatest story songs. And nobody is going to change my thought process on it. HWY 61...was...well....HWY 61. (But I've heard a LOT better.)
To a degree...I have a problem understanding those that relish and rave on an on about how great Bob's current performances are. On the flip side...I do understand it. They are thoroughly enjoying where Bob is at the moment. And that's great. But I think more don't enjoy it than do...they just don't post...they ignore these threads. Me? I stand somewhere in the middle. I would go see Bob tomorrow if he were playing in South Florida. He's still interesting on stage....the strange mannerisms...the circus like atmoshphere. So, I still listen...and still have an interest....but one thing I'm fairly certain of...and that is...for the most part, the songs lack conviction...they lack truth. They lack the author's belief in his own material. And after all of these years...that's understandable. In it's place...is a showman. And it's not for me to say that's a bad thing. Whether he's a good showman...or poor one...is a whole other debate. ( But I believed Johnny Cash to the very end...when his voice was but a quiver. He had the sound of a man that had a sense of conviction behind every word of what he sang...and I certainly can't say the same about Bob.) Benny (as an example) is certainly not wrong in his thoughts. Not even a little bit. He's not impressed with what's there. He
realizes...what's no longer there...what's missing, what's long gone. And what's gone...is what attracted him to Bob, in the first place. I can completely understand where he's coming from. And you and Tragos (bless his heart) and JP are not wrong in what you relish.. And that's a Bob that still offers you something that's very much worth your time. Wherever one finds joy in life...is worth a whole lot. A whole lot.
Have a GREAT time at the shows.
Good post that Wineman, i enjoyed it and actually agreed with more than you may think
Bob is in his 70's so it just frustrates me that not replicating the same style of performance that we've all adored generates what i would consider to be abuse (i'm not referring to you here). Having said this, i've been watching Bob all over europe but only since the late 90's so i understand my perspective is different to an older concert goer. But my favourite shows have probably been Glasgow '09 and Hop Farm '10 and objectively listening to the bootleg recordings of them they surpass any bootleg i've heard from the 80's to mid ninetys by miles, to me.
It's great people have different opinions on periods of someone's career, i have envy for those that saw him in '66 or the RTR or indeed anyone that's seen him stand alone with an acoustic guitar - but it wont distract from my enjoyment or stop my ability to live in a moment i'm privileged to be in. I mean, look and listen to those brazilian crowds, people are still loving what he's doing and i just can't understand why anyone would have a problem with that ...and people do ! Opinions ARE already formed to the point of an agenda. The clock wont turn back so i dont see the point of it. If you're not objective you're destructive. I have been told after attending a fabulous concert, by someone who's watched a bad 1min video of it, that i was wrong. That's pathetic really isn't it? It's why, outside of the concert and upcoming concert information - you wont see people like me here, sharing in a joint interest and the stories we've made along the way.
Thanks for the mini discussion, i respect your views. Me? I'm still on the road.
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