I totally agree, Lance.
I caught Dylan's downunder tour in August last year and though I bought
tickets late, I still got a great seat on the left hand side of the stage,
at the same level as the stage. From my seat, I was twenty feet from Dylan,
who appeared to be actually enjoying himself, not to mention singing
wonderfully.
He pulled out his Jimmy Rodgers cover "Blue-Eyed Jane", which was entirely
captivating. His pedal-steel player Bucky Baxter (REM, Steve Earle) really
added a new dimension to the sound but it was interesting (to me anyhoo)
that he didn't really go near any of that late '60s/ early 70's stuff that
introduced pedal steel to Dylan fans (Nashville Skyline/ John Wesley
Harding).
His demeanour suggested he was very much enjoying himself and the band were
dressed in the multi-coloured suits and hats that hinted at the Band's
attire during the period they were Dylan's backing band. It was all very
authentic and the band also rocked convincingly, which added to my feelings
that Dylan is BACK. There's a definite renaissance happening there, IMO.
The Royal Albert Hall concert, Blood On The Tracks and Blonde On Blonde are
never far from my car stereo these days.
Junior Walker
NP: Like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
