>So I meant to ask about this a few days ago after Lance's and others' >raves about Dylan. Can he really still sing? >Will Will, I don't know how to convey how skeptical I was before I saw him. Your very question, in fact, was pre-eminently on my mind. I was expecting to be respectfully bored for the duration of the show, like I was for the Stones. But, lemme say that my earlier praise was--by no means whatsoever--qualified. He sounded fantastic. He did not hit the notes in the manner in which they were recorded, mind you. But, he adjusted the song around the capabilities of his voice--which was surprisingly strong AND capable--and, in addition to sounding fantastic, augmented his re-interpretation with great arrangements. I'm not sure if he's been given enough credit for being a bandleader, but how he framed his voice was remarkable. It wasn't just a Bob thing. His band is smoking. Standup bass, country picking, pedal steel, and mandolin are all well-represented. Like I said, if he can take an old warhorse like "The Times They Are A-Changin,'" and make it sound new . . . well, you do the math. I guess what I'd have to say about the guy is this: He ain't getting any younger and he ain't getting any better. He may not be "Dylan '66," but that ain't very fair. He put on a helluva show, and great entertainment should be its own reward. Besides, he set the bar so damn high, and reinvented the wheel so many times, I think we expect from him the unrealistic. I know I did. The guy's the bomb. Don't miss him. You will NOT regret it. Lance . . .
