Reviews

Most of all the Scandinavian fans following the 5 first concerts of this
tour agrees that this show was the best one. Even the newspaper-people
seem to go along, saying things like ?Dylan as sharp as a knife?, ?Real
magic? and so on. To me it`s always special to see him in Scandinavium in
Gothenburg, because that is where I first saw him when he played two
concerts there in July 1978. Oh, I was so much younger then, I`m older
than that now ? Dylan too, but even if there is a lot of things he can`t
do ? especially with his voice ? that he could back in `78, there is
certainly something he can do to day, that he could`nt do then. 

Six new songs for this tour, and six, as well as the others, really great
performances. I had front row tickets, and to see him really close up,
doing very nice versions of ?Just like a woman?, ?Cry a while?, ?Make you
feel my love? (YES! He still can sing), ?Love sick? and ?I don`t believe
you?, makes you understand what this is all about. And ?Desolation row?!
Maybe all the verses, even the one about fighting in the captain`s tower.
Just perfect ? maybe I even had to dry away a couple of tears. Can`t be
better!  Tonight I think he also managed to get through ?Don`t think
twice? without any up-singing. 

We all ? at least 30 Scandinavian fans and my friend Paul from San Diego,
were all smiles for hours after this concert as we all gathered in
restaurant ?Rekan? where Bob, his band and crew had an after concert party
back in 1978. Paul from San Diego who saw Bob for the first time in 1964
(see tickets for that show supplied by him in the Scrapbook), said that
this was almost a lifetime experience.  ?Such a night?!

Of all the concerts from the Neverending-tour that I have attended, only
the Beacon shows in New York this spring, and a couple of Californian
shows October 2001 and 2002 levels this one. And of course Shepherds bush
and Hammesmith November 2003 tops it.    

Steinar Daler

This is my first review of a Dylan concert (or any concert, for that
matter). 

It was my twentieth (20th) Dylangig, the first one being in Scandinavium,
Juli -78…And I have to say that I rank it among the top five or six. 
Maybe part of that is due to low expectations since my last two concerts,
Stockholm and Göteborg, October 2003, were sort of disappointing,
especially since they were my girlfriends first attendances, and I´d
really wanted them to be good for her. 

Living in the countryside, we have about 100 kilometres to travel (by car,
fortunately) and we also had to pick up my brother on the way…However we
checked in to the hostel in good time, and soon set out for drinks at a
bar near the venue, mingling with other Bobcats, one of many great
pleasures when you attend a Bobgig…

We had great seats on the floor, on seventeenth row, good view
(binoculars) and from were we sat, the sound seemed crisp and
clear…needless to say I really felt the buzz when that voice came on; “The
poet laureate etc…” and when Bob and the band kicked in with “Maggie´s
Farm”, I instantly knew that this was going to be something else; you
always CAN tell, can´t you? Following up with a “Tell Me That It Isn´t
True”, (second time for me) so beautiful that might even have topped May
14th 2000…MY GOD!!! What´s happening here???

This is already more than I could ever have hoped  for…crisp renditions of
“Baby Tonight”, “Lay Lady Lay” and “Stuck inside of Mobile…” followed, and
then, probably the best version of “Just Like A Woman” that I have ever
attended, great work from Donnie, magical singing from Bob and I turned to
my girlfriend and I saw that words were superfluous…

“Most Likely…” followed, with Donnie absolutely blowing my mind again,
“Cry A While”, and then His Bobness actually brought me to tears with a
breathtaking “To Make You Feel My Love” …I was ready for a stage rush, but
the guards (Damn them!) would have none of that!! Without competition the
best “Highway 61..” I´ve ever heard or seen; I mean; this band is on
fire!!! Stu and Denny trading licks, I just wished I´d been up there
close, with you Steinar….and then Love Sick, with that starry night
revealed, might´ve been the one song that lacked some Sexton/Cambell-
magic, but hey; I didn´t really mind…Those reviews from Stockholm really
made me believe that this man who launched a thousand tours, did´nt have
it in him anymore, I´m grateful now that I read them, ´cause the shock of
hearing that VOICE again, right up there among the stars, almost like in
2000, blew my mind…

I did´nt take notes, but let me just say that his harpsolos were super,
making those brief visits to center stage meaning so much more now, when
he doesn´t play the guitar. I can´t really recall what “I Don´t Believe
You” was like, but after that, I witnessed what might have been THE
perfect “Desolation Row”, with ALL the verses(?)…followed by a playful
“Summer Days”, then; the STARE!!! I was in heaven, and then he topped it
off with the ordinary encores of “Don´t Think Twice…” and “…Watchtower”
perfect ending to a perfect night. Thanks Bob, for bringing these great
moments for (in my case) four decades now, I´m just glad to be living in
the same century as you…

My girlfriend, and my brother, needless to say, were also in awe…and we´re
looking forward now to Brussels, November 1…

If your going there as well, or if you have any other kind of feedback
please E- mail me on:   
mikaeljokerman@yahoo.se

Mikael Peterson

Now, about the Gøteborg show. I got there in time in a borrowed car with an Arab friend who spotted
at least one other Arab in the arena. I think she is very conscious of herself as an Arabic Bob 
Dylan fan.  Before we got there, a minute after leaving the borrowed Mazda, we saw a young man on 
his bicycle get hit by a car. We made sure he lived and that we cared. She had her friend's boots 
on. She borrowed them from him last time they met, in Berlin 14 months ago. Since then her friend 
has died. He had longish hair and they think maybe that is why Iraqis killed him. Because they 
assumed that he was working for the Americans. She was going to go shoeless to the arena, but I 
talked her out of it. Superstition is not very healthy and not very Bob.

We had good seats and one pair of binoculars, always an essential. On the road we heard one of the 
Boston shows, TOOM and L&T. But there was the same strange feeling that you can't get warmed up 
because there is always that last element you can't prepare for. The NOW feeling and the LIVE sound. 
And that is what happened during

MAGGIE'S FARM.
The guitars are so good and they seem to tell us that this is a rock show with lots of hot soloing 
and a bluesy growl. Stu is really essential, not only as a rhythm guitarist. Without his rock sound 
and his bluesy rock solos, it wouldn't be the same.

TELL ME THAT IT ISN'T TRUE
I'LL BE YOUR BABY TONIGHT
LAY, LADY, LAY
These three are really a country slot. Very enjoyable, but I prefer the louder slots. To me, the first 
of the three was the most interesting one. Bob seems to focus and to care about the way he intones. 
What I like about these songs is that Denny's solos are not very country. His guitar is up in the mix 
when he plays solos and he has a beautiful soft sound. My friend said his guitar was too loud and he 
wasn't very interesting and he played the same solos. I told her that she doesn't know the blues, then. 
But it could be that he played better in Ålborg. From where I was standing he was definitely better 
balanced soundwise in Ålborg. The best harmonica solo of the night was when he took center stage 
during I'll Be Your Baby Tonight. Very careful, very monotonous, but effective.

STUCK INSIDE OF MOBILE WITH THE MEMPHIS BLUES AGAIN
JUST LIKE A WOMAN
MOST LIKELY YOU'LL GO YOUR WAY AND I'LL GO MINE
The only comment I have is that I like the way Bob refuses to play the stadium game. People wanted 
to sing along when we got to the "just like a woman" bit. Bob waited for us to finish, and sometimes 
he didn't, and then he said it. I never heard it like that before. Denny's solo in "Stuck Inside of 
Mobile" was very good. Lifted the song. I like it better live than on the discs they send us.

So far we have 5 love songs, more or less. They are all pretty funny. 

DESOLATION ROW
This is the second time only that I've heard this live. First time was in 2001. It was good, but not 
as intense as tonight. I saw visions. Every single line, especially towards the end. It came as a 
shock and I was kind of sad because I knew that they could kill it if they didn't stay focused. If 
Bob went on autopilot. I also thought that maybe he was going to sing all the verses. It doesn't 
really make sense without those verses he skips sometimes. After a while, I remembered some of the 
thoughts and images the song has evoked on other occasions. It is about sick Modernity, persecution, 
death by water, destitution, love gone wrong and the like. I was thinking about New Orleans, as well.  
And about Bob. It is about Bob, the man who "looks out tonight" and "was famous long ago". It's about 
the Nazis, the KKK, about oppression. And about the time the doorknob broke. I was wasted after this 
but managed to enjoy the rest of the show.

During SUMMER DAYS
I was not focused. I danced and everything but when the song was over, I was still on Desolation Row. 
But this is the fun song and if there is a recording out there, I would like to hear it.

IT AIN'T ME, BABE
Was good, but the singing, even though it was mostly good and interesting - the phrasing and melody 
in parts - it was upsinging as well. You know what I mean. He hits that note up there that he is 
aiming for. Which one is it usually? I've noticed that people who don't hear that much Bob don't find 
that tedious or weak. The friend I was with is a schooled musician with perfect pitch and everything. 
She never said anything about Bob's voice other than that it is so full of expression and he does so 
many interesting things with his songs. In fact, the only thing she didn't really like was "that old 
guitar player" to the extreme right (our right) of the stage.

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER
This has to be the perfect song. It wasn't always this good. It has found the spirit of Hendrix, but 
it is more than that. "None of them along the line know what any of this is worth." Could this be a 
comment to us sinners out there who don't have a clue, basically?