Reviews

Elegantly minimal stage and curtain design mixed with
bold shining light sets up every song. Dylan,
perfectly well dressed, strapping eye popping new
guitars, his band, the most elegant crew since MJQ, 
looking  handsome and rightly proud. Blazing new album
on the streets since the notable morning of its release
Only thing different, only thing new is this shit on TV.
Gil Coliseum looks vibrant and full. Attentive. Cool.
Bob looks like he's read the news all day.  Solemn and 
intense he unloads the goods.  Obviously aware of the 
gravity of the moment and the power of these songs every
line, stick and strum crackle with precision and intention.
Much as I'd anticipated and fully enjoyed the new
songs from Love and Theft it was the "warhorses" we'd
heard so many other times that really came alive. For
instance RDW 12 & 35, no kidding, more a howl than a
hoot. And all the times I've heard Blowing In The Wind
this ascended into mighty theatre. Knockin On Heavens
Door as much a stunning highlight as Sugar Baby or
Honest With Me or Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Truly.
He opened with Wait For The Light To Shine.
Appropriately, this show was about eternal values
beaming through a desolate night all over world.

Thanks, we really needed this.

ps. There were suprises in the show but you'll have to
wait till you get there.

Dave Harper
blue_spark_us@yahoo.com
Portland, OR

     While waiting in line for the Corvallis show, someone I knew came up
to me and told me she had been listening to the soundcheck.  She told me
she had heard Moonlight and Cry Awhile being soundchecked, and that
earlier two other people I know had heard This Wheel's On Fire.  I told
her to take me to the place where it could be best heard.  We went over to
the back of the building, near some windows.  The sound was coming from
above us. I looked around and saw a ramp leading up.  So we went up.  We
then stood by the doors a while, listening.  Then she decided she wanted
to see if any of the doors were unlocked.  One of them was!  I held it
open as we listened.  After a bit, she decided she had to get closer!  She
walked over to where she could look down upon the band (who she later told
me were without Bob and were all in casual dress).  Someone asked her to
leave after a bit, so we stood at the door with it open.  This is what we
heard:

- Tombstone Blues
- Lay Lady Lay (with pedal or lap steel)
- Moonlight
- Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie (with band's vocals)
- West Virginia Moonshine Blues (title unknown - with band's vocals)
- Oh Come All Ye Faithfull
- Hummingbird (with Bob's! and band's vocals)
- Po' Boy (with Bob on guitar)

     There were also some instrumental bluegrass songs.  The most
interesting parts were the unknown song, Hummingbird with Bob's vocals, and 
then Po' Boy (which hasn't been played live yet).

     The Corvallis show started 15 minutes late.  The classical music
started up like last night, and the lights went down.  Out came Bob. And
they started into the same song that they had started with yesterday:

Wait For The Light To Shine: This was pretty much the same as
yesterday's version.  This time, however, this is the only warmup song Bob
needs.  He's immediately into the show after this song!  The end of this
song is really neat.

My Back Pages: From the start of this song, I could tell that we
were going to get a great show!  Bob's phrasing is at its best, he's
really energetic as he dances around and smiles and makes his facial
expressions.  He was even looking at the audience often (which he didn't
do much at the Seattle show).  With this song, I got my second show in a
row with a fiddle.  And then, at the end of this unbelievably awesome
version of My Back Pages, Bob went back and got his harmonica!  He played
two instrumental verses, and then they ended.  Wow!

Desolation Row: And the momentum continues to this next song! Bob's
phrasing is unreal.  He occasionally gets into the 'grooves' that I love
so much: a 'groove', by my definition, is when he sings a line in a
certain way, then sings the next line in that same way.  He might continue
this for several lines.  What else can I say?  This is one that deserves a
second listen.

Searching For A Soldier's Grave: I look at this song as a transition
song between acoustic and electric, not to say that it isn't relevant to
the events of today...

Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum: This song could stay as the electric
opener: it's full of energy and sounds fresh.  The end was very well done!
The music stops, Dylan sings "Tweedle Dee", he plays a few notes and his
eyebrows shoot up, then he sings "and Tweedle Dum", and then the band ends
it!

Positively 4th Street: When I normally see this song in a setlist,
I'm not usually impressed.  I don't typically like the current
arrangement of this song.  However, this version is an exception!  Bob's 
phrasing was unbelievable!  At the end, he gave a small nod as though 
saying, challengly, "how was that, huh?".  :-)  It was wonderful, Bob.

Summer Days: Throughout the Seattle show, I had been hoping for and
yelling requests for this song.  I got it here!  Wow, another wonderful
song.  It has more of a rock-feel than a swing-feel.  The best verse was
the "Everybody get ready, lift up your glasses and sing!".  And I danced
quite a bit during this one.

Moonlight: Seattle's Moonlight didn't have great phrasing, in my
opinion.  This one's phrasing was incredible!  He crooned it and hit the
right notes.  Then he did another great jazzy guitar solo, and ended with
another superb harmonica solo of two instrumental verses long!  WOW!

Masters Of War: Dylan plays a guitar lick between each line that
really helps create a strong, powerful beat to the song.  At the last
show, someone had pointed out that the song had been singularized.  I
found it too difficult to hear whether Bob was singing "masters" or
"master", but he did sing "I can see through your mask" (singular). 
Interesting...

It's All Over Now, Baby Blue: This was a slow version, in which Bob
apparently messed up several lyrics (or so I was told - I didn't notice). 
If he did mess up lyrics, he took these mistakes in good stride.

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right: A fan favourite, this song was
well done.  At one point, Bob looked as though he was going to get a
harmonica, but then changed his mind.

Watching The River Flow: I great rocker, with Bob dancing around.

Sugar Baby: This was unbelievable!  It was the same as yesterday,
but even more intense and more powerful!  This time, I had tears in my
eyes.  Wowee!

Cold Irons Bound: What a perfect song to follow Sugar Baby.  This
is one of those songs I've been wanting to hear live.  And it was really
great.

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35: This was a college show, and throughout
one could smell marijuana being smoked.  This song was given a warm
reception, of course, as more joints were lit up.  It had several
instrumental verses and is really a great song to dance to!  During this
song, he introduced the band.  Then they did a formation, and left.

encore:

Love Sick: They came back and did this standard encore opener.
Nothing real special here.

Like A Rolling Stone: This wasn't as good as at last night's
show,
but it was nonetheless very enjoyable.

Knockin' On Heaven's Door: This was another song I had been
hoping
for.  And I was glad I got it!  It opens with Charlie and Larry's vocals
doing to "oooo" part.  Then Bob comes in.  This new arrangement is so
beautiful.

Honest With Me: I had been hoping to hear this one again.  It
wasn't quite as good as yesterday's version, but I still loved it.

Blowin' In The Wind: And the standard closer, bringing tears
(again)
to some, but not to me.

     I wouldn't hesitate at all to say that the Corvallis show was much
better than the Seattle show.  Bob was just really into this show from the
get-go: he was dancing around, smiling, and his phrasing was unbelievable
throughout.

- Eben


-- 
"Your breath is sweet,
Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky.
Your back is straight, your hair is smooth
on the pillow where you lie."

 - Bob Dylan (One More Cup Of Coffee)

http://www.geocities.com/bobdylan27/

"Before I talk about show, I must say the Event Staff was horrible.  They
didn't know where we needed to go to get to our seats, and they were very
un organized.  The show didn't start on time because they were still
taking people's tickets...  This is my first Dylan show to not start on
time.  I don't know where the staff came from...but they didn't know much.
My seats were on the floor, but actually they weren't seats.  I heard
people were complaining the the Staff because they wanted seats and it was
standing only.

Well, after getting passed the staff who knew nothing, Bob came out with a
beautiful rendition of WAIT FOR THE LIGHT TO SHINE. The entire set was
great, but certain songs stood out more than others.  I was blown away by
RDW and some of the older ones, but the band did an awesome job with the
others as well.  Larry and Charlie rocked, to be blunt.  Charlie had a
great time with his introduction, and in short, Bob was great.  He was
enjoying himself like he should be...    Honestly, because of recent
terrorists and military action, MASTERS OF WAR and BLOWIN' IN THE WIND are
unforgettable....

I am proud to be a Bob Dylan fan...


graeme.f.byrd
Salem, Oregon
gbyrd@willamette.edu

Sunday in the heartland.  Corvallis, Oregon.  Small college town.
Tree lined campus, red brick buildings, a downtown full of pubs and
pool tables.  It doesn't get any more Americana than this place.

Headed south on I-5 with my buddies, Pops, Smelly, and Z.  Gorgeous
purple, yellow, blue and gray skies to our right as the sun began to
set.  Oregon, this time of year, with the cut of sun the way it is
is absolutely stunning. 

We pulled into town, stopped at Squirrel's for a couple of pitchers
of Rouge Dead Guy Ale and burgers.  Got to The Gill Coliseum about 7
and the lines were wrapped around the building.  If we went to the
end, we'd miss the first four songs, so I searched around and found
'the secret line' which had maybe 50 people in it.

Gill is an old, creaky college basketball arena that maybe holds
8,000 or so.  Lots of history.  Banners hanging from the rafters
heralding the team's accomplishments.  Retired numbers of players
Gary Payton and A.C. Green. 

About 7:40 the house lights dim and, once again, Aaron Copland's
Fanfare for The Common Man blasts through the PA.

Same opener, three nights in a row.  Truly an inspirational tune
with lines about helping your brother, getting yourself together and
waiting for a sign.  How very appropriate.  But, somehow, everything
he's playing is very appropriate.

This show had more energy than the Seattle show.  And the Seattle
show had energy to spare.  Maybe it was the smaller hall which was
packed to the rafters.  Or the enthusiasm of a college crowd. 

Rather than go through every tune, I'll just list what I consider to
be the highlights.

The harmonies on Searching For A Soldier's Grave were strong and
forceful, more so than I've ever heard before. This song, to my
ears, was a throw-away when they first introduced, but it's
developed nicely into a very powerful song.

Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum was more rambunctious and edgier than the
Seattle version, I thought.  As far as feel goes, it fills the gap
left when Silvio went away.

Summer Days followed by Moonlight was a real nice combination.  The
Moonlight was much more 'together' than the one I heard the previous
night, less ragged I suppose.  In other words, this one didn't need a
harmonica solo to save it.  Though we got one anyway.

Masters of War followed, was very powerful again, and it wouldn't 
surprise me if they played  it every night of the tour. 

Watching the River Flow was roadhouse all the way.  Dirty, sloppy in
parts, but right as rain.  In some ways, I think it's this kind of song
that that this band was made for.

Sugar Baby, once again, was the highlight of the show for me.  Completely
blew me away. I wouldn't be surprised if this is clocking in live at close
to 10 minutes.  The spaces in between verses are used to such dramatic
effect.  The 'sound', especially from Sexton's guitar, is haunting and
beautiful, the lyrics, the phrasing, it's almost too much and I run
through just about every emotion possible.  I got to wondering who Sugar
Baby might be and last night I concluded that she/he is a metaphor for the
m our society, the uninformed, the prejudiced, the selfish and for the
leaders of the world who refuse to heed the call of Dylan and his
contemporaries.  And, why start now.

'Sugar baby get on down the road, you ain't got no brains no how.
You went years without me, might as well keep goin' now.'

The Cold Iron Bounds which followed was ferocious.  This song has become
so incredibly powerful as it evolves.   Another song/arrangement that's
perfectly suited for these guys.  And the unusual jazz chords they play
during the

     God I'm waist deep, waist deep in the mist
     It's almost like, almost like I don't exist
     I'm 20 miles out of town, Cold Irons bound

  Or

     one look at you and I'm out of control
     like the universe has swallowed me whole
     I'm 20 miles out of town and Cold Irons bound

parts of the tune are very 'out there' and they skate along jazz 
riffing like, well, a classic jazz quintet.  Listen for it. 

College crowd=Rainy Day Women, though I'm not sure how much they get
stoned on the OSU campus.  I mean, it's not like it's Eugene or anything.

The usual encores followed.  During Like  a Rolling Stone, my friend Z
turned to me and said, 'this is bigger than Coca Cola.'  The crowd lapped
it up and Dylan ripped one of the best guitar solos I've ever seen him
play.  His solos are hit and miss, as we all know, but this one was
tremendous.  He played right to Charlie, like a master showing teaching
his student.  I can't wait to hear this one again some day.

The Knockin' on Heaven's Door had incredibly sweet reworked harmonies, 
not unlike the version The Dead used to perform.  Absolutely gorgeous.

Honest with Me and Blowin' in the Wind ended the show, a good two 
hours after it began.  I looked around and there were many eyes red with  
tears.  Many people moved, a few people changed, but I would think 
everyone would agree that whatever it was we just witnessed, at
the very least, it was extremely important.