Expecting Rain

Seen Dylan many times in several countries over a period of 47 years. While his vocal powers have diminished his ability to rearrange his songs and find new ways of delivering them is as fresh as ever. In spite of the problems he faces audiences still respond warmly. Sympathy may play a part, respect certainly does, but it may go deeper than that. The duet with Knopfler on Forever Young, crowd rection in Italy when Dylan sang out on Can't Wait and the recent singalong to Rolling Stone in Brazil represent a level of audience reaction that rarely occurred when Dylan was at the peak of his powers.

Does this indicate that the songs and the experience of hearing the legend perform them has become more important than the way he delivers them. Has the myth of Dylan grown bigger than the man?

Read an article about Whitney Houston today which said that when her voice became a wreck she fell apart. Her ability to sing at her best was everything to her. The music was never her own. Bob on the other hand keeps on finding ways to deliver. As an artist he knows his failings but they don't prevent him from performing. When Houston performed badly in Australia she was booed off the stage. Sure some people walk out when they can't understand what Dylan is singing but in the main his audience appreciate what he does and still respond enthusiastically. At a show in Eire a few years ago he was having vocal problems, an Irish friend said, "Old Bob just backed away coughed up some shit and carried on, the crowd went mad."

I can only conclude that his obvious love of what he does shines through enough for people to respond to the man and what he stands for. Sorry for rambling on.

the myth of Bob Dylan has been bigger than the man for a very long time, probably since the late '60s.

That's probably because he is quite a small man.

For me, it is quite the opposite. I'm not impressed by the legend, I just like the concerts.

@senor10

Hmm... I still enjoy what he does (well, most of the time ), that's why I go to see him - it's as simple as that.
You may be right in general, though. Probably many people come to see the legend (not 2012-Bob), and it more and more turns into a "come and see the legend - before it's too late"-thing (as AutodesSchreckens mentioned recently somewhere on this board). A somehow similar psychological aspect is this: I found that some people seem to almost force themselves to "enjoy" a show - especially if ticket prices are high. They've paid too much to admit that they actually didn't like what they saw/heard - so, no matter what's actually happening on stage, they convince themselves that it is/was a great show. It has to be a great show, thus it is. Maybe it's a prestige thing or just some sort of self-deception...

I'm not impressed by the legend or the concerts... To me I just think he's a sexy hot fox.

Benny? . . . . . is that you? . . . .

(edit: those laughs were for Milkcow, this ones for you ^ )

people don't 'force' themselves to enjoy the show at any that i've been to. i've seen people walk, sleep, go back to the bar and talk, not go back to the bar and talk....

bob saw it as a dangerous thing when he was becoming bigger than himself. he quickly proclaimed 'it ain't me babe' and commenced to move along in his own journey. he's endured low points for long periods, and works with the presumption that tomorrow can be another low day.

when i see his shows, i see a lot of variability, but one thing that is constant (that i don't recall in the early nineties) is effort. there are plenty of reasons to enjoy a show. i'm lucky enough not to be in a country that only gets to enjoy him once every few years. those countries i would presume, would make quite a big deal out of the performances he delivers...for a multitude of reasons.

looking at it from another perspective - i've been dragged to lot's of performers shows for whom i am not a fan or familiar. it becomes VERY difficult to enjoy the assault of sounds and endure the physicality of being at a show if the music is not to your liking

I thought you liked the music!

What a terrible way to go through life. I feel sorry for these people. Or, at least, I'm glad that they aren't the people that I know.

I do,I love it.... but I like his face better

Whitney Houston was about her voice. Bob Dylan is about the words. A lot of the applause at a Dylan concert comes from the first words of the song.

The myth of Bob Dylan has continued to grow. The Beatles broke up and were never a group again, but somehow Dylan remained.

He may have had bad periods, but he's continued to be a top-notch songwriter, especially as of late.

One of the biggest singers today is Adele. One of her biggest songs has been "Make You Feel My Love" and it's at 50,000,000 views in Youtube. A song Bob Dylan wrote in the 1990's, 30 years after his "peak" in the 1960's. Things like that add to the myth, and to what the crowd celebrates. Or so I think, might be wrong.

How the hell does Whitney Houston end up in a Bob Dylan Tour forum? Yikes!

[quote="senor10"]Seen Dylan many times in several countries over a period of 47 years. While his vocal powers have diminished his ability to rearrange his songs and find new ways of delivering them is as fresh as ever. In spite of the problems he faces audiences still respond warmly. Sympathy may play a part, respect certainly does, [but it may go deeper than that. The duet with Knopfler on Forever Young, crowd rection in Italy when Dylan sang out on Can't Wait and the recent singalong to Rolling Stone in Brazil represent a level of audience reaction that rarely occurred when Dylan was at the peak of his powers.

Does this indicate that the songs and the experience of hearing the legend perform them has become more important than the way he delivers them. Has the myth of Dylan grown bigger than the man?

Read an article about Whitney Houston today which said that when her voice became a wreck she fell apart. Her ability to sing at her best was everything to her. The music was never her own. Bob on the other hand keeps on finding ways to deliver. As an artist he knows his failings but they don't prevent him from performing. When Houston performed badly in Australia she was booed off the stage. Sure some people walk out when they can't understand what Dylan is singing but in the main his audience appreciate what he does and still respond enthusiastically. At a show in Eire a few years ago he was having vocal problems, an Irish friend said, "Old Bob just backed away coughed up some shit and carried on, the crowd went mad."




i always thought it was about what you knew, but with an artist like bob, who is so great, he seems to give great respect to how things feel, and that can happen in all kinds of ways, and he seems to love that, and so do i

[quote="Troubadour64"]:lol:

(edit: those laughs were for Milkcow, this ones for you ^ )

/quote]

KIf it was only the legend there wouldn't be people seeing him several times in the same tour. This is because there's still some special magic in many of his shows. And there's always something that makes it worth.

Special Magic? Does Chris Angel perform during the break or something?

Who's Chris Angel?

You probably missed the first line of my statement, Doomed...


This!