Expecting Rain

Okay, so I know that objectively 2012 should not be up there in the 'great' years of Dylan's touring career but I gotta say, the more I hear of it the more and more infectious it's becoming to me. Yes, Dylan's voice is literally ripped to sinders but gig after gig he seems to constantly find interesting and unexpected ways to make it still work, in an entirely unique way that he hasn't before. It's not the smoother voice of the early 2000's, nor the blues man growl of 2004/5, nor the more uncontrolled bark of the latter 2000's; it's a more controlled, better utilised bark. The way he twists and turns phrases on songs such as Tangled, Ballad and Hard Rain, songs that should've been driven to the ground years ago, still gives me that smile after a line only Dylan seems to be able to produce. It's a mangled bark; but it's something that peculiarly I want to listen to more and more.

And for all the discussion over the band being on a tight leash, I think they sound tighter than ever, and whilst not as prone to improv moments as before, they shine through their sheer professionalism and the way they always manage to react to Dylan's piano or guitar meandering. Speaking of the piano, I only see good coming from it. Sometimes its juvenile, but he seems to play in a similiar way I end up doing: (the guitar being my primary instrument, the piano only something I experiment with) finding a pretty rudimentary tune or melody and simply seeing where the hell it takes you. It might go nowhere, but it's a great ride nonetheless. Those constant hammerings or repeated melody lines, whilst not to everyones tastes, provide a real new flavour to proceedings for me. Listen to Can't Wait, Delia or Blowin' In The Wind with the piano and they're completely different beasts to before!

The tour seems to have accrued bad reviews towards the end but to me the setlists were interesting, the band on great form and Dylan looks like he's having a ball! Compare his stage persona to 2000/01 and he looks like he's having so much fun up there. So much so that I can't listen to 2012 bootlegs now without imagining his strange smile or prancing after each line.

Anyhoo, just wanted to get that out. Having great fun listening to 2012. How's everyone else finding it after we've had time to listen to a years worth of boots?

Yeah I have grown to love the bark, as well. Bob utilizes his current voice so well, as you said. I know a lot of people do not like and will never get used to his barking. Over the past few years, I have accepted the fact that he will never have that smooth voice of the early 2000's. As much as I wish I could have seen Dylan back then, I now love his current voice. To all those people who go to his shows expecting him to sing the way he did ten years ago, please come to terms with reality. I embrace the 2012 voice just like I embrace the voices of years past. This is they way Bob sounds now, so get used to it! Once people learn to appreciate his current bark, people will appreciate even more his recent performances. However, Bob does not always bark in his songs nowadays. Just listen to the encores of Blowin' this tour. Bob really seems to be giving it his all, singing sweetly in the night. Ballad of a Thin Man takes on a whole new persona with Bob's echoing bark howling throughout the venue. Simply brilliant. I can't wait to see how Bob continues to be the great performer that he is. I'm glad to see that a fellow fan shares my love of this year.

2012 has been an amazing Bob year. Totally. We are amongst the fortunate ones to have caught pieces of this. I'd like to hear which shows are people's recommended top grabs, judged on both recording quality and interestingness.

I'd just repeat what is said here:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=73012

All pretty good picks.

I think his voice has improved this year and is pretty smooth for a change relative to the last few years. Good work Bob...

it was a smoking year all around. the grand piano was amazing and so was his singing. the better bob does the greater the jealousy by the lackluster types so we gotta remain vigilant.

Like a Vigilante Man
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty2nCSNS_vI

the great RY COODER. i think BRUCE did a thing on that too, on that Bob Pretty Boy Floyd album.

Im gonna listen to it, soon as i get a chance, but i hear someone killed a goldfish across the street and they are trying to blame me for it. gotta investigate

2012 is increasingly becoming one of my favourite years...

This was one of the finest years for the NET in a very long time... The grand piano brought about a playfulness in Bob musically as well as on stage performing and took things in a delightful direction aurally. This is a tour well worth documenting and remembering with as many recordings as one can acquire... so many great songs and lively performances. Its a blessing to be alive and get to hear this!!!

Yes, yes! I'd walk shoeless down that path with you!

Yes, I would say the words lively and playful describe the tour really quite accurately. There was a joyfulness in the performances this year that give it a great vibe and that creates that elusive feeling that is hard to describe but a pleasure to listen to on the boots. Bob was willing to play around with arrangements and moods and seemingly have fun doing it. The setlists, admittedly, were a bit unchanging at times but for once that really doesn't matter to me; the performances are so infectiously fun that it makes up for it. I repeatedly found myself, even in fairly standard sets filled with Thunders, Highways and Levee's, having a great time rather than it being a chore.

Whilst on the subject, a big thanks to you Barefoot for the live setlists and for all the tapers out there. Now come back to England next year, Bob.

I was surprised at the level of energy he brought to whole concerts including the stuff he was playing basically every might (LARS, H61, BOATM, etc.). I feel almost bad for fans who can't get past the "rasp/bark." He's still singing notes, the raspy stuff is tonal, and I suspect if there were a guitar player with that kind of harsh tone as his signature sound people would love it.

Sounds like Dylan was on fire in Omaha. Mark Knofler was born to play guitar on BEYOND HERE LIES NOTHING.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r_2SPLzJd0

Omaha was the best show I've seen since 2006. Surprised how much I enjoyed Beyond here Lies Nothing and Levee's Gonna Break, Tangled, Things have Changed, Thin Man and Blowin in the Wind continued to be tour highlights and To Ramona, Every Grain of Sand and Visions were well-performed in the wild card spots.

My feeling's mutual of Omaha.

Yeah, the version of Visions here at 7:00 is sublime. It truly is.
What I notice about this tour is he doesn't resort to the tired sing-song phrasing he sometimes resorts to for whole songs when he's not into it.
The, not only bad, but contemptuous reviews these concerts got has to be one of THE most laughable things I've ever seen associated with Dylan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw0TXDvmxH0

^That HWY61 is great!

As it happens, the soomlos recording of Omaha seems to be making the rounds:
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-deta ... ?id=431913

BTW on that Johanna he does a snatch of the sing-song bit at 7:45-7:55 and you might think, "Uh-oh." But he moves right out of it into other areas which are just tremendous.

As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of live versions of Visions of Johanna, I'd have to say that's the best one I can recall since Dublin '05.

The boots have been a pleasure to listen to from the last leg. Saskatoon, Vegas, Sacramento and Montreal are must have recordings.

Yes, imo there's not a shadow of a doubt.

Omaha Visions is locked and loaded for next time I start the vehicle.

listening to some of these shows and bob is in TOP form, totally amazing performances. im listenting to Edmonton and what a great show, with bob throwing some of the licks from Long and Wasted Years on Rolling Stone. one of the great bob tours specially the falls shows. how bob does it, i dont know but he continues to excel.

He's a natural at keeping it fresh. Top form is correct. This was a really fun year! And we get to keep on going! Happy 2013 all!