Expecting Rain

well it does seem to be a little more difficult then demonstrating that bob wrote all along the watchtower after all...



i re-read this insightful quote and gleaned that the author is expressing a profound sense of frustration stemming from so many pieces of interesting/speculative/informative/substance-less/nail biting comments that emerged from what is essentially a yes or no opinion poll.

there really can be no other answers. after all, instrumental albums do exist. so no, even if he lost his voice or took a vow of silence until the world solved its hunger problem, he could still record an album.


it's possible that i'm reading into things too much. if so, my profound apologies shooting star!

I agree with you Benny about Modern Times and Love and Theft, i much prefer his voice and pretty much everything else on Love and Theft, i was just pointing out that Modern Times does have a smoother (albeit strained and pinched) tone to most of the shows around the time it was recorded.
Im guessing you find Johannas belief that he has had vocal surgery laughable??

Yes. There is no documentation even suggesting this actually happened in the real world. Unless, of course, dear JP can enlighten us further?

His acknowledgement yesterday that Cohen is still writing good albums somehow gives me the impression that we'll see a new Dylan album. No evidence, just a gut feeling based on the friendly rivalry between the two.

I don't know if I believe that Mr Dylan has ever had vocal cord surgery, I think the reason his voice sounded clearer in late 05 - 2006, was because of a deliberately different, quieter and more subtle vocal technique.

In 2003/04 Bob obviously realised his voice didn't have the same range as previously, but really tried to push it to the limits and sing the absolute top of his range in full belting voice which by 2005 he seemed to have adopted a much softer tone.

Bob's voice changes during the different takes in the Tell Ol' Bill sessions too, from being grunty, loud and rough on the slow blues version of the song to a gentle whisper on the minor key version.

Huck's Tune was recorded in 2006 not long after the Modern Times sessions, and his voice sounds very similar to the Modern Times style.

He also uses the quiet whispery voice on Life Is Hard, recorded early in 2009 and by then he seemed to be struggling for consistancy with the smoother voice however I still think he is very capable of using it should he choose to, Little Drummer Boy and Christmas Island are two examples of him using the voice also.

Many live versions of Forgetful Heart also feature the whisper although can by slightly barky too, whether or not the barking is deliberate is a completely different story

So yes I think Bob could certainly make another album with his current voice, and the condition of his voice wouldn't necessarily make a difference on how good the album would be IMO

I'm not sure who you would consider an authority on this subject, if you'd consider the possibility if Heylin or Gray told you, but it's just me and I'm speaking from my best of knowledge, which actually does have a credible source.

Hope you're enjoying the '04 shows, Mr flames. Let me know what you think of them. If you want a desperate vocal (no comments please, BB), try Don't Think Twice from Montauban.

Bob's voice is great! As good as Caruso's !

Caruso died 90 years ago, so its not much of an accolade.

there was a similiar thing in 1995...and I remember speculation about surgery around that time also.

Cat out of the bag time…. I do a lot of PM’s with lots of people here on the boards, as I am sure that many of you already know because I have traded messages with you… Well, one of the things that happens is people send me info…(some of these people don’t post in the open because they are just not ready to get clobbered as has been known to happen to new posters)….. many times they send the fashion details that I so love…. But sometimes it is little notes on things they have seen… and heard… at shows…. So here is a good one….

A friend told me that one of the shows last summer…. deep into the tour schedule, and not when Bob was just fresh from a rest period…. they managed to get inside early for a bit (needed the restroom) and then got to stick around and listen (and get a quick view) of a pre-sound check before they got caught and kicked back out …. They thought at first it was a tape from days gone by….. because Bob’s voice was sounding so good…. but it turned out it was just Bob and Charlie working up some arrangements (one of which was Slow Train…. have to go and look up what the other songs they heard). I was told the voice was soft and unstrained…. Another thing…. As everyone knows I kept asking for a certain song…. I got told by someone who would know that Bob tries to make the voice work by staying inside of a certain range…. picking the songs that fit that framework…. and that is why certain songs just never make the set list anymore ……… what songs would be in or out, or what makes some workable and others not, I have no idea…. but some just work and others just don’t. So could the voice do another new album…. Yes. It would have to be a carefully planned one…. Maybe acoustical…. with just a little backup accompaniment …..That would be cool…..The voice is not gone…. In spite of the cigs and the touring….. it is still there….Maybe not as much power as it once had, but it still there....

he ain't a polyp on the vocal chords of alfalfa, the king of crooners; surgery or no surgery

i would love an acoustic album (perhaps with minor accompaniments <ala Nettie Moore>, stripped down). it's gotta be rounded out that way...!

also, it should be noted that professional musician's and actors both have at their disposal a variety of noninvasive therapies/exercises that can improve the conditions and abilities of one's voice box - plus, many elements of singers range originate from other parts of the body (the diaphragm for instance) - so it is not unreasonable that even with a voice that's pretty much shot, it could have a significant range that can approach the level of very good, even with a rough, gravelly bottom. i would be surprised if bob did not do something to maintain the condition of what voice he's got now.

incidentally, this thread, plus a listen to Down in the groove, has generated an idea in me for a new thread topic i am excited about.

Hey, yeh was listening to the shows, and 'Standing in the doorway' from Stra is great, you can really hear him getting into the song. Im surprised it didnt get much mention back in the 100 top performance polls. His voice is mega rough but he certainly is making the most of it. Thanks for bringing this performance to my attention
As for the Montauban show, yeh its a pretty unremarkable show, Desolation Row was the highlight for me. But to be honest i think his voice sounds in better condition then than it does now. For the most part he is hitting actual notes and creating a discernible melody, he actually hits some relatively high notes too, which i haven't heard him do in a few years.. Having said that, nowadays he seems to have more power, in that he can belt out the barks, whereas in 2004 he seems a little bit more out of puff. But still all and all, id say his voice in 2004 was a slightly more melodic instrument than it is now.

I'm still looking for the cat that was built up to be so significant. Did I miss it?

I can agree with this..

Nonsense. Any fool knows that if you listen to Bob Dylan from another room, he always sounds better. This is an old rule and one I'm surprised you are ignorant of.

...and just how do you get a fashion report from another room???? Sometimes BB you just amaze me how you miss such important things

I don't see that whatsoever.

Was he wearing a hat by any chance?

By the way, I hear arse-rough is this year's black, so Bob's voice is, like, well trendy, innit?

Has anyone heard about the vocal chord surgery Adele had? Has it been mentioned here at ER by anyone?

In all seriousness, I saw a story about Adele's surgery(I knew nothing of her before I saw this) and I thought if something like that is possible why not Bob.
Many defend Bob's current voice and just as many rip it. But surely even the defenders would admit if there was a (safe) surgical proceedure that could help Bob would benefit.

You can argue that surgrey does affect the authentity of it all.

You could argue the same about cigarrettes.

Yes, possibly. Still.

When I saw that story I figured it would be generally known. I thought there's gotta be a thread on that at ER but I haven't seen one.

Is bob's voice 2 shot to make another album?

Heavens no! Why would anyone ask such a silly question? The tone of the question is suspicious, as if something is wrong with Bob's voice... to which I would ask, have you yourself listened to him lately?