Bob Dylan 960712 in Magdeburg, Germany
Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 02:19:35 -0700
To: karlerik@online.no
Subject: Dylan in Magdeburg
From: WWinkler@T-online.de (Wolfram W. Winkler)
-hi erik,
just came home from MD
set list:
1. To Be Alone With You (...night time is the right time...)
2. Lay Lady Lay
3. All Along The Watchtower
4. Positively 4th Street
5. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
6. Silvio
7. Hollis Brown @
8. Gates Of Eden @
9. Mr. Tambourine Man @
10. Jokerman
11. Like A Rolling stone
12. Absolutely Sweet Marie
13. The Times They Are A-Changin' @
14 Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Comment: I don't like Silvio that much, but this was the best version I
ever heard: perfect phrasing with JJ and BB singing backing vocals, and a
long almost psychedelic outro that added some new colours to a song that
seems to experience a little "over-do"...
A very slow, low-voice, kinda sad & mellow Rolling Stone - impressing.
Good set, no introduction of the band, no bobtalk, but shake-hands with
someone in the front row and seemingly a little almost private chat..?
Wolfram Winkler, 100661.2537@Compuserve.com //WWinkler@T-online.de
Saturday 13.7.96 02:19:00
Subject: Magdeburg 12 July 1996 - comments
From: Christian Zeiser
Subject: Re: July 12, 1996, Magdeburg, Germany, Setlist
From: Carsten Wohlfeld (happyjaq@confetti.ruhr.de)
Date: 14 Jul 1996 15:52:00 +0100
> Magdeburg, Germany
> July 12th, 1996
>
So there I am, 250 miles from home in a venue that reminds me why I was
against the german reunification in the first place... :) 50s eastern
architecture at it worst, I dodn't expect much as I seems that Bob plays
his best shows at nice venues as well... but of course, I was wrong. This
was probably the best Dylan show I ever saw: Dylan was smiling, grinning,
dancing *constantly* and the band was better than ever before. I had a
nice place, second row in front of JJ and I just couldn't believe how good
Jackson was on this nite. Absolutely amazing!
>
> To Be Alone With You
The cuesheet alternative was "If You See Her" (at #1?!) but that they
dragged out this one was a more than welcome surprise. The only do it once
a year and always during the month of July...why??? On this song, Jackson
ROCKED MY WORLD or - tp paraphrase Neil Young - he rocked he whole free
world as well! (He also sang backup vocals)... Utterly fantastic harmonica
solo that lasted well over two minutes from Bob at the end with a nice
call and response-bit where he and JJ just got ROCKED. And, not only JJ
and I seemed to enjoy this pretty much. After the song Dylan went over to
Jackson slapping five with his guitarist. True!
> Lay Lady Lay
Nothing special, apart from the fact that this version never sounded so
musically perfect. I'd rather hear "Senor" any day of the week, though.
> All Along The Watchtower
The best version I heard in quite a while, again they RAWKED the place,
with JJ putting in his best solo. He played lead guitar again for all song
except the acoustics and a couple in the last electric set, where he had
some split solos with Bob.
> Positively 4th Street
The very nice slow county-ish arrangement that I like better with every
time I hear it. Bob was in great voice on this one (as if he wasn't all
evening) and there was a rare pedal-steel solo from Bucky that didn't get
buried completely.
> It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
They chose to play this one over "Pleding My Time" and though "Train To
Cry" doesn't change much from night to night you can clearly hear why they
love playing it so much. Even though it might be the slowest song in his
set, it is still among the most powerful. You know that it's a good show
when *all* five guys on stage are smiling. It's always fun to see Winston
go beserk behind his drum-kit on this one as well.
> Silvio
As good as ever, even when they didn't get the last solo (what is said to
be a J.Geils rip off) right, even though it was longer than usual. JJ
played some brilliant extra geetar-licks on this one and was so into it,
that he forgot to join in on the chorus one time. Bob played around this
the rhymes a bit and he seemed to enjoy that more than anybody :) I could
be wrong - and I might even confuse this with the Hamburg show - but I
think I heard an all new verse onthis one. Hand me the tape, please!
> The Ballad Of Hollis Brown (acoustic)
Yet again a brilliant performance of his great great song (I still can't
believe how much up to date almost all songs from the "Times" album still
are - after 32 years). If I hadn't heard it in Mannheim a week earlier, I
would've loved it even more. Pretty groovy guitar solo from Bob as well.
> Gates Of Eden (acoustic)
Another slight disappointment, cause it followed "Hollis Brown" at the
last show I saw as well. Anyway, it is of course always nice to hear,
especially on a night where the band is tho enthusiastic about playing as
tonight.
> Mr Tambourine Man (acoustic)
A bit of a surprise to see this one so high in the set, but I pretty much
liked this version, which was a bit faster and more edgy than the lullaby-
arrangement I last heard during the summer 95 tour.
> Jokerman
Sung a bit more relaxed than in 1994, this one wasn't very special, though
there weren't major lows on it, either. The bit close to the ending
sounded a bit improvised but good and Winston had a big grin on his face
during this song.
> Like A Rolling Stone
The mixed up the start of this one a bit but then it really kicked nto
gear. Much faster version than the rather lush 95ers. JJ sang backing
vocals on the whole chorus. Unfortunately, Bob didn't introduce the band
even though they were discussing what song to play and laughing out loud
before they went straight into:
> Absolutely Sweet Mary
Hey, thanks Bob! Always a favourite of mine and the first time I got to
hear it live. And *much* better than any bootleg versions I heard. The
band hit aperfect groove on this one and once again they all seemed to
enjoy the performance pretty much. After that Bob went to the front of the
stage to high-five a few people in the front row. You know he's in a good
mood when he does that!
> The Times They Are A-Changin' (acoustic)
Another song that is always great to hear even though it doesn't change a
bit. Incredible harp solo at the end that never seemed to stop. Even the
band was surprised that it went on for so long. At least Jackson was
looking quite puzzled and when he looked over to Garnier, they both just
smiled...Awww :)
> Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35
Um, yeah, I don't know what to say as a well known Rainy-Day-Women-hater,
but - hey! - I liked it! Bob played some awesome solos, and was even more
animated than during the rest of the how. He played this song directly to
the girl that stand in front of me and at first she seemed to be
delighted, but later embarrased, I guess, because he didn't stop to look
at her... At that he slapped five with about 10, 12 people in the first
few rows, laughing, pulling faces and HAVING A GREAT TIME. Then he was
gone and I was more than happy that I'd been there.
Off to Hamburg...
Carsten Wohlfeld
aka HappyJaq on IRC
"Whoever despises himself still respects
himself as one who despises" (F.Nietzsche)