Bob Dylan 970209 in Tokyo, Japan
Subject: Tokyo show
From: Hirosi Yosizawa (zxc1007@zzz.or.jp)
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 01:11:06 +0900
X-Mailer: Microsoft Internet Mail 4.70.1157
Tokyo show February.9.97
Bob Dylan was good mood.
He talked a little. " Thank you "
He sang prettily.
Pretty!!!
A spectator went up for a stage.
They touched Bob Dylan.
However, Bob Dylan was good mood.
No harmonica.
A spectator greatly was satisfied.
Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood)
I Want You
All Along The Watchtower
Just Like A Woman
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Silvio
Oh Babe It Ain't No Lite(acoustic w band)
Masters Of War (acoustic w band)
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (acoustic w band)
Seeing The Real You At Last
Simple Twist Of Fate
Highway 61 Revisited
Like A Rolling Stone
It Ain't Me, Babe (acoustic w band)
Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35
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Hirosi Yosizawa (zxc1007@zzz.or.jp)
http://www.zzz.or.jp/~zxc1007/index.html
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Subject: Feb. 9 Tokyo International Forum
From: "love-0nl@wellmet.or.jp" (love-0nl@wellmet.or.jp)
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 00:30:11 +0900
X-Mailer: Eudora-J(1.3.8.5-J13)
Dear Boboholic people,
Some people referred to me as the most popular man on r.m.d, but
I do not think so at all. Because THE most popular man here is BOB
DYLAN! Period.
I have just come back home from the show and I know what I have to
to before taking a bath.
VEGAS, the new band that consists of Dave Stewart (ex-Eurithmics),
Terry Hall (ex-Specials, Fun Boy Three) and a pianist whose name I
cannnot remeber, opened the show. They played 5 or 6 songs.
Working Class Hero (John Lennon)
?
Our Lips Are Sealed
Here Comes The Rain Again
Psychokiller (Talking Heads)
And then Bob Dylan. The band consists of Dylan, JJ Jackson, Tony Garnier,
Bucky Baxter and David Kemper. We heard a lot of rumors, but ...
Anyway the songs tonight were:
Down In The Flood
I Want You
All Along The Watchtower
Just Like A Woman
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Silvio
@ Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie (Elizabeth Cotton)
@ Masters Of War
@ Don't Think Twice It's Alright
Seeing The Real You At Last
Simple Twist Of Fate
Highway 61 Revisited
Encore 1
Like A Rolling Stone
Encore 2
@ It Ain't Me Babe
Rainy Day Women #12&35
A lot of people rushed to the stage as soon as 'Babe' began.
Some people even went up to the stage (soon cleared).
I have never seen such crazy audience since I saw Napalm Death
(a very hard core death metal band) last August.
Dylan seemed to like this. He even smiled.
But I do not think this kind of thins will happen again.
Dave Stewart is standing on stage during the encores, but
instead of playing the guitar or singing, he videotaped Dylan
and the crazy audience.
See you tomorrow.
Masato Kato
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Subject: Tokyo International Forum, Feb 9
From: Matthew Zuckerman (zook@gol.com)
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 00:45:22 +0900
Tokyo International Forum
Feb 9, 1997
1 Down in the Flood
2 I Want You
3 All Along the Watchtower
4 Just Like a Woman
5 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
6 Silvio
7 Oh Baby, It Ain't No Lie @
8 Masters of War @
9 Don't Think Twice @
10 Seeing the Real You At Last
11 Simple Twist of Fate
12 Highway 61
13 Like a Rolling Stone
14 It Ain't Me Babe @
15 Rainy Day Women
Before this, Dave Stewart did a short set with Terry Hall on vocals and (on
the last 3 songs) a pianist whose name I didn't catch. They did:
1 Working Class Hero
2 Walk into the Wind
3 Cecille
4 Talk to Me Like Lovers Do
5 Psychokiller
I don't know any except the first of these, so the titles are guesswork.
Well, in the pub before the show we laid our opening song bets. I put 1000
yen on Absolutely Sweet Marie, Richard chose Rolling Stone and Mike said
Union Sundown. At the hall Heinrich poo-pooed it all and said it would be
Down in the Flood. He was right, but I think we had more fun. (I heard
Heinrich muttering "Next time I think I'll go to a Johnny Cash show!" But,
hey, I like Johnny Cash too.)
The hall itself is a massive thing with a 5000-seater auditorium,
conference halls and god knows what else. It's a nice hall though with good
sound, although we were a little too near the bass speaker.
No big surprises in the set list, but a big surprise as regards the
musicians -- no changes! JJ, Bucky, Tony and DK, same as the last tour of
last year. Here's a song-by-song breakdown.
1 Down in the Flood
Disappointing, of course, that there wasn't something new. Also, a very
leaden performance, a long way short of the 1995/96 ones I've heard.
Fortunately, this was the only dud of the night.
2 I Want You
Decent performance that really caught fire in the last verse. The whole
band started to relax and Dylan's knees started to knock together, always a
good sign.
3 All Along the Watchtower
Well, ok, there's been lots of talk about this, but it really does work
live. All the wrinkles have been sorted out in the first two numbers and
this is the real start. A hot number, and it's here that Dylan's guitarwork
really starts to impress. I heard people talking about this in October, but
I just didn't expect him to play this well. Excellent lead work with a
full, fluid tone, nothing at all like the grungy hit-and-miss style he's
been pursuing these last few years.
4 Just Like a Woman
The into to this is the only guitarwork he fluffed all evening. Other than
that, a fine performance with a delightful last verse, dropping to the
bottom of his range on the "just like a woman" lines.
5 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Usually, live versions of this song don't impress me much, but this was one
of the highpoints of the show. The vocals on the second verse and bridge
really kick in and there's some more fine guitar playing. Also a little
duck walk and a lot of mugging. I think there's a lady in the first row
he's paying a lot of attention to.
6 Silvio
Same arrangement as last year, but cooking all the same. Another highpoint
with more duck walks and other assorted legwork.
7 Oh Baby, It Ain't No Lie @
The only surprise on the set list. A very nice version of the Elizabeth
Cotton classic, with David Klemper staying on drums.
8 Masters of War @
Same as last year, but very intense, especially the last verse, which
featured a lovely little guitar figure from Dylan that he will no doubt
never play again.
9 Don't Think Twice @
Starts off softly, but really gets steaming, with some great dobro playing
from Bucky and some more fine guitar from Dylan.
10 Seeing the Real You At Last
A rather different arrangement of this one, with a new riff. It's more
melodic than before and some of Dylan's best guitar playing of the night.
11 Simple Twist of Fate
Probably the very best performance of the night. Nothing surprising, just
very very good.
He introduced the band here. Minimal intros.
12 Highway 61
Again, no surprises, but a real rocking version.
13 Like a Rolling Stone
First encore, and a tremendous version. I'm looking forward to hearing a
tape of the second verse. Some great phrasing.
14 It Ain't Me Babe @
A very up-tempo version of this, and then there's a big rush for the stage.
This kind of thing might happen in the States, but in Japan, even getting
someone standing up and dancing is a pretty far out sight. About a dozen
people jump up on the stage and shake hands with Dylan. He's smiling as
wide as I've ever seen and obviously enjoying it. The security people clear
the stage, but to the end of this song and through the next one, the whole
hall is on its feet.
15 Rainy Day Women
Ok, ok, I usually skip this one when I'm listening to the tapes, but it IS
a nice way to end a show. Everybody up and dancing. One more person gets up
on stage to shake Dylan's hand. Two sung verses, lots of instrumental, then
that's it.
Disappointing then that the format is just a continuation of last year, but
a fine show all the same. If I had been to a dozen or so shows last year, I
might be bummed out, but on the other hand, if I hadn't heard any tapes
since Dylan's last shows here in 1994 I would have been absolutely blown
away. As it was, I'm somewhere in the middle, but more blown than bummed.
More tomorrow!
_________________________________
Matthew Zuckerman
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 11:21:57 +0900 (JST)
From: Ryutaro Sue
To: karlerik@online.no
Subject: Tokyo first night
February 9 ,1997 in Tokyo at Tokyo International Forum
Setlist
Crash on the levee (Down in the flood)
I want you
All along the watchtower
Just like a woman
I'll be your baby tonight
Silvio
Oh babe it ain't no lie (acoustic)
Masters of war (acoustic)
Don't think twice,it's alright (acoustic)
Seeing the real you at last
Simple twist of fate
Highway 61 revisited
Encore1
Like a rolling stone
Encore2
It ain't me ,babe
Encore3
Rainy day women #12&35
I went to Bob's concert for the first time.
His performance was more exciting R&R than I have expected.
This night may be special night for not only me but Bob.
Because a lot of people ,one of them was me, rushed to the stage
when he began to play "It ain't me ,babe" at 2nd encore.
And we danced and sang 'everybody must get stoned!'.
Bob seemed very delighted ,even smiled.
Now I think back that Bob's performance has a great power to
bring all the young people to the stage.
--
Ryutaro Sue ( Tokyo university )
e-mail: s60516@komaba.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
WorldWideWeb: http://www.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~s60516/
Setlists
