Bob Dylan 980124 in Boston, Massachusetts - FleetCenter
FleetCenter
Capacity: 19,600
Double bill with Van Morrison
Seating Chart
Seat Locator
Subject: Jan 24th
From: Robert J Howell (rjh100@juno.com)
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 09:41:50 -0500
X-Mailer: Juno 1.49
Dylan smoked !! He is still rockin' !
I am a Van Morrison fan, yet after last night I believe Van was
privledged to be in the same building as Dylan. With the set that Dylan
did, I can not believe that he opened for Van on previous nights. There
was no comparison. It is difficult to pick out even one tune that was
better than the others or that I enjoyed hearing over the others. He was
one target, loose and looked like he was realing enjoying himself up
there and it came through in the music.
Simply put, an awesome show !!!!
RJ
Subject: Re: January 24, 1998 - Boston, Massachusetts
From: Joe McMullen (mcmullen@topdoc.tiac.net)
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 20:56:22 GMT
This was the best performance by Dylan I've seen (I've been to 7 in
the last 4 years.) A wonderful selection of songs, the band was
phenomenal, and Bob was perfect. The duets with Van Morrison on "Blue
Suede Shoes" and "Knockin on Heaven's Door" were magical. When Bob
pulled out the harp to close out "Knockin," a roar went up from the
arena.
The only drawback - the venue. At least where I was in the cheap
seats in the balcony, I was so far away from the stage that if I
hadn't had binocluars with me, I'm not sure if I could tell WHO was on
stage. Also, the sound really bounced around the arena. Seeing Bob
at the State Theater in Portland was a much better experience.
But, that aside, Dylan was fantastic.
I noticed absolutely no checking for tape recorders or cameras for
that matter. Put me down for an audio tape if someone gets hold of
one. I've got lots to trade.
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 11:45:35 -0500
To: karlerik@monet.no
From: Ray Donohoe (donohoe@ultranet.com)
Subject: Boston, 1/24/98
...
Well, the 1/24 show in Boston was one to remember. I can't give an
extensive tune by tune account of my concert experience (even though I do
have a setlist sitting beside me), only because I'd be reaching if I were
to try to comment on each chord, each measure, each lyric, etc. I agree
with Rob Howell's summation of "Dylan smoked! He is still rockin'!" as the
final word on this show. But I'm going to pull out some of the personal
highlights of the show, and take it from there. I'll try not to lose you.
Morrison opened about 7:30, for the record. Gave a strong performance, and
based on reviews of concerts past (I'm talking years ago, not the recent
MSG shows), was pretty audience friendly (i.e. he faced us). He played
until 9:00, and while a legend, it seemed to me that his set bore on a bit.
Granted, I was mainly there for Bob, but I think the whole multiple encore
bit where the performer walks off, waits for you to cheer him back on, and
then returns to your adulation is getting too routine. Enough vanity
already (no pun intended, I swear). Anyway, his voice was in excellent form
and his band was tight. One note of interest that came up in discussions
after the show: Van has this backup singer who, we all agreed, may be a bit
too enamored of Van. Case in point: this guy introduced Van at the start of
the show, and prior to each encore, begged us to beg Van to come back. We
complied. So one encore included "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You,"
during which the backup singer sang the verses "At the end of the day/We'll
give thanks and pray/To the One" and with a sweeping, syncophatic gesture,
pointed directly at Van, whom I don't believe was speaking of himself in
the third person when he wrote that lyric. Anyway, it was amusing. And for
the record: I hate that song. If I hear it at another wedding, I'm leaving.
But to his credit, Van improvised the lyrics a bit when he sang: "Have I
told you lately that I love you blah blah blah blah blah...." Well done.
Oh yeah, Bob. Like at MSG, Bob came on during Van's set to perform Blue
Suede Shoes as a tribute to Carl Perkins. What amazed me was the crowd
reaction to Bob's appearance. I pretty much expected an overwhelmingly
pro-Morrison crowd in Boston (forgive me if I rely too heavily on
sterotypes - hey, I went to school in nearby Providence), but the crowd
erupted when Bob took the stage. So maybe that's why the rest of Van's set
seemed to drag for me, personally, because we had been fed that teaser.
Anyway, their rendition was pretty much unremarkable but for Bob's
appearance, and Van's voice is so strong that it pretty much drowned out
Bob. But it was still an exciting moment. And Bob gave Van a big ol' hug.
Alright, so Van's set ended about 9:00, and Bob came on about 9:30. One
word to describe Bob's performance - ANIMATED. I really think his new
material has given him new life up there. You can tell he's proud both of
the new stuff, and with the positive reponses he's received for it. I mean,
he looked to be having a ball up there. The man is in his mid-fifties, and
yet he's striking some rock-and-roll icon poses worthy of a youthful Pete
Townsend (maybe not so dramatic, but effective still). And as a friend who
saw him in Dayton said, he seems content to play until he drops. Excellent.
Alright, the setlist:
#1: Absolutely Sweet Marie - good opener, solid, knew it was gonna be a
good show. I'd been a bit concerned that to follow Van and his voice would
be difficult, but Bob came out with confidence and clarity.
#2: Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You: I know I enjoyed it, but have
nothing else to add. If it had been poor, I'd tell you.
#3: Cold Irons Bound: My first experience with Bob's new stuff live. Now,
is it just me, or does the new stuff sound FANTASTIC live???!!! Ten times
better than the studio recordings, which are in themselves up for a Grammy
(for what THAT'S worth - ohhhh, Bob could join the ranks of Celine Dion,
woooowwwww/forgive my editorializing, all you Dion fans). And here's where
Bob is just discharging the lyrics with FORCE. The words are fresh, and his
renderings of them are most likely being reinvented with each performance
(I welcome feedback on that - as mentioned, this was my first
post-Time-Out-Of-Mind show). Loved it.
#4: Just Like A Woman: Very clear, and with energy. Crowd ate it up. Built
to a nice crescendo, just when I thought he didn't have it in him.
#5: Silvio: You know, I LIKE this song, and look forward to it in each
show. I hope this doesn't cause me to lose face among the veterans who
visit this site.
#6: Hard Rain (accoustic): I swear, I had just whispered that I would love
to hear "Hard Rain" when the chords started up. No lie. Every other call I
made after that point was a resolute failure (except, of course, for RDW),
but I was right on with this one. Beautifully rendered, not a lyric lost.
Thanks, Bob (*sigh).
#7: Love Minus Zero/No Limit (accoustic): Very nice.
#8: Tangled Up in Blue (accoustic): I was surprised to hear this one come
out, seeing as he'd played it on Friday. But thank God he did - man, was
this good. The mandolin makes for such a catching intro to each cache of
verses. I'd seen this before in smaller venues, but Bob and the boys really
seemed to light it up this time around - maybe it was the larger venue, who
knows. Biggest crowd pleaser, and one of the strongest performaces of the
show.
#9: Million Miles: Best received of the new titles. Same vocal energy as
CIB. Bob is really enjoying himself.
#10: Positively 4th Street: A personal favorite. Well played.
#11: 'Til I Fell In Love With You: More of the same as regards the new titles.
Encores:
#12: Highway 61 Revisited: Bob can rock, no doubt about it. Anyone who
wasn't prepared for that (including friends who were with us) certainly
learned it that evening. The man is a jack-of-all-trades.
#13: Knockin' (accoustic): Another crowd pleaser, most recognizeable, all
that. A bit funny, though, and maybe this is just me trying to make
something out of nothing in order to make this show all the more memorable,
but I was struck by this. Back during Van's set, Van gave Bob a big
introduction prior to Blue Suede Shoes. But here, during Knockin' (the
ultimate bring-on-the-special-guest-'cause-he's-sure-to-know-the-words
song), Bob went on through verses 1 & 2, and during the solo prior to verse
3, you could see a roadie run backstage, talk to Bucky, who then spoke with
Bob, who nodded his head yes, and then another mike was brought out. But it
took Van a long time to appear, I think because he's so used to his backup
singer introducing him. But Bob never said a word, and actually went right
into verse 3. So Van just made it out in time to join in on the chorus, and
then things (in my mind) got really hysterical. As they were jamming after
the chorus, Van was all set to keep singin' "Knock, knock, knockin' on
heaven's door," which would seem obvious, but when he opened his mouth to
do so, Bob came right out with "Just like so many times before," which
caused Van to flub his lines, and which then brought the biggest smile out
of Bob's face since singing "America the Beautiful" with Clinton. It was
reminiscent of the old Joan Baez days when Bob used to deliberately make
life difficult for the poor woman, live, on stage. Like I said, this is all
just speculation, but it's fun speculation, no?
Bob then took the harp to his mouth (which made my night - I'd been prayin'
for it during TUIB, to no avail), squeezed a few notes, didn't like that
harp, chose another, and gave a strong performance that pretty much drowned
out anything Van had to offer (why do I INSIST on promoting this supposed
vindictiveness??!!?? It's the damn media's fault). At song's end, another
hug, and Van left the stage. Crowd ate it up - but only I, at that time,
knew what REALLY took place. And now you, too, know. Mooha ha ha ha ha ha
ha.....
#14: Love Sick: Tough transition, to be honest. The crowd was way up from
Knockin', and the next line out of Bob was "I'm walkin' through streets
that are dead." Vintage Dylan. Always remaining true to himself. To hell
with giving 'em what they want. Oh yeah, and speaking of which...
#15: Rainy Day Women: All the lights came up, everyone was on their feet,
dancing furiously, all in all a feel-good ending if ever there was one. To
be honest, this was the best time I've had with this tune, mainly 'cause
the crowd really enjoyed it. I mean, the WHOLE PLACE was dancing. So what
if the tune is cliche'? This response was genuine, as was the ovation when
it was all over.
What a show, huh? It had it all - songs old and new, drama, humor,
intrigue. The best large-venue Dylan show I have EVER seen. The man is
touring so well.
And lastly, Dylan DID acknowledge Van just after Love Sick. He said
"hmnhmnhmhnbig hand for Van Morrison!" which we all gave, with Bob leading
us in one helluva sarcastic manner. We're talkin' a MONSTER clap, with his
right hand down by his stomach, and his left arm flying way over his head,
at near-full extension, coming down to meet the left hand at intervals of 2
seconds. Hilarious.
Hey, they get along. But given this scenario, this was one concert I will
never forget. And without that scenario, this was one concert I will always
remember! Can't beat that!
Cheers -
Ray Donohoe
donohoe@ultranet.com
Subject: Boston, MA, 24 January 1998 - a review
From: Carsten Wohlfeld (happyjaq@confetti.ruhr.de)
Date: 01 Feb 1998 00:32:00 +0100
Bob Dylan
Boston, MA 24 January 1998
FleetCenter
A Review by Carsten Wohlfeld
Hello and welcome to my ninth and final review of the January dates. Hope
you enjoyed the ride so far. I certainly had a good time and feel very
fortunate, that I had the chance to see Dylan play so many excellent shows
in a row. It wasn't 100% all nights, but Bob came close on most days. The
last night of the mini tour with Van wasn't the best show of the run, but
of course it had that special moment at the end.... more of that soon. Bob
closed this night at the huge FleetCenter and already came out during
Van's set to do "Blues Suede Shoes" as a tribute to the late Carl Perkins
again. More Bob input this time, he also played his own Strat. At 9.30pm
he and his band came on stage to start with:
Absolutely Sweet Marie
... as usual and it wasn't the best version, but it got a more
enthusiastic crowd response than the night before nevertheless.
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
Another so-so version that merely served as a warm-up for the things to
come. "I Want You" was the unplayed alternate on the cuesheet.
Cold Irons Bound
Sounded less convincing than most nights and I still prefer "Can't Wait"
(or even "All Along The Watchtower"!) in this slot. Not every night can be
01/21!
Just Like A Woman
Started out with an unfamiliar, yet charming extended instrumental intro
and became one of the better versions, even though it didn't come close to
the New London rendition. But I still don't have to hear it again. Enough
is enough :-)
Silvio
Rocked as usual and as good as it is live, it's realy time for a change in
this slot. No need for "Silvio" to become the next "Watchtower" as far as
longevity is concerned!
A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall (acoustic)
If you've read my report on the first Boston show you know what I think
about the repetions of rarely performed classics on this part of the tour,
but the last refrain alone was worth the admission price twice over!
Love Minus Zero / No Limit (acoustic)
Standard performance of this great tune that still sufferes from Kemper's
drums being too loud, IMHO.
Tangled Up In Blue (acoustic)
Really cooking version tonight with the most amazing Bob solo at the end.
Maybe he thought he could provoke the stage rush that always happened
during this tune in New York, but the security guards didn't do him the
favour. Same as the night before: No stage rush whatsoever.
Million Miles
What's nice about the new songs they play every night is the fact that you
discover new little details every time. Tonight I noticed the nice pedal-
steel riff as the secret driving force behind this tune. Doubtlessly it
has been there on every performance, but it too me eight shows to finally
notice it :-)
Positively Fourth Street
Very unconvincing performance of this classic as Bob had to struggle with
the lyrics quite a bit. Great crowd response as usual, though. The Band
intros afterwards were standard. No jokes, no nothing.
'Til I Fel In Love With You
Another solid performance during which David accidentally threw one of his
drumsticks at Bob. :-)
(encore)
Highway 61 Revisited
As good as the current arrangement is (and as good as it is played) I
don't need it on four consecutive nights.
Knockin' On Heaven's Door (acoustic)
I loved this version of the new and improved arrangement with backing
vocals to death already before anything REALLY special happened. But then:
Bob is halfway through the second verse as a roadie comes up to Tony
(playing his big upright bass) whispering something in his ear (probably:
"aye Tony, there's this big irish bloke backstage and he wants to sing on
this song. Please ask Bob about it!")... Tony tries to move over to
Bob....*whisper* *whisper*... Bob smiles, nods and sings the third and
final verse. During an extended instrumental break that followed a second
mike is set up, the crowd go *NUTS* and Van walks out - for the first time
not dressed in a suit, but more casually with a blue shirt and a vest -
and starts the first verse again. The fact that he only knew the first
line and made up the rest didn't matter, he crowd loved every bit of it.
The call-and-response routine that they tried on the following chorus was
horrid as well, but it was BOB AND VAN and "KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR" so
who cares? "I can't get any better", I thought and of course I was wrong
cause after that - the band soloing a bit - Bob went back to his amp,
picked up a harmonica in what must be the first time in six month and
played a solo that lasted at least three minutes! It wasn't his best, but
it was SOOOOOOO GOOD to see him play that damn thing again! People were
talking that after his illness he didn't have the energy to play harp
anymore or maybe he was afraid of germs... whatever, he played it on a
song he did with Van The Man and that alone was worth the trip from Europe
to the States for me. "How about a hand for Van Morrison", Dylan said
after the song had ended. How about a hand for BOB DYLAN?
Lovesick
It seemed as if Dylan just wanted to get outta there after the great
"Knockin...". Seemed kinda rushed this time.
Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35
This is now officially the song I heard Dylan do more than anything else,
21 versions in a total of 23 shows I've seen since 1994. Too bad that it
probably is my least favourite Bob tune of all time as well.
Anyways, that brings me to the end of my little series of reviews. I'm
still looking for a tape of this second Boston show, as well as both New
London dates. If you can help me, please get it touch!
As always: Thanks for reading! Hope that all the fun I had came across in
print as well. Now I'll keep my fingers crossed that the European dates
will be confirmed and I hope to see all my (new) friends - thanks again,
you know who you are! - on this side of the big pond very soon. Expect my
next review from Oberhausen, May 25 :-) Goodnight.
--
carsten wohlfeld
"i'm caught in a trap and i can't get out cause i love you so much, baby!"
(elvis presley)
