Bob Dylan 990911 in Memphis, Tennessee
Subject: Re: September 11, 1999 - Memphis, Tennessee - Setlist From: JimDate: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 00:22:36 -0500 The show in Memphis was GREAT! The best Dylan concert I have ever seen (of course I said that about the New Daisy concert in Memphis in February....) Dylan's voice was excellent. I was pleasantly surprised that he sounded so well in a big arena like the Pyramid in Memphis. I didn't really get into Paul Simon's set, it was OK, crowd was pretty sedate through most of it, but danced through Graceland. I like this set list because I finally (after 6 Dylan concerts) got to hear Just Like a Woman, Like a Rollilng Stone, and Blowin in the Wind. Yes it is a "greatest hits" set list, but on this tour it is needed because of the audience Simon/Dylan are drawing. It does take balls to open with a obscure gospel song though :) But even that didn't stop the DeadHeads from lighting up their joints.... The audience really got into Not Dark Yet and Not Fade Away had almost everyone on their feet. Great Show...hope it makes an official Live Album on day...... JIm In Memphis http://home.earthlink.net/~jmaynard2
Subject: Memphis 9.11.99 From: paul williamsDate: 12 Sep 1999 15:24:32 -0700 Tonight's show was a grueling ten minute drive from my house. The things we do to see Bob... ;-) The Memphis show was essentially the same show as Nashville, except substitute "One Too Many Mornings" for "Baby Blue," "Memphis Blues Again" for "Silvio," and delete Marty Stuart. Still, though, this was a great show. The "duets" portion of the show sounded much better tonight, with Bob participating much more. He didn't back off the mic as much. I think the other night he was really looking forward to playing with Marty, and knew that that was when the crowd would get its money's worth, but tonight, he knew he had to make the duets count. Bob's delivery, especially on "the Boxer," was much more on target tonight. After "I Walk The Line," which John R. Cash recorded in this very city at 706 Union, I was thinking that they might do "Blue Moon Of Kentucky," which was also once recorded by some kid who went to Humes High School (where Hugh Beaumont went) at that same address, but we got "The Wanderer," as we had in Nashville. 'Knockin On Heaven's Door was next, and the reggaefied version was pleasant and playful, but nothing earthshaking. "I Am The Man, Thomas" is a great opening song for Bob's portion of the show, and Larry's and Charlie's harmonies really give it an old-time bluegrassy feel. I could listen to Bob play this kind of stuff all night. "Mr. Tambourine Man" was beautiful, and the crowd was really into it, cheering their favorite lines. I saw whole lot of folks with one hand waving free tonight. "It's Alright Ma" was powerful, Bob's delivery once again near-perfect. David Kemper drives this song along nicely, playing sort of a shuffle rhythm. Tonight is the first show I've heard of just Bob and his band since Bucky left, and they sound very, very tight. Larry moved over to pedal steel for the next song, a beautiful "One Too Many Mornings." His pedal steel playing is more of a weepy Nashville sound than Bucky's, whick is not to say it's not beautiful. I'd like to hear him play more of it; it kind of reminds me of David Mansfield's steel playing with the Rolling Thunder Revue on songs like "The Water Is Wide." Towards the end of the song, Bob pulled his harp out, and slung his guitar behind his back as he played a very nice solo while doing some of his best Carl Perkins dance steps. This was one of my favorite moments of the night. Bob is quite the showman when he wants to be. "Tangled up In Blue" was next, a nice tight version, Larry switching to lap steel. He doesn't actually play with it across his lap; he's got it on a stand. Bob's been playing this one every night for a long time, and while there are songs I'd rather hear at this point, how can you possibly complain about hearing something so great. I love to hear how he changes his delivery from night to night, especially the way he continues to find different ways to sing "the only thing I knew how to do was keep on...... keepin' .... on..... like... a ..... bird... that... fleeeeeeew......" "Watchtower opened the electric set, and it's obvious that this is a song that Bob enjoys performing. I love the way they're doing it, with Larry taking the solo on lap steel. It's much tighter than I've sometimes heard it in the past, not a note wasted. Introducing "Stuck Inside Of Mobile," Bob stepped to the mic and said, "We're gonna do this next song, we just couldn't get out of here without playing this one." Of course the crowd goes predictably crazy when he gets to the chorus. You could see all the band members looking around at each other and smiling at the audience's reaction. Larry plays a real nice guitar part on this one. "Not Dark Yet" followed, once again the lone TOOM song of the evening, and one of the highlights of the night. Bob introduced the band, and Charlie strapped on a Telecaster for a hot "Highway 61," Larry's lap steel slicing a path through the cacaphoneous thunder of the band. The band left the stage, and the crowd immediately let loose with a roar that did not let up until the band returned. I thought tonight's crowd was much more of a Bob crowd than Nashville, which seemed to be slightly more of a Simon crowd than this one. Charlie switched to a cream-colored Stratocaster for the first encore, "Like A Rolling Stone." His solo wasn't quite as hot as it had been in Nashville, but still, it was great. I really look forward to seeing how his role in the band evolves. He's very talented, and has tons of stage presence. "Blowing In The Wind" was next, the lovely bluegrass arrangement makes this song sound as timeless as it truly is. Bob then sent us all home with a rockin' "Not Fade Away," reminding us of how this all got started in the first place. Was tonight as hot as Nashville? Well, no. nasville was maybe the best I've ever seen. But, this was a very good show, a very good Bob Dylan show, and I don't know of too many things in life that rate up there with that. now it's just back to waitin' around for next time... (sigh)
From: Carsten Wohlfeld Memphis was the first place on this tour, where everything went as I'd wished it would. The bus station, Beale Street, Mud Island, The Pyramid - everything you need within a few blocks. So I arrived early in the morning, after a very pleasant day off in St. Louis - Vintage Vinyl is the best record store in the whole wide world, yay - and meeting a very nice person on the bus en route to Memphis, did some record shopping @ Shangri La and tried to relax a bit. After all I'd been to Memphis a few times before and did all the regular sightseeing already. The Pyramid is a weird place to see a show. It holds about 16,000 people and Simon and Dylan sold about 9,000, I guess. Simon opened and got a standing ovation for "Graceland" - of course. Bob the joined him for = The Boxer which was great as Bob was really singing along and not just mumbling as usual on the duets. Bob on harp, too. He actually came RUNNING on to the stage when Simon introduced him... = I Walk The Line Another nice choice for Memphis of course since Johnny Cash first rose to fame of the Million Dollar Quartett in Sun Studios as you all know. The performance was basically the same as always. = The Wanderer Why they chose not to do Elvis' "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" only about eight blocks away from Sun Studios, where the song was originally recorded is beyond me. = Knockin' On Heaven's Door was "Knockin". After the intermision Bob and crew came back out to open with: = I Am The Man Thomas (acoustic) which actually sounded even faster and louder in the indoor venue than at the open air shows before. Great stuff. Larry and Charlie on backing vocals for the chorus. = Mr Tambourine Man (acoustic) was sung in a lovely deep voice, but was maybe a bit too fast, at least I thought so. It didn't connect as usual. Bob's lead guitar was very high in the mix and his solo actually pretty good. Well, above average at least. = It's All Right Ma (I'm Onlz Bleeding) Sounds better and better every time he plays it. I'm now ready to say that it's most definitely the best song I ever heard Bob do live. Simply amazing. = One Too Many Mornings (acoustic) Larry on pedal steel. After the not quite so good version from Noblesville they did it again only to prove that they can do better. Tonight it was as lovely as it ever was, still pretty sow but with a GREAT harp solo at the end. = Tangled Up In Blue Bob loved to sing this song tonight and he was actually jumping around (!) on stage. The only problem: It was a bit too fast and he couldn't concentrate on the phrasing as much as he did the previous nights. = All Along the Watchtower They slowlz begin to figure out what they want to do with this all electric (plus lap steel) arrangement now and the songs gets better and better each night. = Just Like A Woman was "Woman". Then Bob mumbled something to introduce the next song, which of course was... = Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again Fun version, with everybody in the floor section on their feet and/or chairs. Standard version, with a stretched out "agaaaiiiiin" at the end of each chorus. = Not Dark Yet was "Not Dark Yet". Quite nice. Band intro time. = Highway 61 Revisited Charlie Sexton took the lead but the song didn"t connect quite as well as it usually does. It wasn't a particularly weak version, but not as good as it used to be either. = (encore) = Like A Rolling Stone Nice phrasing, nice extra riff towards the long ending part. At the end he seemed to sing an extra chorus while the band was playing the verse, or maybe I'm confusing things here... for a moment it sounded pretty weird though. = Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic) still no answer after almost 40 years. = Not Fade Away We remember Jerry. RIP. So there it was. I had thought it would be a bit better actually, as both Simon and Dylan seemed to have saved their energy in Noblesville for this show. Simon actually got the better crowd response tonight, which was a first for the shows I have seen. Mind you, I'm not saying it was a bad show, all the shows I've seen on the Simon tour have been very, very good. But the magic that was there at Madison Square garden or in Nashville was absent tonight. I'm sure it's gonna return tomorrow in Lafayette. Until then, thanks for reading and so long! carsten wohlfeld -- http://wohlfeld.yi.org "your girlfriend can leave you but the rolling stones are there forever" (alan mcgee)