"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome the poet laureate of rock 'n' roll. The voice of the promise of the 60s counterculture. The guy who forced folk into bed with rock. Who donned makeup in the 70s and disappeared into a haze of substance abuse. Who emerged to find Jesus. Who was written off as a has-been by the end of the '80s, and who suddenly shifted gears releasing some of the strongest music of his career beginning in the late '90s. Ladies and gentlemen — Columbia recording artist Bob Dylan!"
The above is the Bob Dylan introduction made before his show. This introduction have been using by his band members since 2002.
Let's me try not to sound like an expert. I'm no Dylan's expert. For his near 50 years musical career, his record collection is definitely too much for me to trace back.
Now, let's getting start with the show first. Dylan's show has been getting mix critical responses. Many people has pointed out Dylan's gigs are more like a "guess this song" game. One of the reasons is he has so many songs during this 50 years. take it into mind it's not a re-union tour of the former great. Dylan never stops composing music. The other reason is, he always "reinvent" his songs in live gigs. Different arrangement, different melodies, different phrasing. Usually people has to get the song by the lyrics, even the fans who has a solid Dylan collection, has to join the "guess this song" game.
Most of the people resist to go to a show with unfamiliar artists. How about an artists perform familiar songs unfamiliarly? haha.
IMHO, Bob Dylan doesn't even bother to entertain you in a live show. That's how many people don't like it. Take it if you like it. During the curtain call, Dylan stood still and saying nothing. He was even the first one turnaround and leave. He doesn't even care about your feeling.
Cool.
As I mentioned, I can't play the "guess the song" game. Of cause I can get those more popular one. He performed some really solid blues, jazzy and some great rock'n'roll. And I think Dylan did the best on hamonica, and keyboard then guitar, but he did some lead playing himself as well. His voice? that's the voice of Dylan. =) Personally, I'll also agree this is not the most exciting gigs I have ever attended. But going a gig is an experience. And I think I have a good damn night, musically and also emotionally.
Okay, now get to the point. This Asia of the tour become controversial as you all know. Because it's right at the moment the great regime did it once again, this time, to Ai Wei Wei the artist. Now someone criticize Dylan's silence on the human right matters. Dylan let the government censored the songs supposed to be sensitive(although they let some actually quite sensitive song to be performed, ironically) so he can perform also make many people unhappy.
Bob Dylan hasn't been a protest song singers for many years. Now people still expecting he is the "voice of the generation"? It's because people doesn't really know about Dylan's career. Yet they still keep the strongest image of Dylan in their mind. And they expect Dylan will act like what he supposed to be in their mind.Seriously, most people do. Even the most smart person somehow will make the same mistake. Because it's easy. We all try to simplify things even we know it's complex. A person is always complex. Who can't just stereotype or simply expect people to act or speak the things you suppose they will.
Do you really know what Bob Dylan has been doing?
Bob Dylan did perform "Ballad Of A Thin Man" =)
"But something is happening here and you don't know what it is. Do you? Mister Jones"
