Reviews

Bob came out on stage 15 minutes late and launched in to Rovin gambler. It
was ordinary but had a verse that I hadn’t heard before. It went something
like "The love I have for the gamblin’ man no human tongue can tell". The
Times was not as good as in Lund and Bob forgot the lines in the first
verse which ended up being almost only the last line. Masters was just
like in Lund.  Next was a tender Boots of Spanish Leather great singing on
this one. Tangled  was god old tangled.  Then we got Love minus zero which
is one of my favourite songs when played live. Great version to and it
ended with a rather long harmonica outro, Bob holding his guitar in his
right hand signalling to David Kemper when to end it. The lights went down
as the band prepared for the electric set which started with Country Pie.
I just love this song. Next song started really slow with a rhythm I
didn’t recognise then Dylan sang I cant wait. This was a highlight for me.
During the car ride up To Gothenburg (three hours) we had discussed the
chances of hearing Watchtower and agreed that they were pretty slim, but
when Charlie picked up his black guitar it sent shivers down my spine.
This must be the best version of All along the watchtower I have ever
heard. But the surprises where far from over. Tell me that it isn’t true
has a great rhythm to it. The next song was probably the surprise of the
evening Drifters escape it was a hard rocking version that I loved. Bob
also played harmonica on this one. Just fantastic. The encores where the
same as in Lund but after Rainy day which only featured two verses
tonight, some people(not many) were starting to leave and suddenly  Bob
appeared again and did Blowin in the wind. It felt as if I was in heaven. 
My next and last show on this tour will be in Stockholm on Thursday and
I’m really looking forward to it.

After a very good show in Lund, the expectations rised above earlier
hights before the Gothenburg show. Nevertheless - I was schocked! Dylan's
vocal was crispy clear and focused from the first line of "Roving Gambler"
and throughout the show. He was more into the show, smiled more often, and
the guitarplaying was really great, acoustic and electric (of course with
a few exceptions....).

"Boots Of Spanish Leather" was the first really outstanding song, a very
tender and heartfelt version. "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" the same, with a
beautiful harmonica solo at the end. He delivered a perfect "All Along The
Watchtower", but more surprising was the definitive version and
arrangement of "Drifter's Escape" - the whole audience rocked with this
one. In "Tell Me That It Isn't True" Dylan breathes thirty years of
experience into the beautiful ballad, and gives it new depths. "Can't
Wait" is a new song to, though just three years old - it changes from
tough blues to a melancholic ballad. Beautiful!

One of the real highlights of the evening was when Dylan, after singing a
great version of "Don't Think Twice", leaves the guitar at the back of the
stage, and with one hand waving free, plays the harmonica for two full
verses - standing ovations from an overwhelmed audience.

Dylan even returned to stage after "Rainy Day Women" - which is proving
that even Bob himself thought this was something really special.

In Gothenburg Dylan broke across the borderline, and on a scale from 1 to
6, this was an obvious 7!

Johnny Borgan

This was surely a big Bob-fest, the best I´ve been to since the first time
I saw him here in Gothenburg 1992. Dylan was in the mood, concentrated
100%. Totally 19 songs and all performed with brilliance. My favourite:
"Masters Of War". I think he liked the audience because of the extra
encore: "Blowin´ In The Wind". But I can´t see the meaning of reserved
seatings when everyone runs forward and some standing on chairs. 

Regards, Jonas Valthersson.

Wow! Dylan was on a good mood tonight! He was flirting with the crowd and
there was smiles and laughter all over almost all through the night. And
Dylan was playing with his guitar a lot... well of cause he was playing
his guitar, but tonight he really enjoyed himself and played around a
whole lot and played many great solos, both acoustic and electric. There
was only in "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" where things didn't seem to work
out OK with his guitar - he had problems with the first solo and just left
it in the end and then the second solo he gave up almost at once and then
he looked like thinking "ah, fuck that" and he took off the guitarr and
picked up his harp instead and played a harp solo with the harp in his
left hand the guitar in his right! He did a similar thing on "Drifter's
Escape", this time not due to guitar problems and this time with the
electric guitar in his right hand. The only big lyric screw up was on
"Times" where they played the intro and he stepped up to the microphone
and - nothing! Then he mumbled something and the second line wasn't much
better but then it went OK. Well, enough of winging - this was a fantastic
show and the crowd was all in on it. Already when the first electric set
started the crowd rushed on towards the stage, not after the break as
supposed. I was very pleased as I had no problems from my seat on the rear
end on the ninth row to get to second row up by the stage. Highlights?
Well, the whole first set was so solid and Dylan was so slick on his
guitar, singing and all his moves that I almost felt like going home
already then cause it was just too good to follow up. But they could and
when they played "Don't Think Twice" I just melted. After "Not Fade Away"
Dylan really started to look tired. When he bowed his legs seemed to
almost give away and it looked really weired. And after "Don't Think
Twice" when the band started to move backstage, Dylan took a couple of
steps towards the crowd and put one foot about a meter infront of the
other, leaned over looking at the crowd - stretching! But of cause we got
another song, "Rainy Day Woman", before they went backstage. However,
Dylan seemed to have so much fun so they came on again and did a fantastic
"Blowin' In The Wind" and Dylan really had fun with his guitar! I let the
people who knows more (anythi! ng) about guitar playing to go into further
details. Now afterwards I had great problems remembering the setlist - I
could remember the songs but not the exact order - I was just too taken by
this show! Sorry for this somewhat distorted "review", but take it for
what it is: my emotional reaction to this night - I leave the analyses to
others. Thank you Dylan and I'm very pleased if the Stockholm show is half
as good!

I might as well say it right now this show was absolutely magnificent. The
highlights were so many I can't even remember them all. The highlights
could be, not just a whole song, but also little things here and there.
New phrasings, the way he looked accentuating what he was singing. The
timing between him and the other musicians were sometimes unbelievable.
You could even see Bob laugh out loud in pure joy of the brilliant music
they were creating at that particular moment. He wasn't bending his knees,
making poses the way he did last time I saw him. This time it wasn't
thought out. The way he looked and moved around the stage were for the
most part something that just happened spontaneously.

  Roving Gambler (acoustic) 
It all started out pretty well with Bob very concentrated on the singing.
Bob's voice very upfront in the mix and crystal clear. We got some nice
new phrasings here and there, a solid performance.

  The Times They Are A-Changin' (acoustic)
He totally forgot the first lines (how that is possible for the man who
once wrote the famous words: "Come gather round people.." beats me) but it
got much better eventually. Once he remembered the words he sang it very
powerful. No surprises and Bob's guitar playing was very good right from
the start.

  Masters Of War (acoustic) 
A very good version. Powerful as ever.

  Boots Of Spanish Leather (acoustic) 
Started out a little strange but they found the groove and Bob's singing
was awesome throughout.  A very heartfelt rendition. 

  Tangled Up In Blue (acoustic) 
Now, this was the first evidence that Bob was really into it this night.
When he sang the first, "Taaaaaaangled" very loud, strong and stretched
out, I knew it was going to be a great show. Maybe this song doesn't
usually excite me all the time but still, if he sings it this concentrated
and the band hits the right groove it really is a treat listening to it.
He stretched a lot of words tonight at the end of each phrase with his
"tremolo voice". What struck me also was Bob's very rhythmic, almost
staccato, way of singing at times that perfectly interacted with the
instruments. The song ended very loud.

  Love Minus Zero/No Limit (acoustic) (Bob on harp) 
Very nice version. The harp solo at the end was amazing. He seems to have
the strength back in his lungs.  The last couple of years it has always
sounded a little weak, you can hear that by the sound of the harmonica.
Now it sounds like in the "good old days" again!  Awesome!

  Country Pie 
I don't remember much if this one because the stage rush happened during
this song ;-)! It was probably great. 

  Can't Wait 
Wow! The reworked version. Really spooky, slow and full of emotions. Like
a completely new song. Very carefully sung with many nice new guitar
loops.

  All Along The Watchtower 
Rocked really hard. Solid performance.

  Tell Me That It Isn't True 
Now, this is what listening to AND looking at Dylan is all about. He sang
the refrain: "please, tell me that it isn't true" but the expression on
his face added so much more to the feeling of the song.

  Drifter's Escape (Bob on harp) 
WOW again! I still can't even believe I got to hear this one. It's one of
my all time favourites like it was played in '95. I say this was f****g
funky! It was the funkiest version I've ever heard. Bob's singing was
beyond belief.. and how he sang it.. stepping around the microphone,
throwing in the lines, spitting out the words.. the timing was superb..he
was laughing..smiling.. and the band.. smiling from ears to ears all
through the song.. what a joy.. Animated like it was "Hard Rain
TV-special" revisited. the audience was really into this one (even though
most of them didn't know the song at all!)...I was six feet from the
security fence in front of the stage and I had a hard time hearing the
music at times. Now THAT is a loud audience! And to top this he throws in
an extraordinary harmonica solo at the end ..ohh man, what can I say!!

  Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat 
Rocking. He loves to sing that line about him and her, forgetting to close
the garage door. He had a funny grin on his face while singing that
particular line, the jokerman indeed. This goes for the whole night, he
wasn't just singing the songs in a great way, he was telling true stories
in every (almost anyway) song and that is a big difference.  

  Love Sick 
Was love sick.  Always a highlight.  Also a very good solo from Larry.

  Like A Rolling Stone 
I might be a traitor but I always feel that this is a song Bob's not
singing for himself. If he doesn't spit out these words (I don't think
this song can be sung gently) I don't think it works properly. Ok, it was
very well done of course but the real energy was somehow missing.

  Forever Young (acoustic) 
Now, this is a song that perfectly fits his voice of today. Like the old
wise man of the mountain singing a song of love. Not necessarily to a
particular person or for the person it was originally written for, but
more generally, his audience or even more, every person around. Tonight's
version was very gentle and sweet. Perfectly sung and carefully
pronouncing every word. Perfect backup singing from Larry and Charlie.

  Not Fade Away 
Time to rock the hall! The backup singing from Larry and Charlie was very
good tonight. They were singing perfectly on sync and in harmony with Bob
and that goes for all evening.

  Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (acoustic) (Bob on harp) 
A very gentle and sweet version. After the last verse he took of his
guitar, picked up a harp and started a really great solo with one hand
waving free. What a great solo!

  Rainy Day Women #12 & #35 
He only sang one or two verses but that didn't matter. I enjoyed this
version anyway. Larry did a perfect job on the steel guitar. I think Bob
stopped singing on this one just because he had more fun playing solo on
his guitar. And he did it really well. He once stepped up to the
microphone to start singing again but obviously changed his mind. They
didn't turn on the light right during or after this one (I was waiting for
it during the song but it never happened) so I suspected that we really
had the chance to get more and we did. No big surprise but.

  Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic) 
we got Blowin' In The Wind and it was sing-along time! Very nicely done
and the audience loved it and sang along during the refrain. A quick thank
you and a bow and then he was gone. They eventually turned on the light
and many people just stood there in front of the stage just staring; 'Was
this show for real?'