page by Bill Pagel
Review by Trond Buland
my short personal impressions of the Dylan concert in Trondheim, Norway
written down shortly after the show:
i saw Bob Dylan on Sunday, live at the city square of the town of
Trondheim, Norway. and it was good. some of it was even extremely good.
the start of the concert was not very good though. Dylan sang like a
crow with a serious cold, the band was out of tune and the sound was
terrible. and we got some terrible echo from the surrounding buildings.
then slowly it got better: his voice got warmed up or something (at
least he stared singing like a crow without a cold and everything was
fine!), the sound problems got sorted out (at least judging from where i
stood) and we got the first serious hints of something magic. on
Desolation Row it was this close to perfect, and Masters of War was even
better; dark and threatening. and from there on out it was.. like i
said: perfect. :-)
when he played Forever Young, as one of the seven extras,
it was really sheer magic... Dylan sang like a god, the band was
fantastic (i guess i've never really realised how good Charlie Sexton
really is?!), the sun was low and i suddenly felt warm tears running
down my cheeks. he could have stopped there and it would have been ok.
but then he played a fantastic Highway 61 and ended it all with Blowing
in the Wind, more than two hours after he went on stage... and Blowing
in the Wind has never been better! in a way i was glad it was all over
then. it would have been impossible to beat; it was just as it should
be. and i'm not sure i could have taken much more
yes, Dylan live was better than i had expected! (and i've seen him
before)and at the back of the stage, on top of an amplifier, stood
a golden Oscar glittering in the light of the evening sun!
Review by Bård A. Berg
Hot summer evening (28-30 C). Crowd: 16.000 (at the market place in the middle
of Trondheim). Average age: 40 (?). About 20 people fainted, 3 brought to
hospital. Some of the restaurants/cafés within the concert area were allowed
to open during the show to avoid people dehydrating. The show started at 20.27
and ended at 22.40. Dylan and band played with the sun in their eyes most of
the show (Larry and Charlie with sunglasses, Dylan without!).
1. "Oh, Babe, It Ain't No Lie" (acoustic). Bad opening, Dylan singing at his
worst.
2. "The Times They Are A-Changin' (acoustic - Dylan on harp). Improving! Harp
playing OK, especially towards the end.
3. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (acoustic). Still improving!
4. "Maggie's Farm". Here we go electric, and the crowd enjoys it!
5. "When I Paint My Masterpiece" (Larry on mandolin). Excellent version!
6. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (Dylan on harp and Larry on pedal steel). Good
version, OK harp playing.
7. "Mama, You Been On My Mind". Back to acoustic, mediocre.
8. "Desolation Row" (acoustic). One of the highlights of the show!
9. "Masters Of War" (acoustic). Good version.
10. "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again". OK version.
11. "Standing In The Doorway" & 12."Drifter's Escape" (Dylan on harp). OK
versions, harp playing stinks in Drifter´s Escape.
13. "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat". Excellent version!! "End" of show, i.e. short
break while the crowd makes a lot of noise to make sure Dylan comes back.
14. "Things Have Changed". Dylan and band continue in the same spirit as before
the break.
15. "Like A Rolling Stone". Great version!! The highlight of the show for me!
16. "If Dogs Run Free" (acoustic - Larry and Charlie on electric guitars).
Excellent singing!
17. "All Along The Watchtower" (Larry on lap steel guitar). OK version.
18. "Forever Young" (acoustic). Moving! Charlie encouraging the audience to
sing along on the refrain (i.e. sing it to Dylan).
19. "Highway 61 Revisited". Strong version - another highlight.
20. "Blowin' In The Wind"(acoustic). Excellent version, never heard it better!
This was my first Dylan-concert, so I cannot compare it with other performances.
But I have talked to people who have attended several concerts, and they assure
me that this was one of the best. The band was great, and Dylan (though grumpy
in the beginning) loosened up as the band went electric from Maggie´s Farm,
singing better and better, dancing a little, and even grinning from time to time.
No talking between songs, though - just an occasional "thank you". Having
followed Dylan since the 60-ies (he almost lost me around 1980…) I was very
satisfied with the repertoir, and so was most of the crowd. To sum it up:
GREAT SHOW!
billp61@execpc.com
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