Review by Carsten Klemann
In Rome everything seems to be easy in the beginning (Shelleys body was
buried here, his heart in Bournemouth). But if you believe, that you
easily can walk through Villa Borghese and some silent quarters to
Auditorium della Musica you may will be surprised. The best street stops
in the wilderness. In the auditorium, there are two skies: One over your
head and the plane working place for the musicians to your feet. A great
moment, when Dylan in white jacket and his band appears, the greatest I
remember. The audience enthusiastic. Maggies farm is close to the version
in Bournemouth, very clear and beautiful slow. A style close to the
refreshed “All along the watchtowe" at the end. Dylans voice has many
power in the beginning then gets weaker sometimes, sounds dull here and
there. The godlike moments are those when it seems to dive from deep water
up in fresh air. In “Forever Young" or “The Times They´re Changing" the
voice seems to put away clothes, wants to show how young it can be,
glorious and beautiful naked. Guess he wanted to provoke singalong by
producing a long intermission between “may you stay forever young"
The same as in Bournemouth with “Just like a woman". The resonance in Rome
was much smaller, people wanted to listen. Dylan sang the refrain so full
of passion, that I always believed to get in Planet Waves or Last Waltz.
But then followed that incomparable and weak and sharp "yeaaang". “Mr.
Tambourine man"´s lines were clustered in an artifcial way, monotonous as
if the song should become a club hit. Dissapointing the moments, when he
seems to believe that only senseless acrobatic can give some songs a new
thrill or may he hadn´t a good idea for them. The band rocky, not so
country touched as in Bournemouth. The best song began indifferent, a bit
boring: “It´s allright Ma, I´m only bleeding". If I had known, what will
happen!! The best version I´ve ever heard except of the original. The game
with rythms and fine modulations of pronunciations, not vain at all, that
climbing from the ground to many tops, step by step taking you with, that
minimalistic sound-paintings with the violin and light-footet dances of
melodies let me flow over the arena. Not so orchestral, but very
remarkable too: Visions of Johanna. Dylan reduced the expressions of his
voice, and used it very concentrated, not hymnical but like bringing out
heavy thoughts in the moment they appear. A funny moment when a young
woman ran very fast over the stage, in a black dress with a red scarf. She
laid flowers on his piano, may some kind of box too, very cautious, and
wanted to go away, but the security caught her. Dylan played on without
any reaction. Later, when he shut his fists in the hot night he seemed to
be very happy and said something about “summer feelings". Im sure, he
didn´t forget that girl soon.
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