Review by Kevin from Dublin
The normal pre concert light and chatter is replaced by darkness, save for
the stage, and a background musical intro. The band walk on stage and soon
are into a long instrumental that becomes I'll be your baby tonight. So
unexpectedly I'm here, and we're off.
I was in Amsterdam for three days and was aware of the tour, but I
hadn't realised my visit would overlap with the first night here. I
realised that morning and checked online for a reasonably priced ticket,
the only ones available now for the gigs in Ireland where I'm from are
around 400 - 500 Euro. I found one at face value and the deal was done. I
ended up sitting beside the seller, a kind young woman whose father
couldn't make it. The capacity is 6,000 but at the same time the space
feels close enough, and even though I was in the back balcony, the sound
was good.
I am glad I came, the concert was enjoyable and good, if a bit uneven at
times. In general Dylan seemed most present and focused when doing the
Rough and Rowdy Ways material. However, I thought overall the stand out
tracks were Desolation Row, Every grain of sand, To give myself to you and
It's all over now baby blue, and in that order I think.
Those that had promise but I didn't think came off really were I'll be
your baby tonight, It ain't me babe, with his voice not finding the
mike, and some repeat lyrics. Ones that I thought just didn't really
work were To be alone with you and Mother of muses. One that I couldn't
help feel some deflation about was Key West, which I think is one of his
best ever songs. But here the beautiful lilting roll on the album is
replaced by for me a much less charming sparse jazz, blues feel.
All the other tracks from Rough and Rowdy Ways were strong, with Goodbye
Jimmy Read being particularly good, with really great drum guitar
interaction, an excellent penultimate song. Watching the river flow was
good and enjoyable - Amsterdam wasn't mentioned - and When paint my
masterpiece was really good, even if it didn't fully realise the massive
potential afforded it by the musical arrangement, which seemed like a
combination of Istanbul (not Constantinople) and Putting on the Ritz.
When you're there, I think it's impossible not to think about the fact
that he is now elderly at 84, and to take account of that. The concert and
the intensity of the tour, I think he'll have done 82 dates this year
when he signs off in Dublin, is some performance and undoubtedly beyond
most of us. Maybe it was different in other parts of the venue, ones that
were closer, but I couldn't say in general that the concert fully
carried you away, or that it the intensity of his presence and
personality, as with many I have experienced before. But there were
several moments where it really hit home.
Desolation Row, with its fast paced punching, was really up there, and
Every grain of sand was a gorgeous, tender and appropriate closer. To give
myself to you was sung with a devotion you could believe in and excellent
instrumentation by the band. The highest highlight for me was It's all over
now baby blue, a favourite in any case. Here it appeared as a really
powerful lament, with Bob delivering the brilliant refrain so it hung and
reverberated in the air.
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