(Photo from the L.A. Times)
The last time I saw Bob Dylan was in Eugene, Oregon in the early 90's. His 1989 album Oh Mercy had been a comeback of sorts after a subpar creative decade, but Dylan didn't seem to be energized by the new material and delivered a lackluster set mostly composed of the requisite hits. Dylan's been busy since then, and has seemed to be experiencing a late career renaissance throughout most of this decade. I've been very impressed by his last three albums, especially 2006's Modern Times, so when I heard that Dylan and his band were doing three nights at the relatively intimate Hollywood Palladium, I decided to lay down some of my hard earned dollars and give the Bob Dylan live experience another try.
The result was a mixed bag. Dylan is Dylan, and there will never be another. He has absolutely nothing to prove, and in that sense every new album he makes is a bonus to be savored. But I'm starting to think that the "never ending tour" that Dylan's embarked on for the last few years isn't really doing him many favors. His band sounded great, and he definitely seemed more engaged than he was the last time I saw him, but there still seemed something perfunctory about the whole experience. There were certain exceptions. He really came to life during a towering performance of "Thunder on the Mountain" from Modern Times, and songs like "My Wife's Home Town" and "Jolene" from last year's Together Through Life had a satisfying snarl. Other times, though, his monotone delivery really took me out of some of the older material. The standard knock on Dylan is that he can't sing, but anyone who's listened to his records knows that's not true. The problem is that in the live setting, he mostly chooses not to.
Still, two hours spent listening to an American icon was not a bad way to spend a rainy night in Hollywood. The setlist for the show is below:
Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking
Shooting Star
Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Cold Irons Bound
Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
My Wife's Home Town
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
High Water (for Charlie Patton)
I Feel A Change Comin' On
Highway 61 Revisited
Nettie Moore
Thunder On The Mountain
Ballad Of A Thin Man
Like A Rolling Stone
Jolene
All Along The Watchtower
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