|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Well
the Oz shows have started to arrive. I would certainly be interested in
knowing if any of you are getting more from them than me. First
off let me say that they
are not exactly bad shows in my opinion. But they are certainly not very
exciting either. At first I was not sutre why, after all the piano still
dominates and we are still getting things like that masterful “Its
Alright Ma” but something, as the man said,
has been lost. Is it the fact that we have a new guitarist to
contend with?? Well that is
a possibility I suppose, certainly on the very early shows he is barely
stepping forward, and the band generally sound tense. Obviously this is
one reason why the set lists are not as variable as I expect they poor
guy got very little rehearsal and has had to
pick things up as he goes
along. On some of the later
shows I have heard he is starting to have his own voice, somewhere
between Mick Taylor and Steve Ripley to my ear. He could in fact add
quite a nice new tone to their sound palette, when he settles in. Of
course it’s a major loss not having Charlie Sexton there. He brought
some life and youthful enthusiasm into the group which is not there
now. Certainly as this new guy is in fact almost Bob’s age
anyways he can hardly be expected to bring youth in, can he? No
to my ear the enthusiasm and fire that was there in Dylan’s voice at
the end of last year has simply gone. To my ear Bob sounds rather tired.
This may well be borne out by the fact that this year he seems to have
really reduced is schedule (cancelling Japan is a prime example. Of
course I have no idea if Japan was cancelled due to lack of interest on
Bob’s part or on the peoples part. Maybe their just is not the demand
for tickets there were a few years ago. Either
way, Australia 2003 will go down as one of those “so-so” tours. You
want to hear a few but you certainly have no burning need to collect
them all. I think at this time this has hit home to me particularly as
the arrival of these shows on audio co-incides with a number of Nov 2002
shows turning up on video. He just seems so animated!
Or rather he did seem so animated. But the visuals are not
necessary to hear the difference in these two tours. So
once again Bob surprises us, or is that disappoints us? Is
he looking to stop touring soon? Or
maybe Bob you could just take a break of a year or two to rest up. Chris
Cooper |
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
