Bob Dylan is the greatest, period.

[speedoo]

Saw him and his band in concert Sunday night in Boston. Had graywarrior not moved to Florida, I never would have gone. So thanks, doll.

It was simply the best concert experience of my life, and I've seen him twice before. Along with most of the greats, like The Who, The Allmans, CSNY, Santana, and all the old rockers like Chuck Berry, yada yada.

But Sunday night I realized how great he is. Nobody else approaces him. Not Elvis, not Sinatra, and certainly noboby else in rock.

Not even fucking close.

[Alexander]

1. The first rock concert I ever went to was a Dylan concert.

It was there that I learned the concept of a "contact high". ;-)

[leftofthedial]

2. in a long-winded often vague sort of way

I suppose so

[acmavm]

3. Saw Joan Baez last Saturday. When someone in the audience

told her "Bob was here last week" she didn't miss a beat and asked "Bob who?"

[JunkYardAngel]

4. Seconded !! n/t

n/t

[graywarrior]

5. Glad to hear it Speedo....I think.

I was in a bad mood all day yesterday knowing I couldn't be there. But, I am so glad ;you got good use of the tickets and can confirm to me that Bob still rocks better than anyone on the planet...including Lukas.

[speedoo]

6. I'm sorry you missed it.

And I completely understand your bad mood yesterday. You have turned me into a Dylan addict. I'd say he's back, but he never really left.

Do you have "Modern Times" yet?

[graywarrior]

7. Yes, I pre ordered it and have been listening to it for a few months now

Did he do most of his set from that?

[speedoo]

8. Four songs from "Modern Times"

Here's the set list:

http://my.execpc.com/~billp61/111206s.html

I was expecting him to do "Thunder on the Mountain" and "Rollin' and Tumblin'", which you know are great concert songs as soon as you hear them. But I was surprised when he did "When the Deal Goes Down" and "Nettie Moore". They were all done beautifully. "Nettie Moore" was actually one of the highlights.... really powerful.

(edit - spell)

[graywarrior]

11. Damn, that sounds fine. I'm dying here, knowing I missed it.

[LaraMN]

9. Of course he is; he's from Minnesota!

We just can't deny our innate superiority.

:rofl:

I think my husband's seen him in concert several times, and I know he really enjoyed it. A classmate of mine saw him perform a couple weeks ago, and she thought he was just awesome, too. That must have been one heck of a great time!

[XNASA]

10. I caught him a couple of weeks ago.

He opened with "Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat", which was quite a shock.

After "When the Deal Goes Down" there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Great show. You'll hear no complaints from me.

[Zomby Woof]

12. I have seen him 5 times

No two times were alike.

When I saw him at Seattle's Paramount Theater in 1995, that was by far the best of all 5. There was a transcendence to his performance rare for anyone. It went beyond music at times. His harmonica solo from "Don't Think Twice" still haunts me.

When he's on, he is ON.

[SteppingRazor]

13. Agree -- I've seen him five or six times...

and I've been disappointed before, but only because I hold him to such a high standard.

No one approaches Dylan. He's possibly the greatest lyricist/songwriter in human history, for God's sake.

[graywarrior]

14. I so agree with you.

I have been seduced by others over the years, but since 1966, there has been no one come close to Dylan in my book. I kid Mr. Gray that when I die, please just put headphones on me with Blood on the Tracks playing and lay my down in my grave.

[Human Torch]

15. What can I say about Cluadette?

:toast:

Prayed in the ghetto with my face in the cement,
Heard the last moan of a boxer, seen the massacre of the innocent
Felt around for the light switch, became nauseated.
She was walking down the hallway while the walls deteriorated.

East of the Jordan, hard as the Rock of Gibraltar,
I see the burning of the page, Curtain risin' on a new age,
See the groom still waitin' at the altar.

Try to be pure at heart, they arrest you for robbery,
Mistake your shyness for aloofness, your shyness for snobbery,
Got the message this morning, the one that was sent to me
About the madness of becomin' what one was never meant to be.

West of the Jordan, east of the Rock of Gibraltar,
I see the burning of the stage,
Curtain risin' on a new age,
See the groom still waitin' at the altar.

Don't know what I can say about Claudette that wouldn't come back to haunt me,
Finally had to give her up 'bout the time she began to want me.
But I know God has mercy on them who are slandered and humiliated.
I'd a-done anything for that woman if she didn't make me feel so obligated.

West of the Jordan, west of the Rock of Gibraltar,
I see the burning of the cage,
Curtain risin' on a new stage,
See the groom still waitin' at the altar.

Put your hand on my head, baby, do I have a temperature?
I see people who are supposed to know better standin' around like furniture.
There's a wall between you and what you want and you got to leap it,
Tonight you got the power to take it, tomorrow you won't have the power to
keep it.

West of the Jordan, east of the Rock of Gibraltar,
I see the burning of the stage, Curtain risin' on a new age,
See the groom still waitin' at the altar.

Cities on fire, phones out of order,
They're killing nuns and soldiers, there's fighting on the border.
What can I say about Claudette?
Ain't seen her since January,
She could be respectably married or running a whorehouse in Buenos Aires.

West of the Jordan, west of the Rock of Gibraltar,
I see the burning of the stage,
Curtain risin' on a new age,
See the groom still waitin' at the altar.

[jobycom]

16. Kurt Cobain is the greatest Comma. nt

[Beer Snob-50]

17. can you understand him now?

i remember seeing him with tom petty and the heartbreakers as his band and he was really unintelligeable (sp). it really showed during the duets. that said, dylan is one of the greatest songwriters i have ever heard.

[graywarrior]

19. You don't need to understand Dylan to understand him.

[genie_weenie]

18. the greatest, mangler of words???

:shrug:

[speedoo]

20. Dylan is not for people who aren't willing to invest something.

If you want singers who always clearly sing the lyrics, there are plenty you can listen to. But very, very of them write their own songs and none sing with the power that Dylan does. And they almost never make you think, or feel.

Here's a comment from a Dylan fan that you should think about:

"Since August 1997, shortly before 'Time Out of Mind' (came out), I have never had a problem understanding Bob's lyrics (live)," he wrote. "I think those who do either have bad seats, have had too much to drink, are unfamiliar with the songs or are distracted."

If you're serious about Dylan, the first thing you need to do is become familiar with his songs. Best to listen with a copy of the lyrics available. Once you're familiar with his songs, go to a concert (100% sober, preferably) and concentrate. You will be well rewarded.

And here are some lyrics that no one will call "mangled", from an album released May 27, 1963 (Dylan was 22 at the time):

Come you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed

And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

He wrote this before 1963, long before the country knew the truth about Vietnam. Dylan sang this song Sunday night. He spat it out, his hatred for the Masters of War filled the arena, and the crowd went wild. Nobody else can do that.

If you can't find a way to appreciate him, I feel sorry for you.

[MiniMandaRuth]

21. The worlds greatest rock poet of all time.

Now I'm gonna go down to the bus stop listening to him! :D

[speedoo]

22. Lots of teenagers at the concert Sunday night.

Lots of oldtimers like me, too.

Check him out live sometime, MiniMandaRuth!:hi: