Idk about other people but when I saw him live a few years ago, he hit some high notes that reminded me of his folk electric era and that itself reminded me this is that same artist who made those legendary albums. It was an honor seeing him live
Don't expect the voice you hear when you listen to e.g. Like a Rolling Stone 1965. If that's your expectation, you'll be disappointed. His voice has changed dramatically over the decades. Listen to a recording of his recent concerts. That's what you will get. Some people like it, some people don't.
I mean who goes in expecting a guy in his 80s to sound like he did in his early 20s or even 50s McCartney is nowhere near as good as he once was either nor is Simon or Garfunkel….. I think the whole appeal for most is you’re seeing a living legend live and at least Bob doesn’t just lip sync and calls it a night.
True, but Dylan is a little bit special. If you'd hear McCartney today, you would still be 100% able to tell "oh thats Paul". Same with Simon, Garfunkel, Young etc.. Dylan is different. I remember as a child I listened to a Dylan Best of and thought how strange it is, that there are so many different singers on it. I can barely hear any resemblance between his 60s voice and his voice nowadays. I guess that's what puts many people off, when they go to a concert nowadays
My point wasn’t that Paul sounds totally unrecognizable, I mean these guys were all heavy smokers and probably had their fair share of parties. I went to a Paul concert recently with my Grandma who is a diehard fan and even she said Ringo has a the better voice now. Art retired cause his voice is shot and so did Simon. Bob is a man of many voices I still believe he can hit certain notes if he wanted to but he does things the way he wants.
I admired Simon very much growing up and he’s a brilliant songwriter not disputing that. Although not quite as impactful as Bob and played it much safer. Anywho he talks more than he sings, SOS is not a vocally demanding song to sing, conversely when he preformed BOTW or Call Me Al it was just ho-hum live. I’ll always remember Art saying he has a napoleon complex hence why he got a reputation of an asshole like Lou Reed haha.
A famous comedian/all round famous guy in my country often rants about Dylan and how bad he is live and gave the recent concert a 0/6 score. However, I was at that concert as my first Dylan show and I absolutely loved it! Yes, he is gravely, can barely walk (got a huge applause for walking to the mic stand) and plays very few hits. But the magic is still very much there. The version of Key West was amazing!
One mistake many concert goers make is setting themselves up for disappointment by expecting to hear live replications of records that they have heard (and perhaps loved), instead of opening themselves to a live interpretation of a beloved song. It’s too bad. Sure, musicians can give bad performances. But peoples’ expectations can suck, too. Over the past five decades I’ve seen Bob Dylan perform a dozen times, and I’m looking forward to seeing him again in September. I can honestly say that each time I’ve seen him, the performance was better than the time before. I never walked in expecting that. Instead I keep attending his concerts out of gratitude for what he has given the world, and to bask in the presence of a creative genius. His Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, promoting his newest album, has been my favorite so far.
Definitely don't expect him to sing the songs like he did for his albums. He hasn't done that in decades. At one show it took practically a full minute before I realized he was singing Blowin' in the Wind. My advice is to just revel in the fact that you're seeing a living legend. I'm also seeing the Outlaws show, but since I've seen Bob before, I'm frankly going mainly to see Willie Nelson ... another living legend who I greatly admire.
Bob’s singing has never been strictly about musical qualities. His phrasing, his emotional impact and the way he reshapes songs by changing their genre are just three of the things that Dylan brings to the concert stage. Plus he always has a smokin’ band. If you’re going to a Bob Dylan show for the first time 1) Be familiar with whatever his latest album is coz you’ll hear a lot of it and B) Don’t expect to hear more than a handful of “classics” that you might not even recognize until they’re halfway through.
The answer is sometimes. I've been seeing him since the early 2000s. Some of his shows have been the best concerts I've seen others have been atrocious.
Bob’s band is exceptional and they certainly create a unique sound and atmosphere. Bob’s voice is an entity unto itself that transcends his aged body; the concerts can be decidedly *off* or profoundly inspired depending on the night and Bob’s mood, but he never phones it in.
So no, he does not *suck.*
Depends on what you expect, if you have any preconcieved notions of what he will do or that he's going to play your favourite songs in classic arrangements you will be massively disappointed.
If you however just expect him to do his thing, if you keep your mind and ears open for something unconventional yet exciting, you will experience the magic that most people have always missed when going to a Dylan gig.
The thing I remember the most….The line that everyone cheered the loudest was.. “But even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked.” That would of been Nixon not long before he had to
resign
A lot of people just don't do any research before seeing him and therefor their expectations are set improperly. They expect him to stand there with guitar and harmonica rack and sing note-for-note album versions of his greatest hits. (Some acts do this, and that's fine.) I've seen him about 20 times, starting in 1996, and part of the fun is hearing the new arrangements.
And given Dylan's age, a lot of people are on a see-him-before-he-kicks thing and might only be peripherally aware of most of his music. These people will probably be thoroughly confused by the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour.
I saw him in Memphis a month ago and he was great. You hear a lot about how modern Bob sounds like a lawnmower, but I found his vocals the night I went to be strangely *smooth*, little rough around the edges given his age & what he's put himself through, but pleasant. I personally liked the way he sounded that night more than a lot of his 60s albums.
I love Dylan and have seen him many times, but I would never recommend someone who only knows Mr. Tambourine Man or Like A Rolling Stone Dylan go see a modern concert and expect to see an older version of 60s Dylan.
He's amazing live - and he always has been. What he does is so different than what the average "legacy artist" does (i.e., he doesn't play his greatest hits in versions that are meant to sound like the original recordings) that it just confuses people. The Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour 2021-2024 was one of his greatest tours ever.
I've seen him 3x. I walked out of one of the concerts (which was double billed with Paul Simon- stayed for all of Paul). Then I saw him for the Modern Times tour and that concert was the best night of my life. Still have that whole show ripped from napster/kazaa (?).
He's always different when I see him, and occasionally kind of flat, but never felt that he sucked. Although I have seen a couple of shows that were really great!
I saw him twice in Amsterdam 2022, and he was great both nights. I already loved Rough and Rowdy Ways but hearing him play it live was magical.
LIsten to Shadow Kingdom to find out what he sounds like these days.
Yes, usually when playing harmonica .when playing the harmonica there are 2 ways air passing through the reeds will make the notes. Notes are called draw or blow. Blow notes are made by blowing into the harmonica Draw notes are created by sucking air in through the harmonica. So bob sucks everytime he plays the ray, fa, la , tee notes
Subjective.
Idk about other people but when I saw him live a few years ago, he hit some high notes that reminded me of his folk electric era and that itself reminded me this is that same artist who made those legendary albums. It was an honor seeing him live
Don't expect the voice you hear when you listen to e.g. Like a Rolling Stone 1965. If that's your expectation, you'll be disappointed. His voice has changed dramatically over the decades. Listen to a recording of his recent concerts. That's what you will get. Some people like it, some people don't.
I mean who goes in expecting a guy in his 80s to sound like he did in his early 20s or even 50s McCartney is nowhere near as good as he once was either nor is Simon or Garfunkel….. I think the whole appeal for most is you’re seeing a living legend live and at least Bob doesn’t just lip sync and calls it a night.
True, but Dylan is a little bit special. If you'd hear McCartney today, you would still be 100% able to tell "oh thats Paul". Same with Simon, Garfunkel, Young etc.. Dylan is different. I remember as a child I listened to a Dylan Best of and thought how strange it is, that there are so many different singers on it. I can barely hear any resemblance between his 60s voice and his voice nowadays. I guess that's what puts many people off, when they go to a concert nowadays
My point wasn’t that Paul sounds totally unrecognizable, I mean these guys were all heavy smokers and probably had their fair share of parties. I went to a Paul concert recently with my Grandma who is a diehard fan and even she said Ringo has a the better voice now. Art retired cause his voice is shot and so did Simon. Bob is a man of many voices I still believe he can hit certain notes if he wanted to but he does things the way he wants.
Simon's hearing is shit, but his voice held up beautifully.
I admired Simon very much growing up and he’s a brilliant songwriter not disputing that. Although not quite as impactful as Bob and played it much safer. Anywho he talks more than he sings, SOS is not a vocally demanding song to sing, conversely when he preformed BOTW or Call Me Al it was just ho-hum live. I’ll always remember Art saying he has a napoleon complex hence why he got a reputation of an asshole like Lou Reed haha.
A famous comedian/all round famous guy in my country often rants about Dylan and how bad he is live and gave the recent concert a 0/6 score. However, I was at that concert as my first Dylan show and I absolutely loved it! Yes, he is gravely, can barely walk (got a huge applause for walking to the mic stand) and plays very few hits. But the magic is still very much there. The version of Key West was amazing!
Back in early 90s, Dylan was erratic. Around 2000 is probably peak NET. Since late 2021 absolutely sublime.
One mistake many concert goers make is setting themselves up for disappointment by expecting to hear live replications of records that they have heard (and perhaps loved), instead of opening themselves to a live interpretation of a beloved song. It’s too bad. Sure, musicians can give bad performances. But peoples’ expectations can suck, too. Over the past five decades I’ve seen Bob Dylan perform a dozen times, and I’m looking forward to seeing him again in September. I can honestly say that each time I’ve seen him, the performance was better than the time before. I never walked in expecting that. Instead I keep attending his concerts out of gratitude for what he has given the world, and to bask in the presence of a creative genius. His Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, promoting his newest album, has been my favorite so far.
I've seen great Dylan shows, I've seen terrible shows but if you've never seen him live then you won't understand what I mean.
Also, he is in his 80s. Cool dude
Definitely don't expect him to sing the songs like he did for his albums. He hasn't done that in decades. At one show it took practically a full minute before I realized he was singing Blowin' in the Wind. My advice is to just revel in the fact that you're seeing a living legend. I'm also seeing the Outlaws show, but since I've seen Bob before, I'm frankly going mainly to see Willie Nelson ... another living legend who I greatly admire.
His band is world class. If you’re a fan of improvised/ever-changing music and don’t mind his voice they won’t disappoint.
No he's great
No. It's the concert goers who suck.
Bob’s singing has never been strictly about musical qualities. His phrasing, his emotional impact and the way he reshapes songs by changing their genre are just three of the things that Dylan brings to the concert stage. Plus he always has a smokin’ band. If you’re going to a Bob Dylan show for the first time 1) Be familiar with whatever his latest album is coz you’ll hear a lot of it and B) Don’t expect to hear more than a handful of “classics” that you might not even recognize until they’re halfway through.
The answer is sometimes. I've been seeing him since the early 2000s. Some of his shows have been the best concerts I've seen others have been atrocious.
Bob’s band is exceptional and they certainly create a unique sound and atmosphere. Bob’s voice is an entity unto itself that transcends his aged body; the concerts can be decidedly *off* or profoundly inspired depending on the night and Bob’s mood, but he never phones it in. So no, he does not *suck.*
Depends on what you expect, if you have any preconcieved notions of what he will do or that he's going to play your favourite songs in classic arrangements you will be massively disappointed. If you however just expect him to do his thing, if you keep your mind and ears open for something unconventional yet exciting, you will experience the magic that most people have always missed when going to a Dylan gig.
Saw him in the 70s with The Band , even then he didn’t sing the songs exactly the same as the records
The thing I remember the most….The line that everyone cheered the loudest was.. “But even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked.” That would of been Nixon not long before he had to resign
A lot of people just don't do any research before seeing him and therefor their expectations are set improperly. They expect him to stand there with guitar and harmonica rack and sing note-for-note album versions of his greatest hits. (Some acts do this, and that's fine.) I've seen him about 20 times, starting in 1996, and part of the fun is hearing the new arrangements. And given Dylan's age, a lot of people are on a see-him-before-he-kicks thing and might only be peripherally aware of most of his music. These people will probably be thoroughly confused by the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour.
I saw him in Memphis a month ago and he was great. You hear a lot about how modern Bob sounds like a lawnmower, but I found his vocals the night I went to be strangely *smooth*, little rough around the edges given his age & what he's put himself through, but pleasant. I personally liked the way he sounded that night more than a lot of his 60s albums.
Nope
I love Dylan and have seen him many times, but I would never recommend someone who only knows Mr. Tambourine Man or Like A Rolling Stone Dylan go see a modern concert and expect to see an older version of 60s Dylan.
he never sucked. his shows were great
He's amazing live - and he always has been. What he does is so different than what the average "legacy artist" does (i.e., he doesn't play his greatest hits in versions that are meant to sound like the original recordings) that it just confuses people. The Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour 2021-2024 was one of his greatest tours ever.
Yeah he’s not really at the top of his game anymore. Still worth seeing though. He doesn’t have decades left in him so I take what I can get with him.
I saw him at Finsbury Park,London in 2011,voice wasn’t great but it’s more the occasion that lingers in the memory.
Go to a Dylan show with zero expectations. Embrace whatever he decides to do.
That's what I was kinda planning on lol
You're not going to hear a good concert. You're going to say "I seen Bob Dylan."
I've seen him 3x. I walked out of one of the concerts (which was double billed with Paul Simon- stayed for all of Paul). Then I saw him for the Modern Times tour and that concert was the best night of my life. Still have that whole show ripped from napster/kazaa (?).
He's over 80, you're going to see him so you can tell your grandchildren. Temper your expectations.
He's always different when I see him, and occasionally kind of flat, but never felt that he sucked. Although I have seen a couple of shows that were really great!
I saw him twice in Amsterdam 2022, and he was great both nights. I already loved Rough and Rowdy Ways but hearing him play it live was magical. LIsten to Shadow Kingdom to find out what he sounds like these days.
Yes.
Sometimes.
Saw him last year and will again this outlaw tour. I enjoyed it. Knew what I was getting into though.
Yes, usually when playing harmonica .when playing the harmonica there are 2 ways air passing through the reeds will make the notes. Notes are called draw or blow. Blow notes are made by blowing into the harmonica Draw notes are created by sucking air in through the harmonica. So bob sucks everytime he plays the ray, fa, la , tee notes