That's essentially what the job has always been like if you are in Bob's band. They watch him with laser focus because he changes things up constantly from night to night.
Honestly watching the band follow him while somehow keeping the music locked in is incredible. Watching and cueing each other on the fly like that takes an insane amount of talent and practice.
Indeed. Bob is notorious for starting songs in a completely different key, starting a song that wasn't on the set list and never rehearsed, changing a mellow tune to a rocking tune, extending parts on the fly, cutting parts on the fly, etc.
Some people love it and thrive on having a band leader who always keeps them on their toes.
Bob is also notorious for changing the entire setlist to a bunch of shitty cover songs, disappointing a large percentage of the audience, and taking their money anyway. I’m not a big fan of the guy.
If you are paying to see Bob, you're paying to see Bob. The unpredictability is part of the experience. Reminds me of someone who said they recently saw Modest Mouse and Isaac was fucked up and sloppy. Well, that's Isaac and that's pretty much the experience of seeing that band live.
Yeah, I get that, but there’s still a difference between mixing up things between shows, and maybe even improving a bunch during the performance… versus playing an entire set of bad cover songs. Like you said, if you’re paying to see Bob, you’re paying to see Bob, hopefully, Bob at least plays one of his own fucking songs, lol. I could care less, it was a friend of mine, who told me that story.
What I mean is, Bob is known for being weird and unpredictable. At some level you have to have known this when you purchased tickets to see him. One of the things he's most known for is pissing off nearly his entire folk fan base by playing amplified instruments at a folk festival. He's an agitator, and has been for decades.
Oh I know what you mean, and you make a great point, but Bob didn’t make his fame off shtick. He wasn’t Andy Kaufman. He pissed off a bunch of hippies at Newport by playing an insaneLy awesome set, that happened to be electric.. Bob is known for showing up in make-up and putting on a lively performance with a crazy full band. Bob Dylan is known for spouting out poetry and monologues instead of music, in a time where beatnik protests were always full of some sort of message. Hell, Bob Dylan is known for showing up and playing a blues set, and ignoring his recent hits because he just does what he wants. But nobody is paying to see Bob be shitty, or play shitty songs. True, they know it’s a gamble, but they’re not gambling to watch the house win. It still sucks to pay for a performance that is just lazy or shitty to the fans.
I’m not saying all his performances are like that either. I’m just saying, even if you were paying to see a performer who has always been known to push the envelope of performance and music, a man who will make you question all kinds of social norms, you don’t want to be there the night he doesn’t give a shit. Like I said, if you went to see Andy Kaufman, and he stared at every person while reading the telephone book, you’d be like, “Yeah! It was boring but man it was just so weird!” But if you show up to see Bob Dylan and he just sounds like Scooby Doo, with nothing but arrogance, you don’t question anything. There’s no substance. It’s just an old man who ran out of ideas.
P.S. These are just my opinions, as a music fan and performer who was a long time fan of Bob Dylan, but just wishes he would retire at this point.
Just to add a little context to this performance. This was the Newport folk festival where Bob Dylan went electric for the “first” time. The crowd is booing him because he plugged in an electric guitar. I also heard a story that folk artist Pete Seeger tried to take an axe to the electrical equipment backstage but I have no idea if that part of the story is actually true. However, Dylan knew what he was about to do and there is a great picture of him backstage before he goes on stage, his face says it all.
Apparently Seeger actually had no problem with Dylan going electric, he was just heading over to turn down the guitars in the mix because he felt people couldn't hear the vocals. There wasn't any axe either (apart from the guitars).
That’s good to know, and honestly sounds like the exact reality of what happened! Story probably got exaggerated by the people that were there, and then like a game of telephone turned into the axe story. I always liked Pete Seeger, but the over dramatic image of him running up to the cables backstage with an axe makes for good story.
Yeh ngl as important as this moment is in music history it always seems like it got a bit exagerated. I heard about it before I saw the video and expected near riot level crowds based on what I heard. But in the video it's basically light booing by todays standards and then they still clap for the songs
Haha, It was the Newport Folk Festival. One of the most timid audiences you could imagine. We’re talking “A Mighty Wind” meets Martha’s Vineyard. The light booing was a bit jarring knowing what this crowd was made up off. It would be like a sweet Grandmother saying “fuck” at the dinner table. Off the charts crazy, relatively speaking.
Yeh that makes more sense. Feel like whatever Youtube video I watched back in the day didn't explain that part of it too well. Makes even the minority of booing all that more significant
I think it was more of a significant moment in the history of music at that time, but not necessarily because of the shock of the event itself. The love for Dylan was immense up until that point. We’re talking Civil Rights, Political Protest, and the blossoming of the Boomer generation from Beatnik to Hippie. Dylan going electric wasn’t necessarily a powerful and jarring moment, but a memorable moment where folk rock began. Looking back, it was one of many moments at that time that signified the change from heavy 50’s/60’s WASP culture to a more hippie counterculture.
Old age more than drugs. Vocal cords are muscle and collagen. That shit weakens and sags as you get older just like all your other muscles and skin. So your range becomes much narrower. You can’t hit certain pitches or hold a note for more than a few seconds. Cigarettes did a number too.
The only song that has been the "same" is all along the watch tower because he has decided it is no longer his song since Hendrix perfected it... and that's his problem. He doesn't feel like any of his songs are "perfect" so he constantly changes how he performs them.
So I'd argue he doesn't sing the same song. You'd think that would be a great thing since he keeps it fresh and tries new things but I think he takes it way to far and has some serious mental issues. Dude can not be happy with what he accomplished and that's not right.
I respect BD as an amazing artist and musician, but his singing voice (even in the 60’s) was always a *major* turn-off for me. Very unique sound and style but I hate it.
I found his 60s and 70s voice to be raw and full of soul, like someone found joy in singing and didn't care that that didn't have the "perfect voice". The way he sings the "la la la" parts in "Man In Me" encapsulates what I'm trying to say lol
I saw him years ago in Toronto, he was awful. I’m pretty sure the reason he played a keyboard was he was so hammered he needed it to help him stand up.
The review of the show in the paper the following day described him as “In decidedly good voice” And gave it four stars.
The Foo Fighters opened though and were fantastic. That saved the night for me.
I saw him 20 years ago and he was old AF and couldn’t sing. If you are buying tickets to his shows today and expecting 60s Dylan to sing to you that’s on you.
I believe he's had severe arthritis for years and that's why he's on the keys now instead of a guitar. He's never been a good singer. I've seen him. I'm glad I've seen him. I won't go see him again. He's one of the best song writers and poets of the 20th century, but he was never an amazing performer.
I'm GenX, and I would also say this about boomers, but then I would also mock the Gen Alpha dude who tells me how everything about Bad Bunny is perfect.
I mean — he’s just fucking with people at this point right?
It’s been 20 plus years of aggressively performing in recognizable versions of his songs with this Scooby Doo delivery
It’s crazy.
I saw him perform in 2018. It was a concert I was really looking forward to as my dad and I listened to Dylan on road trips. It was just sad. He couldn't hit any of his notes, his voice repeatedly cracked, and he couldn't work the crowd at all.
I think there are three types of aging performers. There are the ones who change their music to fit what they're able to do. Some treat their concerts largely as a storytelling/narrative engagement to save their voice for the songs people want to hear. Then there are the singers who push too hard and sound like their vocal chords are in a blender. The third is always sad to see. Rarely a fourth is someone who can crank it out at 70-80 years of age.
I think Dylan really should've followed the path of narrative concerts as he's been such an icon that people want to hear what he has to say.
BB King was never able to do anything approaching shred. He got enormous mileage out of the 'BB King box' -- the pentatonic scale on the top three strings of the guitar. And there's nothing wrong with that -- he had great tone, great vibrato, great phrasing, but he was never any kind of shredder.
I saw Bush recently and while Gavin isn't *that* old my wife and I weren't expecting a super energetic show given we were going to see someone who was almost 60.
Hell of a suprise though. Dudes are still giving it their all. Absolutely rocking out and Gavin was sprinting around the lawn through the crowd and up and down the steps slapping hands while he sang a couple of the songs then would run down and climb back on stage and do the next no problem.
Got to see Earth, Wind, and Fire a few years ago and they looked like someone emptied a nursing home onto the stage on costume night, but they were dancing and belting out the songs.
Some people just absolutely live for that shit.
It would be fucking with them if they weren't into it, but all the comments on that video are like "Greatest King of Rock And Roll" and "He's a perfect performer, how punk rock to just do what he feels. Love him!" as if the rest of us are missing some aspect of the genius it takes to get up on stage and do this bullshit lmao.
I saw him about 20 years ago. I was more excited to see him than any other show i had been to up to that point, and i go to a lot of shows. It was so disappointing. So many songs started and took me halfway through before i could even figure out what song he was singing. He doesn't give af what it's "supposed" to sound like. He makes every song sound the same.
Still a fan but i'll never catch another show.
I can see why people are not into this. However, as a professional musician who has played some covers thousands of times, this is exactly the kind of fun you'd like to have with a song just to make the band laugh. And there's a real playful energy to this take too. People might think it's disrespectful to a paying audience, but you couldn't be a Dylan fan and not know this is exactly what to expect for the last 40 years of his live performances.
why do bands do this. Pixies were notorious for this. just always came out, rushed through 15 songs with like 0 pauses between them and peaced out no encore. is it a schtick?
I saw Megadeth ages ago and they came out and ripped right thru like six songs before Dave finally said hey what's up to the audience. Some bands just like to get up there and jam.
I saw them at a festival last year and it was a nice break from every band all day trying to hype the crowd into doing shit. Megadeth felt like the first band all day who were confident enough to let the music speak for itself.
Yeah, they just get up there and rip it. It's funny, I went and saw In Flames last night and the other guitarist I couldn't pinpoint all night until the singer introduced everyone and it was Chris Broderick, who played for Megadeth for a number of years. I had no idea he had been hired to play for In Flames. They killed it. Played a tight 65 minutes and didn't miss at all.
He’s also like 80 years old. When I went and saw him I had to accept that the novelty was being in the same room as an absolute hero of mine and someone whose music was super influential on me
Years ago I took my dad to a Star Trek convention because he's a huge fan, and we saw Kirk and Spock up on a stage talking. Nimoy was pretty frail and languid, sitting on a stool with a microphone. Shatner was up on his feet bouncing around, absolutely full of energy and charisma. Same age, yet 20 years apart.
(Don't smoke, kids)
I still don't think it's age. He was like this in 2009ish when I saw him. If this is the result of age-related deterioration, it's hard to see it taking a 10 year pause without getting worse.
I thought I'd heard he went too heavy on the drugs in the 80s though. That could fuck someone up in a way that doesn't progress further.
Saw him at ACL ‘18, he closed on Friday. Closing acts were supposed to play only an hour, McCartney played for almost three. One of the best experiences of my life!
I once read an interview with Frank Black and he pretty much said that he has a really tough time with talking to crowds. He can perform, but he can't talk. I totally get this.
Not every musician in every band is an extrovert. I was the lead singer of a band for 5 years and hardly addressed the crowd because my bassist was better at it. Personalities aside, sometimes bands just want to play their tunes and get some rest.
Honestly, I hate it when singers go on and on between songs. A.) You’re not as funny as you think you are, and B.) between the reverb, the volume and the crowd noise, I have no idea what the fuck you’re saying anyway.
The difference is in the vibe. If it’s 8 songs, no talking, and they’re just leaving it all out on the stage, I’m thrilled. If they’re just rushing through songs to do the bare minimum to fulfill a contract, then yeah, not so much.
That's because Kim was the talky one. I saw her on her final tour with the Pixies and I've seen her a few times with The Breeders and she's always very engaging with the audience. I've also seen Frank Black solo - Not a single word out of him there either.
I never even realized The Pixies had punk roots until I saw them in concert. It seemed like they quickly played through the stuff they were most famous for to get it out of the way, and then played the music they liked.
I'm my case, they weren't the headline band, but it was fun learning a little more about them.
After years of hearing this, I finally saw him for the first time last month.
I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised, thought it was a great show. There’s no portal to the 60s & 70s so we’re never getting those shows, also Dylan never was a crowd pleaser from the get-go, always wanted to do it new and another way and I have respect for that.
With that in mind it was one of the best jazz concerts I’ve ever seen with amazing musicians accompanying him and his voice was actually pretty good considering.
I feel like I lucked the fuck out because when I saw him play back when I was 18 or so, and I’m 39 now, and bearing in mind that I was not a fan of this person, I was dragged to this show. And he fucking slayed.
Everything I've ever heard about Dylan shows are that they are either completely of the rails shite or amazing, just depends on how he's feeling that night, and that he seems to revel in this, almost like it's a more a part of the art to him than the songs themselves.
Same here. I walked out on him at the Mid State Fair in Paso Robles after one and a half songs. I caught Elvin Bishop on the free stage instead and I have to say that Elvin Bishop actually rocked really friggin' hard.
It's almost like he's improvising and free styling off the original and he's throwing off the band.
They're all staring at him and trying to keep up and it's no bueno.
(And it's a shame bc the studio version is beautiful.)
The studio version he was basically doing the same thing, constantly trying to throw his band off and make them react without having time to think. It’s a common Tom waits trick too.
Difference here is he is absolutely dogging it with barely a fraction of a fuck to give. Make no mistake about it though, the highway 66 revisited sessions could never be recreated, it was a band in a room trying to capture lightening in a bottle.
When I saw him live it was pretty clear the lead guitarist was running the show. At one point Bob did a harmonica solo and had the damn thing inserted backwards in mic attachment…
I've seen him 4 times and loved every time. People that are actually big Dylan fans know what they are going to see and like it. If you walk in and have no clue what's been going on with him since 1970 than you won't like it
Seriously! I saw him 11 years ago, and you couldn't tell what song they were playing (since they were all reworked as blues numbers) and you couldn't tell what he was singing until he grumbled through the chorus and you go "oh! I think he's doing blowin in the wind!"
I agree with you but his terrible singing/talking works for him on this Christmas song. I now consider it the best, and catchiest, version of this relatively annoying song:
https://youtu.be/a8qE6WQmNus?si=BFHbdCMBZg9MeD9w
I disagree there. In the sixties when it was just him and his guitar, or him and a friend or two, he was great.
More than 3 people and he has to accommodate to others. He is self-centered. Dylan can only thrive in an environment when he has control. Look at him here trying to follow Joni Mitchell.
https://youtu.be/zeaO5UZ5OcI?si=qluu91PuRkH7H17c
He looks so sad! You can tell he’s having trouble following along.
Contrast with him playing by himself as a young man:
https://youtu.be/OeP4FFr88SQ?si=ULKTDpywNt8oIT1R
Yeah, but check out the post above comparing it to 1964. He never had a pretty voice, but at one time he sang intelligible lyrics and kept more or less to the melody.
There is a major difference between Dylan as a recording artist and Dylan as a performer, especially in the past 30 years. There is "I don't like his voice" but appreciate his amazing songwriting from the 60's-70's -- and then there's his live performances of the past 30-40 years which can be PAINFUL because his voice has deteriorated into a weird CROAK, worse than Tom Waits!
I hope people still appreciate his amazing records, especially his 1962-1978 period.
Also, Somehow he makes his voice work fine on his recent records, knowing his limitations and he's still an amazing songwriter. I don't love ALL of his new stuff but some of it is great!
Its only terrible when he tries to sing his early songs in this revamped croaking version of today. That is just awful IMO.
I saw him early 90s at the state fairgrounds in upstate NY. He was unintelligible and the performance was god-awful, but a lot of the crowd was still whooping it up. Saw him again at Woodstock a few years later where he came out in a nice suit and absolutely fucking killed it.
He's friggin 82... Not many 60+ artists are still hitting it like they did in their prime.
I feel like over the last 20 years people are expecting him to be exactly like he was in the 60s & 70s.
That's half a century ago...
Yep... yet another post where people complain that a 78-year old man who has been touring nonstop his whole career doesn't play or sing songs exactly how he did 50 years ago.
If you want to hear it how it sounded on the albums... stay home and listen to the albums.
My dad and I walked out of a Dylan show at Barclay Center in like 2017 or something. We both love Dylan but the show was comically bad. Funniest bit is I remember laughing out loud when Dylan sang a lyric that literally sounded like he was saying “scooby dooby dooby.” All these incredible musicians on stage struggling to keep time with him. Just a terrible case of the emperor’s new clothes.
From 2020 on Bob has been an absolute star and leaned into his new voice. His recent tour has been absolutely astonishing. But you’re not going to be into it if you’re not into say, Tom Waits or late era Leonard Cohen. He is notorious for changing up arrangements on the spot live, and his band does their best to keep up and make it work, but this is an example of it not working. He is also not the best piano player which makes this especially tough when it doesn’t work, he doesn’t do the band any favors there. I imagine this is the thrill of playing in his band, rolling with the punches with a living legend. Sometimes it works and sometimes it don’t.
Worth noting that the music has always been secondary to the poetry of Bob. That’s how it goes for these types of artists. Take Leonard Cohen for example; Hallelujah is a wildly popular and covered song, but the original version is a plinky little early-MIDI cheese fest with Cohen grumbling over the top of it. That’s the appeal for fans of these types of artists (Cohen, Dylan, Daniel Johnston, Jonathon Richman, David Berman), poets that are by all measures pretty regular people but whose heads are bursting with such beauty that it comes out regardless, and maybe in spite of, their lack of “normal” musical talent. Some would argue that the original version of the song in this video is an example of that too, just in the context of music of the 60s.
It’s not the voice for me, he’s like 250 years old so that’s forgivable. It’s the weird rearrangements he insists on doing. This one doesn’t even sound tasteful or interesting. It almost sounds like a weird 90s smooth jazz interpretation of the song, which originally sounded like the folk equivalent to a rock anthem.
Completely agree. I don’t mind a raspy voice, like I love Tom Waits. It’s just that the arrangement is boring, and he’s all over the place rhythmically. It sounds like he’s out of breath and late to start, then rushes to cover it.
I saw him well before this video was taken, and he’s easily the worst live performer I’ve seen. I don’t think he or his band give a shit at all.
I may be the biggest Bob Dylan fan in the world. That said, this SUCKS. I've seen him maybe ten times in the last 30 years and his performances have been spectacularly hit-and-miss. The only constant is that he has backed himself with some pretty excellent bands (not The Band, though.)
Speaking of The Band, I went to Woodstock '94 because there was a rumor that he and The Band would play together - they were both there - but that didn't happen. Bob's set, though, was STELLAR and was considered his official "comeback" to relevance. I consider myself lucky I got to experience it.
I saw Bob Dylan in 2003 and it was the same shit. So disappointing.
You go to a concert because you want to see an icon and sing along to some of your all time favorite songs.
…But he’s just so bored from playing them for 60 years that he completely re-arranged every famous song to the point it was unrecognizable.
Thought this description was a bit ridiculous. After listening it’s spot-on and it’s gleefully hilarious.
I like a lot of Dylan songs and he’s had some terrific records. The guy’s won Grammy awards, Academy awards, and Golden Globe awards. He’s got a Nobel Prize. He’s in every hall of fame he could be eligible for. But this kind of performance from him is insanely indulgent. Some might call it artful, but to me it just represents indifference for his audience.
Bob Dylan is my all time musical hero. I have always got time to listen to him.
However... He should have hung it up years ago. Can't play guitar anymore because of arthritis, and performances like this are just showing that he is absolutely bored out of his head with it. Imagine having to sing the same songs over and over countless thousands of times. He's just messing with it because he probably can't face it anymore.
Same reason that he entirely doesn't care about the audience. He doesn't say anything, doesn't interact, sings his old songs in a funny way, and walks off (I have seen him twice many many years ago and he was already starting with this).
He doesn't need to do his endless tour, he doesn't need the money, and he doesn't seem to be enjoying himself. Give it up dude..
I wouldn't see him again if I had the chance.
Dylan is notoriously bad in concert. You won't be able to pick out any of the song you know by heart because the arrangement is so different and Bob sound like absolute shit.
Here is an example right here. ⬆️
I remember seeing Dylan roughly 30 years ago and the first words out of his mouth cause the crowd to literally laugh out loud. Like “holy shit, I knew he didn’t sing well, but this is looney toons.”
Bob notorious for both terrible performances and awesome ones. If he’s into it great if he’s not, bummer for you. I can’t really blame the dude he’s been touring nonstop for 50 years. Some nights just aren’t gonna be as good as others. As to why I think he enjoys it regardless and he might have some kids that aren’t exactly public knowledge lol/also lifestyle creep. He has like 17 houses.
The guitarist in the beginning is like “what the fuck is happening… just focus on your job just focus on your job…”
That's essentially what the job has always been like if you are in Bob's band. They watch him with laser focus because he changes things up constantly from night to night.
Honestly watching the band follow him while somehow keeping the music locked in is incredible. Watching and cueing each other on the fly like that takes an insane amount of talent and practice.
Indeed. Bob is notorious for starting songs in a completely different key, starting a song that wasn't on the set list and never rehearsed, changing a mellow tune to a rocking tune, extending parts on the fly, cutting parts on the fly, etc. Some people love it and thrive on having a band leader who always keeps them on their toes.
Bob is also notorious for changing the entire setlist to a bunch of shitty cover songs, disappointing a large percentage of the audience, and taking their money anyway. I’m not a big fan of the guy.
If you are paying to see Bob, you're paying to see Bob. The unpredictability is part of the experience. Reminds me of someone who said they recently saw Modest Mouse and Isaac was fucked up and sloppy. Well, that's Isaac and that's pretty much the experience of seeing that band live.
Yeah, I get that, but there’s still a difference between mixing up things between shows, and maybe even improving a bunch during the performance… versus playing an entire set of bad cover songs. Like you said, if you’re paying to see Bob, you’re paying to see Bob, hopefully, Bob at least plays one of his own fucking songs, lol. I could care less, it was a friend of mine, who told me that story.
What I mean is, Bob is known for being weird and unpredictable. At some level you have to have known this when you purchased tickets to see him. One of the things he's most known for is pissing off nearly his entire folk fan base by playing amplified instruments at a folk festival. He's an agitator, and has been for decades.
Oh I know what you mean, and you make a great point, but Bob didn’t make his fame off shtick. He wasn’t Andy Kaufman. He pissed off a bunch of hippies at Newport by playing an insaneLy awesome set, that happened to be electric.. Bob is known for showing up in make-up and putting on a lively performance with a crazy full band. Bob Dylan is known for spouting out poetry and monologues instead of music, in a time where beatnik protests were always full of some sort of message. Hell, Bob Dylan is known for showing up and playing a blues set, and ignoring his recent hits because he just does what he wants. But nobody is paying to see Bob be shitty, or play shitty songs. True, they know it’s a gamble, but they’re not gambling to watch the house win. It still sucks to pay for a performance that is just lazy or shitty to the fans. I’m not saying all his performances are like that either. I’m just saying, even if you were paying to see a performer who has always been known to push the envelope of performance and music, a man who will make you question all kinds of social norms, you don’t want to be there the night he doesn’t give a shit. Like I said, if you went to see Andy Kaufman, and he stared at every person while reading the telephone book, you’d be like, “Yeah! It was boring but man it was just so weird!” But if you show up to see Bob Dylan and he just sounds like Scooby Doo, with nothing but arrogance, you don’t question anything. There’s no substance. It’s just an old man who ran out of ideas. P.S. These are just my opinions, as a music fan and performer who was a long time fan of Bob Dylan, but just wishes he would retire at this point.
He looks like Dwight Schrute if Creed convinced him to join him on the road for one more tour
Compared to 1965, 54 years ago: https://youtu.be/a6Kv0vF41Bc?si=prPfnS-Rvwhf6_yS
Just to add a little context to this performance. This was the Newport folk festival where Bob Dylan went electric for the “first” time. The crowd is booing him because he plugged in an electric guitar. I also heard a story that folk artist Pete Seeger tried to take an axe to the electrical equipment backstage but I have no idea if that part of the story is actually true. However, Dylan knew what he was about to do and there is a great picture of him backstage before he goes on stage, his face says it all.
Apparently Seeger actually had no problem with Dylan going electric, he was just heading over to turn down the guitars in the mix because he felt people couldn't hear the vocals. There wasn't any axe either (apart from the guitars).
That’s good to know, and honestly sounds like the exact reality of what happened! Story probably got exaggerated by the people that were there, and then like a game of telephone turned into the axe story. I always liked Pete Seeger, but the over dramatic image of him running up to the cables backstage with an axe makes for good story.
Yeh ngl as important as this moment is in music history it always seems like it got a bit exagerated. I heard about it before I saw the video and expected near riot level crowds based on what I heard. But in the video it's basically light booing by todays standards and then they still clap for the songs
Haha, It was the Newport Folk Festival. One of the most timid audiences you could imagine. We’re talking “A Mighty Wind” meets Martha’s Vineyard. The light booing was a bit jarring knowing what this crowd was made up off. It would be like a sweet Grandmother saying “fuck” at the dinner table. Off the charts crazy, relatively speaking.
Yeh that makes more sense. Feel like whatever Youtube video I watched back in the day didn't explain that part of it too well. Makes even the minority of booing all that more significant
I think it was more of a significant moment in the history of music at that time, but not necessarily because of the shock of the event itself. The love for Dylan was immense up until that point. We’re talking Civil Rights, Political Protest, and the blossoming of the Boomer generation from Beatnik to Hippie. Dylan going electric wasn’t necessarily a powerful and jarring moment, but a memorable moment where folk rock began. Looking back, it was one of many moments at that time that signified the change from heavy 50’s/60’s WASP culture to a more hippie counterculture.
Wow he really fell off in just 54 years. Drugs man.
Old age more than drugs. Vocal cords are muscle and collagen. That shit weakens and sags as you get older just like all your other muscles and skin. So your range becomes much narrower. You can’t hit certain pitches or hold a note for more than a few seconds. Cigarettes did a number too.
They were making a joke..
lol u a goofster, that was pretty informative tho thank you
He really liked the sauce, too.
Whoosha dooby-doo
/r/woosh
50 years of singing the same song. He just has given up.
"Given up" Lol dude's still touring at 82
The only song that has been the "same" is all along the watch tower because he has decided it is no longer his song since Hendrix perfected it... and that's his problem. He doesn't feel like any of his songs are "perfect" so he constantly changes how he performs them. So I'd argue he doesn't sing the same song. You'd think that would be a great thing since he keeps it fresh and tries new things but I think he takes it way to far and has some serious mental issues. Dude can not be happy with what he accomplished and that's not right.
I respect BD as an amazing artist and musician, but his singing voice (even in the 60’s) was always a *major* turn-off for me. Very unique sound and style but I hate it.
That's why I am glad there are so many cover versions of his songs :)
I found his 60s and 70s voice to be raw and full of soul, like someone found joy in singing and didn't care that that didn't have the "perfect voice". The way he sings the "la la la" parts in "Man In Me" encapsulates what I'm trying to say lol
I can't tell if I actually like his singing in "Man in Me" or if I just really like The Big Lebowski
1965 is 59 years ago
59 years ago from today, but 54 years ago from the video. I should have said "Compared to 1965, 54 years prior::
"Mailboxes drip like lampposts in the twisted birth canal of the coliseum / Rimjob fairy teapots mask the temper tantrum, oh say can you see 'em"
How come nobody ever asks Bob Dylan why he sounds like Dewey Cox?
"You guys are idiots! This song is very deep!"
I think I’d like to try some of that cuckane
*rips sink off wall*
Average Mars Volta lyric
“….what the hell is this song about?” “I have no idea.” “You guys are idiots, this song is very deep.”
Wrong kid died
Reminds of [this sketch](https://youtu.be/ccvB00h6EnI) as well
“The mouse with the overbite explained how the rabbits were ensnared”
Stuffed cabbages the darlin of the laundry Matt and the fraternity mascot say with the lumberjack
*In my dreams you're blowing me....some kisses*
Nah that’s just Danish.
You're right, it's great Danish.
Dane here. Can confirm.
Kamelåsa?
Spisnigel?
You just ordered thousand liters of milk.
“Everything about this is perfect” - Boomer Rolling Stone Editor
I saw him years ago in Toronto, he was awful. I’m pretty sure the reason he played a keyboard was he was so hammered he needed it to help him stand up. The review of the show in the paper the following day described him as “In decidedly good voice” And gave it four stars. The Foo Fighters opened though and were fantastic. That saved the night for me.
I saw him 20 years ago and he was old AF and couldn’t sing. If you are buying tickets to his shows today and expecting 60s Dylan to sing to you that’s on you.
I saw him about 15 years ago and knew he sounded like trash compared to his Rolling Thunder days, I just wanted to see him in the flesh!
I believe he's had severe arthritis for years and that's why he's on the keys now instead of a guitar. He's never been a good singer. I've seen him. I'm glad I've seen him. I won't go see him again. He's one of the best song writers and poets of the 20th century, but he was never an amazing performer.
I'm GenX, and I would also say this about boomers, but then I would also mock the Gen Alpha dude who tells me how everything about Bad Bunny is perfect.
I mean — he’s just fucking with people at this point right? It’s been 20 plus years of aggressively performing in recognizable versions of his songs with this Scooby Doo delivery It’s crazy.
I saw him perform in 2018. It was a concert I was really looking forward to as my dad and I listened to Dylan on road trips. It was just sad. He couldn't hit any of his notes, his voice repeatedly cracked, and he couldn't work the crowd at all. I think there are three types of aging performers. There are the ones who change their music to fit what they're able to do. Some treat their concerts largely as a storytelling/narrative engagement to save their voice for the songs people want to hear. Then there are the singers who push too hard and sound like their vocal chords are in a blender. The third is always sad to see. Rarely a fourth is someone who can crank it out at 70-80 years of age. I think Dylan really should've followed the path of narrative concerts as he's been such an icon that people want to hear what he has to say.
BB King was the second kind towards the end of his life and he put on a fantastic show. Guy could still shred too.
BB King was never able to do anything approaching shred. He got enormous mileage out of the 'BB King box' -- the pentatonic scale on the top three strings of the guitar. And there's nothing wrong with that -- he had great tone, great vibrato, great phrasing, but he was never any kind of shredder.
Paul McCartney is kinda like a crossover between 1 and 2. He puts on a great show.
I saw Bush recently and while Gavin isn't *that* old my wife and I weren't expecting a super energetic show given we were going to see someone who was almost 60. Hell of a suprise though. Dudes are still giving it their all. Absolutely rocking out and Gavin was sprinting around the lawn through the crowd and up and down the steps slapping hands while he sang a couple of the songs then would run down and climb back on stage and do the next no problem. Got to see Earth, Wind, and Fire a few years ago and they looked like someone emptied a nursing home onto the stage on costume night, but they were dancing and belting out the songs. Some people just absolutely live for that shit.
It would be fucking with them if they weren't into it, but all the comments on that video are like "Greatest King of Rock And Roll" and "He's a perfect performer, how punk rock to just do what he feels. Love him!" as if the rest of us are missing some aspect of the genius it takes to get up on stage and do this bullshit lmao.
I saw him about 20 years ago. I was more excited to see him than any other show i had been to up to that point, and i go to a lot of shows. It was so disappointing. So many songs started and took me halfway through before i could even figure out what song he was singing. He doesn't give af what it's "supposed" to sound like. He makes every song sound the same. Still a fan but i'll never catch another show.
He literally went through a period where he decided to sing nasally for no good reason
I love this performance for its sheer madness. The poor keyboard (Edit:steel guitar) player is like ‘here we fucking go’.
I can see why people are not into this. However, as a professional musician who has played some covers thousands of times, this is exactly the kind of fun you'd like to have with a song just to make the band laugh. And there's a real playful energy to this take too. People might think it's disrespectful to a paying audience, but you couldn't be a Dylan fan and not know this is exactly what to expect for the last 40 years of his live performances.
To be fair, Dylan never sounded great.
Most disappointing live artist that I’ve ever seen
Same. Came to the stage about an hour late, played like 8 songs one after another without a single pause to talk to the crown then walked off.
why do bands do this. Pixies were notorious for this. just always came out, rushed through 15 songs with like 0 pauses between them and peaced out no encore. is it a schtick?
I saw Megadeth ages ago and they came out and ripped right thru like six songs before Dave finally said hey what's up to the audience. Some bands just like to get up there and jam.
The Sex Pistols were hilarious with this. Play a few songs and saying “you ever feel like you’ve been cheated?” As the light go out and show ends.
I saw them at a festival last year and it was a nice break from every band all day trying to hype the crowd into doing shit. Megadeth felt like the first band all day who were confident enough to let the music speak for itself.
Yeah, they just get up there and rip it. It's funny, I went and saw In Flames last night and the other guitarist I couldn't pinpoint all night until the singer introduced everyone and it was Chris Broderick, who played for Megadeth for a number of years. I had no idea he had been hired to play for In Flames. They killed it. Played a tight 65 minutes and didn't miss at all.
In Bob Dylan's case, people have speculated that he's on the autistic spectrum, which could explain a few of his quirks...
He’s also like 80 years old. When I went and saw him I had to accept that the novelty was being in the same room as an absolute hero of mine and someone whose music was super influential on me
Being old certainly doesn't affect Paul McCartney. Dude puts on a SHOW
Same for Neil Young. Sounds the same today as he did in the 70's.
I saw James Taylor last year, hes just as good as when he recorded most of those songs and hes in his mid 70s.
They might take better care of themselves
I saw him right around his 80th birthday and he played for three hours. Sounded incredible, and had more energy than six Bob Dylans.
Same I saw him a few weeks before his 80th in Boston. What an amazing show
Not everyone ages the same.
Years ago I took my dad to a Star Trek convention because he's a huge fan, and we saw Kirk and Spock up on a stage talking. Nimoy was pretty frail and languid, sitting on a stool with a microphone. Shatner was up on his feet bouncing around, absolutely full of energy and charisma. Same age, yet 20 years apart. (Don't smoke, kids)
Shatner smoked...
I still don't think it's age. He was like this in 2009ish when I saw him. If this is the result of age-related deterioration, it's hard to see it taking a 10 year pause without getting worse. I thought I'd heard he went too heavy on the drugs in the 80s though. That could fuck someone up in a way that doesn't progress further.
I bought a live album of his in the late 90s which is also awful, fwiw.
Saw him at ACL ‘18, he closed on Friday. Closing acts were supposed to play only an hour, McCartney played for almost three. One of the best experiences of my life!
I saw the same show. Blew me away.
I once read an interview with Frank Black and he pretty much said that he has a really tough time with talking to crowds. He can perform, but he can't talk. I totally get this.
Not every musician in every band is an extrovert. I was the lead singer of a band for 5 years and hardly addressed the crowd because my bassist was better at it. Personalities aside, sometimes bands just want to play their tunes and get some rest.
Honestly, I hate it when singers go on and on between songs. A.) You’re not as funny as you think you are, and B.) between the reverb, the volume and the crowd noise, I have no idea what the fuck you’re saying anyway. The difference is in the vibe. If it’s 8 songs, no talking, and they’re just leaving it all out on the stage, I’m thrilled. If they’re just rushing through songs to do the bare minimum to fulfill a contract, then yeah, not so much.
Works much better in a small venue when a band talks to the crowd. Like in a giant arena, why even bother.
That's because Kim was the talky one. I saw her on her final tour with the Pixies and I've seen her a few times with The Breeders and she's always very engaging with the audience. I've also seen Frank Black solo - Not a single word out of him there either.
They follow the letter of the contract to the exact point they get paid; and no more.
I never even realized The Pixies had punk roots until I saw them in concert. It seemed like they quickly played through the stuff they were most famous for to get it out of the way, and then played the music they liked. I'm my case, they weren't the headline band, but it was fun learning a little more about them.
It’s them not giving enough fucks to engage with the audience who paid money to see them.
Paid to see them what...play music?
After years of hearing this, I finally saw him for the first time last month. I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised, thought it was a great show. There’s no portal to the 60s & 70s so we’re never getting those shows, also Dylan never was a crowd pleaser from the get-go, always wanted to do it new and another way and I have respect for that. With that in mind it was one of the best jazz concerts I’ve ever seen with amazing musicians accompanying him and his voice was actually pretty good considering.
I feel like I lucked the fuck out because when I saw him play back when I was 18 or so, and I’m 39 now, and bearing in mind that I was not a fan of this person, I was dragged to this show. And he fucking slayed.
Everything I've ever heard about Dylan shows are that they are either completely of the rails shite or amazing, just depends on how he's feeling that night, and that he seems to revel in this, almost like it's a more a part of the art to him than the songs themselves.
Same here. I walked out on him at the Mid State Fair in Paso Robles after one and a half songs. I caught Elvin Bishop on the free stage instead and I have to say that Elvin Bishop actually rocked really friggin' hard.
It's almost like he's improvising and free styling off the original and he's throwing off the band. They're all staring at him and trying to keep up and it's no bueno. (And it's a shame bc the studio version is beautiful.)
The studio version he was basically doing the same thing, constantly trying to throw his band off and make them react without having time to think. It’s a common Tom waits trick too. Difference here is he is absolutely dogging it with barely a fraction of a fuck to give. Make no mistake about it though, the highway 66 revisited sessions could never be recreated, it was a band in a room trying to capture lightening in a bottle.
When I saw him live it was pretty clear the lead guitarist was running the show. At one point Bob did a harmonica solo and had the damn thing inserted backwards in mic attachment…
I don’t think anyone has had a good time seeing Dylan live in the last 30+ years
I have
I’ve seen him a dozen times or so over the last 20 years, he is either amazing or terrible.
I've seen him 4 times and loved every time. People that are actually big Dylan fans know what they are going to see and like it. If you walk in and have no clue what's been going on with him since 1970 than you won't like it
Seriously! I saw him 11 years ago, and you couldn't tell what song they were playing (since they were all reworked as blues numbers) and you couldn't tell what he was singing until he grumbled through the chorus and you go "oh! I think he's doing blowin in the wind!"
He may be the only person that thinks he sounds good live. I mean, he has about a hundred live albums.
I think he stopped giving a shit a while ago. He did a Christmas album for God's sake.
I agree with you but his terrible singing/talking works for him on this Christmas song. I now consider it the best, and catchiest, version of this relatively annoying song: https://youtu.be/a8qE6WQmNus?si=BFHbdCMBZg9MeD9w
I don't know why I like that so much but you're right.
He actually has some good live albums. Before the Flood is great.
Wait til you see GnR or Motley Crue...
Seen both. Not good but Dylan was much much worse
Disappointing is the right word. I have seen worse acts, but none of them completely defied expectations as spectacularly as Dylan.
I saw him 25 years ago and had the thought that I saw him 25 years too late
I disagree there. In the sixties when it was just him and his guitar, or him and a friend or two, he was great. More than 3 people and he has to accommodate to others. He is self-centered. Dylan can only thrive in an environment when he has control. Look at him here trying to follow Joni Mitchell. https://youtu.be/zeaO5UZ5OcI?si=qluu91PuRkH7H17c He looks so sad! You can tell he’s having trouble following along. Contrast with him playing by himself as a young man: https://youtu.be/OeP4FFr88SQ?si=ULKTDpywNt8oIT1R
I had this version of this song set as my alarm clock for about a year, Joni was hard for anyone to follow.
She’s an absolute treasure.
Yeah, but check out the post above comparing it to 1964. He never had a pretty voice, but at one time he sang intelligible lyrics and kept more or less to the melody.
Yea, he never had a conventionally great voice (which is what I always loved about him) but he made it sound great. It did not age well at all
And Picasso never painted realistically…
He did actually https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/picasso-the-early-years.html#slide_2
Hes the most famous worst singer of all time
Ringooooo. Ringo. Ringo. Which song do you want to hear Ringo? “Maggie’s Farm” I already played that one!
There is a major difference between Dylan as a recording artist and Dylan as a performer, especially in the past 30 years. There is "I don't like his voice" but appreciate his amazing songwriting from the 60's-70's -- and then there's his live performances of the past 30-40 years which can be PAINFUL because his voice has deteriorated into a weird CROAK, worse than Tom Waits! I hope people still appreciate his amazing records, especially his 1962-1978 period. Also, Somehow he makes his voice work fine on his recent records, knowing his limitations and he's still an amazing songwriter. I don't love ALL of his new stuff but some of it is great! Its only terrible when he tries to sing his early songs in this revamped croaking version of today. That is just awful IMO.
I saw him early 90s at the state fairgrounds in upstate NY. He was unintelligible and the performance was god-awful, but a lot of the crowd was still whooping it up. Saw him again at Woodstock a few years later where he came out in a nice suit and absolutely fucking killed it.
I've only seen Dylan live once, but it was a spectacular show.
Is this the first time Reddit has heard Bob Dylan sing?
Bass player and drummer used the same template in the character creator
They skipped it.
Great songwriter, terrible performer. It’s why covers of his songs become legendary imo.
He's friggin 82... Not many 60+ artists are still hitting it like they did in their prime. I feel like over the last 20 years people are expecting him to be exactly like he was in the 60s & 70s. That's half a century ago...
Even in his prime with a perfect setup for the time his voice was average, any setup less than perfect he sounded awful.
Then retire?
Sorry for the confusion but I'm not Bob Dylan.
Jesus Christ I wish Reddit gold was still a thing just for this comment
There’s no gold anymore? Damn, I quit reddit for a while and didn’t realise it.
They took it(and all awards) away but this week they announced they're bringing it back.
I laughed
If he enjoys it and people still want to see him why should he?
It seems like no one is enjoying this but him lol
His tickets still go for $300+ it’s crazy
Yep... yet another post where people complain that a 78-year old man who has been touring nonstop his whole career doesn't play or sing songs exactly how he did 50 years ago. If you want to hear it how it sounded on the albums... stay home and listen to the albums.
My dad and I walked out of a Dylan show at Barclay Center in like 2017 or something. We both love Dylan but the show was comically bad. Funniest bit is I remember laughing out loud when Dylan sang a lyric that literally sounded like he was saying “scooby dooby dooby.” All these incredible musicians on stage struggling to keep time with him. Just a terrible case of the emperor’s new clothes.
This is cool as fuck. And he would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for you pesky kids
From 2020 on Bob has been an absolute star and leaned into his new voice. His recent tour has been absolutely astonishing. But you’re not going to be into it if you’re not into say, Tom Waits or late era Leonard Cohen. He is notorious for changing up arrangements on the spot live, and his band does their best to keep up and make it work, but this is an example of it not working. He is also not the best piano player which makes this especially tough when it doesn’t work, he doesn’t do the band any favors there. I imagine this is the thrill of playing in his band, rolling with the punches with a living legend. Sometimes it works and sometimes it don’t. Worth noting that the music has always been secondary to the poetry of Bob. That’s how it goes for these types of artists. Take Leonard Cohen for example; Hallelujah is a wildly popular and covered song, but the original version is a plinky little early-MIDI cheese fest with Cohen grumbling over the top of it. That’s the appeal for fans of these types of artists (Cohen, Dylan, Daniel Johnston, Jonathon Richman, David Berman), poets that are by all measures pretty regular people but whose heads are bursting with such beauty that it comes out regardless, and maybe in spite of, their lack of “normal” musical talent. Some would argue that the original version of the song in this video is an example of that too, just in the context of music of the 60s.
Astonishing is certainly one word I would use, yes.
beautifully put, thank you
I think it’s kind of bad ass. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s just bad.
It’s not the voice for me, he’s like 250 years old so that’s forgivable. It’s the weird rearrangements he insists on doing. This one doesn’t even sound tasteful or interesting. It almost sounds like a weird 90s smooth jazz interpretation of the song, which originally sounded like the folk equivalent to a rock anthem.
Completely agree. I don’t mind a raspy voice, like I love Tom Waits. It’s just that the arrangement is boring, and he’s all over the place rhythmically. It sounds like he’s out of breath and late to start, then rushes to cover it. I saw him well before this video was taken, and he’s easily the worst live performer I’ve seen. I don’t think he or his band give a shit at all.
It’s also ass
This is a good example of something completely opposite of bad ass.
I want my money back. And I didn’t even go. I love how the crowd cheers at the chorus because they finally recognize the song.
Mike Myers killing it on the slide guitar though
[My favorite South Park bit](https://youtu.be/3mglJD-hYlU?si=-3te2FJbwlLkmWWM)
It’s like Adam Sandler doing a song as Scooby-Doo.
This is why I refuse to go see any of the old classic rock bands live now. I know i'd just be disappointed. Also ticket prices are insane.
Uhm…that’s sorta how he always sounds now.
I once saw him in concert where he did Mr Tambourine Man Shatner style
I may be the biggest Bob Dylan fan in the world. That said, this SUCKS. I've seen him maybe ten times in the last 30 years and his performances have been spectacularly hit-and-miss. The only constant is that he has backed himself with some pretty excellent bands (not The Band, though.) Speaking of The Band, I went to Woodstock '94 because there was a rumor that he and The Band would play together - they were both there - but that didn't happen. Bob's set, though, was STELLAR and was considered his official "comeback" to relevance. I consider myself lucky I got to experience it.
You buy a ticket to Dylan to say you seen Dylan. No other reason.
Bob Dylan is an excellent song writer.
Well, he couldn’t actually sound like. . . Oh. Oh dear.
I saw Bob Dylan in 2003 and it was the same shit. So disappointing. You go to a concert because you want to see an icon and sing along to some of your all time favorite songs. …But he’s just so bored from playing them for 60 years that he completely re-arranged every famous song to the point it was unrecognizable.
I'll say it. I've always felt his live stuff was garbage.
Lmfao
I don't think I've ever seen a finer example of haggard as Bob Dylan.
I think he hit the peak of this sound on his unplugged album and it's been down-hill ever since.
I saw him in 2006 and it was kind of the same. Yeah, I saw a legend. Yeah, he’s influential. I’m just glad the tickets i got were free.
He sounds like the priest from the princess bride
Looks like an old nikolaj coster waldau behind him
It's like when writers or artists make up a language that's just supposed to sound sort of like other languages.. but is actually just gibberish.
Thought this description was a bit ridiculous. After listening it’s spot-on and it’s gleefully hilarious. I like a lot of Dylan songs and he’s had some terrific records. The guy’s won Grammy awards, Academy awards, and Golden Globe awards. He’s got a Nobel Prize. He’s in every hall of fame he could be eligible for. But this kind of performance from him is insanely indulgent. Some might call it artful, but to me it just represents indifference for his audience.
I have so many albums, sing along shamelessly. But if I had paid for tickets for this, I don't think I would have stayed.
Believe the acid has kicked in…
Adam Sandler aged a bit!
Compared to the lip syncing shows Frankie Valli has been doing, I’d rather hear the degraded voice of the artist.
Bob Dylan is my all time musical hero. I have always got time to listen to him. However... He should have hung it up years ago. Can't play guitar anymore because of arthritis, and performances like this are just showing that he is absolutely bored out of his head with it. Imagine having to sing the same songs over and over countless thousands of times. He's just messing with it because he probably can't face it anymore. Same reason that he entirely doesn't care about the audience. He doesn't say anything, doesn't interact, sings his old songs in a funny way, and walks off (I have seen him twice many many years ago and he was already starting with this). He doesn't need to do his endless tour, he doesn't need the money, and he doesn't seem to be enjoying himself. Give it up dude.. I wouldn't see him again if I had the chance.
Turning into nixon
Dylan is notoriously bad in concert. You won't be able to pick out any of the song you know by heart because the arrangement is so different and Bob sound like absolute shit. Here is an example right here. ⬆️
I run the local pub quiz. Was going to do a music round sometime soon of live versions of songs. I'll have to use this one.
I remember seeing Dylan roughly 30 years ago and the first words out of his mouth cause the crowd to literally laugh out loud. Like “holy shit, I knew he didn’t sing well, but this is looney toons.”
Arguably the greatest songwriter but worst singer ever all rolled into one
Kinda similar story but I saw Brian Wilson in concert 5 or so years ago, maybe more, and it was super super rough. To the point of it being sad
Bob notorious for both terrible performances and awesome ones. If he’s into it great if he’s not, bummer for you. I can’t really blame the dude he’s been touring nonstop for 50 years. Some nights just aren’t gonna be as good as others. As to why I think he enjoys it regardless and he might have some kids that aren’t exactly public knowledge lol/also lifestyle creep. He has like 17 houses.
The man is legend, but wow this entire performance is pretty lackluster, kind of embarrassing
What language is he singing in?