Bob Dylan 2002.04.17 in München
From: "Carsten Wohlfeld" office@carstenwohlfeld.de To: webmaster@expectingrain.com Cc: billp61@execpc.com Subject: Munich review Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 03:12:13 +0200 Bob Dylan MŸnchen, Olympiahalle April 17, 2002 A review by Carsten Wohlfeld If you are ever happy to see the tiny village of Mindelheim halfway between Lake Constance and the city of Munich, you're either a huge fan of the German countryside or you're running dangerously low on petrol and can't find a gas station for AGES. So despite minor complications on the way to and in Munich (I think we all decided that we never want to move there just to make sure we don't have to deal with the traffic there) Tim, Regine and I actually arrived early and even had the time to enjoy some impossibly large cocktails before the show. So we all had a great time even before the show at the Olympiahalle was due to start at 8.30pm and Bob did all he could to make sure that wouldn't change for the rest of the night. I was quite surprised that Bob was able to fill the huge venue, I'd think there were more than 9 000 people there. Last time he played the place in 1999 they had seats on the floor, but now fortunately it was general admission. It was just after 8.30pm that the five guys came onstage, this time NOT wearing their matching suits for some reason. They kicked off with a very welcome Humming Bird (acoustic) Bob was on from the first line. Larry's didn't get to play his lovely Johnny-Cash style solo on the elctric guitar that I'd enjoyed so much in Hamburg the week before, but I'd still think that this was a superior rendition. Just overal very well done. The Times They Are A-Changin' (acoustic) Okay, the lyrics weren't perfect, but it was a pretty decent version nevertheless. Nothing reminded us of the disaster from the night before, maybe because they seemed to be playing the song a little slower and with that a bit more gentle, which seem to work a little better. Still would kill for some change in this slot though. It's Alright Ma (acoustic) The same strong version that we've come to expect from Bob and his gang on this tour by now. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (acoustic) The biggest crowd pleaser so far, Larry did a great job on pedal steel as usual, although Bob tried his best to bury Larry's opening solo with his harmonica playing. It was a solid version and a good end for a very enjoyable first acoustic set. It was at this point that I thought that they had finally returned to the constitancy of the first shows I saw (not many highlights, not many lowpoints, just overall very good) and had left behind the hit and miss approach that had made the Stuttgart show so weird. But just as I thought that, they just turned around and got better and better and better. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again Unlike the Frankfurt rendition, this was energetic and well-paced from the start. Bob delivered some of his usual one-note guitar solos that were actually enjoyable, especially as he didn't forget to put a lot into the vocal delivery at the same time. Floater Much better than Hamburg. I still miss the violin, but somehow they managed to fill the gaps better this time around. Yet another chance for Charlie to show that he apparently is capable of playing anything from country, to blues, to rockabilly - and jazz! Still find it weird to hear these jazzy songs in huge 12,000 seat venues filled wth people who for the best part are waiting for "Like A Rolling Stone" (in the 1965 arrangement). Subterrean Homesick Blues I was surprised to hear this again so soon after the not-very-good-at-all version from Hamburg the week before. This time around Bob and the band did exactly know what they wanted to to with the song and the result was a much tighter, yet still very relaxed rendition of the song. Wouldn't mind hearing it more often as long as they manange to keep it on this level. But just when I thought it couldn't get any better (or more surprising), Bob pulled out: In the Garden This must have been only the 4th or 5th time they played the song since I last heard it in Hannover six years ago, but you couldn't tell. I have to admit that I don't know all of the lyrics to the song, but if Bob messed them up, he did a very good job hiding that. The band sounded as if they play the song twice every night as well and not once a year. Very slow, but very emotional, all five seemed to concentrate really hard to get the song right - and they did. A stunning performance! Don't Think Twice (acoustic) Maybe they needed a rest after the strong "In The Garden"? Whatever it was, they delivered a good version of "Twice", that - some nice guitar work from Bob aside - was almost a lowpoint compared to the previous two numbers, even though it was actually a quite nice version. Those of you who read my reviews regularly might remember my favourite episode from the Montreux concert last summer, when Bob played "Visions Of Johanna" and I had tons of fun watchting my aforementioned friend Tim who was standing about 10 meters away from me,who totally enjoying the song - no wonder, you would, too, if you had named your baby daughters Hannah and Louise! This time Tim and his wife Regine were both at the show and were standing right in front of me. So I had to smile big time when I realized about five seconds before they did that the next song was indeed. Visions Of Johanna (acoustic) The vocal delivery was a bit rushed at first, but things improved as the song went on. Not an extraordinarily stunning version, although it's still always a pleasure to hear him sing it. There are some many fascinating images in the lyrics, it still blows me away every time I hear the song. Mr. Tambourine Man (acoustic) Same as it ever was. This time with harp at the start. Summer Days The usual fun jamming you've come to expect from the guys on this song by now. Maybe they didn't get as much into it as the previous nights or maybe it just seemed like it after the many, many highlights they had delivered in Munich already, but somehing seemed to be different. Things Have Changed Was pretty good as well, although I still want to hear "Suagr Baby" (or "High Water") in this slot. "Things" worked well, as it was quite fast, with a good driving beat from George (you couldn't tell that he had problems with his arm at all). I think the fact that they realy playit by now helps both Bob and this band to enjoy it more than in 2001, when they played it every other night. Interestingly enough, this seems to be the only electric song left that still allows Larry to take the lead. Drifter's Escape Solid, rocking version as usual. And even though it was very good, it paled in comparison to the last song: Cat's In the Well Now I know you won't believe me, especially since we're talking about a show here that featured "Subterrean", "In The Garden" and "Visions" already, but "Cats" was BY FAR the best song of the night. I'm not a major fan of Bob's blues numbers, but this was simply stunning. They had played the song a few times last year and it sounded good, but tonight it was just something else. I don't know where it came from, but the stuff Charlie played on guitar - both his soloing and the riffs - were GRRRRRREAT! The song rocked like no other, it was loud, it was fun and it was long! I wouldn't be surprised if it clocked in at 10 or 12 minutes. Bob introduced the band close to the end and this time around let them all play solos! The song just blew me away - just like the last song of the set is supposed to be! Not Fade Away Was a nice change, although it wasn't as well done as "Constant Sorrow" the nights before. They have a slightly different arrangement now (compared to 1999/2000), but Bob, Larry and Charlie are still singing all the lyrics together, which just proves that we're talking about a real band here, not just Bob and backing musicians. Like A Rolling Stone Especially in a huge venue like this, an obvious crowd pleaser, although it was "just" the regular version this time, that wasn't as good as the night before in Stuttgart. If Dogs Run Free (acoustic) Same as it always is. The same that applys to "Floater" is true for this song, so I wasn't exactly overwhelmed. Honest With Me Rocked, rocked, rocked. Didn't come close to the version of "Cats", but sounded better than in Stuttgart. Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic) Both the harp solo and Bob's singing were a lot stronger than on previous versions and so the show actually ended on less disappointing note (for me anyway) than it usually does when this song is aired as the last one. The lights came on and it was 11.06pm - Bob and his gang had played for more than two-and-half hours, making this - to the best of my knowledge -one of the longest shows since the summer of 1993. The whole event was on a stunningly high level. Both Bob and the band just couldn't do wrong tonight and while I initially thought I'd just see one more show (my "hometwon" gig in Oberhausen), I'll see now see at least three more shows now- just on the strength oft his gig. Which is my way of saying that it was simply awesome! Many thanks to Tim, Regine et al for the lift and making this such a fun night! See y'all in NŸrnberg! Carsten Wohlfeld -- http://carstenwohlfeld.de "your girlfriend can leave you, but the rolling stones are there forever" ~ alan mcgee