Bob Dylan 980617 in Brussels, Belgium
Forrest National
Address: Ave. de Globe 36, 1190
Capacity: 8,000
Ticket prices: 1250 BEF
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 13:43:07 +0200
To: karlerik@monet.no
From: Eddie Janssens (Eddie.Janssens@vgc.be)
Subject: Dylan in Brussels - review (0617/1998)
Wednesday, June 17th, I went to the show in my hometown Brussels, the
capital of Brussels (they say).
I was very curious about which songs Bob was going to play, after all those
marvellous reviews I've read about from the new tour.
For myself it was the 8th time I was going to see Dylan (first time in
1984). I took my 7-year old daughter EVA with me, who has become a big
Bobfan too ! It was going to be an evening she'll never forget...
1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
Bob began at 09:00 pm, half an hour late. Bob, dressed in black, white
shirt, looked a bit like in the pope-video from last year, but without the
hat.
This song really kicks off ! Crowd was very enthusiastic.
2. License to Kill
I haven't heard this live since 1984, I guess. This version was close to
the original and sounded very good.
3. Cold Irons Bound
Quite a response from the crowd ! Strong version & the band really got
deep into the heart of the song. Much better than the album version.
4. Tears of Rage
Live a lot different than the original. Most of the people didn't know
this song at all.
5. Silvio
This song seems to become a Brussels favorite. Nearly everytime Bob plays
in this city, he performs it. Somebody told me in 1996 that Bob did it
because he'd heard that it was a (small) hit in Belgium, way back in 1988.
(I don't really think it's true..)
But still, this song rocks more, everytime I hear it... A lot of people in
the back and the front were dancing along with it.
6. Mama, You've Been On My Mind @
The great surprise & highlight!!! I don't know other live versions of this
song, but this one was soooooooo beautiful ! It got me by the throat
from the beginning till the end. I hope that Bob will play it more often,
so other people can enjoy it as well.
7. Ballad Of Hollis Brown @
Also very nice. It was like Bob, tasting every single word of it, letting
us know what he was trying to say. Surely a highlight.
8. Mr Tambourine Man @ (w/ harp)
My daugher jumped up and said : "I know his one, daddy !" She liked it
very well, as well as I did & of course the whole crowd did. I've heard many
versions of "Tambourine" and this wasn't maybe the best but surely one of
the best.
9. Tangled Up In Blue @ (w/ harp)
My personal favorite and the best version I've ever heard Bob do in
Brussels. It seemed like the song would last forever and, God, I wouldn't
have minded, you know !! Finally Bob took his harmonica & made the song
even more beautiful till the fade out.
10. Make You Feel My Love
Very smooth & gentle and Bob who really got emotional into this song. Is
this the clue-song why Bob still is on tour ? In fact this was what I was
thinking, listening to the lyrics.
11. Can't Wait
Don't know why, but it isn't my favorite song. Still it is nice to hear it
and to compare with the (very similar) album-version.
12. I Don't Believe You
The guitars sounded very sixties and it was like you're hearing a show from
many, many years ago. When there is something like Dylan-blues THIS was it.
13. Highway 61 Revisited
The same goes for this one, 1965-guitars and very heavy & raw. I Like it
a lot !
14. Forever Young @
First encore & also a highlight ! Whole of the song came out like a kind
of prayer.
Just like a testament, like something Bob would like to say to his audience.
"What is he singing about ?" my daughter (who don't understand English)
asked . "He wants us to stay forever young", I replied. I'm sure she
understood it instantly !
15. Love Sick
Magnificent version of one of the best TOOM-songs. Looks to be a very
important song for Bob indeed, he seemed to be very concentrated.
16. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
The well-know hymn. Not better er worse than all the other versions.
17. Blowin' In The Wind @
A beautiful end to a beautiful show, with the crowd singing and clapping
along. It was 10:50 pm and it was over.
What a night !! Eva was very glad to have seen and heard Bob. A new
generation of Bobfans is born (in time) & ready to grow...
Love to all from Eddie Janssens, Belgium (eddie.janssens@vgc.be)
*************************************
Eddie JANSSENS *
eddie.janssens@vgc.be *
*************************************
Date: 08 Jul 1998 23:40:00 +0100
From: happyjaq@confetti.ruhr.de (Carsten Wohlfeld)
Subject: June 17, 1998 - Brussels, Belgium - a review
Bob Dylan
Brussels, Belgium, June 17, 1998
Forest National
A Review by Carsten Wohlfeld
Well, I hate to say it, cause it'll make me look bad, but I have to
mention it anyways: Yes, for the first time since June 21, 1995, he did
"License To Kill", I was there you you were not. That's the funny
punchline. Anyways, we arrived very late at the venue, right around the
time they opened the doors, so I'll have to leave the details from the
queue to Christian. We still managed to get resonably good seats (fifth or
sixth row), but it didn't really matter anyways, because the stage-rsuhed
happened even before a single note was played and I ended up with a nice
3rd row spot almost center-stage. The same thing happened when Bob last
played this venue two years ago, so I was kinda expecting it. All the
people in the first few rows seemed to be pretty friendly though and there
was not much pushing and stuff. Nice. 8.30 was given as the showtime on
the tickets, but it was shortly after 9.00pm when Bob and the band finally
emerged from the backstage area. While the band, with the exception of
Larry "Smiley" Campbell, looked a bit tired, but Bob was having a fun time
all throughout the night. He was much more animated than last night in
Essen, smiled a lot, played songs directly to the people in the front row
and solo-ed more than usual.
>
> Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat
Opened the show as expected. It actually gets better an better each night,
even though it'll never be a real favourite of mine. It has a nice opening
with a heavy drumroll now, is very bluesy and rocks like hell. Couldn't
hear Bob's voice at all, but maybe that was just because I was so close to
the stage and only got the sound from the monitors. After the song Tony
stepped over to Bob and asked "License To Kill"? Bob nodded and repeated
"License To Kill"! YESSSSSSSSS!
> License To Kill
Now you have to know that this song is a special favourite of mine (along
with "I&I") and I never got to hear it live. As I mentioned before, as far
as I know, it was last played three years ago and not in my wildest dreams
I would've expected to hear it ever again. It was on last night's cuesheet
so I knew there was a chance that they would play it eventually, but I
thought they probably would do it once in the UK (where I won't be) and
then drop it for another three years. But no, they played it tonight and I
was standing just a few feet away from Bob! Wow! It had a nice long intro
and even though Bob didn't know the lyrics (or at least parts of them), I
enjoyed the performance to the max. I think that the band did a pretty
good job, the arrangement is pretty simple and slow, but it fit in
perfectly with Bob's laidback vocal delivery. Despite the minor mistakes
definitely the highlight of the show. For me anyways.
> Cold Irons Bound
was "Cold Irons Bound", solid performance that was slightly better than
last nights. Bob seemed to pour more emotions into his singing tonight.
> Tears Of Rage
Another song Bob's seems to like quite a bit these days. At least he plays
it more often than he used to and it's always one of the show's highlights
as well. His singing was very concentrated, very sweet and smooth.
> Silvio
was "Silvio". Sounded slightly different cause Bob soloed right through
the first drum break... David looked slightly puzzled :-)
> Mama You Been On My Mind (acoustic)
was a very pleasant surprise, especially since it now finally has it's own
arrangement and is not "Don't Think Twice" with a different set of lyrics.
Bob had trouble remembering the words at one point, but he had tons of fun
during his very long solos during the acoustic set and smiled quite a bit,
too. Bucky sang along for the first chorus only. Not sure if he was
supposed to sing there or if he just got carried away.
> The Ballad Of Hollis Brown (acoustic)
I thought it was pretty funny to hear this again, especially when you
remember what I said about it in last night's review. He always seems to
bring it out when I see him alot, then play it on three consecutive nights
and then wait another two years till he plays it again. I saw it three
times within a week in 1996 and now I got to hear it two nights in a row
in 1998 as well. I'm not complaining though, cause I really like the song
and the new and improved arrangement sounds very dramatic and it gives the
song a very spooky edge.
> Mr. Tambourine Man (acoustic)
Yup, he did this one as well and I couldn't care less. He *tried* to play
a harp solo at the end, but it was going nowhere and ended before it
really began. The shortest harmonica solo I ever heard from Bob. And quite
possible the least inspired, too.
> Tangled Up In Blue (acoustic)
He tried blowing the harp again on his song and with much better results.
The solo ended a fair version of "Tangled" that is now a little bit slower
than in Scandinavia. Today, the "lucky to be imployed" verse was in its
place...I wonder what he does with it in Belfast... Larry really enjoyed
the song, singing along to various lines. For some reason he had to laugh
out loud when Bob sang "...became withdrawn".
> To Make You Feel My Love
was given the usual fair treatment. The intro was either new or messed up.
Probably the latter. Interestingly enough, this song always gets a huge
cheer, something I don't really understand.
> Can't Wait
Solid version, with a gorgeous "Oh honey". Interesting to hear it in
reversed order now. For all of last week he played it *before* "Feel My
Love", which I thought made more sense (right after "Tangled"). Then
again, that's just me.
> I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
Was verrrrry funky. First time that I heard the new band play this song
again. Funnily enough Bob did it the last time he visited Brussels as
well. The Belgian people must think he does it every night :-)
Unfortunately both "You Go Your Way" and "Born In Time" were on the
cuesheet but went unplayed. Bob checked his watch (!) before the song, as
if he was going to say, okay, if we've played for 60 mins aleady, maybe we
can skip a song?" Honestly, it was a very weird situation. Did he ever do
that before? Band intros followed, the only time he talked all night,
apart from two "thanks Ev'rybodys".
> Highway 61 Revisited
Was done instead of "Til I Fell In Love With You" and rocked as usual. Bob
found this little riff that he repeated endlessly. He was having tons of
fun and he crcaked up Tony as well. Bucky even echoed the riff on the
pedal-steel which I thought sounded quite cool.
>
> (encores)
> Forever Young (acoustic)
Another huge crowdpleaser with Bucky and Larry on backing vocals. Nicely
done, even though Bob's first solo siunded a little out of tune.
> Love Sick
Was very nice, very carefully done. Normally the intro is quite rushed
these days, but today (and last night too) it was long and performed with
a lot of care. It seems as if Bob rediscovered this song and now sings it
as the song deserves it. For a while it was just #15, now it#s one of the
highlights on "TOOM" in the even better live version again. (If you know
that I mean).
> Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35
Lots of smiles from all five on stage, house lights on, the usual.
> Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic)
Tony came running back on stage with his (bass)guitarcase in his hand as
if he was going to say: "Hey, nice job, we were on our way home already
when you made us come back." Very funny. "Blowin'" was given a fair
treatment and it started out a little bit different, with a long Bob
guitar solo.
All in all yet another very strong show, I liked Essen's setlist better,
but I'm sure that some people will prefer this show to last nights. After
I've seen 11 of the 14 shows in Europe so far it's time for me to descend
to the real world for a while. I'll be back with a review from paris
though, don't you worry. Thanks for reading and having the patience to
ignore all my typos. Goodnight.
carsten wohlfeld
--
"what once you called home is a minefield" (damon & naomi)
