Bob Dylan 990616 in Sacramento, California

Subject: Simon/Dylan at Arco 6-16
From: Jesse Shanks blankreb@neworld.net
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 11:57:06 -0700

I have been to many concerts and I have never quite been to one
that seemed to have such a broad range of audience as this show.
From youngsters to oldsters, from suits to tie-dye hippies,
freaks to punks... they were all there.

Paul Simons's set was very affecting and interesting. "Bridge
Over Troubled Water" was played as a slow, majestic opener. The
light show for Simon's set was very well done. The songs before
Mrs. Robinson were not very familiar to me but I enjoyed them
very much. Simon made reference to a review that called "The
Capeman" a "flop" and declared that "it was great and he loved
it." Mrs. Robinson seemed not to affect the crowd much. Such a
recognizable lick on the guitar should have sparked more
response, I would have thought. "Me and Julio" was fun. Many
people who had seen the set list took the opportunity to leave
during "Further To Fly" and I agreed that it was the weakest song
of the night. But, from Graceland through "Still Crazy" the
performance was all right on. I found myself wishing that Simon
would have let his band loose for some extended jamming. All in
all, it was a great show.

The duet songs were quite riveting. The time seem to fly by.
Bob's harmonica solo on "Sounds of Silence" lived up to its
billing. I had been hoping for the restoration of "Forever Young"
in place of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" but the reggae version
was comfortable and reminded me distinctly of the version on
"Budokan."

Oddly, during the intermission I ran into several people who had
the impression that the show might be over! I said, "Don't go
home yet!" However, I also told someone that Bob was probably not
going to use much of a light show. That was incorrect. The lights
during Dylan's set were very well done! Especially effective were
the lights that showed shadows of the band on the backdrop.

The band was strong and spirited. Often they seemed to operate as
extensions of Dylan. After the ostentatious instrumentation of
Simon's band, Dylan's crew was pretty straightforward. There was
violin on "Back Pages" and pedal steel on "4th Street," but
otherwise it was guitars. However, they played a lot of different
guitars!

"Cocaine Blues" was one of the few songs that I had not heard
live before. I was anxious to hear the sound mix having heard
varying opinions of the quality. Several people commented that
"Dylan can't sing" or "I can't understand what he is saying" or
"I can't sing along with him," etc. I found the quality to be
very good and I was able to hear Bob's voice distinctly and on
the songs where he wanted to be heard, he was very easily
understood. "Don't Think Twice" was lovely. This was very true on
"Not Dark Yet" and "Love Sick" lending credence in my mind to thew
theory that the songs on "TOOM" are more suited to Dylan's
current vocal style. After concluding a somewhat muddy vocal on
"Memphis Blues," Bob remarked, "that was a song off one of my
older records and here is one off my new one" and then launched
into an achingly pristine reading of "Not Dark Yet." It was a
highlight. The vocal on "4th Street" was very sly and a hoot.

"All Along The Watchtower" was terrifically powerful rock and
roll. It was at this point that many of the older audience
members left. I don't think they were expecting such a rude
noise! Too bad they didn't hang around for "Highway 61." I have
heard this one in several different versions from Bob and this
was one of the most potent versions of hard Dylan rock I have
heard.

I don't care who is tired of it. I don't care how many times they
have heard it. As long as Bob Dylan wants to play "Like A Rolling
Stone," I'll listen. I can still hear the cannon shot drumbeat
that kicked it off! Bam! Another rude noise! The power of the
guitars was overwhelming! (I only missed organ and piano a
little)

"It Aint Me, Babe" is the same. Play it, I'll listen. ("TUIB"
too!)

"Not Fade Away" was the only song that I recall having background
singing. It was one more rude noise!

The whole show was well conceived and well executed. The set list
was solid even if not reaching too far afield. Bob's performance
was really quite incredible. The band is rock solid.

J. Shanks



Subject: Re: June 16, 1999 - Sacramento, California - Setlist
From: Zardoz  eckos@earthlink.net
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1999 00:06:50 -0700

Just a few thoughts, for what they're worth.

The ambient, virtual-fish-tank arrangements of "Bridge" and
"Further to Fly" were pretty weak, in my view, but the rest of
Paul's performance ranged from good to excellent. It's rare that
"chills run down my spine," but it actually did happen for a few
moments toward the end of "Cool, Cool River." Also, there seemed
to be a catch of genuine emotion in Paul's voice when he sang,
"Where have you gone, Joe Dimagio...."

However, at one point Paul said (paraphrase based on poor
memory): "I'm stupid, I'm stupid, I'm really stupid. I know I
shouldn't, but I was reading something and the writer mentioned
my 'flop musical' The Capeman. Now, I guess most of you didn't
see it, but let me tell you, it was great. I don't know why they
hate [or "slam" or "attack"] me. I can [or perhaps 'can't']
guess."

It seemed to me that Paul was sort of answering his own question
here -- obviously insincere self-deprecation coupled with a
willingness to call your own work "great" can be less than
endearing.

Anyway, Paul introduced Bob with words along the lines of "an
honor and a pleasure." But I found listening to the duets almost
a chore. Bob appeared half-asleep (in dark slacks), and the
simultaneous singing of verses wasn't too effective. The trading
of verses on "Knockin'" worked better but was nowhere near as
enjoyable as the duet he did with Sheryl Crow a while back.

Then, the first two songs of Bob's set also seemed flat. I was
beginning to think that Paul was going to end up putting on by
far the better show.

But "Don't Think Twice" saved the day. It almost always brings
out some very inventive singing and this whole show really came
alive as Bob began stressing the "i" words, like
"iiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiii ain't saying you treated me unkiiiind,"
etc.

Also, this was the first Dylan show I've seen in a few years
where Bob was making repeated use of the high end of his range --
the almost unrelenting gruffness which seemed to be getting worse
and worse in 1998 was definitely a thing of the past last night.
It's another cliche, but on any number of occasions his voice was
soaring above the music -- a wonderful change.

Also, a while ago, someone here argued that Dylan's singing was
almost always haphazard in live performances -- that he saved his
careful vocal performances for the studio. While I don't think
I'd agree with that point in general, last night's show offered
some of the strongest examples of thoughtful singing that I've
heard, either in person or on tape, from anyone.

"Positively 4th Street" was sung in a low-key manner, but with
none of the wistful, forgiving tone he's put into a lot of recent
performances. This is without a doubt the most disdainful version
I know of (including the official release). I think Bob may have
crossed the line from excellence to greatness with this song last
night (though he did mar it slightly with a clunky guitar break).
As his voice faded out on the last words "what a drag it is to
see you...," the volume of the guitars shot up as if the disgust
that Bob was barely holding back finally burst forth.

There were many other wonderful moments -- when Bob sang, "This
kind of love, I'm so sick of it," he sounded like he was sick of
absolutely everything -- a real "goodbye cruel world" reading.

Or again, in "Memphis Blues," when he whined the word
"Moooobiiiile" higher than the rest of the line, he made it sound
like, "Christ, anywhere but *Mobile.*" [Incidentally, he sang the
"20 pounds of headlines" verse, and the "Italian poet" verse in
"Tangled"].

Or again, as he let his words drop groggily one by one in "Not
Dark Yet" -- "can't even remember what it was I came here to get
away from" -- before almost literally crying out, "Don't even
hear the MUUUURRRRMER of a prayer...."

Or the sickly-cutesy touch he gave to "Would you like to make a
deal?" in "Rolling Stone" -- he perfectly captured both a
character who knows she's in trouble and a narrator who's
smirking at her predicament.

Finally, "It Ain't Me Babe" was one of the *really* long
versions, and it did hold sadness and tenderness. I found my mind
wandering during the mid-song guitar interlude, but the last
couple minutes featured an intriguing and extended harmonica solo
done through the mic set-up that adds a lot of huskiness to the
sound.

In all, I think this show was too uneven to be a great concert,
but it had many moments as good as anything I've heard from Bob.