Blowin’ In The Wind has always been a spiritual. I took it off a song, I don’t know
whether you ever heard a song called No More Auction Block?
-Bob Dylan (Marc Rowland Interview – Sept 1978)
I wrote ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ in 10 minutes, just put words to an old spiritual, probably something I learned from Carter Family records. That’s the folk music tradition. You use what’s been handed down.
-Bob Dylan (Robert Hilburn Interview – Nov 2003)
The 1960’s
Westinghouse Studios
New York City, New York
3 March 1963
Folk songs and more folk songs
How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, ’n’ how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, ’n’ how many times must the cannonballs fly
Before they’re forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind
It’s not a drain at all, …. Billy Idol’s got the right idea. It’s a charmed life. It beats 9-to-5 now, it did then and it will tomorrow.
You gotta stick it out though. That’s all there really is at the end of the line in this business. B.B. King and Chuck Berry are still working. Little Richard is as good now as he was then.
-Bob Dylan (to Edna Gundersen, August 31, 1990)
1990 Late Summer Tour of North America
First concert: August 12, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – Jubilee Auditorium
Last concert: September 12, Mesa, Arizona – Mesa Amphitheater
People can learn everything about me through my songs, if they know where to look. They can juxtapose them with certain other songs and draw a clear picture. But why would anyone want to know about me? It’s ridiculous.
-Bob Dylan (to Edna Gundersen on August 31, 1990 in Lincoln, Nebraska)
Never Ending Tour 1990
1990 Fastbreak Tour; Jan 12 – Feb 8, a total of 15 concerts
1990 Spring tour of North America; May 29 – June 18, a total of 16 concerts
1990 Summer festival tour of Europe; June 27 – July 9, a total of 9 concerts
1990 Late Summer tour of North America; August 12 – September 12, a total of 23 concerts
1990 US Fall tour; October 11 – November 18, a total of 30 concerts
All in all Dylan played 93 concerts in 1990.
Bob Dylan – Never Ending Tour 1990 – Part 1 will cover the first 3 legs.
It’s not stand-up comedy or a stage play. Also, it breaks my concentration to have to think of things to say or to respond to the crowd. The songs themselves do the talking. My songs do, anyway.
-Bob Dylan (September 21, 1989 – Edna Gundersen interview for USA Today)
Band
The 1988 band (Smith, Parker, Aaronson) backed Dylan at the first three shows of 1989 and at the fifth through the eighth. At the fourth show, and at every show beginning with the ninth (June 10, 1989), Kenny Aaronson, who had to return to the U.S. for health reasons, was replaced on bass by Tony Garnier, who had played with G. E. Smith in one of his former bands. In late July, Aaronson tried to get his job back, but was told by Dylan, “I’m not sure if I wanna change the band right now.” In the long run, Garnier outlasted Parker and Smith, and is still playing bass in Dylan’s touring band.
-Paul Williams (Bob Dylan: Performance Artist 1986-1990 And Beyond)
I’ve always loved to travel and play my songs, meet new people and see different places. I love to roll into town in the early morning and walk the deserted streets before anybody gets up. Love to see the sun come up over the highway. ..
Then, of course, there’s playing on the stage in front of live people, feeling hearts and minds moving. Everybody don’t get to do that. Touring to me has never been any kind of hardship. It’s a privilege.
-Bob Dylan (to Edna Gundersen – USA Today, July 20, 1988)
The second part of my take on “Bob Dylan N.E.T. 1988” includes the two last legs:
INTERSTATE 88 – Part 2: US and Canada Late Summer Tour
August 19 – September 25
INTERSTATE 88 – Part 3: East Coast Fall Tour
October 13 – December 6
