Happy birthday “Love and Theft” – released September 11, 2001.
To celebrate this great album I’ve collected live versions of all the tracks on the album.
Please check out our new website:
#1 – Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
Brighton Centre
Brighton, England
4 May 2002
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Continue reading Bob Dylan: Live versions of all the songs from “Love & Theft”
The Bob Dylan World Tour 1981 was a concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The tour lasted from June 10, 1981 to November 21, 1981 and consisted of 54 concerts in three legs: 31 in North America and 23 in Europe. The tour promoted the release of Dylan’s 1981 album Shot of Love.
The European leg of the tour started on June 21 in Toulouse in France and consisted of twenty three concerts, the largest number of concerts taking place in England where eight shows were performed. All shows from July 1 onwards were recorded by members of Dylan’s crew.
The European tour ended in tragedy in Avignon, France where a member of the crowd fell into the electric cables before the first song and caused total power loss. Dylan and the band improvised an unplugged instrumental until the power was restored and ‘Saved’ was started from the beginning. In the accident two people were killed, but the show went ahead despite the incident. Dylan returned to the United States in October to perform twenty three concerts there. Dylan also performed four concerts in Canada. The tour came to an end in Lakeland, Florida on November 21 after fifty-four concerts. (Wikipedia)
There were also a very good audience taping available a couple of years back, well worth seeking out.
Continue reading July 18: Bob Dylan live in West Germany 1981 (45 m video)
Oh God said to Abraham, “Kill me a son”
Abe says, “Man, you must be puttin’ me on”
God say, “No.” Abe say, “What?”
God say, “You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin’ you better run”
Well Abe says, “Where do you want this killin’ done?”
God says, “Out on Highway 61”
…when Dylan bounded out onstage later that evening, wearing a black frock coat and sporting a shock of wild, curly hair, he looked, from a distance, like nothing less than a holy man possessed. And from the moment he and his band (ex-Faces‘ keyboard player Ian McLagan, ex-Stone the Crows drummer Colin Allen, bassist Greg Sutton and ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor) broke into an electrifying Chuck Berryish version of “Highway 61,” it was clear that Dylan was once again a devoted rock & roller. Moreover, his voice – full of passionate declamations and dramatic vocal leaps, and displaying an emotional palette that ranged from proud anger to unabashed tenderness – immediately brought his audience back to the days of Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde.
– Rolling Stone Magazine
Dylan played some of the biggest and best known European music venues including Schaerbeek Football Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, Ullevi Stadion in Gothenburg, Sweden, St. James Park in Newcastle, England, Wembley Stadium in London, England, Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland.
His band included ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor on guitar, ex-Faces’ keyboard player Ian McLagan, drummer Colin Allen and bassist Greg Sutton.
Dylan was joined by several major musicians on the tour including Carlos Santana (all concerts; Santana was an opening act), Joan Baez (Hamburg, Munich and Copenhagen), Hugues Aufray (Paris and Grenoble), Pino Daniele (Milan 24 June 1984), Van Morrison (Paris, London and County Meath), Eric Clapton (London), Chrissie Hynde (London), Bono (County Meath), Leslie Dowdall (County Meath) and Steve Wickham (County Meath).
Real Live was released in the winter 1984 which documented Dylan’s 1984 summer, released by Columbia Records. Six songs from the album were recorded at Wembley Stadium on July 7, two songs were recorded at St. James Park on July 5 and another two were recorded at Slane Castle, Ireland on July 8
– Wikipedia
Continue reading July 7: Bob Dylan live on Wembley in London 1984 – Highway 61 Revisited
Playing his first show in Newcastle in 18 years, and to an English-speaking audience for the first time on this tour, Dylan clearly enjoys the experience. One highlight is a lengthy “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” Dylan’s harmonica dueling with Santana’s guitar. The next day the Newcastle Evening Chronicle proclaims that, “Dylan the magician had breathed the kiss of life all over his work.” The concert is recorded officially, and “License to Kill” and “Tombstone Blues” both feature on Real Live.
~Clinton Heylin (Bob Dylan: A Life in Stolen Moments Day by Day 1941-1995
Dylan, who would fly in from France on his private jet, would be supported by Santana and Geordie favourites Lindisfarne. Tickets for the show cost £11 and the turnstiles opened hours before the concert, for once hammering the touts and forcing them to sell at well below face value.
On a pleasant evening, as the sun began to set, the legendary singer, then aged 43, took to the stage. The Chronicle reported: “He came, he sang, he conquered… Bob Dylan won the hearts of Northern fans – all 25,000 of them – at St James’ Park last night.
The sea of fans were calmed by his strange nasal tones echoing round the terraces, but surged with applause at every pause.“The times they have been a-changing for Dylan fans. For many, marijuana has given way to middle-aged spreads, and beads to balding heads.
But ageing hippies made up just part of the crowd which proved that Dylan now has universal appeal. The majority were just ordinary young people who came to enjoy the music. As soon as the gates opened, a carnival atmosphere descended upon St James’ Park.
Bare-chested fans were soon jogging with joy in the blazing sun to the vibrant music of support groups Lindisfarne and Santana.After the show, one 37-year-old fan, told the Chronicle it was the fourth time he’d seen the singer. “He never loses his old magic. He looks like a scruffy little man on stage – but he happens to be a genius.
Three decades on, the Kings Of Leon recently became the latest act to rock St James’ Park, but for those who watched the legendary Bob Dylan plying his trade there all those years ago, it was a show they will never forget it.
– The Chronicle
Continue reading July 5: Bob Dylan live in Newcastle, UK in 1984 (video upgrade)
The Finjan tape, similar to the early party tapes in that it’s a small group of people, and Dylan’s aware of the tape recorder and is trying to think of interesting songs to play, has many delights, particularly an electrifying version of Muddy Waters’s “Two Trains Running,” a fine loose rendering of “Let Me Die in My Footsteps,” and a haunting fragment of Robert Johnson’s “Rambling on My Mind.” On “Two Trains” Dylan sings, “I’m afraid of everybody/and I can’t trust myself.” The tape also features one of Dylan’s most powerful original blues (if you can draw the line between blues songs he writes and ones be assembles from existing songs; definitely a matter of degree, as is true with most blues singers): “Quit Your Low Down Ways.”
~Paul Williams (Bob Dylan Performing Artist I: The Early Years 1960-1973
I’m sitting here drinking coffee and listening to this fine recording of early Bob Dylan. For fans of early Dylan, this is a gem . It’s a trip back in time to what Dylan sounded like playing in the small clubs before he became famous. Listening to this CD I can imagine sitting in this dark club and hearing Bob Dylan perform songs that would become well known, and others that wouldn’t get any attention at all in the coming years.
Several of these tunes were recorded for Dylan’s first and second albums. Rocks and Gravel was meant to be on his second album, but was replaced by Girl From the North Country. Robert Johnson’s Ramblin’ On My Mind is performed here for the first time by Bob Dylan. The recording of Hiram Hubbard is the only known performance of this song by Bob Dylan. He Was A Friend of Mine was also left off Dylan’s first album.
I drink my coffee and marvel at the “time travel”, at the sureness of the young Bob Dylan. He definitely had “it” already then.
It is on Amazon for just 15 dollars.
Released on DYLAN, BOB – FINJAN CLUB
(The release is unauthorized and is not associated with or approved by Bob Dylan or his current recording label)
Continue reading July 2: Great recording of Bob Dylan’s set at the Finjan Club, Montreal in 1962