Leonard Cohen. Are you watching, Dylan?
I saw the excellent Leonard Cohen at the Birmingham NEC on Saturday. Whilst my wife is a huge fan, I'm a relative newcomer to his songs, listening to a copy of his greatest hits to prepare me for the concert. And even though I wasn't initially a fan, it was probably one of the best concerts I've seen.
This made me think afterwards that there is definitely a market for a slick, well-rehearsed concert from a legendary performer concentrating on his/her hits. In particular I'm talking to you Bob Dylan. I went to a similar Dylan concert a couple of years ago. Again, my wife is a big fan, and I'm a newcomer, but keen to learn. And his concert was dire (even my wife had to admint is was poor). His back to the audience most of the time, reluctant, mumbled comments and he generally gave the impression that he wasn't particularly enjoying it. There was no chance of a smile, a raised hat or a cartwheel from Mr Dylan and his combo.
Now I know what I experienced was par for the course and, indeed, many Dylan fans would say "that's Dylan, take it or leave it", but I really hope he manages to get to one of Leonard Cohen's concerts to see how it can be done. Happy performer, happy band, happy audience.
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Dylan's voice
Sadly it simply does not have any range anymore and this can mean he sounds rather perfunctory and also seems to do this strange method where he sings in a monotone and then ends each phrase with a higher note. I find Dylan's concerts bordering on unlistenable now (good band though) and there is a sense that because of the sheer number of concerts he does, he is likely to telephone a few in from time to time.
I suspect Leonard Cohen's songs lend themselves to his croak much more than the majority of Dylan's catalogue or maybe the answer is that he was never great at audience interaction anyway.
Chalk and ...
I saw Leonard Cohen in Glasgow at the beginning of the month. The last time I saw him was 15 years ago (which may have been his last tour.?) Although I did think that he took a few songs to hit his stride at the beginning, it was a superb show. He sang everything I wanted to hear, the band were excellent and the sound was stunning. On the way out I got talking to someone who had seen two of his UK shows earlier in the year and she said that they had been virtually identical, right down to the 'ad libs'. Each superb, but identical.
You know exactly what you're going to get with Cohen - the perfect set list and the perfect performance. I have no complaints about that.
With Dylan you never get two shows the same, and with the exception of a few old warhorses like 'All Along The Watchtower' you rarely get the same song performed the same way twice. An example ... I saw him two or three years ago in Dublin. It was a great set with one or two absolutely stunning performances. He did 21 songs that night. A work colleague went the following night. Again, I am told, a great show. He did 21 songs that night too, 17 of which he had not performed the previous night.
You always know what you're going to get with Dylan too - the unexpected. There is a risk involved for both audience and artist in that type of approach, but I for one wouldn't want Dylan any other way.
I love both of them
but if you're wondering why Bob does that its all 'explained' in Chronicles. Something to do with the number 3 apparently.
Dylan has been taking the piss for years,
since around about the start of the never-ending tour in the early nineties, and back then he didn't have the excuse of either a shot voice or arthritis.
I count myself lucky to have seen him when you didn't have to play guess-the-song.