From: paul.fletcher@rose.com (paul fletcher)
Subject: Hamilton Concert
Organization: Rose Media Inc, Toronto, Ontario.
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 01:25:12 GMT
X-Gated-By: Usenet <==> RoseMail Gateway (v1.70)


Date Entered: 08-28-92 20:15

Here is the review of the Aug 21st Hamilton Concert as printed in the 
Hamilton Spectator, August 22/92. 

DYLAN GETS REPEATED STANDING OVATIONS
By Nick Krewen
The Spectator

EXCELLENT!
    Bob Dylan and company cooked up a mean gumbo last night at 
Hamilton Place in what could be considered one of the legendary 
songwriter's more consistant performances.
    For two hours, Dylan entertained the near-capacity crowd of 
hippies, baby boomers and naturalists with choice selections from his 
30-year career, causing such a wave of excitement that several people 
in the crowd repeatedly gave him a standing ovation after each number.
    What's more, he and his proficient entourage - which included 
guitarist John Jackson, bassist Tony Garnier, pedal steel 
guitarist/mandolinist Bucky Baxter and the drumming pair of Ian 
Wallace and Charlie Quintana - thoroughly deserved it.
    Those familiar with Dylan's shaky performance past are well aware 
that the pendulum can swing as easily left as to the right and how 
easily a moment of magical brilliance can be replaced by awkward 
hackneyedness.
    Not last night, however. The 51-year-old singer's approach with 
his compatriots could pretty much be compared with a whirlpool, in 
that it was a casual affair that had everybody contribute their stroke 
of the brush to complete the aural painting.
    As usual, Dylan led - everyone followed - and eventually the 
musical locomotive would pull out of the station, chug along for 
awhile while everybody explored the scenery and slow to a gradual stop 
once Bob the Conductor had decided the destination had been reached.
    At times, the chemistry would be extremely fragile, as Jackson and 
Garnier would listen hard to determine where Dylan was going. After 
the first few numbers, they were in tune with the master of 
reinvention and their improvisation was nothing short of brilliant.
    And the performance also revealed another side of Dylan we haven't 
seen so much of recently: the guitarist. While everyone was barrelling 
ahead with whatever momentum certain songs called for, Bob was picking 
some very sweet melodic solos on his accoustic. It was an unexpected, 
delightful surprise.
    But then, Dylan is full of them. Sporting a black poka-dot shirt, 
black slacks and cowboy boots, the songsmith (Who, as usual, didn't 
allow any photographers into the building) continually pulled rabbits 
out of his hat throughout the concert. Usually he'd spring an 
unfamiliar riff done in foreign style, warm up the band and then begin 
singing the last tune you'd expect to accompany the vamp.
    Thus, Maggie's Farm was performed over a soul-stirred fun-kee 
treadmill that came perilously close to disco, while Mr. Tambourine 
Man was thrown out as a country two-step shuffle.
    Not everything about the man has changed, of course. At times he 
still sounded like a graduate of the Buckwheat School of Broadcasting, 
running together his words and editing his lines, with that nasal 
whine that was born to shear sheep.
    But there were moments - like the tender, blusey rendition of 
Simple Twist of Fate and solo renditions of Little Moses and Boots of 
Spanish Leather - where Bob was definitly singing sensitively and 
passionately.
    Other gold nuggets from the treasure-filled Dylan catalogue:The 
Lonsome Ballad Of Hattie Carrol, All Along The Watchtower, Tangled Up 
In Blue, Idiot Wind, Everything Is Broken and I'll Be Your Baby 
Tonight, and an amazing rendition of The Times They Are A-Changin'.


Paul


|============================================================|
|      FROM PAUL FLETCHER, TORONTO ONTARIO, CANADA           |
|                                                            |
|     SEND REPLIES TO:                                       |
|                         PAUL.FLETCHER@ROSE.COM             |
|============================================================|
---
   RoseReader 1.70 R001290: Mother's board, Dad's a UNIX.
   RM 2.00 : RoseNet<=>Usenet Gateway : Rose Media 416-733-2285