Bob Dylan
9th show of the superb 2003 European Fall tour
Berlin, Berlin Arena
October 20 (Monday), 2003
DISC I [58:07]
01 Intro
02 To Be Alone With You
03 It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
04 Cry A While
05 Desolation Row
06 It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
07 Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
08 Things Have Changed
09 Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)
DISC II [1:00:08]
01 Can’t Wait
02 Highway 61 Revisited
03 Love Minus Zero/No Limit
04 Honest With Me
05 Every Grain Of Sand
06 Summer Days
(encore)
07 Cat’s In The Well
08 Like A Rolling Stone
09 All Along The Watchtower
Bob Dylan – vocal & piano
Freddie Koella – guitar
Larry Campbell – guitar, mandolin, pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar
Tony Garnier – bass
George Receli – drums & percussion
Bob’s 10th show in Berlin is a true escalation. Probably the best of all the 16 shows which has been played in October. The band play perfectly and so beautifully all over the show that all the performances are just simply tremendous. Most versions of songs are inspired – such as ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,’ or ‘Every Grain Of Sand’ – and appearently presented in their best forms of their ’03 fall renditions. Yet in the opening song ‘To Be Alone With You,’ Bob sings with full vigour and hits the piano more and more intensively.
They are determined to rock. ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’ evolves and evolves and the band perfom another beautiful version of the song featuring a mindblowing ending. I listened through carefully all seven ‘Desolation Row’ from this fall and in my opinion it’s just tops all (even if it lacks a certain verse). The way Bob sings and uses his harmonica and his bandmates’ work all the way through it, is mesmerizing.
The tour debut of ‘Can’t Wait,’ – which is between the powerful performances of ‘Most Likely You Go Your Way’ & ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ shows signs of brilliance. During ‘Most Likely..’ Bob mixes the words many places – seemingly in joy playing the tune along with Larry’s and Freddie’s genuine co-work.
Larry’s playing is – again – haunting during ‘Love Minus Zero/No Limit.’
No matter how long or short this review is I’m sure that all the beauty just can’t be put into words. So give a try, don’t hesitate cause it’s the blueprint of ’03 Fall.
Buda