20 août 2008

A different Dylan lights up SPAC - Jason Murray, The Saratogian

Photo: Portrait of Lee Miller

I am very happy about the commentaries of this journalist; it is confirms what I thought. Dylan is an artist who still creates, day and night; it is "formidable" because we are witness of this and we can directrly appreciate it. The effort and the result are tremendous.

Lise Tr.
Montreal, Quebec

A different Dylan lights up SPAC
By: JASON MURRAY, For The Saratogian
08/19/2008

The true power of a music festival is not derived from the crowds that attend them, the sunny days on which they occur or the headliners that close out the night - it is the diverse showcase of musical talent, above all else, that is most important.

When someone of the caliber of Bob Dylan appears in a lineup, the likes of Raul Malo, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle, Conor Oberst, The Swell Season and Levon Helm are easily overshadowed -- this is the way of living legends.

Dylan, with more than 30 albums released and nearly 50 years in the music business, hardly needs an introduction, but his ties to Saratoga Springs are not as widely known. Early in his career, he was a frequent performer at Caffé Lena, a venue that bore witness to several firsts.

...

If you were expecting to see the freewheeling Bob Dylan of old, you were disappointed - he wasn't there. That man hasn't been on tour for a while now.

The man's still a living legend, but the legend of Bob Dylan is still being written. Though Dylan's voice has changed, it has as much evolved as declined. He doesn't hit every note and annunciate every syllable, but the way his rich, rough-edged voice pushes through his melodies is as compelling as ever.

After nearly two hours of non-stop, dance-inducing jams, Dylan, in his black, broad-brimmed hat and black pinstriped suit, headed off the stage as the audience roared. It was a short break before he returned to the stage for an encore of "How does it feel?" and "Blowing in the Wind." There was something bittersweet about hearing him speak the lyrics of "Blowing in the Wind" rather than sing them.

Having a big headliner doesn't a festival make, but having Bob Dylan top off a lineup makes even the greatest day of music more memorable. To hear the master play his music in person is an experience that none should forget. The precision and skill of Dylan and his band were stunning, impeccable even, and the unity with which they played left the audience more than satisfied.

©The Saratogian 2008