Atlantic City
Peter Stone Brown
I think it was back on one of those minor league baseball stadium tours that
they started calling it the Bob Dylan show. And while the concert at the
Borgata in Atlantic City was listed simply as Bob Dylan and his band, what
it was, was the Bob Dylan Show. And so on well 21st Century level it was as
good a place as any to start the Bob Dylan summer tour of the USA.
The Borgata sits alone in the marshlands before Atlantic City, an entity
unto itself. It's huge, it's loud, and even though there's exit signs all
over the place you can wander around it forever looking for the way you came
in and it's designed that way on purpose.
Inside the event center it's dark casino red and there's just this slickness
about the whole place and atmosphere that somehow jibes perfectly with the
you are about to see a legend music that's emanating from the stage and
seems to get louder and softer at key moments.
And finally it gets to the fanfare and the lights go down and the band takes
the stage and there's that sliver of fear of what's he going to sound like,
and they're into "Cats In The Well" and he's back on guitar and pretty much
sounding like Bob Dylan and it's sort of swing that's slight rocking, or
maybe rock that's slightly swinging and it's okay.
And then it's "Don't Think Twice," and he's kind of messing around with the
vocal and the phrasing and having fun, and half taking, half singing, half
doing a parody and forgetting halves of lines and then turning around and
nailing others. It was followed by "Watching the River Flow." The main
purpose of this song has always seemed to be well we can use up six of seven
minutes with a cool beat and some guitar solos.
"It's Alright Ma," played in the same arrangement that was changed during
the European tour took things up considerably. The arrangement built, with
Donnie Herron's becoming more prominent on each verse and Dylan singing with
authority dropping the word even on the president line.
That was it for Bob on guitar and he moved to the keyboard for a rearranged
"Moonlight" that played up the lounge music aspects of the song in comical
fashion. New stops have been added to the chorus emphasizing "Won't you"
and "Meet me."
A speedy "Rollin' and Tumblin" came next in a version that ended up being
closer to rockabilly than blues complete with a train beat from George
Receli.
The next song had an extended intro that sounded familiar but you couldn't
place it, and just when you thought it was going to be, "You're A Big Girl
Now," it turned into a dramatically, rearranged, slowed down, half jazz
version of "Shelter From the Storm." The arrangement suggested a
waterlogged tropical storm. This arrangement has the potential to become
something interesting, but Dylan didn't seem sure of what he wanted to do on
the vocal and resorted to some of his lazier tendencies.
Then it was pretty much on to auto pilot for "'Til I Fell In Love With You"
which featured a fairly hot solo from Denny.
"Spirit On The Water" which simply should not be in the same set as
"Moonlight" was followed by a ho hum "Memphis Blues Again." Things kind of
got back on track with "Nettie Moore," but it didn't have the impact of the
versions from last fall or even the recent ones from Europe. It was
followed a typical Canned Heat boogie on "Highway 61 Revisited" where the
groove was more important than any meaning the song might have had.
The show closed with "Blowin' In the Wind" in an arrangement similar to the
last tour, though perhaps slightly slowed down. The arrangement is sort of
like the Stevie Wonder version meets Fats Domino and they go to jam with
Duane Eddy on the edge of some Ray Bradbury carnival at the collapse of the
world. It served no apparent purpose except that the people at the show
would be able to say they saw Bob Dylan sing "Blowin In The Wind."
"Thunder on the Mountain" had the longest intro ever while a roadie did
something to Bob's keyboard. Dylan seemed about to say something, like
maybe introduce the band, decided not to, and the band started the
atmospherics that led into a reasonably intense "All Along the Watchtower."
There was nothing really to complain about, some highlights here and there,
and in the end, a show - and shows are one of the things Atlantic City and
casinos are about.
--
"Don't go mistaking Paradise
For that home across the road." --Bob Dylan
http://www.peterstonebrown.com
Jesse
> Bob Dylan, Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Event Center June 22, 2007
>
> I think it was back on one of those minor league baseball stadium tours that
> they started calling it the Bob Dylan show. And while the concert at the
> Borgata in Atlantic City was listed simply as Bob Dylan and his band, what
> it was, was the Bob Dylan Show. And so on well 21st Century level it was as
> good a place as any to start the Bob Dylan summer tour of the USA.
I always look forward to your reviews, and thank you for this one. I
have seen Dylan in many types of venues, but never in a casino, and it
never has seemed like a premium setting, despite the premium price.
Seth Kulick
: Bob Dylan, Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Event Center June 22, 2007
[...]
: The next song had an extended intro that sounded familiar but you couldn't
: Now," it turned into a dramatically, rearranged, slowed down, half jazz
: version of "Shelter From the Storm." The arrangement suggested a
: waterlogged tropical storm. This arrangement has the potential to become
: something interesting, but Dylan didn't seem sure of what he wanted to do on
: the vocal and resorted to some of his lazier tendencies.
upsinging hell, that is. didn't hear much if any before this song, or after.
I remember seeing Dylan at a weird show in I think either summer '88 or '89 at
that strange place in Jersey in a tent, and after Shelter from the Storm,
the guy next to me, who I think was named Peter, leaned over and said, "That
was the most inconsequential version of that song I've ever heard". If he
only knew what lay ahead.
: Then it was pretty much on to auto pilot for "'Til I Fell In Love With You"
: which featured a fairly hot solo from Denny.
I've never particularly liked that song on the album, but I thought it
was vastly better in concert when he started performing it in that club
tour in late '97, so much so that it seemed appropriate to make it the set
closer. Last night it was back to boring. Seriously, there were several
moments during the show when I thought to myself, "maybe I'll just go to the
bathroom during this song rather than wait till the end of the show".
Of course you never know with Bob, and if I had done that during Watchtower
later I would have missed one of the best performances of the night.
: "Spirit On The Water" which simply should not be in the same set as
: "Moonlight" was followed by a ho hum "Memphis Blues Again."
I was thinking Memphis Blues should not be in the same set as
Watching the River Flow
President_dudley
>
> I think
Hi Peter, how are ya? Long time no.
As always, nice writeUp & thnaks for posting.
That said, i find some key elements missing; i'm assuming you're being
paid by the word, and some budget conscious editor redacted them to
keep you down to WalMart wage.
To remind everydoby here, a good dylna review in these 1/4s should
include no less than three, preferably four, of the following
elements:
1) how was your trip? Was there a lot of traffic? In Peter's case, he
might've written about the AC Expressway (i'm assuming); i've heard
that the tolls are less on the way to AC, more on the way back.
2) how was the venue? In which case Peter gets bonus points, but it
would help to know where your seats were. A concert at MSG is
different from the floor than from the nosebleeds.
3) Djeet? (did you eat?). If so, what & how was it? For example, in
this case, Peter may have stopped for a Philly cheese steak on his
way. Where? I've heard that there's a place in North Philly that
outdoes even Tony Luke's. What makes a good Philly cheese steak
anyway? Is it possible to get a good one outside of Philadelphia? How
does a Philly cheese steak differ from a Cuban sandwich? Is it
possible to get a good one outside of Miami? Were Cuban sandwiches
better under Battista or Castro? As you can see, the open road here
boggles one's mind. Mine anyway, but i'm easily boggled.
4) how's the weather? admittedly more important at an open air event,
but it could impact item #1; did a severe storm impact your travel,
e.g.
5) how was the crowd? Buncha fratboys who talked all the way through?
High rolling Gamblers who got the ticket as a comp & had no idea who
bob is & talked all the way through? Buncha Willie yahoos misbehaving
who talked all the way through? Did any of 'em use their cell phone to
call someone to say "Yeah, man, i'm at a bob dylan concert?" Will any
of that get on the field recording?
6) what did Bob wear? The black suit with the piping down the
trousers? When was the last time he wore that leather jacket? My
favourite getup was back when he wore that leopardskin leotard.
These details add more to our understanding of the bobShow than
whether or no the fiddler upspoke...
Again, Peter, please don't take this the wrong way; it's not meant as
harsh criticism at all, but rather quite the opposite. It's good to
hear from ya & please continue.
But every since the current publishers of this place took over i see
the impact of their "market capitalism" approach, most notably their
canning John Howells & discontinuing his FAQ. Kinda like the Voice
showing Christgau the door.
To elucidate, every since we got our highSpeed LSD connection to the
innernet, i haven't been able to find a "conventional news reader"
that i can use; so i use Goggle Groups. & in the sidebar of every
thread are links related to the content of the thread. In this
instance: a link to the Trump Taj Mahal, a link to Atlantic City
vacations, and for some reason a link for the New York Philharmonic.
Go figure.
For anyOne innerested, i will be conducting a Master Class in proper
style for reviews in the semi-near future. Title something like "How i
Spent my Father's Day". I hope to have it done by Labour Day, after
which i can't wear white.
Stay tuned. Don't touch that dial.
(i'm still awaiting news of the next peterShow in NYC.)
Sincerely,
Knucklehead Smif
___
> --
> "Don't go mistaking Paradise
> For that home across the road." --Bob Dylanhttp://www.peterstonebrown.com
"The worms crawl in
The worms crawl out
The worms play pinochle
on your snout"