Bob Dylan played China for the first time this week. He had to submit his song list for government approval so as not to rile the communist and authoritarian state. The Ministry of Culture decreed in its formal invitation that he would have to "conduct the performance strictly according to the approved program."
Dylan never spit the bit out of his mouth, and supposedly charged through the set with nary a peep except to introduce the band.
From the Los Angeles Times:
At the Beijing concert Wednesday, many Chinese attendees admitted they knew little of Dylan's music or legacy.
"His music is OK. But I don't speak English, so I can't understand what he's singing," Gao Mingwen said outside the stadium. "I hear he's very famous though."That's all right, Gao. We can seldom understand him here either.
| Beijing, China Workers Gymnasium April 6, 2011 |
| 1. | Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on lap steel) |
| 2. | It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob on guitar, Donnie on pedal steel) |
| 3. | Beyond Here Lies Nothin' (Bob on guitar, Donnie on trumpet) |
| 4. | Tangled Up In Blue (Bob center stage on harp, Donnie on pedal steel, Stu on acoustic guitar) |
| 5. | Honest With Me (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on lap steel) |
| 6. | Simple Twist Of Fate (Bob on guitar, Donnie on pedal steel) |
| 7. | Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum (Bob on guitar, Donnie on pedal steel) |
| 8. | Love Sick (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on electric mandolin) |
| 9. | Rollin' And Tumblin' (Bob on keyboard) |
| 10. | A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on electric mandolin) |
| 11. | Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on center stage on harp then keyboard, Donnie on lap steel) |
| 12. | Spirit On The Water (Bob on keyboard and harp, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on standup bass) |
| 13. | Thunder On The Mountain (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on lap steel) |
| 14. | Ballad Of A Thin Man (Bob center stage on harp, Donnie on lap steel) |
| (1st encore) | |
| 15. | Like A Rolling Stone (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on pedal steel) |
| 16. | All Along The Watchtower (Bob on keyboard then guitar, Donnie on lap steel) |
| (2nd encore) | |
| 17. | Forever Young (Bob on keyboard and harp, Donnie on pedal steel) |
4 comments:
Dylan in China.....not surprised. If they pay, he will play and don't think he's uttered a word to an audience in ages.
Stands and mumbles....and offstage sucking oxygen and smoking cause he's got emphysema.
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Saw Dylan the summer before last when he played the ballpark in Lake Elsinore. It was hard for me watch. I sort of wish I didn't go. No encores that night and many, many people left during the show, because it was so bad. I made my family stay with me till the end, but our friends left early. When is it time for a legend to hang it up?
Last time I saw him he was great. With Dylan you never really know what you will get. If he wants to communicate you can be in for a treat. Unfortunately he never makes contact with the audience when he is playing organ. The sonic sound of the band is a bit dense for me. Everybody playing at once. But I have seen him epicly pull an amazing show out when he decides to care.
yeah i kind of wonder why he continues to give concerts, after all he turns 70 next month (May 24); hope he keeps putting out albums, though....g.
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