Breaking Down Bob Dylan's Harmonica Solos

Analyzing 23 different harp solos from a peak Never Ending Tour era

Listening to today’s subscriber-requested show in Denver, October 21 2001 (thanks Charles!), inspired me to finish a project I started months ago before getting sidetracked.

Bob Dylan goes through periods where he plays a lot of harmonica, and periods where he plays little to none. For most of the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, he was in the latter mode; as I chronicled in my tour-harp report, most nights the best you could hope for was, maybe, a solo in “Every Grain of Sand.” But now the pendulum has swung back. As I’m writing this intro on October 11, last night he played harmonica on eight different songs. A Rough and Rowdy record, I think.

He was in that same harp-happy mode in Fall 2001, on a US tour with what some consider his greatest Never Ending Tour band: Larry Campbell, Charlie Sexton, David Kemper, and, of course, Tony Garnier. Over the course of those two months, he played harmonica on 23 different songs. I don’t mean he played it just 23 times; I mean he picked 23 different songs to play harp on. Some just once, some night after night.

Many tours, the designated “harp songs” are fairly well defined, like those Rough and Rowdy “Every Grain”s. But during this Fall-‘01 era, he was just whipping it out (the harmonica, that is) whenever inspiration struck, whatever song they happened to be playing at the time. They played “Visions of Johanna” nine times, but he only added a harp solo once. That’s nothing compared to “Like a Rolling Stone,” a song he played 34 times harp-less, but then, the 35th time: bam, harmonica.

So today I wanted to celebrate one of Dylan’s wildest harmonica tours by showcasing every different song he played it on over those two months in Fall 2001. He played it on fast songs, slow songs, new songs, old songs, acoustic songs, electric songs. No song was safe from an impromptu harmonica solo. (One thing they have in common though: In every case, he used the solo to conclude the song.)

Below find a brief overview of each song, with an embed of a sample solo. I’ve posted a download of the full songs at the end, if you want to hear the full performances rather than what sounds like a Dylan bootleg accidentally set to Whoops: All Harmonica mode. (Though, if you do want that energy, just wait ’til the medley…)

Fall 2001 Harmonica Songs

Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright

Denver, CO, October 21

We’re just going alphabetically here, but, right off the bat, you can hear a bunch of Bob’s standard harp moves that are gonna come up again and again (often used to better effect; this solo is fine but not particularly special):

• He comes in when he feels on it—and that’s rarely on the downbeat. He plays pretty fast and loose with the beat generally. The band keeps the song structure going while he just toots away.

• He’ll find a little riff he likes, then repeat it a few times, then—ideally—extrapolate on it, like a jazz player. Though on the less-inspired solos he just repeats it over and over.

• He puffs along quietly on the instrument’s lower notes for a while to start, then suddenly starts blasting way up high. 

• The audience explodes as it builds. This solo is longer than most, almost two minutes. The crowd burst comes about halfway, when they realize he’s gonna keep going for another verse.

• The band does a dramatic slowed-down big finish while Bob keeps blowing. Basically every song here has some version of this.

Drifter’s Escape

New York, NY, November 19

One thing that’s gonna come up a few times: I love the moments when he plays harp not just on the quiet/slow/acoustic songs you might expect, but on the loud rockers. And here’s the first! That great “Crossroads”-borrowed guitar riff anchors this memorable “Drifter’s” arrangement while Bob just wails away at top speed.

Every Grain of Sand

Grand Rapids, MI, November 6

As mentioned earlier, in the Rough and Rowdy Ways era, “Every Grain of Sand” has become the harmonica song. But, back in 2001, it was just one song among many. This one’s fine, but I could pick 20 better Rough and Rowdy Ways tour ones (find a few here). I like the high note he keeps going back to early on, but it wears thin by the end.

I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)

San Francisco, CA, October 13

Dylan often plays fast and loose with the song structure with his solos. His harmonica is in the right key (hopefully!), but you sometimes couldn’t identify the song if you heard the solo in isolation. Here, though, halfway through he starts playing the song’s distinctive up-and-down guitar riff on harp. As he repeats it, he morphs it, adding and changing notes. A rare moment where this couldn’t be the solo of any other song.

I Want You

Sacramento, CA, October 10

Boy, he really likes that one mid-range note he found on this one huh? Just toots away on it for 90% of this solo. The little filigrees he adds for the other 10% aren’t interesting enough.

I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

Syracuse, NY, November 13

The second harp song from the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour—not anywhere near as often as “Every Grain of Sand,” but more than most others. Like “I Want You,” he plays the same motif and over and over again. But at least the motif is more than one note! Thankfully, he moves on. Eventually.

It Ain’t Me, Babe

New York, NY, November 19

The longest solo of the batch, topping two and a half minutes. I’ll bet in person the crowd must have been going nuts when he just wouldn’t quit.

Best bit is the minimalism in the middle, when, instead of rushing to the big finish, he and the band pare back, holding the quiet notes. Then the tempo slows, he starts blasting up high, and it’s seems like the song’s about to wrap up—but they keep going for almost another full minute.

Just Like a Woman

La Jolla, CA, October 17

The crowd noise makes this one. He plays a riff over and over to start, one that is, ala “I Don’t Believe You,” clearly recognizable as “Just Like a Woman.” Then he discovers a high note he likes and starts blasting it over and over again while the audience loses its collective mind. 

15 more, plus a medley, plus downloads of the full songs, just over the wall…