I really liked the 2001 versions; though mostly a crowd pleaser, he was singing it like he was playing the character of the speaker in the song, and that character and their attitude could chance from night to night. One night I felt like I was being accosted by an angel from Wings of Desire, who knew everything about me except how it felt - and Dalton 01 had a particularly great reading of the "Jugglers and the clowns" line that made it stand out. Most nights I've seen it other times, he just goes through the lines or focuses more on the rhythm. And of course there's always the possibility that when I read more into the performance, it was just me getting caught up in the show!
Adam, I've always liked the scenarios you "read into" Dylan's performances of his songs because they seem to be exactly the kind of imaginative completions his songs and his way of performing them (when he's into it) invite.
I really liked the 2001 versions; though mostly a crowd pleaser, he was singing it like he was playing the character of the speaker in the song, and that character and their attitude could chance from night to night. One night I felt like I was being accosted by an angel from Wings of Desire, who knew everything about me except how it felt - and Dalton 01 had a particularly great reading of the "Jugglers and the clowns" line that made it stand out. Most nights I've seen it other times, he just goes through the lines or focuses more on the rhythm. And of course there's always the possibility that when I read more into the performance, it was just me getting caught up in the show!
Adam, I've always liked the scenarios you "read into" Dylan's performances of his songs because they seem to be exactly the kind of imaginative completions his songs and his way of performing them (when he's into it) invite.
Part of the fun of Dylan is overanalyzing and seeing faces in the fire, isn't it? It doesn't happen with other artists (at least not as much).
I feel the same, about the 2000-2001 performances. Sometimes it really stand out as inspired and unique.
Thanks, I hadn't really "discovered" this new arrangement. Pretty cool. I prefer some of the earlier 1998-2001 versions, though. Not to mention 1966.