Trapped Inside the MTS Centre with the Memphis Blues Again

Bob Dylan Concert
2008
MTS Centre
****1/2 out of 5


I’ve Read some Reviews, and I’ve heard a lot of people talking about Bob Dylan’s Winnipeg concert. Many of them said the same thing; Dylan’s voice was too quiet, it was too hard to hear with the band playing so loud, he changed the songs too much, he should have stayed true to the album versions. I even had some people tell me they walked out after the first five songs.
This Review takes a slightly different point of view. The MTS center and 6500 fans in attendance bore witness to Dylan joyfully leading an extraordinarily talented band through a phenomenal set list full of unforgettable songs. It may as well have been his greatest hits compilation spanning his entire career.
As Bob Dylan started his set off with “Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35” it became apparent that his voice wasn’t going to be quite as powerful as it was when he was twenty three. It seemed to be on the verge of cracking and sliding into a dry hiss. Dylan appeared to be fully aware of this, and desperate to overcome it.
While the band continued into the second track of the night, “The Times They Are A-Changing”, Dylan appeared to be gaining excitement as some enthusiastic fans showered him with cheers, his voice tearing though the air during the chorus. It was unmistakable; that was Bob Dylan.
It was all too close to a fairytale ending. However, the concert was far from over. Dylan and his band wowed the audience with interesting new arrangements and modifications to original songs that reflected his maturity: “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright”, “Stuck Inside Of Mobile, With The Memphis Blues Again”, “Desolation Row”, “Highway 61 Revisited”. It was apparent his exuberant performance had taken a toll on him. After an Extended break Dylan walked back on stage and completed his performance with “Like a Rolling Stone”, and a version of “All Along the Watch Tower” which seemed to have more influence from Jimi Hendrix’s cover than Dylan’s original version. By this time it was impossible to hear Dylan’s voice over the band. He gave everything he could and at sixty seven that was very impressive. A testament to Dylan’s uncompromising attitude towards making rock n’ roll the way he wants it to represent his legacy. This unyieldingness is reminiscent of Dylan’s 1966 concert at the Royal Albert Hall, at which many of Dylan’s fans felt alienated by his new electric sound. He may not have had to stand up to a thrall of disapproving fans, but he did have to decide whether or not to turn down the guitars to compensate for an aging voice. His choice to not turn down the guitars solidifies, in my mind, his determination to represent and not compromise the rock n’ roll ideals he defined forty years ago.