Bob Dylan, Paris First 2002 Disc 1 (unlimited downloads)
Bob Dylan, Paris First 2002 Disc 2 (unlimited downloads)
Okay, it's not literally a Dylan Sunday (blame sendspace), but this music is worth the wait. What better way to continue our look at Paris and its music scene than by incorporating Bob Dylan into the mix. The above 2 CD set, Paris First 2002, captures Dylan live in Paris, April 29, 2002. This is an audience recording, but mang, does it sound great! I've always preferred hearing soundboard recordings, I thought that the sound quality trumped any desire to feel a part of the experience. After hearing this, I'm not certain that was the correct decision. Great sounding, love hearing the crowd react to particular lines in songs, so cool hearing a woman say a quick French phrase between songs.
I've been meaning to give everyone a chance to hear what Dylan sounds like live today, and to be honest, force myself to give it a chance. I'm not sure why I've been so hesitant to listen to the man's recent live material. I think it mainly stems from an awful concert experience seeing the man play at the Electric Factory in Philly. The place is the worst for seeing a show, lots of drunk middle-aged douchebags, the acoustics are the equivalent of an airplane hangar. Plus, Bob seemed to go through the motions at times, although in retrospect, I think that I wanted Bob to be Bob Dylan, I wanted him to be the star, to acknowledge the love the audience had for him. Kinda ironic, really, as I've come to love the man because he doesn't give the audience what it wants, he doesn't seek the spotlight.
What do get hear? Well, you get to hear an amazing concerts filled with some of Dylan's greatest songs ("It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" anyone?). You get to hear an amazing band at work, who play with skill and power, the sound of a touring band who knows how they want to sound. You get Dylan's older, more fragile voice. You hear a man re-inventing his sound once again, changing the cadences and feel of songs. I went in with a closed mind on these two discs, and from the first notes of "She Belongs To Me," (the second song of the show) I knew that I was wrong. This sounds so good, so alive. Dylan is not putting on some archival show, some reunion tour so that all of the baby boomers can recall their youth and smoke some weed again. No, this is the real shit, the good stuff.
Download this one, highly recommended. Bob Dylan in Paris, what more could you need?
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