Bob Dylan’s triumph at Red Bluff

Reflections on one of the classic Bob Dylan shows from the fall 2002 tour.

If Red Bluff is an indication, then this is the tour not to miss. The general malaise, the feeling of Dylan not really putting out or not caring evident on some of the other shows this year are totally gone.

The move to keyboard was the right move for a number of reasons. For one thing it has freed Larry and Charlie to really play and it is clear that attention is being paid to the music and the arrangements.

The Zevon covers are spot on and Dylan is really singing, and at times the gravelly sound of his voice which seemed to have taken over the past couple of years mysteriously vanishes.

Yes, at times he seems to revert to what has been referred to on rec.music.dylan [newsgroup] as the sing-song voice, but only occasionally - he seems to be watching it, and as someone else pointed out here, at times almost catching himself as he does it.

The version of "You're A Big Girl Now" is easily one of the best he's ever done, and perhaps the closest he's come to capturing the feel of the music o…