The Joker and the Thief — Newsletter

The Joker and the Thief — Newsletter

Share this post

The Joker and the Thief — Newsletter
The Joker and the Thief — Newsletter
Bob Dylan’s triumph at Red Bluff

Bob Dylan’s triumph at Red Bluff

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

The Joker and the Thief's avatar
The Joker and the Thief
Sep 27, 2023
∙ Paid
2

Share this post

The Joker and the Thief — Newsletter
The Joker and the Thief — Newsletter
Bob Dylan’s triumph at Red Bluff
Share

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…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Joker and the Thief — Newsletter to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Peter Stone Brown Archives
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share