Newsletter
Subscribe to our
FREE newsletter now!

Find out more...

30/12/2005

Love And Theft: time for a well-earned rest?

Tell an old friend you’ve been to a Dylan show and the inevitable question comes back: "how was it"?

Questioned repeatedly over Xmas about the single London show I managed to attend in November, my automatic response was: "OK. Worth going, but no classic".

Explaining why I was underwhelmed by Dylan in London comes down to a single word: setlist. The sequencing of songs Dylan chose to sing on the night held back the show: he’d be starting to soar with a rich classic like Desolation Row only to ruin the effect with a tedious trundler like Summer Days. Similarly, the effect of the atmospheric Man In The Long Black Coat would be negated by Honest With Me. Analysing the setlist, it was obvious that the preponderance and sequencing of Love And Theft numbers had held back the show.

On release, Love And Theft sounded like a top Dylan album, which would appeal for ages. But, after only four years, it’s rarely played in these parts. It’s still respected, but for the richness of the writing rather than the sounds of the songs: the lyrics are a delight, the music is a chore. So it’s a rewarding listen on CD, but it dies in live performance.

Time for Dylan shows to give Love And Theft a well-earned rest?



Gerry Smith

[Archives]

[The Dylan Daily Update]

Search entries:

[Daily Update]

[Archives]

Previous entry:
[Iconic new Dylan photo collections]

Next entry:
[More on Love And Theft]