1960s revisited
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Bob Dylan played Manhattan's City Center on Monday night. In his two hour set, he did any number of remarkable things, including an almost spoken-word version of "Boots of Spanish Leather," a lovely 1-2 punch of "Don't Think Twice" and "Tangled Up In Blue," and a steam-roller ride on "Highway 61 Revisted." But his singular achievement was playing, brilliantly, nine songs from his two most recent albums: "Modern Times" was literally brought to life; Dylan arguably improved on each of the seven songs he played from that album, including readings of "Nettie Moore" and "Ain't Talkin'" that took my breath away. He refuses to be trapped by his legacy (only 5 songs came from the decade he is most associated with, the '60s), and he is lucky enough to have an audience who will hang on every word, who won't yell out for "Just Like A Woman" or "Lay Lady Lay." A Dylan show is not about the replication of old hits; it's not, in any real sense, nostalgia.The Beatles' "Love," which also appeared this week, is a nostalgia-trip to be sure, but it's a delightful and inventive one. If it does nothing else but give people an excuse to delve into the Beatles catalog again, and hear familiar songs in unexpected ways, then it's done its job. And completing my '60s trilogy: the expanded edition of John Mayall's "Bluebreakers" album, featuring Eric Clapton, arrived from Amazon U.K.: the entire album in mono AND stereo, and a bonus disc of live cuts and outtakes. For many of us, it was our first post-Yardbirds exposure to Eric Clapton, and next to "Layla," it's probably my favorite Clapton album. His playing throughout is absolutely riveting.Happy Thanksgiving.
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