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So I saw BOB DYLAN last night at the grand ol' Usher Hall, Edinburgh.
At 7.30pm sharp and with zero fanfare, band members materialise onstage. The Zimmerman settles himself behind a grand piano but faces drummer Jim Keltner ie, he has his back to the two thousand-strong congregation of paying punters. He picks up a guitar. The Bob-meister proceeds to noodle (ropily isn't the word) through a random, spiky-with-generous-helpings-of-atonal-notes axe solo which serves as a prolonged intro to the usually-3-chord classic All Along The Watchtower. Tonight, however, it seems to have been shorn of two of its trusty chords. So much so that until the vocals decide to make an appearance I thought it might have been Political World which does have just one chord. After all hasn't there just been a significant political election in Bob's home country? But it wisnae it. Eventually The Z-Man deigns to turn and face the piano (and therefore, I suppose, us) to growl-sing, with flighty articulacy and the kind of attendance to and respect for established melody and phrasing that makes you think (before Enlightenment descends) 'What on earth is this?':
"There must be some way out of here..."
A delighted chuckle spreads to my shoulders. 83 years old and still not giving a flying monkey's feck. This is why we love Him. Nearly two hours and one standing ovation later, hopes of an encore are forlorn. The Maestro departs us once again.
Earlier that day I visited The National Portrait Gallery...
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| W. E. Henley by Rodin |
...and also The National Gallery. This Rembrandt self-portrait is one of my favourites (photos don't do it justice, of course):
If you fancy something poptastic to listen to, I would recommend "Future Me" by Radhika
I've finished Alan Bennett's "Keeping On Keeping On" and now I am digging this:
And still I am drawn to drawing. (See if you can spot Paco de Lucia, Frank Meadow Sutcliffe or John Lavery)...
