When It's A Hard Rain, It Pours: Bob Dylan and Richard Thompson in Pittsburgh This Week
Generally, I'm happy sitting at home listening to my music, just spinning my records and relaxing. While I love to hear live music, I don't go out to too many concerts. To be honest, there aren't that many coming through Pittsburgh that I really want to see. But when someone really worthwhile does stop here, I certainly don't like to miss them. So, what are the chances of two primo concerts in one week? You know what they say: when it rains, it pours. Or in this case, when it's a hard rain, it pours Bob Dylan....and Richard Thompson - in one week!
On Monday, I went to hear Richard Thompson at the Byham Theater with my friends Nick and Glen. They are big longtime Thompson fans and I have been getting into him in the last year or so through some old Fairport Convention records I picked up. Unhalfbricking is one of my favorite records and FP's French language cover of Dylan's If You Gotta Go, Go Now is worth the price of admission alone. Joe Boyd, whose fantastic book, White Bicycles, I just finished reading, produced many of his recordings.
All of Richard Thompson's Pittsburgh area fans were there, singing along and cheering lustily. Thompson is touring to promote his solid new album which he plays in its entirety in the first half of the show followed by his quote unquote 'hits.' Thompson was in great good humor, in good voice and played magnificently. It was a very entertaining show in a great hall to hear it, the Byham.
Later in the week, on Sunday, Dylan arrived. I went with Nick again, but this time with our sons as well, a sort of multigenerational Bob Dylan Songfest! Someday, maybe - song reference intended! - they will tell their kids that they saw Bob Dylan in concert. Anyway, as anyone who has ever seen Bob Dylan in concert knows - and I have seen him almost every time he has come through town in the last twenty years - he is not always in great vocal form when he tours. To say the least. It's no secret that his singing voice is a ragged cough and if you are not prepared for that you shouldn't come to the concert, it can be upsetting. It really helps to know the songs, which Nick and I both do, but our sons don't. But, if you do, what Bob does with his songs in performance is fascinating and entertaining if not always entirely successful.
Like a jazz singer, Dylan treats his classic songs as platforms for new arrangements and musical settings and the songs are so great and his band is so great that you can almost get past his croaky vocals.
I had a great time.
Now back to my records. Maybe I'll put Blonde on Blonde on the turntable....
On Monday, I went to hear Richard Thompson at the Byham Theater with my friends Nick and Glen. They are big longtime Thompson fans and I have been getting into him in the last year or so through some old Fairport Convention records I picked up. Unhalfbricking is one of my favorite records and FP's French language cover of Dylan's If You Gotta Go, Go Now is worth the price of admission alone. Joe Boyd, whose fantastic book, White Bicycles, I just finished reading, produced many of his recordings.
All of Richard Thompson's Pittsburgh area fans were there, singing along and cheering lustily. Thompson is touring to promote his solid new album which he plays in its entirety in the first half of the show followed by his quote unquote 'hits.' Thompson was in great good humor, in good voice and played magnificently. It was a very entertaining show in a great hall to hear it, the Byham.
Later in the week, on Sunday, Dylan arrived. I went with Nick again, but this time with our sons as well, a sort of multigenerational Bob Dylan Songfest! Someday, maybe - song reference intended! - they will tell their kids that they saw Bob Dylan in concert. Anyway, as anyone who has ever seen Bob Dylan in concert knows - and I have seen him almost every time he has come through town in the last twenty years - he is not always in great vocal form when he tours. To say the least. It's no secret that his singing voice is a ragged cough and if you are not prepared for that you shouldn't come to the concert, it can be upsetting. It really helps to know the songs, which Nick and I both do, but our sons don't. But, if you do, what Bob does with his songs in performance is fascinating and entertaining if not always entirely successful.
Like a jazz singer, Dylan treats his classic songs as platforms for new arrangements and musical settings and the songs are so great and his band is so great that you can almost get past his croaky vocals.
I had a great time.
Now back to my records. Maybe I'll put Blonde on Blonde on the turntable....
Posted by Vinyl Record Architect at 11/9/2010 8:41 AM 
Categories: thompson, record collecting, dylan
Tags: thompson vinyl records dylan
Categories: thompson, record collecting, dylan
Tags: thompson vinyl records dylan
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