Music for Grownups: Dylan + Diamond
Our music writer catches two legends in their New York City concerts.
By: Richard Gehr | Source: AARP.org | 2008-08-21
Richard Gehr is a veteran music critic based in New York City. His reviews for AARP.org appear every Tuesday; his columns on Thursdays.
Bob Dylan and Neil Diamond are the fully grown Goofus and Gallant of rock singer-songwriters. Where Dylan has always done as he pleased, audience be damned, Diamond is the consummate crowd pleaser. Seeing these black-clad, 67-year-old legends within a couple of days of one another (on August 12 and 14, respectively) was a rare and remarkable study in contrasts.
A craggy-faced Bob Dylan played to 7,000 parents, children, and hipsters at the Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn. He was attired in red-striped matador pants, a double-breasted Western suit jacket, and a big, round gray hat. Characteristically, he was stationed at an electric keyboard situated perpendicular to his audience (thus eliminating virtually all eye contact). He opened his 17-song set with "Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35," closed it with "Blowin' in the Wind," and played nothing recorded between 1970 and 2000 in-between. Besides introducing his rather uninspiring band, Dylan limited his typically rare stage patter to the following observation: "Man, I wish the Dodgers had never left Brooklyn."
Fellow Columbia recording artist Neil Diamond, on the other hand, was holding court for the second of four basically sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden, New York City, playing to an older crowd about three times the size of Dylan's. The lights dimmed abruptly and the "Jewish Elvis," a picture of health dressed nattily in a black-sequined silk shirt and black slacks, appeared flashily silhouetted at the top of a raised stage containing his longtime 10-piece band and three backup singers. Like Dylan, Diamond performed without an opening act, for more than two hours. Unlike Dylan, his set consisted of hit after hit–beginning with "Holly Holy" and ending with "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show"–from his entire career. He also sprinkled in a handful of tracks from his two most recent albums, 2005's "12 Songs" and his new "Home Before Dark."
Dylan the crooner ("Lay Lady Lay" and "Girl of the North Country" were merely croaked) long ago gave way to Dylan the vocally limited improviser. Even his fine newer material–such as the searing "Honest With Me" and mystical "Spirit on the Water"–were sung as though he were interpreting another writer's work.
Diamond, on the other hand, sounds virtually the same as ever, his strong baritone voice still a force to be reckoned with. Both Dylan and Diamond, in their own ways, resemble preachers. While the former spits Old Testament fire and brimstone (befitting his own Jewish upbringing), the latter offers hope, salvation, and a touch of Vegas.
Nothing particularly amazing happened during Dylan's show, unfortunately, although I was personally enthralled by the Oscar for "Things Have Changed" the Pulitzer Prize-winner keeps perched beside him. During "Sweet Caroline," however, Diamond's audience reacted as though a love drug had been injected into its collective system, rising as one, holding hands, and singing along with more fervor than at any arena-rock show I've ever experienced. Diamond milked the experience, reprising the final chorus two more times. Brooklyn, sadly, did not take to "Like a Rolling Stone" with nearly as much gusto.
Where Dylan was merely visiting, Diamond was born and raised in the borough he celebrated with touching home movies during "Brooklyn Roads." As ultimately disappointing as Dylan under the trees and stars may have been, he was as honest in his own way as Diamond was in his: Both are driven, well-seasoned road warriors with plenty of gas left in their respective tanks. And they're coming to your town.
Bob Dylan Tour Dates
Neil Diamond Tour Dates
A craggy-faced Bob Dylan played to 7,000 parents, children, and hipsters at the Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn. He was attired in red-striped matador pants, a double-breasted Western suit jacket, and a big, round gray hat. Characteristically, he was stationed at an electric keyboard situated perpendicular to his audience (thus eliminating virtually all eye contact). He opened his 17-song set with "Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35," closed it with "Blowin' in the Wind," and played nothing recorded between 1970 and 2000 in-between. Besides introducing his rather uninspiring band, Dylan limited his typically rare stage patter to the following observation: "Man, I wish the Dodgers had never left Brooklyn."
Fellow Columbia recording artist Neil Diamond, on the other hand, was holding court for the second of four basically sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden, New York City, playing to an older crowd about three times the size of Dylan's. The lights dimmed abruptly and the "Jewish Elvis," a picture of health dressed nattily in a black-sequined silk shirt and black slacks, appeared flashily silhouetted at the top of a raised stage containing his longtime 10-piece band and three backup singers. Like Dylan, Diamond performed without an opening act, for more than two hours. Unlike Dylan, his set consisted of hit after hit–beginning with "Holly Holy" and ending with "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show"–from his entire career. He also sprinkled in a handful of tracks from his two most recent albums, 2005's "12 Songs" and his new "Home Before Dark."
Dylan the crooner ("Lay Lady Lay" and "Girl of the North Country" were merely croaked) long ago gave way to Dylan the vocally limited improviser. Even his fine newer material–such as the searing "Honest With Me" and mystical "Spirit on the Water"–were sung as though he were interpreting another writer's work.
Diamond, on the other hand, sounds virtually the same as ever, his strong baritone voice still a force to be reckoned with. Both Dylan and Diamond, in their own ways, resemble preachers. While the former spits Old Testament fire and brimstone (befitting his own Jewish upbringing), the latter offers hope, salvation, and a touch of Vegas.
Nothing particularly amazing happened during Dylan's show, unfortunately, although I was personally enthralled by the Oscar for "Things Have Changed" the Pulitzer Prize-winner keeps perched beside him. During "Sweet Caroline," however, Diamond's audience reacted as though a love drug had been injected into its collective system, rising as one, holding hands, and singing along with more fervor than at any arena-rock show I've ever experienced. Diamond milked the experience, reprising the final chorus two more times. Brooklyn, sadly, did not take to "Like a Rolling Stone" with nearly as much gusto.
Where Dylan was merely visiting, Diamond was born and raised in the borough he celebrated with touching home movies during "Brooklyn Roads." As ultimately disappointing as Dylan under the trees and stars may have been, he was as honest in his own way as Diamond was in his: Both are driven, well-seasoned road warriors with plenty of gas left in their respective tanks. And they're coming to your town.
Bob Dylan Tour Dates
Neil Diamond Tour Dates
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