Bob Dylan in Antwerp, Belgium - Songs change, patterns emerge

I've been interested in Bob Dylan's set lists ever since I first saw him in 1974. While most artists put some thought into what songs they play, there is often a poetic or mystical element that emerges when songs unfold at a Dylan performance. 

Even without any tour debuts, Dylan radically changed the set in Antwerp tonight from the previous show in Paris on the 17th, retaining only the six standards in his 14 song set -  "All Along The Watchtower," "Ballad Of A Thin Man," "Highway 61 Revisited," "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat," "Like A Rolling Stone," and "Thunder On The Mountain."

Dylan rarely plays the same set twice. In fact, when he does, that is considered news. Last year, people commented that Dylan played "Masters Of War" at certain locations, interpreting the selection as some sort of political statement. Sean Curnyn (a.k.a. "Right Wing Bob"), however, noted that the song was routinely played every Tuesday. Whether this means anything in particular is unclear, but critics reading things into this choice may be better off looking at a calendar than an atlas. 

There are certain patterns emerging again on the current European tour. Ten shows in, Dylan has been alternating the number eight slot with "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "Desolation Row," with the exception of "Visions Of Johanna" in Nottingham. Last night's show in Antwerp, Belgium, was reminiscent of the fifth show, in Nottingham, with 11 of 14 songs repeated, including the rare outings of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" and three songs from Time Out Of Mind.

If things continue - and it's very likely they will not - Dylan will again play "Desolation Row" in Rotterdam tomorrow, "Hard Rain" in Luxembourg on Friday, and "Tom Thumb," "Love Sick," "Can't Wait, "and "Not Dark Yet" in Munich on October 26.

Here's Bob Dylan's set list, courtesy of his official tour page:

Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium: October 19, 2011

SET LIST
 

1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
2. Love Sick
3. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
4. Can't Wait
5. Summer Days
6. Not Dark Yet
7. High Water (for Charley Patton)
8. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
9. Highway 61 Revisited
10. Forgetful Heart
11. Thunder On The Mountain
12. Ballad Of A Thin Man
13. All Along The Watchtower
14. Like A Rolling Stone
     

Dylan has played 39 different songs in ten shows so far.

A Mark In Time, the Mark Knopfler fan site, posted his set list:

1. What It Is
2. Cleaning My Gun
3. Sailing To Philadelphia
4. Hill Farmer's Blues
5. Privateering
6. Song For Sonny Liston (With the new blue Les Paul)
7. Done With Bonaparte
8. Marbletown
9. Brothers In Arms
10. Speedway At Nazareth
11. So Far Away

Knopfler's set lists aren't nearly as varied, with only one song different than in Paris, "Brothers In Arms," which was played earlier in the tour.  As you would expect, some of the posts at the Mark In Time  forum praise Knopfler's professionalism, but are puzzled by Dylan's rougher performances. While Dylan's sets are varied, many Knopfler fans walk out early, unable to distinguish one Dylan song from another.

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