Neil Young live in 2010 - How does it compare to Bob Dylan ?

“As much of a great guitar player as Jimi [Hendrix] was, Bert Jansch is the same thing for acoustic guitar…and my favorite”  –  Neil Young

"Love and War", Wallingford

I recently saw Neil Young twice in concert on his "Twisted Road" tour -- in Worcester, MA, and Wallingford, CT. As usual, Neil did not disappoint, playing a mix of old and new (as in unreleased). The set included eight songs scheduled for inclusion on his next album, which is being produced by Daniel Lanois, who worked with Dylan on Oh Mercy and Time Out Of Mind.

While watching the concert, I couldn't help but think of Bob Dylan, and wonder about the similarities and differences of the two artists, especially these days.

Artistically, Dylan and Young were cut from the same cloth - both one-of-a-kind, idiosyncratic trailblazers, restless traditionalists who consistently felt the need to move on and explore new avenues. Their careers, however, have followed very different trajectories.

One area where Young and Dylan differ drastically is that Neil often takes new, unfamiliar material on the road, challenging his audiences with songs he may be working on at the time, while Dylan hasn't done that in decades, unless you count (usually obscure) cover versions. Young seems to have a different "theme" for each outing, while Dylan's "Never-Ending Tour" (temporarily featuring Neil on guitar early on in 1988) has slowly evolved over the last twenty-two years, much like old  Grateful Dead concerts. Young will play solo, or with a different set of musicians each tour, while Dylan no longer performs without some accompaniment, and fronts a band which rarely changes members. Neil also communicates with his audience, while Dylan isn't likely to say anything from the stage except to introduce the members of his band.

Of course, Dylan also mixes old material with recent material, and alternates between playing theaters and arenas. Dylan allegedly caught some of Young's solo gigs at the Beacon Theater in 1992, while considering his own acoustic tour, but may have been discouraged by the less-than-respectful audience. He also recently visited Young's childhood home in Canada.

Before I continue, I'd like to praise the Hanover Theater in Worcester. This is a place where you'd usually see beauty pageants and former Broadway plays. However, this was a great venue to see a concert, at least the night Young played. The sight lines from the balcony were perfect, and the sound up there was better than orchestra seats I have for a recent Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes gig at Boston's Orpheum Theatre.  At the Hanover, the ushers were friendly, the place was clean, and the crowd listened intently to every note with hushed reverence, even for opening act Bert Jansch. This was in sharp contrast to the much-larger Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, which featured a rowdier crowd.

"Sign Of Love", Wallingford

Neil started the shows as if time stood still, with acoustic versions of "My, My, Hey, Hey", "Tell My Why", and "Helpless". The Dylan equivalent would be versions of "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Tangled Up In Blue", and "Love Minus Zero", sounding like he did in 1975. Then Young performed three new songs (see set list below), with a distorted acoustic guitar, which conjured up some of the effects Lanois is known for.  Neil then strapped on "Old Black" and played solo, atmospheric,  grungy versions of "Down By The River", the unreleased "Hitchhiker", "Ohio", and - on his white Falcon -the new "Sign Of Love", with the enthusiasm of a teenager. It was interesting to see the different audience reactions to the harrowing "Hitchhiker" (which shares some lyrics with "Like An Inca" from Trans). In Worcester, the crowd intently listened to this cautionary, autobiographical tale, while the Wallingford crowd laughed at his references to drugs and hockey teams. It's difficult to imagine either a performance or a reaction like that at a Dylan show.

I guess you could compare the next section with Dylan's old acoustic sets, as Young switched moods, playing three songs on three different keyboards. A new composition, "Leia", about a little girl, had the same child-like quality as "My Heart" from Sleeps With Angels.  Then Young was back with more solo electric guitar, including two additional new songs.

Young's set list  is more structured, especially on this tour, while Dylan on the other hand changes up his set list every night. On Bob's last tour, you could count on five of the last songs to remain constant, while the rest of the show was often significantly different that the previous night. Young's current setlists featured the same 17 songs every night, although the first few gigs had an additional song at the end. 

"Hitchhiker", Washington, D.C.

In the early 1960s, Scottish singer/guitarist Bert Jansch was a major influence in the folk community to everyone from Paul Simon to Jimmy Page. At one point, he was tagged with the dreaded "British Dylan" comparison. His set went over well with the Worcester audience, but the Wallingford crowd talked through much of his set, despite much "sushing" from those interested in hearing Jansch's deep vocals and intricate playing. 

You don't often see musicians of this caliber these days. Near the end of the Worcester gig, Neil went out of his way to thank Jansch for opening the show, talking about how he was sharing his place in Canada early in his career with other struggling musicians, including John Kay of Steppenwolf, and they all listened to the only Jansch LP they had, over and over again, while getting high. It's difficult to imagine Dylan telling any story like this. (For the record, Young did not share this story in Wallingford.)

While there's much to be said for Young's last few tours, it must be noted that Dylan's recent material is much stronger that Young's. While Neil seems to be pumping out an album almost every year - not to mention movies and archival releases- he still goes with his gut feeling, uncensored. His actions are completely raw, just going with whatever he feels, which is quite refreshing for someone who has been making records since the mid-1960s. It also feels that Neil sometimes sacrifices songwriting for dramatic effect, much like Ray Davies of The Kinks in the early 1970s. I still enjoy all of his albums - in fact, I'm even a big fan of the "Geffen years" - but his recent material is not up to his best, even though it is enjoyable on its own terms. Dylan's recent output has been critically acclaimed and restored his credibility, while Neil never lost his, especially during the "grunge" era. 

Maybe Dylan is loosening up a bit as well. He released two albums last year, and he's been digging into his archives more recently. But it is rare for him to release a song as old as "Hitchhiker" for a new project (although it has been done - "Death Is Not The End", "Dignity", and "Mississippi" being three examples). 

Dylan doesn't really seem to be interested in different "themes" for each tour anymore. First of all, he's been there, done that. Secondly, he tends to see himself more like the old blues and folk artists that first influenced him, musicians that just played music for a living. He's still on the road, while Neil keeps finding forks. 

Bob Dylan starts his European tour tonight, at Terra Vibe Park, Athens, Greece.

SETLIST ( Via Bad News Beat) : 1. My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) (acoustic guitar) 2. Tell Me Why (acoustic guitar) 3. Helpless (acoustic guitar) 4. You Never Call (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 5. Peaceful Valley (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 6. Love And War (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 7. Down By The River (electric guitar - Old Black) 8. Hitchhiker (electric guitar - Old Black) 9. Ohio (electric guitar - white falcon) 10. Sign Of Love (electric guitar - white falcon) 11. Leia (piano # 1) 12. After The Gold Rush (pump organ) 13. I Believe In You (piano # 2) 14. Rumblin' (electric guitar - Old Black) 15. Cortez The Killer (electric guitar - Old Black) 16. Cinnamon Girl (electric guitar - Old Black) (ENCORE:) 17. Walk With Me (electric guitar - white falcon) 18. (Worcester only:) Heart Of Gold (acoustic guitar)

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