Bringing it all back home
Arguably the most influential musician and writer of his generation, Bob Dylan returns to the Sheffield Arena tomorrow night. It's a cue for thoughts on what makes him so special.
Dave Berry
Singer
I started listening to Dylan in the early sixties when the first album came out. It was quite different to anything else I had heard. I was fortunate to see him in 1966 at the Gaumont. They used to have gigs on Sundays because the cinema was closed. It was cool to boo Bob Dylan at that time, but I enjoyed it when he changed style in the mid-sixties.
One of the highlights of my career was when Alan Price talked about my stage act and played the opening to one of my songs on the Bob Dylan documentary film Don't Look Back. I'm still thrilled by the same things that thrilled me when I started out.
What makes Dylan special? It's the fact you can't answer that question that makes him special. He is Bob Dylan, and most of us artists, whether it's the Stones or the Kinks, are in a category, but Dylan isn't. That's his appeal.
Trevor Neal
Artist and photographer
Why am I going to see Dylan on Friday?.
Because one of these days, and it may come soon, we may not be able to. After his health scare a few years ago when he had to cancel his Sheffield show we are reminded that all things must pass.
I have seen about 25 Dylan shows over the years and I guess that about seven or eight have been superb, not a good average. If Dylan worked for you and only delivered one good piece of work every three you would have at least given him a verbal and written warning.
There have been times on stage when he seems to be trying to race to the end of a song before the band can get there. Also his judgement can be questioned when leaving tracks off an album. I recall the thunderously Spectoresque masterpiece Series of Dreams, released on a later official bootleg.
Why am I going to see Dylan on Friday? Because every now and again in concert, something very special happens, the various complexities of a performance come together. Dylan's mood, his rapport with the band, the height of his microphone all come together and deliver the sort of spinetingling sensation that you can't fake.
Stuart Basford
Music promoter
Dylan changed rock'n'roll. Like a Rolling Stone started off modern rock music as we know it. He was the first one to use modern poetry in lyrics, even though he couldn't sing. In Hurricane he keeps it up for nine minutes and in that time tells a true story.
I saw him in 1965 at City Hall then in 1966 at the Gaumont, where he played half acoustic, half electric. I saw him the night before the famous Judas incident. At City Hall the crowd was irreverent, it was deathly quiet with polite clapping – very odd.
I just hope that he would occasionally sing a song as it was recorded originally, and we are not asking each other 'What's this?' He must have sung Like A Rolling Stone in 100 different ways, but it would be nice to hear it occasionally just as it was on the album.
JP Bean
Music writer and local historian
Dylan's more than just an artist, he's reinvented himself so many times.
In the man's own words: 'Though I know that evening empire has returned into sand,' we still keep listening to Dylan. I first saw him in 1965 at the City Hall and I've seen him just about every time apart from when he came with The Band. There was also a period when he didn't play Sheffield for 29 years, but now he's back.
It would be nice to have him play the songs as he did when we first heard them. But liking Dylan's almost like a faith!
Alan Smyth
Producer (Arctic Monkeys, Richard Hawley, Little Man Tate)
I saw Dylan at a one-off festival called Blackbushe but I can't remember when it was. I think it was the late seventies and Dylan was this tiny dot because we were so far away from the stage.
I like Dylan's older stuff, the material with which he made his name, I got a bit confused with his Christian stuff. Dylan had 'the look', as well as the whole poet thing. He had the image of a bedraggled poet and it all worked together. Him flashing the cards on Subterranean Homesick Blues is a great image.
Tom Rodwell
Guitarist
I reviewed Bob Dylan for a newspaper in New Zealand in 2000. I was running late for the gig so I had to call a cab and the only one I could get was a gold Mercedes! I walked straight to the third row. He was touring his Love and Theft material and it was rocking. The band were unbelievable.
What struck me was the degree to which he is an improviser. In his autobiography he talks about being influenced by jazz and blues but almost gave up until he toured with the Grateful Dead and realised how he was able to reinvent his songs.
When he played All Along the Watchtower it took me half the song to recognise it. In that way his music connects with jazz, blues and African music and it makes his songs vital and interesting.
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
