Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, December 16, 1994 TAG: 9412190018
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID BAUDER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
There's another epic tour by the Rolling Stones, a well-oiled machine that hawks its wares on everything from ``60 Minutes'' to ``Beverly Hills 90210.'' Music no longer seems this corporation's main focus.
The Eagles re-formed for an expensive tour and a dour MTV special that was church-like in its self-reverence, and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant joined for a special every bit as bombastic as Led Zeppelin at its peak.
Yet the ever-inscrutable Dylan barely comes out from behind his dark glasses on his first ``MTV Unplugged'' show, which premiered Wednesday night. It seemed just another evening for Bob Dylan, working musician.
So what's all the fuss about?
Dylan, of course, is the spiritual godfather of ``MTV Unplugged,'' as network President Judy McGrath put it. His songs are sacred to millions. He's even reaching the 30-year anniversary of a Newport Folk Festival show where plugging in, not plugging out, was his act of defiance.
Now in his 50s, Dylan has taken this ``working musician'' thing to almost ridiculous extremes. He's on the road constantly, wryly dubbing one recent series of concerts his Never-Ending Tour.
A Dylan show is one of the last great rolls of the dice in concert-going: Will it be a magical moment or just another run through the motions for a couldn't-be-bothered legend?
Oddly enough, that might be one of the most appealing aspects of his career now. The spontaneity is something many of his peers can't - or won't - chance, but it teaches young people a valuable lesson in music as a living art form.
On the MTV show, Dylan continued his long-running habit of revising his songs - cramming two lines of lyrics where one should be or adding new inflections to prevent a performance of ``Like a Rolling Stone'' from becoming an anthem.
Even a skimpy eight-song show left room for one of those maddeningly perfunctory performances that he's so often guilty of, this time on ``Rainy Day Women 12 & 35.''
This show, however, fortunately caught Dylan in one of his strong cycles. He's come off a well-received performance at Woodstock, and his fall concerts have deservedly received fine reviews. His band is a good one, with Bucky Baxter's pedal steel and slide guitars adding a distinctive twang.
Except for Dylan and John Jackson sticking to acoustic guitars, the special was essentially like most of the shows he's done lately.
Some of his quieter moments, like on ``Shooting Star'' or ``With God on Our Side,'' were among his most affecting. ``Dignity,'' a new song on a just-released greatest hits set, was performed in an obvious marketing move, but it still outstripped any new material the Eagles or Page and Plant came up with on their shows. And ``Knockin' on Heaven's Door,'' in a strong new arrangement, was forcibly reclaimed from the Guns N' Roses catalogue.
As in most of his shows, no one's ever quite sure where Dylan is going or how the ride will be. He provides no clues, a shy smile and awkward high-five with someone in the front row at the end serving as his only contact with the audience.
Remarkably, that improvisational feeling managed to come through on a taped show, even one as highly stylized as ``MTV Unplugged.''
It's the sort of thing that keeps Dylan's songs alive, for a new generation and for older ones, instead of serving as museum pieces.
It probably is the sort of thing that keeps Dylan alive as well.
by CNB