August 14, 2002
Dylan packs 40 years of musical history into a single show

OTTAWA -- Bob Dylan's eternal.

At least, he's as close to musical perpetuity as any of us will ever get.

For a couple of hours at last night's concert, the suburban Corel Centre was one of rock's legendary concert halls, honky-tonks and beer joints, where three generations of music, politics and attitude were forged into someone called Dylan 40 years ago.

Ageless Bob Dylan. His longevity is a logical puzzle worthy of Stephen Hawking. How is it that one of music's true dinosaurs, and I'm only using that in the kindest historical context, performs like the latest thing?

It certainly helps when your repertoire is still as pertinent today as it was in the '60s.

Even at age 61, Dylan remains defiantly indefinable, playing the musician who changes identity as soon as someone invents the label du jour. Dylan just as quickly switched personalities from the original folkie, rocker and bluegrass hillbilly to country crooner, crusty blues down-and-outer and yes, even the snarling punk poet.

After spending most of his life singing on the road, the times they still are a-changing.

KIDS AGAIN

There has to be some rule about Dylan. Every self-respecting concert-goer has to see him at least once in their life and last night, there were a few excited initiates. For the most part, though, the 8,000 ticketholders were old enough to remember Dylan the first time he came around. Hair bleached white by time, they were kids of the Vietnam war. Rebellious and hopeful.

Last night at the Corel Centre, Dylan gave them the chance to be kids again.

He didn't say a word all night. His only communication was sung or mumbled. Looking like a country posse member in black jacket and cowboy hat, Dylan got things going with the gospel-tinged Somebody Touch Me and a bluegrass spin on My Back Pages, arrangements that hinted that the former Robert Zimmerman would not be playing it straight all the way through.

STILL A MYSTERY

Every cover got new threads.

Backed by alt-country acoustic bandmates, Dylan gave Tangled Up In Blue a bluer feel, while going jazz-combo on Don't Think Twice, It's All Right and Subterranean Homesick Blues.

With 43 albums in 40 years, you think you know everything about him. But he's a mystery, a gorgeously difficult, gifted artist who's still bold enough to win last year's Grammy for Love and Theft at an age when most entertainers are playing the casinos.

Sure, his voice suffered in the arena, sometimes sounding more like an angry duck than Dylan. Of course, there are many who would say that that criticism was not fair to the Corel Centre.

Then, Dylan turned it all around with an emotionally uplifting I Shall Be Released and a sexy slow Like A Rolling Stone before a rousing encore of All I Need Is You followed by All Along the Watchtower.

"If you're spiritually open, Dylan opens every door," said Steve, who came from Chicago for the Corel Centre concert. "He touches everyone who's ever loved, or been angry or lonely."

"He's the only artist we can agree on," laughed Barb at David, her husband of 29 years. "He's Eagles and I'm Led Zeppelin, but Dylan does it all, doesn't he."

Yes, last night he did.

JAM! Rating: 4 out of 5

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