The Best Is Yet To Come

 

1      INTRODUCTION

2      THE YEAR AT A GLANCE

3      CALENDAR

 

Next chapter

 

 

 

 

1             INTRODUCTION

The Never-Ending Tour continues in the new millennium of course. Five new legs in pretty much the same territories as in 1999. Same band, some new songs. Bob Dylan is awarded the Polar Music Prize. No less than three different “best of” compilations are released. The new song Things Have Changed is included in the soundtrack to the film Wonderboys. The song is played live at almost every show in 2000. All in all it was another very good year. Dylan is singing better and better and the band is getting tighter. When will we get the live album from The Never-Ending Tour?

 

 

2             THE YEAR AT A GLANCE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


3             CALENDAR

6 January

The Japanese version of GQ magazine contains a Bob Dylan article ranging about 50 pages, of course including several photos.

7 January

Dont Look Back is released on DVD. This release contains an alternate version of the Subterranean Homesick Blues “video” as well as 4 new sound tracks please refer to section 4.1.

12 January

Bob Dylan and Isaac Stern are awarded this year’s Polar Music Prize. The late Stig Anderson, who was the publisher, lyricist and manager of ABBA, founded this prize in 1989. Stig Anderson donated a large sum of money to The Royal Swedish Academy of Music with the aim of creating what was to become known as The Polar Music Prize. Its name stems from Anderson’s legendary record label, Polar Records.

27 January

Beatrice Rutman, mother of Bob Dylan, dies in St. Paul 84 years old.

15 February

Release of Wonderboys soundtrack with Things Have Changed.

23 February

Bob Dylan and Lauryn Hill presents the Grammy Award for Best Album to Carlos Santana at the Grammy ceremony at The Staples Center in Los Angeles.

10 March

The first tour of the new millennium kicks off with two shows at the Sun Theatre in Anaheim, California. The first show features two live debuts, Tell Me That It Isn’t True and Things Have Changed. Dignity returns to the set list after almost five years. In the second show Country Pie is played live for the first time and We Better Talk This Over is tried out. It has not been played since Hollywood Florida, 16 December 1978 and is the second song from Street Legal to be played during The Never-Ending Tour. Apparently Bob is dissatisfied with the result and almost aborts the song and it isn’t played again. Country Pie becomes the standard first song in the electric set this year.

14 March

The show in Visalia, California first version of Dear Landlord since Sarasota, Florida, 9 November 1992

15 March

The show in Santa Cruz, California features the First version of Drifter’s Escape since Pistoia, Italy, 7 July 1996.

6 April

Ray Benson from support act Asleep At The Wheel guests on the encores in the final show of the US Spring Tour in Denver, Colorado.

Early May

Rehearsals for the upcoming European tour in a New York City studio. They also recorded Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache for a Warren Smith tribute album.

6 May

Dylan returns to Europe with tour in Germany, Scandinavia and Italy. First show though is in Zürich, Switzerland and Delia is played for the first time since the late show at The Supper Club in New York City, 17 November 1993.

8 May

Release of the Best Of Bob Dylan Volume 2. Please refer to section 4.3.

Release of the Swedish The Very Best Of Bob Dylan. Comes with liner notes in Swedish. Please refer to section 4.4.

Bob signs a deal with HBO to star in a one-hour special developed specifically for him by writer-producer Larry Charles (of Seinfeld fame). The special is said to include Dylan music, both new and classic material, and comedy.

15 May

Dylan attends the Polar Music Prize Award Ceremony at The Berwald Hall in Stockholm and receives the price from King Carl XVI Gustaf. The prize winners never perform at the ceremony, but other artists pay tributes. Brian Ferry sings A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall and Louise Hoffsten sings a moving version of What Good Am I? Dylan looks highly uncomfortable through the whole thing.

Later the same evening there is a dinner at the Winter Garden in Grand Hotel. The winners are supposed to entertain at this occasion. However Dylan skips the dinner and flies to Helsinki for next day’s concert.

21 May

Dylan plays a show at the Ny Teater in Horsens, Denmark. This must be the smallest audience ever with the exception of the prison gig in The Correctional Intuition For Women in Clinton, New Jersey, 7 December 1975. There are 100 tickets for sponsors, 75 for paying press, and 250 for the people who line up.

24 May

Dylan celebrates his 59th birthday with a show in Dresden, Germany. First “birthday concert” since 1966!

2 June

Last show of the European Spring Tour in Cagliari, Italy.

15 June

After just two weeks off the road Dylan starts a marathon summer tour in the US with Phil Lesh & Friends. Dylan starts each show, which typically consists of 16 or 17 songs. The first show in Portland, Oregon, however is a warm-up without Phil Lesh and sees the debuts of Standing In The Doorway and Searching For A Soldier’s Grave, a song by Johnnie Wright, Jim Anglin, and Jack Anglin. Also featured is the second live performance of She's About A Mover by Dough Sahm. In a way this is also a debut since Doug Sahm himself sang it on the previous occasion in Edmonton 24 August 1988.

15 June

Songs from Time Out Of Mind are surprisingly absent from the first joint show with Phil Lesh in Portland. This proves to be the rule rather than the exception for the remainder of the tour.

17 June

Second live performance of Long Black Veil during the first show in George, Washington.

18 June

First live version of House Of The Risin' Sun since Paris 7 October 1987 during the second show in George, Washington.

20 June

The show in Medford, Oregon features the first live version of The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest since Rochester Hills 18 July 1988.

25 July

Grateful Dead Records releases a tribute album called Stolen Roses. It includes the Bob Dylan contribution Friend of the Devil, a live version from the past year.

30 July

After no less than 33 shows the summer tour ends in Stanhope, New Jersey.

22 August

Release of The Best Of Broadside 1962-1988 with two Dylan tracks.

13 September

This year’s second tour in Europe starts with another warm-up show at a small club, Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland. All tickets are sold in less than 1 minute!

1 October

The most surprising debut of the year takes place in Münster, Germany when If Dogs Run Free is played as the third encore. A smooth jazzy acoustic version, which is to stay in the set for the rest of the year. This is the fourth song only from New Morning to be played live.

5-6 October

The Fall tour in Europe ends with two shows at The Wembley Arena in London.

9 October

Wallflowers’ third album Breach is released.

29 October

The last tour of the year starts in Madison, Wisconsin.

31 October

Release of the 2-CD set The Essential Bob Dylan. See section 4.5.

1 November

Blue Bonnet Girl by Glenn Spencer is played in Bloomington, Indiana.

2 November

The set in West Lafayette, Indiana contains the first live version of Chimes Of Freedom since the inauguration of Bill Clinton in Washington 17 January 1993.

12 November

10,000 Men is played live for the first time at the show in South Kingston, Rhode Island, leaving Handy Dandy as the only song without a live rendition from Under A Red Sky.

19 November

The last concert of the first year in the new millennium is played in Towson, Maryland.

December

Bob Dylan records the Dean Martin song Return To Me, intended for use in TV mafia drama The Sopranos.

 

[TOP]