This show was my eleventh on “Rough And Rowdy Ways World Tour”. The last show in London last fall was just fabulous and one of my favorite shows ever. This night was, for me, another amazing step up. I’ll soon tell you why.

The first time Bob Dylan was in Barcelona was in 1984, almost forty years ago, then not even half way through his career, but he was touring with new songs from “Infidels”, and this fellow called Carlos Santana was hired as an opening act. It was an outdoor show, on the stadion “Miniestadi”. A great show, but Dylan was making it especially unforgettable when he made the performance of “Blowin’ in the wind” the most obvious sing-a-long through his whole career, teasing the audience to sing the refrain again and again, with a lucky Santana by his side, making the bad boy from Rolling Stones, Mick Taylor, stand back for a moment.

Just one of tonight’s songs was played in 1984, the beautiful “Every Grain of Sand” – a fabulous rendition and what still might be his most beautiful reading of the last verse of the song.

When he returned in 1989, to Sportpalace, he opened the show with one song we also got tonight, “Most Likely You’ll Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)”. None of the songs from 1993 was played tonight, “Most likely” in 1995, “To Be Alone With You” (but with the original lyrics) in 1999, just a few more of tonight’s songs the next years, but none of the songs Dylan played in 2015 or in the two shows at Gran Liseu in 2018 was repeated tonight. It’s not really an important fun fact, but still says something interesting about the 82 year old artist’s will and ability to keep on keepin’ on after all these years, always knowing that he could tear the house down by playing, the easy way out, a set of greatest hits. But that’s not who he is. Without mentioning it he now quietly promotes his newly released studio album, “Shadow Kingdom” where five of tonight’s songs are included, and of course the nine songs from his remarkable classic album from 2020, “Rough and Rowdy Ways”, the one that gave this tour its name. It’s the umpteenth phase of the artist’s unbeatable live project, undoubtedly the most underrated part of his work, and he chooses to not play even one of his most famous songs, not even one of his most played songs. It might not be an “you-know-what-you-want,-but-I-know-what-you-need” kind of strategy, but certainly, from Dylan’s point of view, he knows what he wants – then the audience may make up their mind. Just as it ever was. This night in Barcelona, the audience just loved the show. I did, too. The crowd was more than average receptive where they all night complimented the artist and the band both after and during songs, for the songs itself, for solos, for performances. I think both Dylan and “The Guilty Undertakers” profited from that, and returned even more spirited performances. A great audience to be a part of.

“Watching The River Flow” was one more time ruined by the sound, it was from where I sat, in the middle of row 10, impossible to hear the words from Dylan – but I saw him being in a good mood, throwing smiles to Donnie, having a good time. A bit better sound on “Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)” and the audience started to respond to Dylan’s singing, which they now could hear clearly. “I Contain Multitudes” – the sound was even better, and in the middle of a really great rendition of the song, the sound became perfect, and stayed that way throughout the whole show. What’s more important was that the whole show was terrific, a vital Dylan delivering a long string of remarkable performances, both vocally and on the piano, the band responding immediately to every signal from the boss, it was tight, it was tough, it was wonderful. The strengthened unity of the band and the bard, now gathered around the piano, is substantial. Even though I miss Charley Drayton’s virtuoso drumming from last fall, I must admit that Jerry Pentecost does one helluva good job in Charley’s place.

It feels like every song this night is delivered in one of their best versions, many of them presented in what might be the version 2.0, 3.0 or 4.0 since the Rough And Rowdy Ways album. I’m one of them who thinks Dylan’s slow, almost acapella, starts to many of the songs works really well, before the band and the swing of the songs kicks in, like in both “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (no harmonica tonight), “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and “To Be Alone With You”. The vocals are extraordinary, and one can almost see that Dylan himself feels that this night is really special, that he has six carburetors and that he is able to use them all. The audience loves every syllable of the crowd-pleasing “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight”, both the slow and the fast parts, dancing to the groove in their seats. “To Be Alone With You” might be delivered in the best version ever, Dylan stretching the laaaaast words in each line in a way I never heard before. Great stuff!

The vocals of “Black Rider” gives both me and my friend goosebumps, and then the new arrangement of “My Own Version of You” tonight really shows its full potential, Dylan delivering his impressive percussive rap in an exceptional effective way – he is almost dancing by the piano, attacking the microphone with the moves of a snake that bites. He stands with his legs far apart, swaying to the rhythm, his black jacket sparkle and flash. The drama of “Crossing The Rubicon” continues the long streak of highlights, complete with the piano player’s dramatic solos. “Key West” is always a pivotal point of the show, but shines even brighter today. “Gotta Serve Somebody” starts with Bob’s slow introduction, before the diesel hummin’ kicks in with the band, and the audience does their part, clapping and shouting like if they were a part of the gospel choir. A humorous Dylan introduces the band, inviting them all to play their instruments – I laughed out loud when Dylan asked Doug to play the guitar, then shouting “Oh, that’s enough” almost before he started to play. An “If Doug not runs free”-situation. Lots of fun, then Dylan says that they all like to play for us tonight, and that they now will play some more.

“I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You” is a song so beautiful that everyone, if they know it from before or not, makes tender sighs through the first verse, and is nodding to the refrain line every time it appears. So touching. Nothing could have suited this night better, than a steaming version of “Not Fade Away”, and that’s exactly what we get, the band so tight around the piano, that you could have placed them on the smallest of club stages. Another beautiful “Mother of Muses”, before the show ends with “Goodbye, Jimmy Reed” and a wonderful “Every Grain of Sand”, complete with the beautiful sprinkling of a piano solo at the end. I’m just plain overwhelmed this night, just like I was in London Palladium the last night, impressed over Dylan’s ability to keep lifting the songs, the arrangements, the organizing of the band, higher and higher. What a great night this was. The audience is at their feet before the last song is over, their gratitude is all that Bob and the band can ask for before they leave the stage, happy over an extraordinary night in the wonderful Gran Teatre del Liceu.

When Bob Dylan delivered his Nobel lecture, he ended it by quoting Homer: “Sing in me, oh Muse, and through me tell the story.” The Mother of Muses has of course heard his prayer, as tonight was a phenomenal exhibition of that unique ability to tell stories, a whole bunch of them, during this warm Spanish night.

To be honest, I was more than overwhelmed, I was really touched tonight, with real tears in my eyes, from “I Contain Multitudes” and throughout the whole show. Most because of the intense delivery of the songs, of the ability to impress me like this once more, when I after London thought I’d never see a greater show. Maybe also because of the thought of my first show in 1984, where I worried about maybe this could be the only time I got to see Dylan. Tonight was my 195th show, and I still worry about the fact that this could be the last time. I hope not, of course, but I was overpowered by the beauty of the show mixed with both gratitude and the inevitable fact that nothing lasts forever. Thanks one more time, Bob!

Johnny Borgan