I’ve been to the British Museum today. Just checking out the history of the whole human race at a place where infinity goes up on trial. Power and greed and corruptible seed. Lusty old mules with poisoned brains. Masters of war. Freewheelin’ human nature through thousands of year – and yes, even before England and America were born. But then again, it also contains the beauty, love & sensitivity, the small details of art & thoughtfulness, lucky parenthood, happy children and culture behind the surface, between the lines of sanskrit, hieroglyphs & a rolling Rosetta Stone. I can hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea. Time is an ocean, but it ends at the shore. I lost a good friend last week, but he is still on my mind & in my jambalaya of thoughts tonight. Yes, I know that happiness is but a state of mind, and that anytime you want you can cross the state line, but it also happens when you don’t want to. At least that’s my experience. Sometimes there’s darkness at the break of noon, one that shadows even the silver spoon.

Onward on my journey today I also did visit the Royal Academy and their beautiful exhibition of Leonardo, Michelangelo & Raphael and their work from 1504. It makes you humble & touched to be in the same room as their sketches & paintings, so close to their process & to their greatness. It feels like my cup runneth over, even before I, this evening, find my seat at positively fourth row in Royal Albert Hall, soon to be in company of one of the greatest artists of our time, invited into his studio of sketches & attempts, his workshop of welding & painting of poetry & song, different colors used each night, different songs, phrases, verses & words, even arrangements, highlighted. He just takes what he has gathered from coincidence and experience when he improvises at his guitar, his piano & his harp, the result marinated in the spur of the moment, you can easily tell by the close attention his musical compadres at the stage is giving their master, always focusing on his hands and his glances of approval or frustration. It’s happening here and now. The opposite of repetition, even when last night’s version was fabulous. He not busy being born is busy dying. This was never an attempt of perfection. Its more like: “Hang on to me, baby, let’s just hope the roof of Royal Albert stays on.” And yes, that’s exactly was how it was this night – the modus operandi of “Take no prisoners” – we’re gonna win ’em all over tonight. And I think he did!

Dylan was on fire from start to finish, we didn’t have to wait for the highlights like yesterday. In his gold lamé jacket he meant business, and met ovations from the first time he rose behind the piano, looking good and looking smug! An even more powerful version of “False Prophet” than yesterday made the hall shake, rattle and roll. The audience hollered. And the party had just begun. His facial expressions was priceless when he came to the verse “Hello stranger – Hello and goodbye/You rule the land but so do I/ You lusty old mule – you got a poisoned brain (with a Cheshire Cat smile)/I’m gonna marry you to a ball and chain (his eyebrows as high as it gets). It felt like the best version of the song I’ve seen live, and the music was strong and loud, the band really rocked. Just everything about it was great. And that’s a song that really wasn’t on my favorites list before those two shows. It was thunder and lightning.

Another oh, so cool “When I Paint My Masterpiece”, the version that adds a touch of Istanbul (Not Constantinople) to the list of capitals related to the song. Perfectly executed by both the band and Dylan, it all overshadowed by a fabulous harp solo. Smoking!!

Dylan wanders out from the piano on many of the songs tonight, always starting far back at stage, almost backstage, or at least close to Tony Garnier, but then makes those almost tai chi-like movements, sometimes moving slowly like a cat hunting for the mouse, bending his knees and having a good time receiving encouragement from the audience every time, before tip-toeing back to the piano. It is the song & dance man, after all!

“Black Rider” is received as everyone knows the song from before, but I think its also about the very commanding start from Dylan that makes everybody wake up and listen closely. One person is screaming tonight, as one, maybe the same, did last night. Kind of grim, actually. Like from a sick or very unhappy soul.

I’m a bit nervous waiting for “My Own Version of You”, you know the one Dylan was so dis-satisfied with yesterday – but no, I didn’t have to worry, once again one of the most impressive versions I’ve heard, after all the great guises this song has had. First of all, Dylan placed both bass and drums on the parking lot, neither was involved in the version, only some very carefully chosen and executed guitar chords by the two Peaky Blinder-looking boys, Doug & Bob Britt, behind Dylan’s almost solo piano version of the song, a recitation of the story with the ghost of Mary Shelley almost flickering at the backdrop of the stage. A mesmerizing performance – Dylan knows it – and satisfied nods to Jim Keltner. A completely new version of the song. Just like that. Not all in the audience are aware of this, of course, but one should think it was an old favorite, due to the applause.

Through the night Dylan is especially aware of the audience behind him and the stage, nods, waves and lifts his hand to them after some of the songs, with an immediate response from the blessed, who also could believe that “To Be Alone With You” was pointed at them. A great rocker tonight, with a fabulous rocking harp solo.

This night nothing could go wrong, it seemed. One time the soundman missed the microphone at the piano for a line also tonight, but Dylan just shrugged it off, smiled and leaned into the song like it hadn’t happened. Cool.

In his youth Dylan had a hope to one time sing and behave like his old blues men favorites. He reached that level long time ago, but I was reminded about it tonight, when I almost could see Muddy Waters nodding to Bob from God knows where, during a great bluesy “Crossing The Rubicon”, as I write this words I also almost can hear Muddy sing the song. During another fabulous version of “Desolation Row” the harmonica solo very much channels “Little Walter” in the lowest part of the register. The performance receives the audience greatest ovations this evening. Awedience!

Next song “Key West”. Me a bit nervous again, thinking about last nights not so great version. Again no worries needed. This time parked all the rest of the band, and played a solo piano version with his recitation, a la “My Own Version of You”, but with Doug & Bob B’s quite quiet contribution for the last verses. Another roar from the audience, and you can almost see Dylan burst of pride, smiling and nodding to the band: This is how it should be done, boys! Great stuff & great to see.

Another great “Watching The River Flow” tonight, where an eager Dylan invents a whole new piano solo pattern during the performance, the same thing happens to “Mother of Muses” later in the show.

The “theme song”, “It´s all over now, Baby Blue” delivers in a very tender and beautiful, but oh, so blue and sad version – it’s almost like Dylan, almost sixty years since he wrote and recorded the song, have understood or accepted the deepest streams in the poetry – he owns it now. Of course he always did, but still, it means something different, something more, these days. That’s what I hear. No harp solo tonight. Not needed to make it one of the beautiful highlights of the evening.

“Goodbye Jimmy Reed” was a really crowd-pleaser last night, and works as well tonight, but when really Dylan had to lift the show last night, no first aid kit was needed tonight. Dylan reigned supreme, and delivered a smiling tongue-in-cheek version, leaning over the piano, then, with his vocals, hands and movements, lecturing us about the hidden meanings of the song, even the jokes inside of it.

As a last demonstration of power the singer delivers a beautiful softspoken and heartfelt confession with “Every Grain of Sand”, the perfect closer of those Rough And Rowdy shows, completing this complex tour of human nature in just one night. The harp solo starts quiet and soft but grows in both strength, sound and intensity, ending in almost a scream. So powerful.

Standing ovations. Well deserved. Tomorrow is another day. The last show of the Rough And Rowdy Ways Tour. My Dylan show #200. As you may see, after tonight I’m really looking forward to it.

Johnny Borgan