“Sing of the heroes who stood alone
Whose names are engraved on tablets of stone
Who struggled with pain so the world could go free
Mother of Muses, sing for me“*
——–
“Sing of Sherman, Montgomery, and Scott
And of Zhukov, and Patton, and the battles they fought
Who cleared the path for Presley to sing
Who carved the path for Martin Luther King
Who did what they did and they went on their way
Man, I could tell their stories all day“
(Bob Dylan, 2020)

It’s 2025, and freedom of speech is at stake – even that statement can make many look over their shoulder, even in the land of the free, now in an edition that brings back memories from the time where what now is called “woke” or “fake news”, represented the fight for both freedom of speech, freedom from segregation and rascism, the fight for women’s liberation and the freedom to openly criticize those in power, without fear of retribution. The Goliaths of those times used both methods and a language many of us in our naivety one time hoped was a thing of the past. We were sadly wrong, as we again can see the growth of hate speech and devaluation of both constitutions and human rights. Lucinda Williams today announces her new album “World´s Gone Wrong”, and it´s not easy to disagree.

Today’s release of Bob Dylan’s volume 18 of the Bootleg Series, “Through The Open Window – 1956-1963″, connects the early years of the young Bob with what happened in society the same years, a powerful civil rights movement still needed songs to sing, and here they came. The sad relevance of many of those songs today, more than sixty years later, is part of the shadow hanging over this dark ages. They’re there for new marches, if needed, in a time where there is a new bleeding wound in the heart of town of Washington. I can’t help thinking of this while waiting for Bob Dylan to enter the stage in Paris this night.

“I can see the history of the whole human race
It’s all right there – its carved into your face
Should I break it all down – should I fall on my knees
Is there light at the end of the tunnel – can you tell me please”

While waiting for this week’s shows, I was wandering the streets of Paris, as usual with joy, with history and art around every corner. Yesterday I saw the fabulous Gerhard Richter exhibition at Fondation Louis Vitton. Some call him the “greatest living painter”, other “the Picasso of the 21st century”, some even “the world’s most important artist”. What I found fascinating was the great diversity in his art, always searching both in form and colors. On Musée d’Orsay today I could see the old masters, like Vincent, Degas & Monet, and I also could for the first time admire the wonderful works of sculptor Paul Troubetzkoy and the poetic photographs by Gabrielle Hébert. With the Picasso of Song, Bob Dylan, in town, I came to think of what this artists have in common, and I think it might be what Dylan has characterized as to always be “in a state of becoming”. When I find my chair in the middle of row twelve, with clear sight to the grand piano, I’m thinking of how lucky I am & we are, who still, in just a couple of days, can visit the United states of becoming. There’s a crack in everything, also in these dark ages, and that’s where the light gets in.

Painting by Gerhard Richter.

Lights dimmed, shadows are falling, the band comes marching in, Dylan as number three today – finding his guitar immediately and starts strumming with his hair visible behind the baby grand piano – not very successful on “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” tonight, but the audience are satisfied, especially when Dylan starts to sing and to play the piano. In my opinion “It Ain’t Me, Babe” works a lot better vocally this night, also with a slightly improved guitar. While we had to wait for “False Prophet” as the first highlight yesterday, tonight it came with a really powerful rendition of “I Contain Multitudes”, the real start of a wonderful night in Paris. There’s really no such thing as a flawless concert, but besides a pretty weak “Watching The River Flow”, this was really a night to remember.

Next up is a surprise, Dylan first finds his harmonica to play “When I Paint My Masterpiece”, but drops it and picks up the guitar, turning his back and hair to the audience, then gives us some latin lover guitar, by far the best picking from him those two nights. Quite satisfied he turns and sings a great version – the audience loves the whole “Masterpiece” project, as they do with “Black Rider”, applausing after each verse, some people starts standing up applauding, more and more do the same through the show.

It feels like the audience, including me, gets hypnotized by mesmerizing versions of especially two songs to night – the two where Dylan’s masterly storytelling ability is at its best, with Anton Fig’s magical percussion making the perfect environment for the songs. In “My Own Version of You” it’s like Anton plays the sound of the necessary body parts and the handling of them in this a bit scary Frankenstein-like lab of the quite sad song. Dylan sometimes almost whispers, other times shouts, then he sings with all his tenderness at the bridge: “I’ll bring someone to life – someone for real/Someone who feels the way that I feel”. Its like the whole audience holds their breath to get the whole story. The same happens with “Key West” a few songs later, the same switches in mood of delivery in a fabulous and time-stopping version of the song. Even if he still sings about the Gulf of Mexico…..!

People are clapping for “To Be Alone To You” from the second it starts swinging, Dylan likes that, it’s one of the Prince Charming songs.

Another highlight of the evening, a great “Crossing The Rubicon” with all the drama intact, both in vocals and piano – Doug & Britt follows Dylan’s every move to perfection. Audience starts clapping when they get the rhythm, especially when Bob makes rolling thunder on the piano. Great stuff, indeed!

Dylan is fired up, maybe of the audience, maybe of his own performance, and he really owns “Desolation Row” this night, from start to finish, giving us one of those versions where he phrases each line in each verse the same way, more like a jazz feeling, or a dancing rhythm on top of the music, but where the result still gives plenty weight to the poetry. Lots of people in the audience recognizes the song from the start, starting to “dance” or move in their seats, clapping and even shouting to reward Dylan’s phrasing after some of the verses.

For me, the magic from yesterday’s “Watching The River Flow” was gone today, a straight, nothing special version, but with some nice harmonica included.

Then came the one that really brought tears to my eyes, a flawless, deeply tender, melancholic version of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”, it was just like he really meant it this time. A beautiful moment. I think he let the harmonica rest this time to not break the wonderful spell he cast over us all. For me, the number one highlight of those two great nights.

“I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You” – also a wonderful version, you could hear the sighs from the audience each time he sang the punchline of this sad and beautiful song, dripping of farewell.

“Mother of Muses” was just great tonight, a majestic version – funny was that Dylan pointed his finger to Britt at the start, just like in a “don’t-fuck-up-tonight”-kinda-way. The band was fully concentrated, and they delivered as they should, making the commander-in-chief proud.

Audience loved the rhythm of “Goodbye, Jimmy Reed” from the start, clapping along, Dylan still inspired to work with some great phrasings, getting extra reward from the crowd. In a long and powerful piano interlude the piano player nods eagerly to Tony and Doug, like: “Wake up, guys, help me out here”, and they stop dreaming, comes together and makes it a great jam at the end of the song, with a bit of harmonica included, too.

We had it all, this night, even before a beautiful and tender performance of “Every Grain of Sand”, complete with some really great harmonica lines at the end, first very powerful, then bringing it down to a a soft ending. The band leaves their instruments, the audience are in heaven, and Dylan keeps standing by the piano a little longer than last night, then, with a little nod he disappears into the night. No thank you and no introduction those two nights, leaving a grateful crowd that wanted more, but who seemed to leave the room very happy, like they understood that this was a really unique night. I think so, too.

Bob Dylan’s phenomenal ability as a storyteller has never been doubted, that’s a central force both in his lyrics and his greatest performances. As more I think of it, this “Rough And Rowdy Ways” set is as much about storytelling as anything he has done. The whole show tells a story, an important story. He just know what he knows, and he is sharing it through these songs. The whole story.

Johnny Borgan