Bob Dylan – Paris 2000 Review

Bolstered by the confidence a Grammy Award win brings; Bob Dylan continues on the touring cycle. He would have without the acclaim Time Out of Mind received and yet, with the backdrop of self-doubt in the years before its release, it certainly seems to have let him kick on. Contemporary material pushed to the forefront of the tour cycle, the chance to hear an award-winning artist play award-winning songs. It may not spark much interest for those already clutching their tickets but it makes all the difference to the man on the stage and his harmonising backup. Covers of classics and the early years of his discography put to the modern flourish of a somewhat coarse but quality vocal range. Harps, acoustic spins and the flourishes of a rejuvenated man can all be heard in Paris 2000.  

Of all the live performances readily available to listeners, Paris 2000 serves a tremendous purpose. A gig where Dylan pulls out all the stops for a seven-track encore which, had it been separate from the rest of the performance, would almost be worth the price of admission. Covers like opener Duncan and Brady were semi-frequent for Dylan to perform around this time while a mandolin-playing Larry Campbell pulled out all the stops for Searching for a Soldier’s Grave. With nods to Wilmer Watts and The Anglin Twins comes a desire for Dylan, who hops on harp duties for The Wicked Messenger and Tangled Up in Blue, to once again challenge the audience’s perception, to take them on that inevitable journey present on his live performances. Paris 2000 is a grand opportunity, a chance to hear some deeper cuts like Country Pie mixed in with acoustic renditions of To Ramona and Love Minus Zero / No Limit.  

Dylan and the band sound to be in good form, a constant expectation of this period, the high of that Grammy win is certainly a small gust in the sails of this touring troupe. Charlie Sexton is the glue holding these moments together as the acoustic boom continues, the wonders and range of Tangled up in Blue, particularly the harmonica-led instrumental section, are euphoric for listeners at home and those in the audience twenty-five years ago. Pulling out all the stops in this show is one of those moments which just feels like a night where the band are all in their best form. There are few nights an artist can point to where everything goes off without a slight or sudden change to the plan, but Paris 2000 is it. A mighty version of Maggie’s Farm where the instrumentals clang on through to the first of seven songs of the encore, the at-the-time recently released Things Have Changed, is a marvel.  

Where the major instrumental changes to Like a Rolling Stone may put people off, the softer touches of its placement here are not quite up to scratch, the rest is perfection. Those slower tones feel like a chance for Dylan to catch a breath and feel his way into a similar-sounding I Shall Be Released. There is much to love about Paris 2000 here. From its contemporary gear shift to the sound of Dylan confirming what his audience would soon accept, there was no looking back from here. His form is ruthless and the showcase of hit tracks like All Along the Watchtower and Highway 61 Revisited. Dylan goes all-in with the band on this one and it results in one of his finest performances.