As Bob Dylan’s tour of Australia and New Zealand continues, a fall tour of the U.S. has been announced. It includes, at this point, 13 dates where Dylan will be supported by singer songwriter Amos Lee and by Elvis Costello, playing solo. It’s not the first time Costello has opened for Dylan in this way: he also did it during a 1995 European tour. Elvis is accustomed to being a headliner, of-course. As in 1995, he probably sees this as a low-pressure way of trying out new material before a receptive audience. And a way of just having fun. Below is a YouTube clip of Dylan doing Rainy Day Women with guest singers Elvis Costello and Chrissie Hynde (and guest dancer Carole King).

Self-indulgent meandering: I’ve long thought of Elvis Costello as being Tony Bennett to Dylan’s Frank Sinatra. Of-course Dylan and Elvis are writers in addition to being performers, but the analogy is this: Sinatra possessed and utilized great craft, but what makes his greatest records so peerlessly great is something indefinable and inimitable; something which is pure inspiration, and unique to him. Likewise, although Dylan has many sources and tricks, what he comes up with in the end is inexplicable in its greatness. On the other hand, with Tony Bennett you can basically see the wheels turning. He is great, no question — he loves the music he sings, he loves pushing his craft to the edge of what is doable for him, and he knows how to sing the hell out of a song. The craft — in a certain way the cerebral element — has the dominant hand. That’s also how I think of Costello, as a songwriter. He knows what he’s doing, and does it well, and he never really lets go and allows it to get outside of his control. That’s OK; it’s just not something he’s in touch with, and few songwriters are. Dylan is, and I just think it’s interesting to contemplate the difference.

One thing they undoubtedly share is that they are both consummate fans of popular music. It’s a nice pairing. I’m hoping I’ll be able to catch one of these gigs.

...................
Share this!

Posts which might be related to this one based on a mysterious algorithm:

• Elvis: politics as usual
• “Always Enigmatic”
• Rewind