Mark joining Bob on stage - questions

[twm]

Most of you will have already read about Mark joining Bob for the latter's first three songs at the Luxembourg concert. If not, look out the specific topic elsewhere on AMIT. Alternatively, here's Bob's set that night:

Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
Rockhal

October 21, 2011
  
1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (Mark Knopfler on guitar)  
2. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler on guitars)  
3. Things Have Changed (Mark Knopfler on guitar)  
4. Tangled Up In Blue
5. Honest With Me
6. Make You Feel My Love
7. The Levee's Gonna Break
8. Desolation Row
9. Highway 61 Revisited
10. Forgetful Heart (Donnie on violin)  
11. Thunder On The Mountain
12. Ballad Of A Thin Man
13. All Along The Watchtower
14. Like A Rolling Stone

We wait to see if this practice continues at further concerts. Perhaps, MK's involvement will expand. Anyway, a few questions.

1. For those on AMIT who have decried BD on this tour, does Mark's evident respect for Dylan alter your view?

2. As I have written elsewhere on AMIT, Dylan's approach to playing live does allow for a great deal of change from show to show. Mark occasionally has guest appearances at his concerts but his approach is more rehearsed and pre-planned.  Would you like to see Mark make more use of guest appearances at his shows?

3. Would you welcome Dylan making a guest appearance in Mark's set at the shows on this tour (perhaps on harmonica)?

[Tally]

As a great fan of Dylan as well as Knopfler, I don't fit with the category of fans you are addressing, but still.

1. Mark's respect for Dylan is well-known. As Guy Fletcher said, Mark would never have opened gigs for anybody else. I love both artists so it's a win-win for me. Great to see them together on stage.

2. I don't know about guest artists but I would love to see Mark change his setlists around more, like Dylan does. He and his band are certainly up for it.

3. I'd love to see Dylan joining MK's band, though it's less easy to fit Dylan in I suppose than Mark, who can play guitar flawlessly on any tune. But bring it on, please. That would make this tour even more special. I doubt it will happen though, as MK plays before Dylan, which could 'ruin' the suspense for the audience and, possibly, Dylan has his routines before his gigs. But what do I know?

[superval99]

I am really looking forward to hearing Mark playing more songs with Bob on this tour, but in answer to your questions, here goes:

1.  Even though I know of Mark's great respect for Bob, it doesn't alter the fact, for me, that Bob's voice is terrible these days, but that doesn't mean I don't like his songs, I do, very much and have done since '61.   Seeing them playing together will add another dimension to the songs, though and make Bob's voice more palatable.  So I would say, no, it doesn't alter my view of BD, but I do recognise his respect for Mark and so I respect him more now that he and Mark have played together at last.

2.  It depends on who the guests would be.   I'm not counting Emmylou, because she was jointly part of the show, but Gillian Welch and David Rawlings were nice on certain songs.  I can't think of anyone at the moment, because I enjoy MK on his own too much really!  I would certainly like MK to vary his set-lists more though.

3.  Yes, bring it on, but I don't see how he would fit in, not even with his harmonica.   It would be interesting to see, though.

What this collaboration does tell me though, is that as well as MK respecting Bob, Bob also has a great respect for MK, because from what I have read elsewhere, Bob almost never shares the stage with anyone, so that alone speaks volumes.    I would like to know what the more sceptical BD fans have to say now!  

[Pottel]

1. no, as tallgren, i love both. and that guy indeed mentions that mark had actually said he would open for anyone else, ever, only confrims my feeling
2. i loved the James taylor appeareance, the bonnie appeareance, i loved the Hank marvin performance back in 85, i would have killed to have been able to see that one show in califronia, on sept. 14 1985 where mark joined JJ cale on stage (not sure whom of thzse three, mk, bd or JJ i adore more, let's leave it at equal) and boy i would actually kill not one but at least 2 people (just KIDDING of course, not really into killing people) to one day see Gilmour walk on stage during an MK show.
3.bd with Dire straits back in 1986 was excellent, and the two performers have SSSSOOOOOO improved (i mean, they were already top acts and brilliant back then, but these days,...) since then, so PLS. i also wonder on which song exactly Bbo would need to gues, any proposals TWM?

[Maxx]

3. As Mark himself has mentioned - Marbletown grew from a Dylan song (which one unfortunately I can't remember) that sounds very alike the "original", with the same kind of lick. That one would be interesting.

[Tally]

3. As Mark himself has mentioned - Marbletown grew from a Dylan song (which one unfortunately I can't remember) that sounds very alike the "original", with the same kind of lick. That one would be interesting.

Never heard him say that, could it be Ballad of Hollis Brown?

[Maxx]

3. As Mark himself has mentioned - Marbletown grew from a Dylan song (which one unfortunately I can't remember) that sounds very alike the "original", with the same kind of lick. That one would be interesting.

Never heard him say that, could it be Ballad of Hollis Brown?

Must be that one!

[ds1984]

1. For those on AMIT who have decried BD on this tour, does Mark's evident respect for Dylan alter your view?
I don't know if I have to be put on the "decried" categorie but my first reaction was "This time I won't go". I mean it was a too big investment on differents aspects (money, travel, availibility...) considering that in return it would be a so short set.
I changed my mind about passing it and finally opted for one show.
That said it don't change anything about my view on the question.
As him being a big fan of Dylan I understand that he's doing this but I am not forced to follow him despite my longtime fan status. Mark decision for years now is really on a "take it or leave it".


2. Would you like to see Mark make more use of guest appearances at his shows?
It depends of the guest. But as guest is a real gamble, I would tend to say no.
The boys behind Mark are good enough and the current stage is already an overcrowded one.


3. Would you welcome Dylan making a guest appearance in Mark's set at the shows on this tour (perhaps on harmonica)?
Not really. Or on SFSL...

[twm]

The point about "suspense" is a valid one but I suppose Dylan could come out right at the end of Mark's set. It would have to be a rocker, given Dylan's present predeliction live. What about "Speedway" with some roaring harmonica? My guess is that the audience reaction to the whole thing (Dylan and Knopfler, I mean) would fair lift the roof off. And the members of MK's band could forever tell their friends and family that they once played with Bob Dylan!

Personally, I would like to have heard a couple of ballads from Bob. He played a couple at other shows but I attended Bournemouth.  So, in this vein, I'd like to hear Bob play on one of Mark's more folky, less rocky numbers. Any one of them really.

As a compromise, perhaps something like "Bonaparte".

In terms of fitting in, I suspect that Dylan could adapt. Two of his more affecting live performances were at Nara City in Japan (where he sang a couple songs stunningly, with a full orchestral backing) and at Frank Sinatra's birthday bash where he had his normal group plus some strings and sang a song he hadn't performed live for over 40 years (at Mr Frank's specific request apparently).

[MarkB]

In terms of fitting in, I suspect that Dylan could adapt. Two of his more affecting live performances were at Nara City in Japan (where he sang a couple songs stunningly, with a full orchestral backing) and at Frank Sinatra's birthday bash where he had his normal group plus some strings and sang a song he hadn't performed live for over 40 years (at Mr Frank's specific request apparently).

Agree. Dylan is a superb musician. I have a strong feeling that Bob's vocals in his live gigs are more a matter of choice rather than a sign of age; he is singing the way he wants to as opposed to singing the only way he can. The same applies to his guitar/keyboard playing. Bob has developed this somewhat eccentric approach to electric guitar playing but again it's a choice he makes and not down to a lack of ability.
Dylan is also a wonderful piano player, he chooses to go for the organ in concert and, again plays some fairly unusual stuff!, but if he wanted to he could very easily just play piano 'properly'.

[dustyvalentino]

1. I'm a Dylan fan too, but I would agree that everybody here knew Mark held BD in high esteem before these recent shows.

2. Yes, I would like more guest appearances. I've seen guest appearances by Chris Barber in 99, Jimmy Nail in 2002 and Phil Cunningham in 2010 and they always add something. 2001 tour had lots of special guests - Emmylou, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Sonny Landreth.

3. Yes, it would be a nice mark of respect for Bob to return the favour.

[Fieneke2]

I'll give an honest answer, it's just my opinion! 

1. For those on AMIT who have decried BD on this tour, does Mark's evident respect for Dylan alter your view?

- I know Mark respect Dylan as he does with other artists. Dylan has been important for the music and many artists and he is/was a good songwriter. He always will be remembered because of that! Although I liked some of his songs in the past, I never have been a fan of Bob because of his voice!

2. As I have written elsewhere on AMIT, Dylan's approach to playing live does allow for a great deal of change from show to show. Mark occasionally has guest appearances at his concerts but his approach is more rehearsed and pre-planned.  Would you like to see Mark make more use of guest appearances at his shows?

- No, I don

[Mossguitar]

1. I'm a Dylan fan, so no change here. I've "always" known about MK's respect and admiration for His Bobness, and Bob's influence on MK is more than obvious. Until this tour, I thought all MK fans were Dylan fans.

2. Guest apperances are fun. I hope MK continues to invite guests.

(A contribution to the tireing fixed setlist-discussion : I both watch and play gigs. I guess i've watched concerts of  many hundreds of different rock, pop, jazz and classical artists. Most artists have more or less fixed sets. The rule is: The more you play a set, the better it gets, and the more fun it is to play, you improvice more, and it becomes easier to do unplanned things, for instance having guest artists. So fixed sets or well rehearsed and planned tours does not mean that it's less likely to have guests on stage. In my bands, it's the other way around. If we play a set of songs we know well, a guest apperance may require a quick run-through. New songs often require rehearsals with the guest.)

3. Of course I would love it if His Bobness joined MK on stage. That would be great.

[Rollergirl]

1. I am not one of the ones who have decried BD on this tour (yet, anyway, still haven't seen the show to have an opinion) but Mark's respect for him won't influence my opinion.  I will like or I will not like.

2. yes, that would be nice, but not too much

3. same as above.

[DIFFICULTTOBELIEVE]

Fieneke - not only is BD a shit vocalist, he is a shit harmonica player. Listen to Peter Hope-Evans on Guy's Rollin and Tumblin to hear good harmonica.