Can’t believe I hadn’t seen this cut before now (h/t), but here’s Bob Dylan performing “Like A Rolling Stone” with an all-star cast on Letterman’s tenth anniversary show.
When I say all-star, I’m not exaggerating. Check out the list of performers:
Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
Chrissie Hynde (guitar)
Syd McGuinness (guitar)
Steve Vai (guitar)
Carole King (keyboards)
Paul Schaffer (keyboards)
James Brown (horn)
Edgar Winter (horn)
Doc Severinsen (trumpet)
William E. Lee (bass)
Anton Fig (drums)
Jim Keltner (drums)
Roseanne Cash, Nancy Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Michelle Shocked, Mavis Staples (backup vocals)
Great googly moogly.
Get The Picture 
Awesome MPC, but I have to say IMO, the weakest part was Dylan’s vocals. I know, that’s kinda what he’s known for, but I have some Dylan albums and you can understand him. I couldn’t tell if he was mumbling in English or Portuguese. It’s like he said, “screw it, I’ll outdo the caricatures!” Check out the backup singers at 2:20; they’re looking at him thinking, “what the heck?! How do we sing that line?”
But definitely a fun, star-studded song. Seeing Carole King getting into it on keys, was cool.
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Thanks for that!
Can’t imagine what the rehearsal was like.
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He wasn’t really into rehearsals. Personally, I would have spent as much time as I could with Emmylou.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bob-dylans-desire-an-exotic-masterpiece-turns-40-20160105
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I had forgotten all about this. Thanks for posting.
And holy lord, Roseanne Cash, Nancy Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Michelle Shocked, and Mavis Staples as backup singers!
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For real. And Carol King is a personal favorite.
For all of her songs that others made famous, they always sound better when she does them. Ma Cowdog had “Tapestry” on vinyl and would listen to it over and over doing household chores.
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Bob is the best there ever was but between the voice, diction and the changing of the song arrangements, the live performances shadow the greatness of his music.
If you’re not a fan because you see the live stuff and are less than impressed do yourself a favor and go back to the albums. Go through Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. If you’re not awed by the music and the fact it was all recorded in the space of 10 months, then go back to Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga or Georgia/Florida Line or whatever crap it is that you listen to.
If you like the experience, start digging until you find songs like Blind Willie McTell and Not Dark Yet and I Shall Be Released and on and on and on and on…..
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You’re right, Derek. There is Dylan and then there is everybody else. I’ve seen him live many times and am usually shaking my head because about half way through a song I recognize it as one of my favorites. It doesn’t matter, I always love seeing him. Anyone who is turned off by his vocals is really doing themselves a disservice if they don’t listen to his albums. I sometimes wonder that if Dylan was 18 years old today if he would make it. It’s a sad commentary on our pop culture that he may not.
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Truth is in relationship to the Beach Boys and the Beatles and the stones he was not a big seller of records in the 1960’s. I’d like to think anyone that good couldn’t be anonymous, but it probably is possible.
The awesome thing to me is to sit and listen to the guys journey in his music. How he became disillusioned with being a folk music messiah all the way through Gotta Serve Somebody its just all there.
It’s alright ma I’m only bleeding may be the most insightful song ever written.
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You obviously know your Bob Dylan. I would like to see Dylan play the Super Bowl. We would really see how shallow our society is, by all the bitching. But it would get me to actually watch the Super Bowl.
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I took my youngest to see him while he was an undergrad. Neat road trip. Yes was unimpressed by the vocals but said he said he didn’t care. “It was still awesome.” Not Dark Yet is ONE of my favorites. BLood on the Tracks followed up by Desire were constantly played ….until my bride started to complain. LOl. They’re all good.
The family road tripped to see “The Who” in Atlanta. Boys were still in middle school. Got home after 3AM. Crashed and got up at usual time. It was on a Thursday and Friday were a real grind for all of us. Later during a family get together at my brides parent’s home brother in law told me how irresponsible that road tripwas. I told him he really needed to get laid. Everyone laughed including my bro in law……kinda.
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whew…I was all in until he started signing. good grief that is terrible.
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Agreed. It’s like he’s not even trying.
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It sounded like Marlon Brando imitating Bob Dylan,
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Actually he looked like Adam Sandler spoofing Bob Dylan in an SNL skit. Great supporting lineup tho……
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^^ I had the same thought
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