From the Adventures of @woutblommers5252
Dylan in Europe (1966)
Act 7 (second part) to the conclusion
[act 7]"Never heard it." (continued)
"Tell Me Momma" sounded so strange to our ears... And the BK Hallen weren't that good acoustically.
But the rest of the set was wonderful. Dylan had his elastic legs on and was dancing like he could loose his balance every moment.
His hands were moving around his head by the bending in his words. His voice was good, nothing like his singing at the end of this tour.
But I never heard... the first set!!! When the 1966 live set box was published in 2016, Sony wasn't able to produce it...
[Act 8] "Homeward Bound"
Next morning back home.
One Danish border police man was waiting for me at the station of Puttgarden.
He made an arrangement with the Germans.
When I was handed over to the Polizei, he told me my scouting group could be very proud about how I made the impossible possible, worthy of a real scout...
My dad thought the opposite...
Extra data
There...
The Hague to Utrecht, changing trains for "The Scandinavia Express".
Next stops: Bad Bentheim, Osnabrück, Bremen and Hamburg.
From the German to the Danish border at Puttgarden: on the ferry (complete train) and afterwards "back on the track" to Kopenhavn.
824 km
512 miles
10 hours by train...
... and back again...
From the Adventures of @woutblommers5252
Dylan in Europe (1966)
Act 5 (second part) to Act 7 (first part)
[Act 5] "The Verdict and Solution" (continued)
Suddenly I realized I had a pass with me. In my scouting back-pack was my scouting identification pass.
I gave it to the police.
The picture was already 5 years old. They laughed, both being scout leaders themself.
They kept the pass and I, returned in the train, could ride again!
[Act 6] "Too Late"
On Sunday evening, one can't find a taxi.
This was the longest time waiting in my life.
When we arrived at the BK Hallen, Dylan had already started the show and nobody was allowed to enter the venue until the intermission.
The complete first set, we never heard. During the intermission <J>'s Danish friend picked us up and we were in, at last...
[Act 7] "Never heard it"
Dylan started the second set with a song nobody recognized.
We thought, maybe it wasn't Dylan at all...
To be continued...
From the Adventures of @woutblommers5252
Dylan in Europe (1966)
Act 4 and 5 (first part)
[Act 4] "In the Hands of the Danes."
Two tall men entered the train car.
They were huge, very huge...
They asked for my travel papers and pass. I told them the truth.
They took me to the front of the train. There was a door unlocked and we climbed out of the train.
<J> was with me. He was then a sort of member of the Dutch parliament (which is all I tell about him)
Anyway, he had international immunity, I hadn't.
I had to call my parents, so the border police could get more info about me.
My parents were glad to hear me. I had to tell the police their birthdays, so I could be checked (both answers had to be the same).
[Act 5] "The Verdict and Solution."
I had to stay at the station until another train could bring me back to Germany and Holland.
I started to cry. (Well, just a little…) So close and no Dylan!
<J> was talking to the police man.
He tried everything possible, even threatening with an international law offending.
The police said they only needed my name with a picture of me on the same paper, like a pass.
Then I were free to go.
To be continued...
From the Adventures of @woutblommers5252
Dylan in Europe (1966)
Act 1 to 3
[Act 1] "Dylan is coming to Europe!"
All musical magazines were shouting it. Me and my 'provo'-friends were excited hearing the news.
In the coffee bar 'Wiener Konditerei', the five of us made our plans. Hitch-hiking to Paris would be the best solution.
Only my dad gave me a resolute: "NO! A 15-year-old alone on the road. That is a little bit too much Bob Dylan."
"We are with five men."
"Then none of you will reach Paris. Drivers never pick up groups... I'm sorry, my son, but you have to listen to the records only.
On the other hand, some quiet in the house would mean rest to my ears."
My coffee bar friends were all much older than me. <J> was even married.
Going by train to Kopenhavn was the second-best option. If impossible, they would take Paris without me.
I was sure my dad would veto Kopenhavn also.
[Act 2]"The Plan."
Dylan would play in the KB Hallen on Sunday 01 May 1966.
The Saturday before it was a national fest in Holland, the birthday of the Queen.
I told my parents I wanted to celebrate Queens day with some friends at <J>'s house, which was in the center of town.
I would be sleeping there and returning home the next day. They agreed. They could ring me there.
I rang at 23:00 hours to wish them good night...
Next day early in the morning we took the train to Danmark!
"All goes well, guys. Has everybody his pass?"
A shock!
"I don't have a pass..." I said.
The train was heading for Bad Bentheim, German border. The first hurdle...
[Act 3]"The Trick."
<J> told about a trick. Before the train stops, I had to go to the small cabinet called toilet, enter it, but leave the door open.
“Do not use the latch which makes the sign occupied. Place this small metal box on the ground which makes it impossible to shut the door.
The German Grenzpolizei will think the toilet isn't occupied, and the door isn't properly shut.”
And so they did indeed!
But what about the Danish border control? The train will stop on board of the ferry itself and the doors would be closed while the passes are verified.
<J> had the answer: tell the truth!!!
To be continued...
Hideho folks!
Now that my (first) compilation "Teardrops Keep Falling - All Live Performances of Where Teardrops Fall by Bob Dylan" has premiered (https://youtu.be/o21aaXFySHg), I'd like to know which of those live renditions brings you the most tears of joy (i.e., is your favourite).
Because a YouTube poll can only have 5 options, I made a preselection for quality and uniqueness (as I see it).
You may, of course, vote for a different version in the comments. There you can also tell me the reasons for your choice.
Why have I preselected those 5 performances?
No. 3: To me, this is the first rendition where the song really comes together live.
I like the way the electric guitars and drums sound on this. The instrumentation fits the faster paced arrangement very well.
No. 5: The only piano-driven version of them all - Bob "plonks" away in his usual fashion and this always makes me smile.
No. 7: While this version is very similar to No. 6, to me this is the preferred rendition of those two.
Both are slow-paced and feature very tender vocals. But the lyrical variations on No. 7 (e.g., 'motion of midnight', 'sitting here waiting for you') and the fact that the audience seems to be moved a little bit more during this performance (they even sing along a little, though this should be no wonder in Ireland...) make this the better version for me.
No. 8: Nice pedal-steel guitar and overall many good instrumentals. Also the longest version of them all.
No. 13: My 'Jack of All Trades' version: good singing with an overall nice band accompaniment (the steel guitar and drums sound best of all versions from 2001 to me) and a well-rounded and very fittingly executed harmonica part to wrap the song up.
This is also my overall favourite.
Bob's boots brought by Bolly. Happy to consider your requests.