I resisted the temptation to post a review late last night and I'm glad because photos here describe BF's stunning jacket far better than my words could have done!  Those of you who watched on TV can probably stop reading here...
Mrs Smudge and I arrived at around 7.15 p.m. and managed to get within 20-30 yards of the stage; a perfectly acceptable view, even if tiptoeing through the picnics was a bit of a minefield! Better still, by virtue of simply standing next to the bloke with the highest flag (no euphemism intended...), we were able to lure J.O'B into our company for the duration of the gig. 
If BF had asked for my wish list for this set, I might just have told him that I'd been waiting for 40 years to hear a full orchestra play the brooding string intro to Hard Rain; I was therefore in clover when we got precisely that as the set opener! Good to hear that song earlier in the set for a change too.
The Dylan double continued with a typically rollicking romp through Tom Thumb, with great harmonica trades with Ollie's increasingly assured guitarwork. To my shame, I was unaware of this song prior to Dylanesque's release, but it's now a firm favourite of mine, along with Hard Rain and Don't Think Twice.
1980s BF was then represented by Don't Stop The Dance, before the orchestra provided a wonderfully lush cushion for Smoke Gets In Your Eyes to sit on. The closing lyrics to Smoke must currently have added poignancy for BF and his big screen image looked a little moist eyed for a moment at the end; all credit to him for singing it so well.
The plug for The Jazz Age was the GG styled Love Is The Drug; a good idea to use something so easily recognisable to introduce the non-jazzers to the album. The revs were significantly increased for the following Bride trilogy of Same Old Blues, Can't Let Go & Hold On I'm Coming (maybe one day we might get that album performed in its entirety?); wonderful!
I was pleased that BF resisted the temptation to perform both Avalon & Jealous Guy; he chose the latter (probably because the former has been appearing as a jazz number at other gigs) and backing vocalists Michelle & Shar were on imperious form; I'm sure even the opera stars on the bill would have doffed their caps to the ladies' performance. 
Just time for a closing romp through Let's Stick Together, before BF was waylaid for an onstage chat by Sir Terry Wogan. I may be wrong, but this appeared unplanned and designed to fill a few minutes while the stage was cleared and the link with the Royal Albert Hall re-established; that said, BF seemed very relaxed about it and consequently came across as a more engaging chap than has sometimes been the case.
So, a cracking 40 minute set and pitched perfectly for the occasion, IMHO; I would have been delighted to receive that as a live LP in the days when vinyl ruled the earth! I'll settle for CD-R and/or DVD-R instead, though; all offers gratefully received!
Roll on the autumn tour; I, for one, can't wait...
|
