ABSTRACT
That Dylan is likely to make an unexpected move (even at seventy, even when out there some people may think he’s over the hill and past his prime) is part of the huge reputation he has built over the past fifty years. After all, nobody expected Dylan’s first Christmas record (just another journey in the American musical landscape), and nobody thought—back then—than Dylan would be touring so restlessly for decades. As I write these conclusions, in November 2011, I have just come back from a road trip in Italy, to attend three shows in the Never Ending Tour. Even if these trips are less exciting than they were, say, in 1994–1995 or 1999–2001, hey are still part of my personal and highly solipsistic experience of Bob Dylan. Indeed, I doubt that my decision to study Dylan with a dominant focus on performance would have been the same had I been less than a dedicated fan, and had the NET experience not been so crucial in shaping my relationship to Dylan’s work.
