Shadow Kingdom

His creativity is just beyond belief. We have all been following him for 60 years, yet he is able to come II with sonething we haven't seen or heard before. Music, drama.. Bob's still got it.

Shadow Kingdom: the Early Songs of Boba Dylan is a 2021 movie directed by Alma Har'El. Shot in California during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it features Dylan and his band playing through some of his early material as well as some more recent songs.

The short movie enjoyed a limited online release before being pulled 48 hours later... It is now being released alongside its soundtrack in both physical and digital format.

Confusingly, the musicians appearing in the movie are NOT the ones who are playing on the soundtrack... Instead, they are just miming to tracks laid down by Don Was (bass), T-Bone Burnett (guitar) and others. Because Bob Dylan never does things the usual way. So if you're looking for a concert movie of Dylan in his later years, this is not it.

What is it then? It's a document of sorts. A long-form video. An experience. It's fun, it's playful, and it's hypnotizing: the black and white photography is stunning, and the music is delightful. Just let yourselves be carried away by the whole thing and this it will be a rewarding watch.

Not quite sure what to make of this, it's more theatre than the conventional intimate gig format. The miming musicians (are they even musicians?), the audience of actors and the excess of 'cigarette' smoke (are they on fire?) are all quite distracting, close to irritating at times. The band are wearing masks but the audience of actors aren't. Were the audience filmed with the band screened behind them? If you can set all of this aside, accept the highly stylised presentation and focus on Bob's performance, he's in good voice, with some pleasing arrangements of older songs. Listen more carefully than you watch if you struggle with the concept.

This came up on a Bob Dylan youtube search. Now it looks very nice, The black and white photography is gorgeous. How does Dylan sound.

Well. I suppose he sounds okay. There was at least one moment when his voice made me think.something along the lines of "Wow, he actually can sing like that" What about the music, Well it didn't do much me, The songs. It's supposed to be his early songs. Well I appreciated hearing stuff like Watching the. River, Pledging my time etc.

Any standouts, that made me glad I watched it.

Yes, I thought he did a beautiful version of Queen Jane approximately, There possible viewers ends my review of the Concert film featuring Bob Dylan and it seems actors portraying musicians, Shadow King-The early Songs of Bob Dylan.

6/10 from me.