[Ms. Futterman's windy but respectful intro deleted]
Q: You're known for being unpredictable at your concerts in terms of what you play. What can the audience at your St. Louis concert expect?
A: Well, I've got a four-piece band. I don't know. Some old Dylan, some new, some of the acoustic stuff. The set list changes from night to night, so it's difficult to pin down what we've planned. Most of the songs will be recognizable to fans.
Q: Are you going to do another rock album or stay with the acoustic, folk sound featured on your last two albums?
A: I might have to make another one like the last two. A lot of stuff didn't get on those. It'd be folk-oriented, but I'd use additional instruments that would give a little different sound ... the banjo, maybe even a mandolin, a dulcimer.
The last two albums were necessary for me to do. I wanted to see if it was possible to play and sing and make a record all by myself with just a fraction of all that instrumentation and get a more full-bodied sound.
Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel and maybe even Phil Collins have done it whereb they've played all the instruments. I wanted to get as much out of those songs as possible. Sometimes you can rescue those songs by yourself without a lot of other stuff clutterring them up. The point you try to get across is more resonant.
Q: Are you still writing new material or taking a break from that?
A: Well, yeah, I do have a bunch of papers and notes and things lying around. Only time is going to tell when those things come out.
Q: What's your favorite Dylan song?
A: That's really hard to say. That would be scandalous. It's very difficult to pinpoint one. Each has its own moment.
Q: What sort on new music do you enjoy?
A: I usually listen to songs about things. My musical taste ran out in the mid-60's. I listened to all that stuff and I still do, it never gets tiresome for me. But there are a lot of new artists who've got a lot of illustrious things to say. [When pressed to name a few, however, he didn't offer any up.]
Q: How do you like the new Judy Collins album, where she does only Dylan songs?
A: Is that out yet? I know she was working on it. I haven't heard it. I go back a long time with her. We used to work together in coffeehouses.
Q: What kind of touch do you keep with your folk buddies from the 60's.
A: Joan [Baez] calls me from time to time. We did some shows in Germany a few years back. I was just on a Mike Seeger record.
Q: It seems as if you're always doing new things and reinventing yourself. What keeps you moving and motivated?
A: Just life itself. There's a certain non-transparency to life that keeps me motivated. I try not to work in a linear way. That's incumbent on what's given to you at any given moment. There might be inconsistencies to that, nevertheless, it does give you a degree of independence you might not get any other way.
Q: Having had 3 decades to adjust, are you more comfortable being a living legend?
A: I try to be an illuminated person. Nobody should put anyone on a pedestal - it really can damage a person's mentality and lead to ignorance. At that point, a person ceases to be a person.
Q: How do you protect your privacy?
A: I don't have any privacy, so there's really not much to protect.
Q: While on the road, how do you take care of your health and spirituality? What kinds of things do you do for yourself?
A: I try not to be a loafer. I don't work out. Maybe I'll ride a motorcycle or go horseback riding.
Q: Your son Jacob has a band called the Wallflowers. What do you think of his band?
A: His music is very humble. They have an impressible sound.
Q: Have you played any gigs together?
A: Just in the garage.
Q: What kind of music does he play?
A: I'm waiting for Neil Young to tell me.