DEEP BENEATH THE WAVES vol 74

From: xyx
To: karlerik@monet.no
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 14:36:26 -0500 
 
Well, it's been quite chaotic in the DEEP these last couple of months,
having to navigate the murky depths filled with new releases coming
fast and furious. I surveyed the volume and put off the daunting task
of laying down my "entusiastic ramblings," figgerin' I'd let 'em
multiply until there were so many of 'em I could delay no longer. So,
for the 7 of you out there who find amusement, bemusement, pleasure or
pain from the sometimes wacky, oft times enthusiastic and (most
definitely) always biased (hey, I love the guy - keep that in mind),
here's the latest from 20 fathoms.....I've dispensed w/the track
listings on some( for the sake of brevity) and the length of the disks
under "Time(s)" are very "approximate" based on my recollection. I
don't feel like slipping all these disks in and checking the times,
mates. As for the track listings, if you have accessed "Expecting
Rain"  it probably means you are capable of seeking out the setlists
through Olof's, Pagel's or any number of other "Bob" internet
resources.
 
THE N.E.T. IN FRANCE - PARIS VOL 1  (Lucky)  Paris, FR 30 Jun 98
 Tracks: 15    Times: 50+/50+   Source: Audience    Quality: Very Good
 
A fantastic show presented in very good quality, albeit a bit
overcooked, meaning that it's not as sharp as the best and at loud
volumes Bob's voice is a bit TOO loud. Having said that, let me extol
the virtues of this disk - the sound seems close-up, more like a club
show than an arena gig. It has an intimate feel to it - you can
imagine the audience getting up for a pint at the bar and returning to
their table. I put this down for several weeks and when I threw it in
again it seemed more alive than I remembered. The combo of the clubby
feel, the terrific performance and the 6-song acoustic set makes for a
great listen. Make You Feel My Love in the #4 slot is unique - as is
Back Pages at #11 -  the acoustic set is a wild ride: Times/Masters/
DRow/Mama/ Tangled/and Back Pages!!!!!!   Not a Hall of Famer but no
slouch, either.
 
THE N.E.T. IN FRANCE - DIJON VOL 2  (Lucky)  Dijon, FR 1 Jul 98
     Tracks: 18    Times: 55/55  Source: Audience    Quality: Pretty Good
     
Similar in sound to the above PARIS but without the clubby, intimate
feel - once again, the sound is loud and strong, separated nicely from
the music but retaining a somewhat murky quality that detracts from
the overall enjoyment just a tad. Once again, though, a disk that
deserves more than a cursory listen as there are many hidden pleasures
throughout. To wit: the rave-up Seeing The Real You At Last as opener,
the dark and smoky Cold Irons Bound, mood-changing mourner Big Girl
Now. The sound takes a step up on the 5-song acoustic set - TMan/epic
HardRain/MamaYouBin/ Tangled/Forever Young. A taut, punchy I & I and
the finale Blowin' In The Wind, a warhorse delivered with strong
conviction and sounding as fresh as if written yesterday. The filler
track w/the Stones in Brazil  - LARS - should be excised - pretty
horrendous.  A good listen overall - not up to the standards of
previous delights like Bette Davis, Jack the Cowboy or At the Globe -
but a reliable utility vehicle when those are played out and you need
a fresh blast.  Nice color package/design w/vintage pics. Ditto for
the PARIS above.
 
CENTER STAGE  1CD  (Exclusive Ser) Nurenberg, GERM 31 May 98
    Tracks: 12    Time:77     Source: Audience     Quality: Very Good*
    
The complete "festival" set of a unique show - unique in light of the
fact that no TOOM tracks are performed, giving the show a much
different vibe than expected. Funny, when I saw the setlist I figured
it had to be mis-dated. Right off I'll state that there is a sound
"defect" running intermittently throughout the recording (bad mike?
faulty sound system?), and although a bit annoying at times when you
settle in and realize it's part of the meal, it's not as intrusive as
at first bite. Beyond that, we've got a real nice recording, crisp and
clear with the brights bright and the bass booming. Not great but
enjoyable and the performance just puts a big grin on your face.

Upbeat and flowing, with an old-timey, "feel good" sound - Bob and the
boys sound like they are having a blast. Fun, fun fun. It takes A Lot
to Laugh is a swampy blues, Baby Blue slow and mournful and full of
pain and regret, Friend Of The Devil jaunty and countrified. From the
opening To Be Alone With You to the close, a rip roaring affair, loose
as goose grease and as much fun as rolling in the mud with your
buddies. Not for all tastes but a delightful pleasure for some, I'm
sure.  
 
COWBOY ANGEL BLUES  2CD (QR) Boston, MA 21 Nov 75 + Plymouth,
    MA 31 Oct 75,  Waterbury, CT 11 Nov 75 &  Toronto, CA 1 Dec 75**
 Tracks: 30  Times:60+/60+  Source: Soundboard/Aud** Quality: Exc
 
This one falls into the category of, "If you don't get it, you don't
get it." Along with the fabulous Knight Of The Hurricane, this is the
definitive collection of Rolling Thunder '75. The performances are
outrageously good - the Boston is  complete and in much better sound
that the old Great Dane set (and not cut  up, either). To include the
complete circulating Plymouth soundboard (7  tracks) was a master
stroke, considering the original Japanese "Plymouth  Rock" is
impossible to get. The 2 tracks from Waterbury (STOF, Oh Sister)  are
the ones left off "Tell It Like It Is," so if you have that, coupling
it with this  gives the complete circulating Waterbury (which was
issued complete on  "Satisfied Man" but that, too, is a toughie).
Then, to finish it off with two  transcendant Toronto tracks not
included elsewhere on the set (Baby Blue/ Love-0) is just icing on an
already tasty cake. Essential stuff in terrific quality. Oh - the
wonderful, original artwork is a welcome departure from the usual
"slap on an old photo and graphics" fare - I particularly like the
colorful background scheme, which to me has a nice "Rolling Thunder"
feel to it. Read the Sam Shepard excerpt from the "RT Logbook" on the
inner sleeve, too. It captures the scene perfectly. More than
essential.

MAY YOUR SONG ALWAYS BE SUNG  2CD  (DL)  Brussels 17 Jun 98
    Tracks: 16   Times: 55/55  Source: Audience  Quality: Very Good++
 
Excellent show, just shy of excellent quality when you consider it's
not up there with the GLOBE's and Bette Davis' of the world. That
said, the quality is very, very good - nice balance and separation, a
clear distinct mix with Bob's vocals riding nicely above the fray. The
performances are not very good, they are terrific. Setlist is quite
the doozy, too. Couple the very, very good sound with the performance
and the unique setlist and you come up with a winner. Complete show
with no fillers - not a criticism, this show stands on its own.
Tracks: PillBox Hat/LICENSE TO KILLl/ColdIronsBound/ Bound/TEARS Of
RAGE/ Silvio/MamaYouBin/HOLLISBROWN/MrTMan/ Tangled/MAKE YOUFEEL/CANT
WAIT/I DONT BELIEVE YOU/H61/Forever Young/LoveSick/RDW/Blowin'.  Nice
package w/color pics from the show.
 
  
HE'S GETTING READY FOR THE SHOW 1CD (DL) Rotterdam, Holland, 15 Jun 98  
    Tracks: 14   Time: 79+     Source: Audience     Quality: Pretty Good
    
The Rotterdam festival show "compacted" to fit on a single disk by
dispensing with the usual Bob intro and fading out RDW 3 minutes in.
No loss on either end, IMO. Decent quality - a warm, gentle feel to it
with a clear, distinct sound but having a somewhat cavernous, echoey
vibe going. This improves during the acoustic set, which regrettably
has been pared to 3 tunes in the festival setting. A nice workout for
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere in the 2 slot - how can you not like any
version of this? - and JLAW is now performed with that "kingdom of
experience" of many lives lived. It's not  played much anymore but it
has a regal feel to it whenever it is. Nice versions of DRow , Times
and Make You Feel My Love highlight a rather average disk - not
essential but nice to have an (almost) entire show on a single disk.

 
HARD TO FIND VOL 5  1CD  (Tashuna Wilco)  Various Tracks '64-98
    Tracks: 14   Time:79+  Source: B-Sides/Outtakes/TV/Aud  Quality: Exc
    
 Another volume in the "Never Ending" HTF series, this one containing trax
 from the Live '96 promo/LoveSick single b-sides/Jimmy Rodgers tribute +
 the outtake with EmmyLou and a few cursory audience recordings, plus the
 Gershwin tribute "Soon." Not much need to comment so here's the tracks: 
 My Blue Eyed Jane (regular version + original outtake version w/Emmylou)
 LoveSick/GrammySpeech!!!!! (cool to have this)/Shelter (Jerry Maguire)/
 BackPages/TombstoneBlues/ThinMan/Boots (Live '96 L'Sick b-sides)/
 Knockin & Highway 61 w/Sheryl Crow at El Rey 12/97/I Shall Be Released
 w/Costello UK '95/Mr TMan w/Ramblin' Jack in 1964 and "Soon." Excellent
 quality throughout - not for everybody but certainly worthwhile for some.

SAN JOSE ''98 SOUNDBOARD  1CD (No lbl)  San Jose, CA  19 May 98
    Tracks: 13    Time: 75    Source: Soundboard*    Quality: Outstanding
    
An astounding recording sourced from either the soundboard or* if you
listen to the rumors, from someone tapping into the frequency that was
transmitted to Bob's "ear monitors," i.e. no monitors on stage at this
show. Feel free to comment on that rumor in the newsgroups. In any
case, a devastatingly bright, true sound highlighted by the full
richness of Bob's vocals, vocals that were strong and energetic during
this show, full of feeling and raw, naked emotion. A seemingly
pedestrian setlist is eclipsed by the amazing recording quality and
performances of all parties involved. You wanna get "next" to him,
can't get much "closer" than this. An "in your face and in your heart"
recording. Essential. It gallops, it trots, it lopes, it sprints -
it's a wild ride but enjoyable every step of the way. Sweet Marie/ The
Man In Me/Cold Irons/JLAW/Silvio/Stone Walls/Masters/Tangled/Make
YouFeelMyLove/H61/ForeverYoung/LoveSick/RDW.
 
FOLK ROGUE  1CD  (Wild Wolf)  Newport Folk Festival 1964-65,
    Hollywood Bowl, LA  9/1/65
    Tracks: 14    Times: 75     Source: Soundboard     Quality: Superb
Terrific quality performances from Newport '64 and '65, some only
recently circulating. No need to mince words - if you like early
acoustic Bob in '64 and '65, you'll love this disk. The electric
Newport has never been heard in better quality, at least by these
ears. Mind-blowing stuff. The 2 "missing" tracks from the "first"
Hollywood Bowl 9/1/65 tape are plugged in here - Tombstone Blues/It
Ain't Me Babe. The entirety of the Newport 65 - acoustic and electric
- is presented. All told, the entirety of the Bob sets at Newport in
'64 and '65 - workshops and all (including an amazing live debut of
Chimes of Freedom) - are presented in superb sound. Not to be missed. 
Newport '64: It Ain't Me Babe/All I Really Want To Do/To ramona/ Mr T
Man/Chimes.  Newcastle '65 UK: Don't Think Twice.  Newport '65: All I
Really Wanna Do (workshop), electric set: Maggie's, LARS, Phantom
Engineer (Lot To Laugh), Baby Blue/Mr T Man. Hollywood Bowl 9/1/65:
Tombstone Blues/It Ain't Me Babe.  Essential.
  
QUEST FOR NEWPORT  1CD (No label)  Newport 64/65, Canadian Quest
    TV show 1 Feb 1964
 Tracks: 14   Time: 70     Source: Soundboard   Quality: Excellent
 
Another issue of the Newport material, curiously omitting several
workshop tracks AND Mr T Man from the Newport '65 acoustic set. In
their place are 6 tracks from the Canadian Quest TV show:
Times/WorldWar3Blues/HattieCarroll/GirlOfNC/HardRain/RestlessFarewell. 
 
Matched up with the above Folk Rogue, this one comes in a clear
second. The Quest material is interesting but the track order and the
omission of several of the Newport tracks is inexplicable. Overall, a
very good disk but it gets lost in the imposing shadow  of FOLK ROGUE. 
 
PAINT THE DAYTIME BLACK  2CD  (QR)  Los Angeles, CA 14 Feb 74
     (afternoon show)  + 5 tracks (evening show)
 Tracks: 31   Times: 70/70     Source: Soundboard     Quality: Excellent
 
A killer soundboard recording that easily eclipses the previously
available circulating boards from Boston & NY City. Almost complete
(missing the opening "Most Likely" - not on the circulating tape, most
likely :-), the sound is oh so fine - clear and distinct, packing a
wallop and perfectly mixed between voice and instruments with nice
separation. Contains both Bob and the Band's sets and the performances
are explosive -  includes rare '74 outings (and transcendant versions)
of She Belongs To Me and Baby Blue. Sublime stuff......for '74 lovers,
a revelation. For those who think '74 was "ho-hum," this one will turn
some heads and make you reevaluate. Nice package with some fine pics
from the tour.  Awesome set!
 
FROM THE VAULTS  2CD  (Dandelion )   various live tracks 1992-1998
  Tracks: 18   Times: 58/51    Source: Download      Quality: Superb

A collection of 18 of the 30+ tracks that have, at one time or another,
resided on the dylan.com website. Whoever did the downloading had some
damned fine equipment - the fidelity of the recordings is incredible. Sounds
nothing at all like I heard them on a friend's PC. To call the quality of the 
Supper Club recordings or the Shelter from Roseland '94 astonishing would 
not be overstating the case here. In fact, the 3 Supper Club tracks are worth 
the price of admission - suffice it to say I "heard" these songs for the first
time when I played this. You cannot "hear" how great Bob, et al really sounded
on the previously circulating audience recordings of the shows. Night and day
is an understatement. The "Tight Connection" is pure joy - I was afraid I'd
wear out the repeat button. The classic 'aw shucks' from Weeping Willow has
an even greater impact. In a perfect world, we'd get an officially released
box set of all four shows. Oh, to dream........and then there's the Roseland
'94
"Shelter From the Storm" - MY favorite Dylan performance of the 90's. You 
think it's funky on the tremendous audience tapes, wait'll you hear this.
What a  gem - he never did it like this before or since. Your body becomes one
big  funky goosebump. The rest of the set is peppered with more goodies -
some wondrous, some very good, some okay. One constant is the great
sound throughout. Track list: Visions (Minneapolis '92), Tight Connection/
Delia/Weeping Willow (Supper Club '93), Shelter (Roseland '94), MrTMan
WolfTrap '97), Hattie Carroll (El Rey '97), Various 1998: Tears Of Rage,
Born In Time, Girl Of NC, The Man In Me, LoveSick, Make You Feel My
Love, I'm Not Supposed To Care, Hard Rain, Mama You Bin, Boots Of
Spanish Leather (fantastic-Europe '98), Senor.  Judging from the title, a
volume 2 is in store with (hopefully) the rest of the tracks that have graced
the site. The only complaint on Vol 1 is the non-utilization of CD space -40
more minutes could have fit comfortably on here.   Nice, colorful package
with small booklet/notations for each track.
 
TONIGHT I"LL BE PLAYING HERE FOR YOU  2CD  (SCO)  Irving Plaza,
   New York City   Dec 8, 1997
Tracks: 16      Time: 55/55    Source: Soundboard     Quality: Devastating

According to Webster's, the definition of "benchmark" is as follows:
"Something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured."
Suffice it to say that (IMO) this set is the benchmark for Dylan
soundboards. Yes, it's that good. Everything - mix, separation,
balance, clarity, definition, fidelity - is stunning. I honestly
cannot find one single negative criticism to level at it. The
performance is top notch - To Ramona is a sparkling gem, full of vocal
tricks and phrasing to die for - when he sings "....your sorrow
duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz steeeeeeeeeeeem" - wow! Dark and spooky readings
of Cold Irons, I & I and even Til I Fell In Love w/You counter the
tender emotions flowing through Big Girl Now and the rollicking opener
Maggie's and hoedowny (?) "Tonight I'll Be Playing Here For You. The
clarity of the acoustic instruments is startling and further
illustrates the many subtleties and complexities inherent in Cocaine
and Tangled. You feel like you're in a Mexican village restaurant
listening to a mariachi band during the instrumental ending of "To
Ramona."  Try to suppress the ear-splitting grin. This one's a monster
- don't you dare miss it!!!!!!  (Note: I don't think this one was
circulating on tape prior to this. Just an observation). Extra Note

xyx

1995 1996 1997 1998 T-list CDs