Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 09:35:06 -0400 Just a trio of nuggets to chronicle in this latest edition. The reviews here are intended only to provide a go-by in helping you decide whether a set is for you. We hope that the "THE DEEP" is helpful to those who have a fondness for collecting field recordings of the non-CDR nature. Remember, another useful "vehicle" for assessing these types of things can be found from Expecting Rain under "Field Recordings." Long live Bob and fingers crossed that the rumored recent recording sessions are true. Peace."PATHWAY TO THE STARS" 2CD Fall 2000 compilation (Rattlesnake) Time: 156 Tracks: 28 Source: Field Rec Quality: Exc Taking it's cue from the magnificent "(bathed in a stream of) Pure Heat," this smartly configured Fall 2000 set is destined to become as legendary as its inspirational predecessor. Sequencing the songs as they would normally fall in the set, with a deft mix of rarely played tunes and sublime performances of "standards," gives one the feeling of listening to an actual show, as did "PH." The "chosen" performances are extraordinary renderings, whether they be one-offs (10,000 Men/Blue Bonnet Girl), rarely played (One Too Many Mornings/ I Threw It All Away) or "standards" (evidence the unique version of Mr.Tambourine Man from Towson). Ear candy delights abound throughout, be it Bob's vocal nearly everywhere (listen to his excited "oh yeahs" on the Towson juggernaut of "Seeing The Real You At Last") to the magnificent tone of Sexton's guitar on that same tune or "Cat's In The Well" from the same show. The bottom line is this is a first-rate, mind-blower of a compilation that will warrant repeated airings. Ahhh yes... the quality. Absolutely terrific throughout. This one is snazzily attired in the usual Rattlesnake 12-page booklet w/color glossy pics and a long essay with track-by-track analysis. The essay is rather lame, to be honest. The content is so good that our serpentine friends would have done well to let the music speak for itself and "lose" the verbage. Nonetheless, a Hall of Famer, this one. Tracklist and dates (all 2000): Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie (Towson 11/19) Mr Tambourine Man (Towson) Times (Bethlehem 11/8) My Back Pages (Princeton 11/17 w/violin) Desolation Row (Bethlehem) Fourth Time Around (Bethlehem) Hattie Carroll (Lowell 11/11) One Too Many Mornings (Towson) Frankie Lee & Judas Priest (Princeton) Chimes of Freedom (Oxford 11/4) Shelter From the Storm (Bethlehem) Positively 4th Street (Madison 10/29) 10,000 Men (Kingston 11/12) God Knows (Lowell) I Threw It All Away (Bloomington 11/1) Standing in the Doorway (Boston 11/10) The Man In Me (Atlantic City 11/18 - early) Blind Willie McTell (Towson) Tell Me That It Isn't True (Kingston) Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (Atlantic City 11/18- early) Seeing the Real You At Last (Towson) Trying To Get To Heaven (Atlantic City 11/18 - late) Wicked Messenger (Bethlehem) This Wheel's On Fire (Kingston) Cat's In The Well (Towson) If Dogs Run Free (Boston w/Matt Glaser on violin) Blue Bonnet Girl (Bloomington) I Shall Be Released (Boston w/Matt Glaser on violin)
"ROADMAPS FOR THE SOUL" 2CD "Hala Tivoli" Ljubljana, Slovenia 28 April 1999 plus filler 13 Nov 1999 East Rutherford, NJ Tracks: 23 Time: 151 Source: Line recordings Quality: Exc A just-recently circulating line recording in excellent sound (also rumored to be from a pro stage miked source).. in full upfront sound with well-balanced instruments/strong vocals. Beautiful show with highlights too numerous to mention. The desirability quotient of this one is high, what with the "shortage" of prime Euro Spring shows afoot. The bonus tracks from East Rutherford are in glorious sound and, as you can see below (Visions, Ring Them Bells, Woody, Hoochie Coochie), well selected. Much listening pleasure from this one. Once again, high quality 12-page booklet/essay w/color glossy pics. Tracklist as follows: Friend Of The Devil/Mr. Tambourine Man/Masters Of War/Mama You Been / Hard Rain/Tangled/Baby Blue/Can't Wait/Every Grain Of Sand/Memphis Blues/Not Dark Yet/Highway 61/LoveSick/Pill-Box Hat/Blowin'/Not Fade Away/Like A Rolling Stone. 13 Nov 1999 East Rutherford, NJ show: I Am The Man, Thomas/Song To Woody/It's Alright Ma/Ring Them Bells/ Visions of Johanna/Hoochie Coochie Man.
"DIMESTORE MEDICINE" 2CD compilation of studio alternates/outtakes/etc from "Bringing It All Back Home"/"H61 Revisited"/"Blonde on Blonde" plus '65 UK live and complete Les Crane '65. Japanese Wild Card label. Tracks: 25 Time: 150 Source: Studio/Radio/DVD Quality: Excellent Attempt to bring together the extant versions of sessions noted above would have been wildly successful had the glorious piano-version "She's Your Lover Now" been included.... a shame that inexplicable omission was made, as the set is superb in its execution of what was included. Best quality versions throughout (see tracklist below), including versions that appear on BIOG and BS1-3 (5 tracks, I believe), give this an air of a "Blood on the Tapes"-type set from 1965.... and with all the "important" alternates/ outtakes and such (save the glaring omission already noted), this one is a keeper. While disk 1 provides a hell of a listen, disk two from the "Bringin' It" outtakes through the '65 live (perfect sound from audio-only "DLB" DVD) and the complete Les Crane performances/interview is perhaps the most engaging 60+ minutes I've heard in some time (the quality on the Les Crane show is stunning). The setlist speaks for itself.... with a little tweaking here and there, i.e. including piano "SYLN", a diff "LARS" rehearsal session... this would have been a bullseye. As it is, it's in the circle but short of scoring a 100. Much welcome piece as much of this has been unavailable on disk for some time ("Thin Wild Mercury Music" from "long ago" comes to mind). Oh, an outrageous color cover shot of Bob out in "the shed" with Sara in the foreground and a back cover color shot of BD in a wild canary yellow shirt circa 1966. - Phantom Engineer (early version "It Takes A Lot...") 6/15/65 - Sittin On A Barbed Wire Fence (outtake aka "Killing Me Alive) 6/15/65 - I Wanna Be Your Lover (outtake) 10/20/65 - Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window (unr 1st version) 7/30/65 - If You Gotta Go, Go Now (first electric version, mono mix) 1/15/65 - I Wanna Be Your Partner (outtake...early "I Wanna Be Your Lover") 10/5/65 - She's Your Lover Now (outtake - electric version) 1/21/66 - Visions of Johanna (unreleased first electric version 11/30/65 - Desolation Row (unreleased electric "boiled guts of birds" version) 8/2/65 - From A Buick Six (first of 2 electric versions - this from "mistake" 1st press of "H61 Revisited" LP) 7/30/65 - Jet Pilot (outtake...aka "Jet Pilot Eyes") 10/5/65 - Number One (instrumental) 1/27/66 - Lunatic Princess Revisited (improv outtake) 6/16/65 - Midnight Train (outtake aka "Medicine Sunday") 10/5/65 - Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window (rehearsal 2nd released version) 10/5/65 - Visions of Johanna (unreleased 2nd electric version) 1/21/66 - Tombstone Blues (alt version w/Chambers Bros backing vocals) 7/29/65 - Queen Jane Approximately (outtake) 8/2/65 - Like A Rolling Stone (rehearsal version) 6/15/65 - Subterranean Homesick Blues (acoustic version) 1/13/65 - You Don't Have To Do That (outtake) 1/13/65 - I'll Keep It With Mine (outtake) 1/13/65 - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (acoustic version) 1/13/65 - Love Minus Zero/No Limit (alternate version) 1/13/65 - She Belongs To Me (alternate version) 1/13/65 - To Ramona (live Sheffield, UK) 4/30/65 - Hattie Carroll (live Royal Albert Hall, UK) 5/10/65 - Love Minus Zero/No Limit (live Newcastle, UK) 5/6/65 - It Ain't Me Babe (live Royal Albert Hall, UK) 5/10/65 - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (live Royal Albert, UK) 5/10/65 - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Les Crane Show, NY City w/Bruce Langhorne on electric guitar and complete interview) 2/17/65 - It's Alright Ma, It's 'Life & Life Only' (same as above).