Living By The Golden Rule: Unreleased Live Recordings, Spring 2011

Living By The Golden Rule: Spring Tour of Asia, 2011

Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking - April 13, 2011

My Wife's Home Town - April 10, 2011
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright - April 8, 2011
Tangled Up In Blue - April 8, 2011
Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum - April 8, 2011

Sugar Baby - April 3, 2011
Gotta Serve Somebody - April 3, 2011
Blind Willie McTell - April 12, 2011
Honest With Me - April 8, 2011
Simple Twist Of Fate - April 13, 2011
High Water - April 13, 2011
Desolation Row - April 8, 2011
Forever Young - April 6, 2011

Living By The Golden Rule - Complete

Thanks to tapers Hide, Bach, Ghodlin, and Soomlos for gathering these rare and precious songs.

2011 was a good showing for Dylan's "Never-Ending Tour," and the Spring of that year was notable for representing his first concerts in China. This caused a bit of a media stir, including a direct response from the man himself; more on this later.

The shows, of course, were great. They favored newer material, and new arrangements of old songs. "Tangled Up In Blue," "Simple Twist Of Fate," "Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum," and "Honest With Me" were all given updated, marvelous treatments. All remained consistently in the set for the rest of the year, delighting fans around the world.

Of the songs here, "My Wife's Hometown" and "Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking" are probably the rarest, though both had been being played since 2009. "Gotta Serve Somebody," while not revelatory, is interesting primarily for the organ and band interaction. "Blind Willie McTell" is excellent, though it had not yet hit the peak it would from 2012 to 2013. "Desolation Row" is a fascinating exploration, in which several vocal techniques are used to great effect on various verses. It's an essential time capsule of Dylan's singing styles around this time.

Finally, "Forever Young" is just incredible. The last verse, in particular, is so moving you may just have to wipe a tear from your eye. This is not a song that I tend to seek out, but this version is truly significant.

As noted above, the media furor prompted a response from Bob Dylan. On his website, he published the following defense of the tour:

To my fans and followers

Allow me to clarify a couple of things about this so-called China controversy which has been going on for over a year. First of all, we were never denied permission to play in China. This was all drummed up by a Chinese promoter who was trying to get me to come there after playing Japan and Korea. My guess is that the guy printed up tickets and made promises to certain groups without any agreements being made. We had no intention of playing China at that time, and when it didn't happen most likely the promoter had to save face by issuing statements that the Chinese Ministry had refused permission for me to play there to get himself off the hook. If anybody had bothered to check with the Chinese authorities, it would have been clear that the Chinese authorities were unaware of the whole thing.

We did go there this year under a different promoter. According to Mojo magazine the concerts were attended mostly by ex-pats and there were a lot of empty seats. Not true. If anybody wants to check with any of the concert-goers they will see that it was mostly Chinese young people that came. Very few ex-pats if any. The ex-pats were mostly in Hong Kong not Beijing. Out of 13,000 seats we sold about 12,000 of them, and the rest of the tickets were given away to orphanages. The Chinese press did tout me as a sixties icon, however, and posted my picture all over the place with Joan Baez, Che Guevara, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. The concert attendees probably wouldn't have known about any of those people. Regardless, they responded enthusiastically to the songs on my last 4 or 5 records. Ask anyone who was there. They were young and my feeling was that they wouldn't have known my early songs anyway.

As far as censorship goes, the Chinese government had asked for the names of the songs that I would be playing. There's no logical answer to that, so we sent them the set lists from the previous 3 months. If there were any songs, verses or lines censored, nobody ever told me about it and we played all the songs that we intended to play.

Everybody knows by now that there's a gazillion books on me either out or coming out in the near future. So I'm encouraging anybody who's ever met me, heard me or even seen me, to get in on the action and scribble their own book. You never know, somebody might have a great book in them.

-Bob Dylan

It made for excellent reading, especially for his fans who knew what the critics did not: Bob Dylan is no nostalgia act, playing for an imagined 1960s folk audience. And that, I suppose, says it all.

If you enjoy these songs, you will undoubtedly enjoy the original studio recordings, available for purchase on the following albums:

Freewheelin'
Highway 61 Revisited
Planet Waves
Blood On The Tracks
Slow Train Coming
"Love & Theft"
Together Through Life
The Bootleg Series, Volumes 1-3

Next week, we will jump ahead to 2013 for Bob Dylan's spring tour with Duke Robillard on lead guitar. If you were at one of those shows, you know how special they were; if not, get ready to find out. Until then, keep yourself healthy and listen to some good tunes.

-CS

Center Stage: Unreleased Live Recordings, 2008 - 2012

Center Stage

Unreleased Live Recordings, 2008 - 2012

Gotta Serve Somebody - November 21, 2008

Shooting Star - October 13, 2009
Things Have Changed - July 30, 2011
Every Grain Of Sand - March 19, 2010
John Brown - October 9, 2012
This Dream Of You - October 15, 2009
Can't Wait - June 15, 2010

The Man In Me - June 12, 2010
Beyond Here Lies Nothing - October 13, 2009
Forgetful Heart - June 20, 2011

Cold Irons Bound - November 11, 2009
I Dreamed I Saw Saint Augustine - June 16, 2011
This Wheel's On Fire - March 16, 2010

Not Dark Yet - June 12, 2010
Ballad Of A Thin Man - July 6, 2012

Link: Center Stage - Complete

Greetings,

This release consist of center stage performances by Bob Dylan from Autumn 2008 to Autumn 2012. Though this style of performing would continue past that point, it was especially novel and unique during these years. You won't catch the onstage visual idiosyncrasies that increased the concert-goer's delight, but I think the sound of these tracks provide enough of a picture.

I don't think it unfair to note that the singer is especially in control during these performances when he is able to focus entirely on his primary instrument - the voice. Though Dylan's quite growly at this point, nowhere more than the opening song, he communicates both power and vulnerability through the phrasing. From the smoking condemnation of "John Brown" to the reverie of "This Dream Of You," this release runs the spectrum of themes and poetry. Those of us who enjoy Bob Dylan's gospel side will appreciate "Gotta Serve Somebody," "Every Grain of Sand," and a particularly moving "I Dreamed I Saw Saint Augustine," its only airing since 2005. Those who enjoy his bluesier, raunchier side will enjoy the dark heat of "Things Have Changed," "Can't Wait," "Beyond Here Lies Nothing," (with trumpet!) "Cold Irons Bound" and "This Wheel's On Fire." Those who enjoy his introspective pieces will no doubt be moved by "This Dream of You," Forgetful Heart" and "Not Dark Yet." Those who are just looking for a good time will get a kick out of this delightful, airy performance of "The Man In Me."

As a confession of bias, I have to note that several recordings on here rank among my favorites: "Gotta Serve Somebody" is one of only a small number of performances of that song from 2002 to present, and it is actually my favorite rendition of that song in Dylan's career so far. It is at times incoherent, as much of the content is ad-libbed, but there's just some kind of late-night preacher vibe to it, and a truly unique sound to the vocals, that just makes it a home-run; Dylan does something to the end of many lines, like adding an extra half-silent syllable for emphasis ("out[t]," "in[n]"), that enhances it so well. "Can't Wait" is also extraordinary, and makes me grin ear to ear each time I hear it; the last verse, in particular, stands out for the deep notes - "I thought somehow" being the highlight of the track, or perhaps "I'm strolling through the lonely graveyard of my mind," with the final word being strung along powerfully. The following year (2011), Dylan would again perform a memorable version of this song, but the overall effect was less rewarding to me. Lastly, the recording of "This Wheel's On Fire" found herein is the finest performance of it that I've heard - in full disclosure, I don't find the original track very interesting. It's one that's improved in concert, and peaked (for me, of course) in 2010.

Perhaps most notable to me is the texture of the vocals and harmonica. I'm not a technician, but I suspect a new set of equipment was in use from 2008 to 2012, since their is an almost metallic tone to the vocals and harmonica in the opening song and a handful of others - listen to the way "alive with fiery breath" sounds in "Saint Augustine." There's a strange aura to the recordings that only serves to reinforce the notion that you've stepped through to another world.

Along those lines, I believe that this collection is one of the more coherent documents in the series. The songs share a sensibility, and a common aural environment, without sounding too similar. I hope you find the same to be true.

If you enjoy this, don't forget to purchase the original studio recordings of these tracks from the following albums, available on bobdylan.com:

The Bootleg Series Volume 9: The Witmark Demos
Highway 61 Revisited
The Basement Tapes
John Wesley Harding
New Morning
Slow Train Coming
Shot of Love
Oh Mercy
The Essential Bob Dylan
Time Out of Mind
Together Through Life

Next week we will move away from general retrospectives with a focus on one specific tour: the Spring 2011 Tour of Asia. Until then, keep yourself healthy and listen to some good tunes.

-CS

Note: The date was originally incorrect on "Gotta Serve Somebody." Though it was listed as 11-12-08, it should have been listed as 11-21-08. An astute viewer on Expecting Rain pointed this out, and it's been altered. Re-edited notes, artwork, and link have replaced the original material

February 2, 2016 Update: Another date was incorrect on this one. "I Dreamed I Saw Saint Augustine" was from June 16, not June 11, 2010. The location was Cork. My editable version of the art is long gone, so you'll just have to make do with the inaccurate rear insert, haha.

Pool Of Tears: Unreleased Live Recordings, 2006 - 2009

Pool of Tears: Unreleased Live Recordings, 2006 - 2009

Cat's In The Well - November 2, 2006

Friend Of The Devil - July 19, 2007
The Levee's Gonna Break - November 18, 2006

Moonlight - June 22, 2007

Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again - November 18, 2009
Mr. Tambourine Man - April 8, 2006

Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking - November 15, 2009
Every Grain Of Sand - November 12, 2006
Love Minus Zero/No Limit - June 7, 2008
Billy - March 22, 2009
'Til I Fell In Love With You - November 12, 2006
It's All Good - October 31, 2009
Nettie Moore - November 18, 2006

Bonus Tracks
Senor - November 12, 2006
Handy Dandy - June 27, 2008
Million Miles - October 27, 2008
I Believe In You - November 16, 2008
Like A Rolling Stone - November 19, 2008
Tangled Up In Blue - July 5, 2009
Po' Boy - July 5, 2009

[link removed in favor of two new releases: Cowboy Band and Voices in the Night]

Friends,

This set includes the absolute best of Bob Dylan's years playing the electric organ. Though this instrument extended out to 2012, it was the centerpiece from 2006 to 2009, and the most interesting organ arrangements were delivered during this time.

This period is not a favorite one among most fans. There was said to be a sameness to the arrangements that did not allow the sets to reach the same dynamism of 2004 or 2013. The organ's use came to an end with the introduction of the piano, and it was discontinued entirely after the final tour of 2012.

Before that time, however, there were gems to be found. In particular, this performance of "Friend Of The Devil" stands superior to the earlier renditions in the 1995-2002 era, at least to my ears. Similarly, check out this unique hard-driving arrangement of "The Levee's Gonna Break," reliant largely on the powerful train-like blare of the organ; despite this being the debut performance, the song would revert to an arrangement more reminiscent of the album version in subsequent years. "Mr. Tambourine Man" here, while not as inventive as the recordings from 1981 or 1995, succeeds in making the song truly uplifting. This performance of "Every Grain Of Sand" was the first time that I really enjoyed the song, and once that occurred I've found virtually all versions of it great; there's something of the preacher in this performance, however, and it still stands out as my favorite.

Though many of Dylan's blues songs were played to great effect in this era, the best can be found here: "Cat's In The Well," an end-times jump blues with delightful interplay between the violin and guitar, the fiery "Change My Way Of Thinking," the best "'Til I Fell In Love With You" put to tape, and an absolutely gleeful "It's All Good," with Dylan displaying the love of language that we all enjoy in his finest singing.

And finally, the set closes with a jaw-dropping, definitive recording of "Nettie Moore." The heart breaks with each line, especially with the violin pushed to the fore. You don't want to miss this song.

The bonus tracks have some highlights as well, in particular the only live performance to date of "Handy Dandy" and a truly unique arrangement of "Tangled Up In Blue."

In short, this will not be likely to change your mind if you hated the organ years, but feel free to give it a try. You might find something great that you missed back in the midst of it. Many, like myself, started listening to Bob Dylan during this time - these recordings will always hold a special place as the ones that got me into this music.

Original studio recordings of the songs on this compilation can be found on the following releases, and purchased from bobdylan.com:

Bringing It All Back Home
Blonde On Blonde
Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
Slow Train Coming
Shot Of Love
Under The Red Sky
Time Out Of Mind
"Love & Theft"
Modern Times
Together Through Life

Next week we will give a listen to a similar compilation of performances during Dylan's years of "center stage" singing, 2008 to 2013. That one is a real gem, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Until then, keep yourself healthy and listen to some good tunes.

A Thousand Hearts & Eyes: Unreleased Live Recordings, 2005 Brixton Residency

A Thousand Hearts & Eyes: Brixton Residency, 2005

Maggie's Farm - November 23

Sugar Baby - November 24

Million Dollar Bash - November 21

High Water - November 23

She Belongs To Me - November 23

Shelter From The Storm - November 23

It's Alright Ma - November 24

Waiting For You - November 21

Blue Monday - November 23

Boots Of Spanish Leather - November 21

'Til I Fell In Love With You - November 20

Positively 4th Street - November 22

London Calling - November 21

Visions Of Johanna - November 21

Download Link

Hello friends,

Of course, we all know about Brixton 2005. Arguably one of the high points of Bob Dylan's late career. Five nights of songs, old and new, pulled from the fiery furnace and refined in the chilly London air. Like his brilliant Fall 2003 tour, the Fall 2005 tour culminated in amazing performances on the British Isles. All of these songs are sourced from Crystal Cat's “Brixton Box” Set, and the CD is arranged to present the best of the 5 nights. The tracks are a bit hot, tending towards clipped high and low ends, but the quality rarely suffers.

Our evening opens with a rollicking "Maggie's Farm" before a tender "Sugar Baby" pulls back on the energy, and then a joyful performance of "Million Dollar Bash" brings the audience and Dylan to laughter by the end. "High Water" turns up the heat, pedal steel melodies propel "She Belongs To Me," and "Shelter from the Storm" is played for all its drama. Possibly the strongest rendition of the march-like arrangement of "It's Alright Ma" is up next. Then one of the only airings of "Waiting For You" before 2013 – each word is drawn out to perfection. We are surprised again with Bob Dylan's only performance to date of Blue Monday.  The violin brings out every ounce of sorrow present in "Boots of Spanish Leather," and the long-burning "'Til I Fell in Love With You" brings us around to a sad, longing "Positively 4th Street." After a brief, delightful cover of The Clash's "London Calling," the serene "Visions of Johanna" concludes this set. It's not quite as strong as its nigh-definitive reading in Dublin mere nights later, but this "Visions of Johanna" plays to the qualities of Bob Dylan's tight 2005 band.

This is one of the last appearances of such a jazzy sound in Dylan's repertoire until 2012, and 2006 would bring both the organ and an increasingly hard, bluesy sound to the forefront. The songs here are light, airy, somehow managing to sound simultaneously loose yet well-rehearsed. This is a band at one of its peaks, creating beautiful music for an adoring crowd. Perhaps some personal favorites are missing, but the 14 tracks give a representative look into the Bob Dylan of 2005. If 2003 was the beginning of this sound, then 2005 is the conclusion. If you find this set to your liking, and want more, consider seeking out the complete Brixton Box. As always, enjoy!

Also, if you don't already own them, original studio versions of these songs can be found on the following records, available for purchase from bobdylan.com:

The Times They Are A-Changin'
Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61 Revisited
Blonde On Blonde
The Basement Tapes
Blood On The Tracks
Time Out Of Mind
"Love & Theft"

Next week I will be posting the best recordings from Bob Dylan's time playing on the organ, 2006 - 2009. Until then, keep yourself healthy and listen to some good tunes.

-CS

Down The River: Unreleased Outtakes & Special Appearances, 1999 - 2012

Down The River: Outtakes & Special Appearances, 1999 - 2012

Dirt Road Blues: Outtake - Masked & Anonymous Session, 2002

The Times They Are A-Changin': Live at the White House - 2010

Tell Ol' Bill: Outtake - North Country Session, 2005
Things Have Changed: Live at the Oscars - 2001
Maggie's Farm: Live at the Grammys - 2011
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry: Live with the Wynton Marsalis Band - 2004
Standing In The Doorway: Outtake - Masked & Anonymous Session, 2002
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall: Expo Zaragoza Session - 2008
Cry A While: Live at the Grammys - 2002
Watching The River Flow: Amazon.com 10th Birthday Session - 2005
A Change Is Gonna Come: Live at the Apollo - 2004
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues: Live in Rio - 2008
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright: Live with the Wynton Marsalis Band - 2004
Blind Willie McTell: Live at the Critic's Choice Awards - 2012
I'll Remember You: Outtake - Masked & Anonymous Session, 2002
Bottleneck Polka: Dharma & Greg Session - 1999

Bonus

Things Have Changed: Live at the AFI Tribute to Michael Douglas, 2009

Download Link - [delisted]

This set collects the best of Bob Dylan's unreleased outtakes, sessions, and special appearances from 1999 to 2012. All are available here as uncompressed WAV files derived from the original video or FLAC sources. As you can imagine, establishing that these are of a "lossless" origin is problematic, since the original record is in many cases either broadcast or streaming video. Still, they are as good as you can get, given the issues with the source.

For a brief introduction to the tracks:

Dirt Road Blues - This is one of the only two performances of this, which both occurred during the Masked and Anonymous sessions. They are likely two portions of the same performance, but this one is more complete and lacks any dropouts or movie dialogue. Unfortunately, it also lacks lyrics. The instrumentation offers a good introduction to the CD, however, so it is present here.

The Times They Are A-Changin' - My personal favorite of the CD. At an event celebrating the progress of Civil Rights in America, Virtually every word is heartbreaking, as all of the broken and fulfilled promises of the 1960s come to the surface in this brief performance. The piano sounds like raindrops, and Tony Garnier's bass weaves deftly through the song.

Tell Ol' Bill #3 - This is a radically altered, slow blues outtake of "Tell Ol' Bill," which appeared on the North Country soundtrack and Dylan's own Bootleg Series Volume 8. Frankly, this is my favorite of the three, with soulful vocals pouring everything they've got into each line, along with a beautiful instrumental break at the end of the song.

Things Have Changed - Bob Dylan performed this at the 2001 Oscars, and though a verse has been excised, it is pretty faithful to the studio version. The audio here is an improvement on the version present on the Hollow Horn's Some Big TV Network collection, with more space in the recording.

Maggie's Farm - This is a contentious performance from the 2011 Grammys. The mix is lacking for the first verse, but a ragged passion pervades the rest of the recording. The accordion and backing vocals really lend a unique character to this track.

It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry - Here is one of the highlights of the collection, recorded at a benefit event with the Wynton Marsalis band. It's a jazz take, complete with horns. This remastering was carried out by Crystal Cat for their Rochester '04 record, and is an improvement on the other circulating track.

Standing in the Doorway - I am proud of the splicing present here. The outtake remained full of movie ambiance and dialogue, which has been carefully removed to present as complete a recording as possible. The vocals are extraordinary, though not as strong as the live renditions that would be performed in 2004. We can only hope a full version surfaces someday.

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall - The song was recorded for a water benefit in 2008. Dylan and his touring band created a mid-tempo, shuffle arrangement of the poetic classic. It's not the best rendition, but the organ shines out here as a driving force. The final fade is abrupt, due to the nature of the original recording, but you get to here a Theme Time-era announcement of the singer's support for the mission to make water pure.

Cry A While - We move into much bluesier territory here, with a scathing performance of a song from the "Love and Theft" LP. It hews close to other performances of the tune from 2002, but the recording is very high quality. Unfortunately, there are serious signal issues at the end, which were present on all files I could find. I've minimized the intrusiveness through editing, but it could not be removed entirely. Regardless, it barely detracts from the outstanding song.

Watching the River Flow - Admittedly, the audio on this recording is of a slightly lower quality than other tracks on this compilation, as it came from a streaming broadcast on Amazon.com's website. Still, the stream was fairly high quality and the difference is not especially noticeable. The song itself is one of the best renditions of this tune, which first appeared on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume II. Of particular interest is the arrangement's startling similarity to "Spirit on the Water," which would be released the following year.

A Change is Gonna Come - Wow, what can be said about this. The vocals are transcendent, and the significance of the song, a civil rights ballad inspired by Dylan's own "Blowin' in the Wind" is clear. The audio here is superior to that present on Genuine Bootleg Series 4.

Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - If you hate the organ sound, you may hate this song. It is simply an excerpt from Bob Dylan's stop in Rio during his 2008 tour, but his enthusiasm and the soundboard quality recording make this worthy of inclusion. An excellent TV clip of the performance is available, and I recommend seeking it out.

Don't Think Twice, It's Alright - Here is the second and final track from Dylan's collaboration with the Wynton Marsalis band. It's a very odd arrangement, and completely unique. Even though the vocals are a bit buried, it's worth the download for this track alone.

Blind Willie McTell - This one of the gems of the collection. Bob Dylan pulled out all the stops to deliver a powerful performance of this classic American tale. He breathes new life into the already moving song, and the last verse in particular is a stunning tribute to the lasting power of Dylan's poetry.

I'll Remember You - Here is another outtake from the Masked and Anonymous sessions, and certainly the best of the three. It offers a full acoustic rearrangement of the Empire Burlesque song, and is heads above the original album take. The vocals are spellbinding. I was unable to fully remove the interfering audio from the beginning of the song, but minimized its presence through volume adjustment. It fades out rapidly, and the listener is left to hear the singer's testimony.

Bottleneck Polka - This is an amusing little ditty from Bob Dylan's appearance on Dharma & Greg in 1999, leading a band which included T-Bone Burnett! It's a fitting counterpoint to the disc's opener, "Dirt Road Blues," and a fine way to bring this compilation full-circle.

The 2009 AFI Tribute performance of "Things Have Changed" is featured as a bonus track. It does not appear as a primary song in the set, since it would have been a duplicate. Feel free to add it at the end if loaded onto an iPod or burned onto disc, since there is space.

Admittedly, there are some minor holes in the collection: "Do Re Mi" is the saddest omission, but it is readily available for purchase on The People Speak soundtrack. "Train of Love," an excellent performance from 1999, and "You Win Again," from a 2004 set with Willie Nelson, are also available on the Kindred Spirits CD and Willie Nelson's Outlaws & Angels DVD respectively. Several other interesting tracks were recorded during this time, including "I Can't Get You Off Of My Mind," which appears on Timeless: A Hank Williams Tribute, and "Red Cadillac & A Black Moustache," which you can find on Good Rockin Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records. Finally, and most importantly, some excellent tracks recorded by Bob Dylan for his film Masked & Anonymous are available on the Masked & Anonymous Soundtrack, including a surprising rendition of the nineteenth century "Dixie." Note that all links are to amazon.com, as they are absent from bobdylan.com, but these CDs and MP3s are likely available elsewhere.

"Rollin' & Tumblin'" and "It Ain't Me Babe," were performed alongside "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" at the Rockin' in Rio show, but had to be left behind because their sound quality is atrocious. For some reason, the included track had a hi-def audio feed. Amazon.com 10th Anniversary Concert's remaining tracks are also omitted. Frankly, none of them stood out besides this lovely rendition of "Watching the River Flow."

I hope you enjoy the collection, and my rambling notes. The compilation is based on the strong foundation of several other collections. Among other sources, the record Masked Songs And the Ghosts of Electricity and the video compilation Ladies and Gentlemen were instrumental in crafting this CD. I have not reduced the audio fidelity of those recordings, and all tracks here are offered in the best quality available.

Next week we will move ahead to the Brixton Residency of 2005 for some wonderful recordings, including the outstanding live debut of Basement Tapes classic "Million Dollar Bash." Until then, keep yourself healthy and listen to some good tunes.

Thanks,
CS

Note: Original download link did not include "Blind Willie McTell" from the Critics' Choice Awards in 2012. This has been corrected with an updated link.

Standing In The Doorway: Unreleased Live Recordings, Spring 2004

Standing In The Doorway: Live Recordings, Spring 2004

Tombstone Blues - March 10

Ring Them Bells - April 3
If Not For You - April 9
Bye And Bye - April 3
Cold Irons Bound - March 10

Tears Of Rage - April 7
Dignity - April 3
Man In The Long Black Coat - March 17
Floater (Too Much To Ask) - March 19
Under The Red Sky - March 17

Drifter's Escape - March 19
Shooting Star - March 10

Standing In The Doorway - April 3

Bonus Tracks

Get Out Of Denver - March 16

Girl From The North Country - March 10

Hazel - April 2

Lonesome Day Blues - March 24

Tell Me That It Isn't True - March 26

Unbelievable - April 9

Download Link

Standing In The Doorway - Complete

Welcome back,

My goodness, what a list of songs! Dylan really dug deep into his catalog for the 2004 Spring Tour, and I think that's really what distinguishes it from the other fantastic tours of this era.

His 1989-1997 output is extremely well-represented in this set, accounting for a full 7 of the 13 songs included. Among the others are a unique cascading arrangement of "If Not For You," a slow-burning "Standing In The Doorway," and possibly definitive renditions of "Tombstone Blues," "Bye & Bye," "Floater (Too Much To Ask)" and "Drifter's Escape." The close listener will also find that "Tears Of Rage" has picked up some new lyrics hewing the the "Love & Theft" style of postmodern pastiche. Dylan's has "never been to Strawberry Fields" or "Penny Lane," though he's "been down in the Willow Garden and ridden on the Hellbound Train." I love it.

Unfortunately, not all songs could fit, and fine performances of "Girl From The North Country," "Tell Me That It Isn't True" and "Lonesome Day Blues" were narrowly edged out. Some notable recordings of the tour, "Get Out Of Denver," "Hazel" and "Unbelievable" in particular, did not stand up to the level of quality found in the thirteen tracks that made it to the compilation. They are included as bonus tracks for those who are interested.

In fact, much in the same way that The Red Rose & The Briar informed my 1988 collection, the fantastic House on Fire, Debts Unpaid was the source of a handful of these songs. It's an ideal 3-CD overview of the tour, and I recommend it unreservedly.

I hope this new compilation is up to the usual standards, and brings you some warmth in these winter months. Fans of Freddy Koella will be especially pleased, as his remarkable guitar work is all over this record.

If you find the songs compelling, you will surely appreciate their original studio recordings, which can be purchased from Sony at the following links:

Highway 61 Revisited

The Basement Tapes

John Wesley Harding

New Morning

Oh Mercy

Under The Red Sky

Time Out Of Mind

"Love & Theft"

Next week's release will be a compilation well-regarded in some circles. It consists of studio outtakes and notable live appearances from 1999 to 2012*, and has been expanded slightly from its earlier incarnation. I hope you all enjoy it as much as the folks at Expecting Rain have in the past. Until then, keep yourselves healthy and listen to some good tunes.

-CS

*Don't get too excited for outtakes - very few exist from this time frame, and all on my CD have been in circulation elsewhere already. I've just tidied them up and strung them together for maximum coherence.

Piano Blues & Barroom Ballads: Unreleased Live Recordings, Fall 2003

Piano Blues & Barroom Ballads: European Tour, Fall 2003

Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) - Live - Zurich - November 3, 2003

Tryin' To Get To Heaven - Live - Amsterdam - November 11, 2003

Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - Live - Zurich - November 3, 2003

Million Miles - Live - London - November 24, 2003

Desolation Row - Live - Berlin - October 20, 2003

Can't Wait - Live - Zurich - November 3, 2003

Jokerman - Live - London - November 24, 2003

Queen Jane Approximately - Live - Gothenburg - October 15, 2003

Cry A While - Live - Zurich - November 3, 2003

Boots Of Spanish Leather - Live - London - November 15, 2003

Highway 61 Revisited - Live - Zurich - November 3, 2003
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall - Live - London - November 25, 2003

Bonus Tracks:

 Dear Landlord - Live - London - November 24, 2003

Love Sick - Live - London - November 25, 2003

Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) - Live - London - November 23, 2003

Romance In Durango - Live - London - November 24, 2003

Silvio - Live - London - November 23, 2003

Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again - Live - Copenhagen - October 16, 2003

Link:

Piano Blues & Barroom Ballads - Complete

Welcome back,

This is undoubtedly my favorite leg of the Never-Ending Tour. Though 1995, 1999, 2002 and 2013 give it a fun for its money, this tour is the best representation of my ideal sound. That said, it is not for everyone.

Much as in 1987, Dylan is all over the place here. From the relatively consistent vocals of 1999-2001, things have changed quite a bit. Many fans found his singing problematic during the 2003-2004 era, and that's reasonable. A strong growl and rasp crept in, as is audible in many of the recordings here. What is especially fascinating, however, is the alternation between different vocal styles.

"Tryin' To Get To Heaven" presents a deep growl, while "Boots Of Spanish Leather" finds the singer in an almost crystal-clear moment. Similarly, while Dylan howls in Berlin with "Desolation Row," you can hear the startling knifelike edge of the lyrics in "Can't Wait." It is that sense of being on the edge, of the craftsman struggling with his imperfect tools, that enhances the drama of this set.

Every song on here is a treat, though. This speaks to what I most want to hear in Dylan's live performances: an artist on the edge. In each of the tracks presented, the sound threatens to fall apart. Even so, they keep it together. The band and the singer are exploring new angles to classic songs old and new. I mean, just listen to the sarcastic sneer of the opening songs, in which the singer notes "You say you've got some other kind of lover and yes, I believe you believe you do." The broken howl of the final chorus in "Tryin' To Get To Heaven" is a fleeting highlight before "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" returns the set to a jauntier nature. Koella's guitar is the standout on so many of the songs here, but he's really laying on the beautiful flamenco flourishes in "Tom Thumb." "Million Miles" brings out the jokes, as Dylan follows up the line "I don't tell them everything I knew" with an off-mike "I just tell 'em some of it." You can just hear the weariness coming through in every moment of this song. Then, with "Desolation Row," the band is aiming for new heights and they hit them. This is a looser rendition of the song, and I prefer the more nuanced performance from Dublin '03, but the sound quality and passion of this recording could not be rivaled. "Can't Wait" puts the listener immediately in the same, post-midnight neon haze of an urban landscape, with Dylan sounding knowledgeable about those "on their way up," and those "on their way down." His reading of the line "the air burns" is so evocative. "Jokerman" contains the most inventive rhythms of the set, as Recile plays his heart out. "Queen Jane Approximately" is a towering monument to what a dedicated artist can do onstage. This is exquisite, and seems to contain all the heartache and desperation in the world, with the band and their leader totally in-sync. The vocals threaten constantly to break, and sometimes they do, but it adds to the masterpiece being presented to the audience. "Cry A While" is the polar opposite, a real barn-burner with some inspired growling. If you don't care for Dylan's rasp, you won't like this one; on the other hand, if you're like me it's just perfect. From that song, the band moves the music into a unique, almost baroque arrangement of "Boots Of Spanish Leather." Far from the introspective versions of 1995 or 1999, this one flows along as though the singer were narrating it with all of his hope and eventual anger plain to read. "Highway 61" is, like "Queen Jane," a definitive live performance; never before or again were these songs as powerful as they were on these nights, at least to my ears. Finally, the set closes with a transcendent, triumphant "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," building to a crescendo in the final chorus.

My opinion on these songs is not objective, nor should anyone expect it to be. I am no critic, and I can only compile the songs I love and report on them subjectively. And this record sounds incredible. Part of that is the quality of recordings - for reasons I am unaware of, the clarity of the recordings collected here is almost unparalleled. This is not to disparage other tapers; many tours have stand-out recordings. I am just surprised at the sheer volume of quality recordings from Fall 2003.

As you can tell from reviewing the dates of the recordings, my favorite show from the leg is November 3. This concert is top-notch from beginning to end. Though most nights of this tour, like any other, were uneven, I think Bob Dylan landed the mark with the twelve tracks found on Piano Blues and Barroom Ballads. If I could keep just one of the compilations presented on A Thousand Highways (and thank goodness I don't), it would be this one.

For the people who want to hear the song purely as it was played, you may be disappointed to find slightly truncated versions of "Most Likely You Go Your Way And I Go Mine," "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," and "Boots of Spanish Leather." To accommodate the runtime, something had to go, and I think those tracks hold up just as well with missing instrumental passages. Note that the only vocal loss is the final repeated verse and chorus of "Most Likely." This is because the song loses its momentum, and is served better (to my ears) by the shorter cut. I am sure some listeners disagree with this decision, and will be happy to find extended cuts of these three songs in their own folder within the download. Similarly, a handful of bonus tracks round out the set. These consist of some notable performances ("Romance In Durango" chief among them) that are interesting, but which I didn't think met the quality of the other tracks recordings presented.

This tour contained all the passion and power of a true performing artist. I hope you will find as much to enjoy on this release as I do.

You can find original studio recordings of these songs on the following records:

Freewheelin'

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Highway 61 Revisited

Blonde On Blonde

Infidels

Time Out Of Mind

"Love & Theft"

Next week you will find a compilation of the best performances from Bob Dylan's Spring 2004 American Tour. As you can guess, I rather enjoy the Koella/Campbell band. The sound of the next release is quite similar to this week's collection, but with an arguably more eclectic selection of songs. Until then, keep yourself healthy and listen to some good tunes.

Thanks,
CS