DVD Compilation #02

D012 MOVING WITH A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE

Does anybody have an E harmonica? An E harmonica - anybody! Just throw them all up! Two or three clatter onto the stage. D picks one up and slips it from its case. Its lucky owner (wonder if he got it back?) shouts: "It's an F!" Okay, thank you very much... and after resetting his capo, Bob sings the song (T Man) in the higher key. Can you imagine that happening now? With some ballsy young upstart playing to a folk crowd somewhere, maybe so, but at a 2007 Dylan concert? Yes, we're back in a different and (for Bob fans) very special time. And if this light-hearted acoustic leave-taking is fine to see, how much more so his historic, strident electric hello. Night after night, on his mammoth (65 dates in three months) 1978 US tour, Bob would introduce Maggie's Farm (other songs too - he was very talkative then) with a rap. Though its content varied slightly from town to town, the gist remained the same. Here's a typical example from Cincinnati, 15 October:

This is the song that started it all for me back when. I played it at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964 (sic) and they booed me out of town. But I kept playing it and I'll play it again. It's called I Ain't Gonna Work On Maggie's Farm No More.

By the time he played Maggie's at Newport in July 1965, Like A Rolling Stone was already in the shops and on the airwaves, which meant that the first steps of its begetter's epic journey had already been taken. But still his brief three-song festival set was an all-important first public affirmation, made directly to the very people who most needed to know it, that - it used to go like that, now it goes like THIS - from now on this is how it's gonna be. A genuinely seminal moment in the evolution of twentieth century popular culture, captured (in part, at least) on black and white film and here on D012 for your viewing pleasure. And, in case you need more, in the '75 (pre Rolling Thunder) Hammond Tribute performance we're treated to the same man offering us, ten years down his chosen path and in some decidedly dodgy strides, a brief taste of the fruits of his unique labour and validating in the process the unimpeachable rightness of his '65 decision. In retrospect, the biggest surprise is just how much fuss it all caused. Ah, but we were so much older then... The 1979 SNL I Believe In You - another stepping out - is another fully committed spine-tingler of a performance and the closing 1978 Nashville chapter (also on D441.3, D472, D485, D545.su and D593.su) is good too, though not the best quality. As for the lovely Bangladesh footage, is it my memory playing tricks or didn't all five songs used to circulate? No T Man either here or on the official 2005 DVD release (though it is on the 2CD, which might be what I'm thinking of). Finally, man in red tank top (see johnbrown review below) is Leon Russell.

For full details of disc content, see track-list at the top of the page.

THANKS Piquet
STARS Worth five of anyone's money. Not to be missed.

“Here he is, he’s yours” says the announcer and then “split as quickly as possible, there’ll be no closing remarks, get to the next workshop” definitely a different time. Then you see Bob and Joan mobbed and Joan is so cool; sings a little a cappella and signs the autographs; what a beautiful lady.

Newport ’65, what a shock it must have been to hear an electric Dylan!

The Johnny Cash video is average quality but the duet is still very enjoyable.

Earl Scruggs and his banjo; this shows how music really crosses generational gaps and cultures; what a show this would have been to attend.

Then you have Bob in his prime at the Bangladesh concert with George Harrison; great video & sound & set list. I’d like to know who the other guitar player in the red tank top with long blond hair. What a great concert! I wonder if those in attendance knew how lucky they were.

The world of John Hammond is great however unfortunately brief it is.

SNL; “Gotta Serve Somebody” is a fantastic version complete with the soul sisters on backing vocals. The keyboard solo seemed a little off to me though. This set of Bob’s religious music really has an affect even on a non-religious person.

The Nashville segment is of pretty poor quality although “Masters of War” is a good electric version and would be great if a better copy existed.

A fantastic collection; mostly great picture and sound quality; one you definitely want to get.