London/Wembley (05-Oct-00)

DISC D105.sse
SOUND Impressively fine throughout
IMAGE Though the usual problems - heads, shakes, cuts, freezes, iffy framing, black screen interludes - can all be seen, still this film is 95% lovely: clean, colourful, unobstructed and steady. If only the camera, which never once crosses the footlights, had been more predatory, this could have been one of the great audience films. Exceptionally good even so.
RUNNING TIME 105 minutes (Disc One: 61 minutes, Disc Two: 44 minutes)
PERFORMANCE On the money
HIGHLIGHTS (1) It's Alright Ma (2) Standing In The Doorway
COMMENT Disc one gives 8 May as the show date, disc two 8 Oct - both incorrect. Both D&B and I Shall Be Released are missing their opening few lines. The Radio Two make-over inflicted upon Trying To Get To Heaven* leaves it bland as beige, all character gone, sounding like a L&T out-take - but welcome on the set-list just the same. And, finally, after Wicked Messenger and before introducing the band, D delivers a rap about his enduring respect for Great Britain, based, he says, on Winston Churchill, all that stuff... Remarkable.
THANKS Ian
STARS A well-deserved five

* Ever wondered about the line I been to Sugar Town, I shook the sugar down? Check out Alan Lomax's Folk Songs Of North America. The first verse of song #266, Buck-Eye Rabbit, goes like this:

I wanted sugah very much
I went to Sugah Town
I climbed up in that sugah tree
An' I shook that sugah down

Lines from songs in this book occur in Not Dark Yet (see #206 Red River Shore), Standing In The Doorway (#145 Roll On, Buddy), Tryin' To Get To Heaven (as above, also #252 John The Revelator, also #259 Miss Mary Jane) and Marchin' To The City (#242 Wade In The Water, which includes the line I'm marching to the city and the road ain't long.). At the time of TOOM's release in 1997, Bob told Jon Pareles of the New York Times:

Those old songs are my lexicon and my prayer book.

Clearly he wasn't kidding.

Yes im maybe also a bit biased also, for I make the upgrade and transfered it to DVD, but I really like the result, very strong performances and its very crips and the sound is just top notch. Recommended.

Maybe I'm a bit biased, since I supplied the video footage for this DVD set.
I know the work on that goes into the Watchtower remaster/upgrades, & this is lovingly presented on 2 DVDs to maintain the quality, mixed with sound taken from Crystal Cat audio cds & Surround Sound etc.... I haven't seen the finished DVD yet, but obviously I was familiar with the video tape - it's great stuff. There are moments when things are obscured or a bit shakey but they are outweighed but some beautiful shots and beautiful music.
A "must have" if you were at this show and want a visual document of it in top quality, or are a fan of these London shows. Even if not, it's an excellent representation of this leg of the tour.
And there's more to come soon... ;-)