Burlington, VT (27-Oct-92)

DISC D117
SOUND Fluctuates between quite good and poor. Most of the electric songs are a bit boomy and drum-heavy, somewhere between three star audio and four. When too many of the crowd impede the camera (worst during PB Hat and Masterpiece) sound quality - muffled, in and out - takes a dive. But the acoustic songs, as so often, come through comparatively well.
IMAGE The screenshots (take a look) are outstanding, and there are protracted passages of film here every bit as handsome as their seductive promise. Our cameraman, at the back of the floor, just left of centre, is faced with recurring head and body problems, mostly because Bob has the crowd jumping tonight right from the get-go. (It’s only rock’n’roll, but they like it - me too.) Up to a point, this merely adds to the fun, making for lively, vital, very atmospheric film (the yellow balloon that bounces across the screen during Tangled serves to convey the party vibe nicely). But inevitably in these circumstances there are shakes and occlusions to put up with too and if you come to watch this one you’ll need to be prepared to make allowances. Overall, though, the good here comfortably outweighs the bad.
RUNNING TIME 107 minutes. Complete gig to the end of What Good? with closers H61 and Me Babe both missing.
PERFORMANCE Eleven days and four shows on from Bobfest and we find ourselves up in Burlington, pastoral Vermont, far from the roil and strife of NYC and the cares of Corporate Celebration. Bob - back out where he belongs and doing what’s he’s best at - looks ten years younger than his oppressed, stag-at-bay MSG self and performs with a vigour and carefree expansiveness to match. Perhaps for this reason, this run of concerts (sixteen in all) from Bobfest through to the end of the touring year comes well recommended - in Razor’s Edge, his entertaining account of the NET’s first dozen years, Andrew Muir speaks of “a series of top notch performances” while D’s Boswell, Olof Björner, goes much further, declaring these late ‘92s to be Bob's “best (shows of) the Never-Ending Tour!” D117 - Burlington - appears to be the only one that circulates on DVD and, in case you're still not sold, first up on the set-list is I Can’t Be Satisfied, an old (1940s) Muddy Waters cover D sang nine times in ten nights (with this, its second outing, unique to video) then never again. And unlike other opening covers - Love Crazy, Justine, Hallelujah I’m Ready - it’s no quick-fire three minute loosener, either, but a well-worked, extended ramble, up-tempo and wholly enjoyable. In addition, we get to see starting to shape up here not just Bob himself but also his band, featuring a fresh-faced Bucky just coming to the end of his first year on board plus Winston (one of two drummers tonight, as per most of ’92) in just his eighth week. Once the drumstool is sorted, this is the band that will back D through his next four years, including many a great night’s work (think of all those peerless early ‘95s). And D117 is there in the mix, too, though “best of NET” over-eggs it. “Best of ‘92” would be closer, for in both Baby Blue and T Man you can hear the mewling cub of the magnificent beast that each will soon become (probably true of 4th Street too, actually) - but they're not there yet. Still, there’s plenty here to savour, with JLAW, Boots and even this unreconstructed T Man all well played and very nicely filmed. Maggie’s (only) features extra-close head and shoulders footage (see last screenshot) just slightly jiggly but strikingly fine all the same.
COMMENT After blowing a whole verse of harp in Tangled, D decides he’s playing the wrong one, so, after a quick change-over, he then, for good measure, gives us two verses more in a lower register. What a guy!
THANKS Queen Jane
STARS Just misses four, mostly because of the slightly suspect audio. But, take note, if Ace Industries ever get round to this one (fingers crossed!)* expect something special. Three and a half.

* See D117.2su