Medford (Central Point), OR (09-Oct-01)

on this october 9th, 61st birthday of john lennon, bob pulls out all the stops in his white suit as if he were making a tribute in homage to the ’68 – ’71 version of his cab buddy from the eat the document outtakes.
trooper that bob is, puts up with an incredible amount of disrespect from the audience, to put on a enduring show that runs in excess of 2 solid hours, while people constantly plow through the audience as if on a scavenger hunt.
perhaps an homage is what he has in mind.
even with the superb video editing, you constantly have people filing by, obscuring the view.
performance: despite the chaos in the crowd, bob puts on an incredible show. 20 songs, an excellent set list that just keeps on going!
show is 5 stars
the audience only gets just 1 star

DISCS (2) D129.su
AUDIO Superb, especially the drum-sound so often compromised (D284.su, D458, others) but here crisp and punchy. Spot on.
VIDEO Tonight's taper occupies a left-of-centre position at the back of the floor and his camera is a good one, capable of delivering quality footage fit to please the eye rather more than the slightly tired screenshots would suggest. We've a D449-like set-up, then, and, all being well, might expect a film equally dazzling? Sadly not, for our lensman manages, by constant fiddling and jiggling, to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory such that watching his night's work proves less pleasure than purgatory, less treat than trial. Camera control is, by and large, poor (there may well, of course, have been valid reasons why, but the result is the same) and, if you come to view this film, be sure to bring plenty of patience. Returns improve through the second half of disc one, and Cineman's now-familiar patchwork helps too, but the only songs captured to anything like full potential are Visions (a sound but subdued performance), Sugar Baby and (best of all) closer Blowin', a decidedly bittersweet, too little too late adieu.
RUNNING TIME Disc one, 71:10. Disc two, 51:25. Audio complete. For video restoration details (provided you've half an hour to spare) toggle blue link above.
COMMENT Love & Theft was released, inauspiciously, on 11 September 2001 (an infamous day, better known since as 9/11) and Bob's first tour afterwards – his fifth and last of another busy year - was a 35 date October/November spin through 20 US states plus one hit and run foray into Canada. Fourth stop en route - Medford, Oregon – is the show D129.su recalls. It features five picks (some later crowds got six) from the new album. All sound fresh, as well they might, and none more so than live debutant Mississippi. The song, arguably L&T's most commercial, will be played a dozen times more before year's end. This, though, is the only one of those performances (or virtually any other*) to make it to DVD and if you want to see it without acquiring D129.su, catch it instead on D671. Kemper's percussion (or maybe it's just this audio's exceptional fidelity) makes tonight's Tweedles (so often dull) a revelation and Sugar Baby is, for possibly the first time though - D068.su, D190.su, D555.su - not the last, magnificent. Otherwise? North Country Girl, Pill-Box Hat and Love Sick all hit the spot, and listen out in Drifter's for Charlie's waggish lightning bolt that strikes Larry (though not, apparently, Bob) as a particularly jolly jape.

Before the tour's through, eleven of L&T's twelve tracks will have been outed live, with only Bye And Bye (debuted on 17 October 2002) left untried. Considering the high form Bob had rediscovered as the millennium turned, 2001 is probably the least well-represented NET year in the catalogue. Having said that, a choice clutch of top-hole corkers – D197.su2, D638.su, D068.su, D188.su, D190.su - are listed that, between them, beat 30 or 40 more mundane efforts. That D129.su fails to join their ranks is a shame, but so it sometimes goes. And should we all be truly thankful for what we have already? You figure.
MORAN TAING Sir John of Lanark
STARS Audio and performance are five-star but video falls well short. In fact, if you listen to this without bothering to watch it at all, you'll probably find to your surprise that you enjoy it all the more. But don't take my word for it - cue up footage-free Soldier's Grave and decide for yourself. Four.

*See also D646 (though beware it's not very good) or D813.

some brief impressions and thoughts regarding D129.su:

-here is another forgotten gem from the growing catalog, beautifully restored and ready to take it's rightful place among the most cherished items around.

-this author now has enough product and effort under his belt to make meaningful comparisons among and between them. i will rank this item as, or more, strongly than any of his previous releases. seamless sound syncronization, loss-less video reauthoring, professional grade menu pages.

-even saving the context of the above review of the author's work to date this item remains an easy 5 star recommendation. sources, performances, setlist, all of the highest order.

-without the time machine, this is as close as you will get to bob at the top of his game 2001 style. even with the time machine, there are all those buttons and dials to manage, where even the slightest mistake be great trouble: why not just pop this one in and enjoy?

-highlights throughout make D129.su an easy 5 star recommendation. the author's thoughtful and efficient distribution via snail mail and bittorrent insures easy access for any interested trader.

-with my great thanks to all tapers/filmers/dvdauthors, and Vygi our faithful host:
Yassou!