Los Angeles, CA (22-May-98)

DISC D174.suu
SOUND Superb
IMAGE This gig was staged in a sports pavilion with banked seating all round an open floor. Bob and the band play at one end with the crowd on all sides (including behind - and peering through the swirling Nag Champa for a glimpse of everyone’s back can‘t have been much fun). The film we see - clean, fresh and bright - was shot from an oblique left-side raised position that nicely catches all stage-front players, though Kemper remains hidden from view. The taper is unlucky to sit directly behind man-with-hat, which causes a few head problems, mainly early on. We also experience the odd temporary loss of focus, and filming gets harder during closer RDW when many stand. But the most vexing fault here is an unstable camera that shoots persistently high, with an inattentive cameraman re-aligning now and then but, sadly, not quite often enough. Take a look at the screenshots. Though a fair slice of his footage looks as mouth-wateringly enticing as they do, it doesn’t all by any means, such that, ultimately, in telling less than the whole tale, they flatter to deceive.
RUNNING TIME 72:20, all songs complete (and a comparatively short set because, after a D-only warm-up at The Rage on 13 May - see D025.su - the seven shows on this brief West Coast Tour were all Joni/Van/Bob three-for-the-price-of-one triple-headers).
PERFORMANCE Solid
HIGHLIGHTS A jaunty If You See Her, a gorgeous seven minute transport of delight Simple Twist, a short but sweet Rank Strangers, a beautifully paced and imperiously sung (voice without restraint - yes, he can still do it when he wants) Wheel’s On Fire, a trucking no-prisoners H61, a mellow mandolin-rich Me Babe, Love Sick, RDW...
COMMENT The last song is played with the house lights full on, allowing the band to better gauge and appreciate crowd reaction, which was surely of the best.
THANKS Viner CP
STARS Consistently fine audio and lots to enjoy in the performance. Half a star off for periodic pic problems, though warmly recommended even so. Four and a half.

My favorite film has been improved. I was in the front row for this one, and although not perfect, this DVD captures the concert and gives the viewer a sense of what it was like to be there.

My favorite author has upgraded from first gen and added a few special effects, which makes it even more enjoyable. It is also sound upgraded of course. The menu will be familiar as this author has been very prolific with upgrades for quite some time. His trademark is the film projector on the menu, and his signature is the slideshow during dead spots in the video.