Kerkrade, Netherlands (19-Mar-95)

There is a technical glitch* in one of the sub menus, the one with the "Dignity" audio clip. If you scroll up to the projector screen(the theme of the sub menu), a red button appears that corresponds to the very same audio clip. While this does not cause any problems with the rest of the menu or the play of the disk, it might cause some to believe that it's an "Easter egg" or some such hidden feature.

I could settle on a "4" for this one, but Dylan's cool "sans guitar" performance makes it a "5" even without a sound upgrade. I find I can get better than average sound by playing around with my equalizer and jacking up the volume. So, let's give it a '5' and stop pussyfooting around.

*The sub-menu glitch and the timecode break blips in the audio track have been fixed on the re-edited and re-authored disk. This disk now deserves at least 4 stars.

*This show has been sound upgraded. See D085.su for details.

This a very good dvd. It begins with an excellent menu system. The atmosphere is smoky (well it is the Netherlands), and has a small club quality. The lighting is often low-key, and seems to be from the rear some of the time. The acoustics don’t sound too great, a bit boomy.

Bob gives the impression of being a bit out of it at first, like he’s in a trance. The band are on top form, at the harder-edged end of the spectrum most of the time – the drummer continues to hammer his kit even on numbers like ‘Just Like A Woman’. Dylan himself appears to be lost in the music right from the off, and gives some intense, apparently deeply-felt readings of his regular set-list from this period. There’s a pretty hard-rocking version of ‘Tangled’ that I’d not heard before.

Dylan only straps his Strat on every now and then. I reckon his guitar playing is based on his harp-playing style, and as such is refreshingly unusual, but not always that fluent, although you could interpret that as being deliberately ‘anti-slick’. But the harp is his natural mode of expression, and the man is a poet when he plays it.

Vocally he’s on very good form, singing clearly and expressively. His singing and harp playing are superb on ‘Tambourine Man’, which is the start of a short acoustic segment.

The taper has a good angle to the stage, and keeps Bob in shot almost all the time, with some zooming and panning. Compared to many audience-shot tapes, this one is very steady and unobstructed. A beaut.

I had never seen any audience-filmed material from 1995, and this bluesy/relaxed/intense Netherlands concert far exceeded my expectations. The camera follows Bob for the most part, and lucky for us it does. Here in Kerkrade we're treated to some groovy guitar work and strong vocals, courtesy of a focused Dylan. Mr Tambourine man is a highlight, with Bob crooning in the spotlight. Next to him, cast in a blue light, Tony lays down a nice bass line. Soulful harp and clean vocals on this number. Bob sings sans guitar most of the way, and it's fun to watch him conduct the band. But it's his guitar leads on Tangled Up and God Knows that'll have you dancing around the house.

Picture & Audio: Bob slips in and out of focus on occasion, and the camera is turned upward toward the stage lights a few times (security guards?), but this does nothing to mar the performance. Picture is mostly clear, steady and up-close. Sound quality is very good. Congratulations are in order for the cameraman. If you have the chance to acquire this DVD, do not hesitate.
-- mapache61

A short (01:21) show but a great performance. Sound quality is excellent, clearly catching Bob's every word, and the camera work is steady and clear throughout. It looks like it was filmed from close up to the stage because backs of heads are conspicuously absent (thank you). Bob splits his time between just singing and playing harmonica, concentrating on his phrasing and some beautiful harp work (Mr. Tamborine Man). When he does strap on his black Strat he plays well and rips off some surprisingly good bluesy lead work (God Knows). At first I couldn't believe it was him playing the leads but watch his fingers: if you're a guitarist you'll recognize the pentatonic patterns he's playing. Simple but full of feeling! Good work, Bob! The band is tight and focused. The newly authored menu is really cool and easy to navigate. Easily one of my favorite shows. Five stars all the way! If only all of Bob's boots were this good.