St. Louis, MO (03-Mar-04)

Excellent performance, superb sound quality and great steady camerawork.
I would give this 5 stars if we had the whole concert on one disc. Apart from that, there is much to praise
about this bootleg. Bob is in great form (on fire actually) and it shows, especially in songs like 'High Water.'
One to own, especially if you are a fan of Bob's work during or around this era.

YES, YES, YES, YES AND YESSSSS.

If you don't have this one, beg, borrow or steal to get it.

Many thanks to Paul (pswets)

Fantastic!
Up-close, good sound, brilliant songs and a dancing Bob
Highlights are Highwater and Senor

This falls into the "Must Have" category. Technically because of the steadiness of the camerawork, (It's almost like a single camera reel from a Pro-shot film) and artistically because of the performance. Dylan seems really FOCUSED on the songs, and it seems a more intimate performance than some of the "big" shows.
A wonderful version of "Senor", two drummers(!) and Bob starting a solo on a harmonica in the wrong key (on "Tell Me That It Isn't True"). The sound upgrade is excellent, too. It's a pity the film only covers about two-thirds of the show, but the quality more than compensates.

Congratulations and thanks go out to the cameraperson! Listen out, too, for Homer Simpson, obviously seated near the camera, as the crowd recognises the opening lines of "Girl Of The North Country".

This dvd, captured early in 2004, finds Bob carrying on the high performance standard from the tail end of 2003. Bob is captured in great form, seemingly very happy, frequently breaking out into a grin.

For picture quality just check out the screen shots, there's "no words that need to be said". This is an amazingly well filmed dvd. If one wanted to nitpick the only possible criticism you could level would be that there's not enough Larry Cambell and it is slightly confusing when the cameraman zooms in on Freddy Koella even if he is not actually playing the lead solo at the time, see for instance 'Tweedledee and Tweedledum'.

Sound quality is not quite as good and possibly costs the dvd a five star rating. Then again 5 stars would equal perfection and as we all know Bob is only human(!) and this is an AMATEUR video we are watching after all. In fact the highest compliment you can give this dvd is that it is so good,in places, it could pass for a pro-shot . Anyway, I digress! The sound isn't great, but it is never less than listenable and does improve throughout.

As for performance well...subjective as ever. The performance documented here is very good but I'm sure even the most hardened Bob-fan would admit Bob's voice is not what it once was, and this dvd highlights that perfectly. On the blue based tunes Bob's voice is awesome and suits the material perfectly:witness both a truly amazing 'Highwater' and 'Cold Irons Bound' ( both featuring a very animated Bob, with some very strange handsignals - what is he trying to get across?!!)

On the negative side witness 'Love Minus Zero' and 'Every Grain Of Sand'. Both are examples of Bob's more melodic work and although he does his best, his voice just cannot carry the melodies and the bluesy ones he substitutes in their place do not work (please note:this is only my VERY humble opinion!) 'Every Grain...' does feature a lovely musical arrangement sounding like a cross between 'Dixie' and 'Battle Hymn of the Republic'. If further proof was needed just compare these versions to the truly beautiful renditions featured on D124, were the strengh of the melodies are really emphasised, the difference is vast. And although comparisons may be odious, they are also ultimately unavoidable. As for the arrangement of 'Girl From The North Country' I still can't decide whether it is truly amazing, or truly awful!

Also their is the curse of humanity in general and the Bob Dylan fan in particular to contend with!! Which is to say we always wish for what one has not got,or should that be what the other has got?!, and this recording at ten songs is too short. I do not know if any more footage exists from this concert, or if it is in some way unusable, but it does from other nights: for instance D345 and D346 feature rare versions of 'Saving Grace' and 'Shooting Star' to name just two. Although I have not seen either of these recordings I have seen ' Down Along The Cove' as featured on D671 and the overall quality seemed comparable to this film. Between these three films there is the potential for a really great compilation. If this has already been done then please accept my apologies and could somebody please send me a copy?!!

To sum up, if you want a recording of Bob Dylan circa 2004, with all the inherent losses and gains that entails, this is the one to go for; you will not be disappointed.

ps. Where the hell did the other drummer come from, and who is he??!!

Though there is some graininess to the footage and a few missing songs as noted, the disc is an outstanding representation of this particular tour. I saw the two Milwaukee a couple of days later and the DVD perfectly captures the feelings I had in the audience at those shows. The camera usually focuses on either Bob/Koella or the drummers/Larry/Martinez, rarely on the entire ensamble, but is excellent nonetheless. The sound is incredible, a far cry from the concert videos I have collected over the years! Get it and enjoy!