Salisbury, MD (15-Nov-00)

COOKIN' WITH THE DYLAN QUINTET!!
Salisbury 2000
GENERAL COMMENTS: Bordering on sensational. A must-have.
PERFORMANCE:Top-notch performance, especially Dylan's vocal delivery and Larry Campell's excellent lead guitar, steel guitar, bouzouki and mandolin playing.
SOUND QUALITY:Fantastic sound quality throughout, except through the first three songs (Duncan & Brady, Chimes of Freedom and It's Alright ma - the sound is just what I would call fairly good here)
PICTURE QUALITY: Pretty good, although slightly fuzzy in patches. Our taper does a great job throughout the whole DVD of maintaining a very still image, centered mostly around Mr. D. but also with other shots and pan-in and -outs of other members.
Duncan & Brady: Great opening number to the concert as usual with this traditional ballad which Dylan and co. do full justice to. Sound initially great for the first 20-30 seconds until it drops off into a slightly duller, inferior sound quality which lasts for the first three songs.
Chimes of Freedom: An exquisite and very majestically-arranged version of Chimes of Freedom with the band sounding really tight! (arguably Mr. D's best backing band since...well, The Band). Larry's bouzouki adds magnificently to this song as he gracefully plucks and weaves between the steady sway and groove of the rhythm of the rest of the band. It's quite funny how his tall figure absolutely towers over the instrument (even more remarkable when he's on mandolin).
It's alright ma: This song sounds great, no matter how much Dylan fiddles, chops and changes with the arrangement. In 1965, Dylan said, "my new songs (songs he was writing back in 1965) I'm trying to make more three-dimensional. There's more symbolism, they're written on more than one level". I believe this is one of them. That's because this song has solid backbone - by that I mean the basic melody and the weight & import of the words are meaty enough to hold it up on its own. The spark of genius is there in the song, it only requires Dylan's conviction through live performance to set it alight. As Ginsberg once said about Dylan - "It was an artistic challenge to see if great art can be done on a jukebox" - which is a lot more you can say than about today's music.
Once again, the band here sounds extremely tight. Picture quality so far has been fairly good but slightly foggy but not in any way which impedes the viewer's enjoyment. Fantastic stuff.
Mama, you been on my mind: And the sound upgrade is back! with Dylan beautifully lit up on stage by a not-too-bright spotlight on "the best songwriter of our times" (if I recall correctly what Johnny Cash called him during one of his live prison concerts). The sound suddenly sounds gorgeous and full. The bass presence and the quality of the vocals just makes you feel like you're there all of a sudden. Never thought this song could sound good without Baez accompanying him - until now. Someone in the crowd comments "Beautiful" (my thoughts exactly).
Tangled up in blue: Sounding great as usual in this now reasonably-cemented, unchanging arrangement. Dylan's delivery here is fantastic - just listen to his line delivery on the "Montague Street" verse. Nice lighting effects during the solos. Very tight (yes even the ending) with great thunderous drums melting into deserved thunderous applause.
Searching for a soldier's grave: Wonderful vocal harmonies by Larry and the other guitarist (forgot his name) and Larry's mandolin is lovely. Pity the picture is a bit dark here - would've been wonderful to have been in the front row right here. Great stuff. Hank Williams would be smiling if he happens to be looking down on it somewhere.
The audience then calls for "Country Pie" and "Watchtower" - the first caller having his wish fulfilled.
Country Pie: Wonderful rocking version which reminds me of the amazing version of this song on Dylan Live: 1961-2000 (the slightly hard-to-track-down Japanese release). Sizzling lead guitar by Larry Campbell.
Positively 4th Street: Nice driving bass. This song always reminds me of someone I know - down to a tee. Picture-wise, we have a mostly headless Dylan performance but must say the cameraman has done a great job overall with very little shakiness. Fairly nice version but nothing special.
Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again: The song that I would most like to see live, if Bob happens to make it over to Japan again soon. Wicked stuff - my personal favorite so far after It's alright ma.
Just like a woman: Beautiful stuff with lovely understated steel guitar in the background (an instrument which always reminds of red-streaked sunsets for some reason).
Magnificent.
THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO REFILL YOUR RUM & COKE & POPCORN BASKET........
Drifter's Escape: Great re-arrangement of this powerful song from JWH. Great harp by Dylan at the end. Felt the song was slightly short though and that the band could've expanded on it a bit more - oh well.
Leopard-skin Pillbox Hat: Standard form of 12-bar blues set to classic Dylan lyrics. The band really lets loose on this one - Smokin'.
ENCORES
Things have changed: Very similar & faithful to the recorded version. Electric guitars are plugged through some lovely delay & reverb which gives the song a slightly dreamy feel, like you are falling asleep in the back of a car going down the highway......
Like a Rolling Stone: A rather instrumentally-sedate version of this timeless classic but Dylan provides a fiery vocal over the top.
If Dogs Run Free: This one comes as a pleasant surprise as Dylan rarely plays anything from the New Morning album - an album which I recall vividly the first time I heard it - at 5 a.m. in the morning after staying up all night studying before an exam and needed something to chill the nerves (which it did). Great jazz song. Would love to hear Tom Waits do a version of this. Very slick.
All Along the Watchtower: Over the years I have become so sick of this song but this is a very solid version. Dylan puts a lot of feeling into the vocal which is too often passed off in a going-through-the-motions style.
Don't think twice, it's alright: Lovely & subdued. Beautiful accompaniment with Tony using an awesome-looking bass guitar here. Even the harmonica at the end is nice & subdued not Bob's usual wild, brash mercurial-gliding sound.
Another fan (maybe same one as before) requests "Highway 61" and is once again not disappointed - think he must have a setlist in front of him.
Highway 61: Pretty good but kept wondering, "Where is the kick-ass screaming slide guitar?"
Blowin' in the Wind: Great closer to a wonderful set. How many years will this song be sung? For the foreseeable future at least, I would say. Infinity shall go up on trial and I believe this song will stand the test of time. Why is it so timeless? Well, as with many of Guthrie's compositions, it tackles issues which affect us all - which talk about the common human condition but you Dylanophiles out there I'm sure already know this. As long as these issues exist, so will the song continue to breathe life and inspiration into all of us. As Bob pithily said back in 1963, "Folk songs showed me the way / they showed me that songs can say somethin human". Thanks Bob - for all the enrichment you have brought to our lives........
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VERDICT*: Five for performance, four & a half for sound, four for picture. A slightly wider more panned shot and a sound upgrade for the first three songs would undoubtedly put it in the five-star category. This still is a must see everyone! Overall, would like to give 4.5 stars but have to settle (unfortunately) for 4 stars. The only true 5-star vids out there that I have seen so far are; D178.su, D782, D708.su, D587.su and D778.su which come to mind.
BIG THX TO: Baggy!