Through The Years LIVE Vol. 2

I don't hand out five star reviews very often or very easily, but I'm doing so on this stellar project.

I watched TTY Live Vol. 1 and enjoyed it, more or less. It felt like an interesting hodgepodge, quality viewing, but less so to me than entire shows. But on this second volume, Vygi has really outdone himself.

The video quality is consistently brilliant (well, save for "Hazel", which is still enthralling as a historical document, as noted by the previous reviewer), the audio is great, and most impressive to me, many of the performances are culled from semi-obscure sources.

It may just be my particular collection, but it seemed to me that many of the standouts on TTYL2 were from shows I'd never seen, nor heard much about. The Essex Junction 1988 "One Too Many Mornings" is a perfect example. My mind was blown-- I couldn't believe there actually IS footage from 1988 that is this close and watchable, and with excellent sound as well. Or consider "Love Sick" from New Haven, CT in 1999. That's a show I have seen, but Vygi is wise to include it, because it's fairly obscure, but absolutely outstanding.

This disc is what the compilation medium should be-- a sampler that has made me want to go out and find about a dozen new shows for my collection. While TTYL1 is enjoyable, it's TTYL2 that is a rock-solid addition to essential Dylan DVDs.

Absolutely, unquestionably, five stars.

Sometimes you put in a Bob DVD and the adrenaline rush begins right away - it doesn't happen always or even frequently because so often audience shot Bob video is just that audience shot, but sometimes the person filming gets everything just right not to mention things go the filmer's way; not too many heads - people around him or her are quiet - they have good equipment and are close enough that the distance factor isn't a problem and this DVD captures so many of those adrenaline moments - sure Hazel from The Last Waltz isn't the clearest but come on it sounds TERRIFIC plus that is most certainly Bob (gotta love that hat and the wild hair!!!) and The Band down there and man unlike the actual film of this concert which is an EVENT in and of itself (yes I love it obviously) the way this camera person is shooting well the angle is a strikingly strange one and really does captures the real intimacy between these players - I loved it I really did and it doesn't let up nope just keeps going as Bob in many different fashion statements over the years and through the mud knocks us down over and over and over and over and over again - find someone who has this and beg, plead, do whatever is necessary to have them make a copy for you because if you want to know why Bob is the exemplary performer he is and how it is he's still out there heading for another joint well slip this DVD in and you will be left in awe and delighted and amused and truly left wanting - needing and yes desiring MORE!!!!!! I truly can not wait for VOLUME THREE AND BEYOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!