by Chris Cooper

A busy month (aren’t they all these days) but lots of nice films to watch so certainly not all bad news.  Once again the DVR format is turning up quite  a few US films which have passed us by before due to the problems of transferring to Pal. A lot of these therefore are NTSC but that is really no longer an issue is it?  We star with a beauty too.

So….
 

D9 A8  S8  H8 F9    I SL

27-10-92            BURLINGTON, VERMONT                                                               105.00                                                                        

I Can't Be Satisfied / Pretty Peggy-O / All Along The Watchtower / Just Like A Woman / Tangled Up In Blue / Positively 4th Street / Silvio / Mama, You Been On My Mind / Boots Of Spanish Leather / It's All Over Now, Baby Blue / Mr. Tambourine Man /Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat / When I Paint My Masterpiece / The Times They Are A-Changin' / Maggie's Farm // What Good Am I ? / Highway 61 Revisited  / It Ain't Me, Babe 

Apart from the fact that the time  is visibile in the top left hand corner this is a brilliant, almost essential film. I love the lighting on his Bobness, especially during the acoustic tracks. Perhaps the band performance could have been a little tighter but really you should get to see this one.

D5 A7  S8  H8 F7    I BL5

02-07-96            MANNHEIM, GERMANY                                                              68.00

Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood) (s) / Pretty Peggy-O / All Along The Watchtower / I'll Be Your Baby Tonight // Silvio / Ballad Of Hollis Brown  / Gates Of Eden  / To Ramona / Alabama Getaway / My Back Pages 

This is a mystery, after all no transfer troubles here, yet this does seem new to me.  OK OK some some  one will be emailing me tonight with “actually Chris…” anyway an Interesting show, though  rather edited here. The sound at times is a bit muddy but this is a quite watchable effort.
 

D8 A8  S7  H8 F8    I SL

19-02-98            CINCINNATI, OHIO                                                                         85.00

Absolutely Sweet Marie / Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You / Can't Wait (e) / Under The Red Sky (s) / Silvio / Cocaine @ / Masters Of War @ / Tangled Up In Blue @ / Million Miles / Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (i) / 'Til I Fell In Love With You //// Highway 61 Revisited  / It Ain't Me, Babe @ / Love Sick / Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35 (inc with faults) 

A nice show, but a frustrating video. This film is very close at times but has a most unusual problem. The band are taping the show and mikes are facing the crowd. When the taper zooms in he keeps getting the one mike in the way of Dylan's face. I can feel his annoyance as he does all he can to avoid it but it's not easy. The acoustic tracks are better as Dylan changes position. "Cocaine" is especially effective. A  for effort C  for luck!     On the copies I have seen the last track on the  DVD sticks.
 

D3 A8  S9  H9 F9    I BC6

24-02-02            AUSTIN, TEXAS                                                                                          137.00

Duncan And Brady / Boots Of Spanish Leather / It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) / Searching For A Soldier's Grave / Maggie's Farm /I'll Be Your Baby Tonight / Lonesome Day Blues / Lay, Lady, Lay / High Water (For Charley Patton) / Visions Of Johanna / One Too Many Mornings / Tangled Up In Blue / Summer Days / Sugar Baby / The Wicked Messenger / Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35 /// Like A Rolling Stone / Honest With Me / Blowin' In The Wind / All Along The Watchtower 

I like this film, oh sure it’ shot  from waaaaaaaaaaaaay back with a great zoom and a tripod, but  this is a very sharp and steady film. The angle makes  it hard to make out Bob's features all the time but it was  a good show. Sound could be a little closer but it is worth seeing. There is already a film going round of this show which is also distant but it is not the same film. The group all put in  a good solid performance too, it’s hard to  define but this is certainly one I will be going back too.
 

D4 A8  S8  H8 F7    I BL5

24-02-03            WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND                                                     85.00

Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee / I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight / Highway 61 Revisited / Lay Lady Lay / Things Have Changed/ Drifters Escape / My Back Pages / Desolation Row / Don’t Think Twice / Its Alright Ma /  Positively Fourth Street / Honest With Me (i) 

Hard to be totally objective about this, after all it’s the first from this year and my first and maybe last chance to see Billy Burnette. Film wise its close  enough to be interesting. Dylan is at the far left of the stage so most of the time you see him in profile onl,y though he clearly enjoying himself. Sadly the performance is not wonderful, much has already been said about the talents of Billy Burnette, so I see no reason to upset him further. Suffice to say it’s a rather underwhelming experience.
 

D6 A7  S7  H6 F8    I SC 

30-04-03            LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY                                                              84.00

Tweedle Dee And Tweedle Dum (s) /Tell Me That It Isn't True / Highway 61 Revisited /Lay, Lady, Lay / Things Have Changed / Cold Irons Bound /Watching The River Flow /Blind Willie McTell / High Water (For Charley Patton) /Saving Grace /Honest With Me  (i) /Bye And Bye  /Summer Days //// Like A Rolling Stone / All Along The Watchtower /Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35 /Forever Young (f) 

A rather bumpy and obscured film. When its good its very good, this tends to be when Bob is at the keyboard, which is nice but because he does not move around a lot at the keyboards it makes for a very similar view on each track. Just look at the two pictures, at first glance they look the same!  Dylan is clearly enjoying himself and singing very well. Amazing as the ambience here is about as good as last weeks socks, this really is a parking lot, a very odd venue indeed, and  sadly the crowd are rather too noisy. But if Bob on the keyboards is what you want. Here it is. I think the DVD copy has been transferred at a lower than usual bitrate also (techy stuff) resulting in a slight jerkiness  to the film. 

And that’s about it, of course there are videos of all the acts and talks that took place at our JG3 but I will avoid listing in an effort to save the innocent from further harm, so.. 

Till Next Time 

Chris