by Chris Cooper

Magnetic Movements On-Line 

Hello and welcome to the new shaped  Magnetic Movements, streamlined and fitter. Changes required for the on-line service. I did not want there to be two slightly different versions of this material. I now assist the on line site run by Vygi which can be viewed here  http://dvdylan.com  Vygi keeps a full list of available DVDs there and the site is becoming quite versatile so check it out.

As you can expect the  video tapers were out in force at the recent excellent Euro shows so I have decide to give this first revamped issue over to some of them. There are other things in worthy of inclusion but so as to keep things running each month items that have NOT been reviewed in detail will be listed here and reviewed next time. We don’t want to get bogged down with this, particularly if there is a run of things waiting, so I will endeavour to clear the list each following month. That is, everything listed here will be reviewed next time. 

So;

Waiting in the wings is:-

New York, Hammerstein  shows - all three days August 12, 13 & 20^th, 2003
Milan, April 20, 2002
Munster, October 1, 2000

So putting that to one side lets look at some things from this year..
 

15-11-03               WEMBLEY ARENA                                                                           84.00

Maggies Farm / Its All over Now Baby Blue / Cry Awhile / Desolation Row / Its Alright Ma/Boots Of Spanish Leather / Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee / Mr Tambourine Man / Things Have Changed / Highway 61 Revisited / Every Grain Of Sand / Honest With Me/ Hattie Carroll / Summer Days (e) 

Shot from the left we get to see Bob mostly in profile, Nice film to watch, seems very bright colours too. Picture breaks up at the end, due I believe to a technical fault. Nice sound also. Bob is sweating profusely here but still delivers a blistering performance, just try an keep up with Highway 61 for example.

20-11-03                  Hallam Fm  Arena SHEFFIELD                                                    115.00

Maggies Farm / Its All Over Now Baby Blue / Cry Awhile / Desolation Row / Its Alright Ma / Girl Of The North Country / Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee / Man In The Long Black Coat / Stuck Inside Of Mobile / Highway 61 Revisited (s) / Every Grain Of Sand / Honest With Me / Hattie Carroll/ Summer Days // Cats In The Well / Like A Rolling Stone / All Along The Watchtower 

Of course a lot has happened since the last show. The taper is on the far right now which produces the effect that Bob seems to be looking straight at you. Something I find a bit disturbing actually. However this is a cracking film. Very steady and clear, though it doesn’t pan to other people very often.To my ear Dylan’s voice is a  bit croaky at the start but this clears up. There are  noticeably more slower songs this night, so if you want the ballads  and little rock this is the  one for you.
 

21-11-03               NEC  BIRMINGHAM                                                                       80.00

Can’t Wait (s) / Boots Of Spanish Leather / Cold Irons Bound / Hattie Carroll / Honest With Me / Every Grain Of Sand/ Summer Days // Cats In The Well / Like A Rolling Stone / All Along The Watchtower 

Wish I could tell you the full story as to why this is only half the show. But this has be shot extreme right literally level with the stage, Dylan looking straight at you with the band in profile, its obviously waaaaay back, and whilst it zooms in fairly close the result is a bit grainy. The sound whilst clear is  a bit echoey  too. If you were there  you may want this, otherwise, pass.
 

23-11-03               Empire, SHEPHERDS BUSH, LONDON                                       118.00

Cold Irons Bound / Quinn The Eskimo / Down Along The Cove / It Takes A Lot To Laugh / Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues / Most Likely You’ll Go Your Way / Million Miles (s) / Tough Mama / Under The Red Sky / Positively Fourth Street / Dear Landlord / Tombstone Blues / Jokerman / Silvio // Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee / Like A Rolling Stone / All Along The Watchtower 

This has to be the biggest surprise of the year. Amazing set list coupled with a super return to form for Bob. Its mostly clear and steady, if a bit darker than the rest. Sound very good. You gotta find this one, if only to watch Bob smiling during “Cove” and the gasp of amazement he gets from the crowd when they recognize “Landlord” and “Jokerman”.
 

24-11-03               Apollo,  HAMMERSMITH, LONDON                                            25.00

Drifters Escape / You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere / Cry Awhile / Girl Of  The North Country / Romance In Durango / Dear Landlord (f) 

No mystery as to what happens here, as you can hear the poor guy get caught by security. The first few tracks are a waste as people seem to be constantly getting up and going past the taper. Someone even asks for a copy after Eskimo! But by some freak occurrence everything falls in place for a great recording of “Romance In Durango” if no better versions shows you have to get this track, history before your eyes, captured well.
 

25-11-03               The Academy,   BRIXTON, LONDON                                           118.00

Wicked Messenger / Yeah Heavy And A Bottle Of Bread / Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee / Blind Willie McTell / Tangled Up In Blue / Million Miles / Boots Of Spanish Leather / Highway 61 Revisited/ Love Sick (s) / Jokerman / Hard Rain / Honest With Me / Hattie Caroll / Summer Days / Cats In The Well  / Like A Rolling Stone / All Along The Watchtower 

I thought the final night was the best of these last 3, though that’s a bit like asking you to choose your favourite painting. This nice clear bright and mostly steady film bears that out. At times the balcony obscures the bottom part of the screen, and again the taper concentrates on Bob. But see the concentration in “Hard Rain” and the smile after “Tangled” and the wink to the crowd in the balcony at the end of “Like A Rolling Stone”. An the thumbs up at the end of the show.  Did I Tell you I like this one? 

That’s all for this month plenty of new things to watch but please don’t be afraid to tell me of any that I have missed. It would be nice to make these listing complete and that of course is only possible with your help.

So.

Till Next Time