by Chris Cooper

The Best of Magnetic Movements

Hello and welcome.

Welcome to this, the final Magnetic Movements for FW.

It seemed pretty pointless to just list the new things in one more time. So, as this issue of FW has been themed I thought I would list a top ten of videos for you to chose from. If you have followed this column over the years you cannot be unaware of my own particular liking for audience films. I’ve been their champion for a lot of years and I cannot list a top ten without including a few, To be quite honest picking a Top Ten at all is a completely arbitrary thing. Ask me tomorrow and it will be different. I toyed with the idea of a top ten for both audience and TV footage, but that was going to be far too big and time consuming. So a compromise, five audience, five TV. And because I am a champion for audience films they will be first.

Everything listed is currently out there on DVD. Its not that hard to find if you want it.

The rest of course is up to you.

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21-07-1986      Meadowlands Arena                                                                          56:00

The Times They Are A-Changin' / One Too Many Mornings / A Hard Rains A Gonna Fall / I Forgot More / Happy Birthday / Like A Rolling Stone / In The Garden

This is a good place to start,  here is Bob at his best? Happy? No drunk I’d guess. The guy can hardly stand but gives a sterling performance. The films clear and pretty steady and captures the various rants wonderfully. It would never get released, yet its compulsive viewing, for me what audience films are all about. Being in the right place at the right time. Terrifically funny viewing.

One thing you may wonder is why there are no earlier films. I don’t want anyone to think that the earlier stuff is not worth watching. But, the facts are that video cameras only really were in there in fact at this time so whilst there are nice moments (even minutes) on earlier films this is when things started to finally get more professional.

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08-02-1990      Hammersmith Odeon                                                                     100.00

Absolutely Sweet Marie / Man In The Long Black Coat / Positively 4th Street / Ballad Of A Thin Man / Pledging My Time / I Want You / Political World / You Angel You / All Along The Watchtower / Boots Of Spanish Leather / To Ramona / She Belongs To Me / Mr. Tambourine Man / Disease Of Conceit / I'll Remember You / Where Teardrops Fall/ Seeing The Real You At Last / Every Grain Of Sand / Like A Rolling Stone / Hang Me, Oh Hang Me (Trad) / Highway 61 Revisited

OK Cameras are better, shot from the balcony this is just one of the best Bob shows I have ever seen.  Last night of the residency, we waited all week for him to play that piano! (those were the days!) Then we got Disease of Conceit. If CBS had an official film of this it should be a national crime to with hold it. From the first flick of ol’ GE’s hair till the last wave from Bob its classic Dylan.  Modern technology has overtaken this one and the sound has now been redubbed so you have crystal clear (is that cat?) audio.

17-02-1993      Eindhoven                                                                                          100:00

The Man In Me / All Along The Watchtower / Tangled Up In Blue / Watching The River Flow / Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again / Silvio / Tomorrow Night / Jim Jones / Gates Of Eden / It's All Over Now, Baby Blue / Cat's In The Well / I And I / The Times They Are A-Changin' / Highway 61 Revisited / Ballad Of A Thin Man / Everything Is Broken / It Ain't Me, Babe

A further classic example of how audience films can capture a magic moment.  Often magic because it was spontaneous. This is the famous show a female from the crowd joins Bob to sing “Times They Are A-Changin” once again the taper just happens to be in the right place at the right time. I don’t know how you can get tired of these sort of shows.

Again available with redubbed sound, this was soon to become a feature of most worthwhile videos, and has enhanced many, as long as its done correctly of course

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21-07-2001      Liverpool                                                                                           125:00

Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie / To Ramona / Desolation Row / Maggie's Farm / Just Like A Woman / This Wheel's On Fire / Visions Of Johanna / Fourth Time Around / Boots Of Spanish Leather / Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again / Positively 4th Street / Cold Irons Bound / Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat / Things Have Changed / Like A Rolling Stone / Knockin' On Heaven's Door / All Along The Watchtower / I Shall Be Released / Highway 61 Revisited / Blowin' In The Wind / Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35

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04-05-2002      Brighton                                                                                               35:00

I Am The Man, Thomas / If Not For You / It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) / To Ramona / Tweedle Dee And Tweedle Dum / Can't Wait / Subterranean Homesick Blues

This had huge promise but ends very quickly due to the taper getting caught. An occupational hazard for these guys. It must be galling to be stopped when you know its going so well. Just love “Can’t Wait” on here. If you get the whole film you can hear the guy get caught. Just how did he mange to keep the film you have to ask yourself.

That’s it for the audience stuff. I am hopeful that as the newer “mega-pixel” cameras become more common we will see even better picture quality films, though now the standard has already reached amazing heights, especially looking back at the first audience video films, around 1981.

Anyway onwards and upwards
 

01-03-1963      Westinghouse                                                    55:00  (Bob Part 15:00)

Blowin' In The Wind / Man Of Constant Sorrow / Ballad Of Hollis Brown / This Land Is Your Land

Thought an early one was best place to start. This is the earliest TV appearance we have, currently. (HA don’t you just love controversy!) Bob's in fine form, looks about 9 and the whole show  has a quaint charm that is hard to avoid.

Choosing these was even harder in a way. There are a few things that just elect them selves. I felt something from ’66 was essential. But in the end for sheer watchability this beats the film “Eat The Document” any day.

PRO

---04-1966       Ballad Of A Thin Man                                                                           9:00

Ballad of a Thin Man

The only complete song from ’66 that circulates. You couldn’t leave it out could you? Comes as a small film made to look very much like a promo video, though I cannot imagine why. It’s wonderful, mesmerizing stuff.

PRO

00-11-1975      Renaldo & Clara                                                                                230:00

When I paint my masterpiece, Guitar inst, Kawliga, Isis, Ballad in plain D  G LIGHTFOOT, In the pines, Hava Negilah, Wilkommen, Hard rain, Everythings Coming up roses, Trad Indian dance, People get ready, I want you, Need  a new sun rising RONEE BLAKLELY, South Port west Virginia BOB NEUWRITH, Mamas Lament, God & Mama MAMA MARIA FRASCA, Salt Port / Muleskinner JACK ELLIOTT, What will you do when Jesus comes?, Fast talking woman, Little Moses, It Ain't me babe           

Knockin on heaven's door, Hurricane, She belongs to me, Catfish, It takes a lot to laugh, Curucu La Paloma JOAN BAEZ, Loved her the most JACK ELLIOTT, Diamonds and rust J BAEZ, If you see her say hello, Romance in Durango, One too many mornings, House of the rising sun, One more cup of coffee, Kaddish A GINSBERG, Eight Miles High / Chestnut Mare R McGUINN, Sara, Water is wide DYLAN-BAEZ, Catfish ROB STONER, Pattys gone to Laredo, Suzanne J BAEZ, Never let me go DYLAN-BAEZ, Sat eyed lady of the lowlands, Tangled up in blue@, Hollywood waltz / Kaddish A GINSBERG, Just like a woman / Knockin on heavens door, In the morning CABARET.

The full four hours from this, one of Bob’s most popular periods. It’s a crime that this has not materialized as a double DVD (hopefully with lots of outtakes!). I would certainly say this is an essential item to have. Apart from the concert footage the whole montage is just an amazing experience. I never tire of watching this.

PRO

23-05-1976      Hard Rain                                                                                           55:00

Hard Rain, Blowin in the wind DYLAN-BAEZ, Railroad boy DYLAN-BAEZ, Deportees DYLAN-BAEZ, I pity the poor Immigrant, Shelter from the storm, Maggies farm, One too many mornings, Mozambique, Idiot wind, Knockin on heavens door

A classic concert again, filmed  as close as it gets this film sets standards that have never been surpassed. “Idiot Wind” alone is worth the price of admission. If you fail to be moved then your blind.

For many this was the film that started them collecting video I bought a copy at a record fair then went and got my first video recorder so I could play it! The bloody thing stopped in the middle of Idiot wind, remember those days! Of course the technique of zooming in on the mic and waiting for Bob to come to it was quickly copied by many audience tapers. This was the one. In many ways it still is.
 

PRO

22-03-1984      Letterman show                                                                                 15:00

Don’t Start Me To Talking / License To Kill / Jokerman

Late one night, who would  suspect? Who indeed, Bob finds a scratch band and gives what is almost certainly is best ever TV appearance. He’s been back to the show many times since but never recaptured that incredible energy. Watch him leap and prance during Sonny Boys “Don’t Start” it’s pure electricity.

An so it continues, No doubt many of you will disagree with some of these choices, if not all. But I believe if you locate these ten dvds you will have a superb cross section of Dylan's performing art.

Hopefully the future will make this list redundant. Newer and better cameras are constantly appearing. The ability to redub sound and edit the film is already being superseded by video enhancements, things may be better before we know it. Of course this means that you can get duff versions of these things also. Older “unimproved” copies are one possibility. Anyone with an editing kit can get a dvd and re-edit it, if they don’t fully understand what they are doing, they can reduce something worthwhile to rubbish. The recent “Telecasts” set is a good example. There are some awful menu versions around, There are some excellent ones too.

If you can, view before you get it. But we all have to take risks, right? 

And finally a thanks to everyone who has sent me films, and to the legion of tapers out there  who often mar their own enjoyment of a show to bring us chunks of it. You have to remember that for every time someone produces a good film they probably have done half a dozen that failed,. So many things can go wrong that it’s a wonder anyone ever succeeds, but they do. As you can see. Thanks guys. 

This will be my final Magnetic Movements, I shall continue to supply info and things to DVDylan.com for anyone interested. And my video database is very much in the pipeline if you want to take that interest further. You know how to find me. 

I will always be interested in any new films you have, So stay in touch. 

Thanks for reading, and for watching Bob. 

Till  Next Time ?