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Old 04-02-2008, 03:44 PM   #1 (permalink)
Davey Moore
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Default The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall





Album: The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall

Artist: Bob Dylan

Released: 2004

Rating: 10/10


“It’s Halloween. I have my Bob Dylan mask on.”
- Bob Dylan

It was a cold, cold night in New York city when a young performer took the stage at the Philharmonic, on the upper westside of Manhattan. It was 1964, JFK had been assassinated less than a year previous, and the wounds of the loss were still evident. The chaotic frenzy that was Beatlemania was in full swing. Wherever these four boys went, the deafening roar of the crowd would follow. This roar however, wasn’t sufficient enough to silence the voice of another legend in the making, Bob Dylan. Though only 23 years old, this troubadour had already been hailed as the “Voice of a Generation” and a folk messiah, the heir to a line that went all the way back to Woody Guthrie.

This would be the last pure folk performance that Dylan would play, alone on the stage (with an occasional duet with the Queen of Folk and his lover, Joan Baez), with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, elegant poetry flowing freely from his lips, like it was second nature. The crowd is clearly in reverence of Dylan, unaware of the evolution about to take place, which would shock and disgust some of them.

The mood is uplifting when the concert begins, you hear laughing and chatting, and then a glorious swell of applause as Dylan appears on stage. He begins the night, like he usually did, with “The Times They Are A Changin’” Dylan’s voice is spot on, the familiar rough and raw delivery which can’t be duplicated. Dylan’s best performances were rarely on record, they were usually live, on stage, like this concert.

His interaction with the crowd is a large part of what makes this such a special performance. Between songs he is joking, playing around with the audience, on one occasion he forgets the opening verse to a song, and asks the audience for help. They readily oblige. He introduces some songs he’s working on, “The Gates Of Eden” and “It’s Alright Ma( I’m Only Bleeding)”, which absolutely confound the audience. For the most part Dylan delivers his standard folk repertoire. The latter part of the concert, he performs some duets with Joan Baez, including one of my favorites, “With God On Our Side”. Dylan and Baez harmonize beautifully, and in this song especially. This two disc edition is a special set, digitally restored, providing a magical look at a genius at his best. Dylan is a titan in the music industry, and this is one of his titanic performances.


Track Listing:

Disc One

1. "The Times They Are A-Changin'" – 3:29
2. "Spanish Harlem Incident" – 3:07
3. "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues" – 4:06
4. "To Ramona" – 6:01
5. "Who Killed Davey Moore?" – 4:46
6. "Gates of Eden" – 8:32
7. "If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Or Else You Got to Stay All Night)" – 4:06
8. "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" – 11:26
9. "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Met)" – 4:01
10. "Mr. Tambourine Man" – 6:33
11. "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" – 7:44

Disc Two

1. "Talkin' World War III Blues" – 5:52
2. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" – 4:34
3. "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" – 6:57
4. "Mama, You Been on My Mind" – 3:35*
5. "Silver Dagger" (Traditional) – 3:47*
6. "With God on Our Side" – 6:17*
7. "It Ain't Me, Babe" – 5:11*
8. "All I Really Want to Do" – 4:01

* Performed by Joan Baez



(hooray for having 15 posts and being able to post this, >_____>)
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