The Never Ending Pool

Do You Mr Jones? Fall 2006 Revisited

http://www.hungercity.org/details.php?id=4568

I've just done a new compilation, the first for a while. It's about the Fall 06 tour that is among my favourites. It's more or less a very subjective collection of outstanding tracks, some rarely played songs and some standards.

The tracklist:

disc 1:

01. Ballad Of A Thin Man
13.11.2006, Uniondale

02. Things Have Changed
18.11. 2006, Montreal

03. Shooting Star
24.10.2006, Denver

04. The Man In Me
15.11.2006, Amherst

05. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
09.11.2006, Portland

06. Summer Days
25.10.2006, Lincoln

07. Lonesome Day Blues
11.11.2006, Boston

08. Every Grain Of Sand
12.11.2006, Boston

09. Blind Willie McTell
31.10.2006, Madison

10. Thunder On The Mountain
20.11.2006, New York City


disc 2:

01. Boots Of Spanish Leather
20.11.2006, New York City

02. Simple Twist Of Fate
16.11.2006, East Rutherford

03. This Wheel's On Fire
24.10.2006, Denver

04. Rollin' And Tumblin'
25.10.2006, Lincoln

05. Love Sick
17.11.2006, Fairfax

06. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
09.11.2006, Portland

07. Senor
25.10.2006, Lincoln

08. All Along The Watchtower
02.11.2006, Auburn Hills

09. I Shall Be Released
17.10.2006, San Francisco

10. Ballad Of A Thin Man
25.10.2006, Lincoln


Many thanks to Stew for creating the artwork & for supporting me with some recordings.

Additional thanks to some fellow Bob-listeners who gave me some excellent recommendations some months ago when I asked for the best shows & recordings from this tour. I think I remember Stefan, T.H.Monk and PSB (in a thread at the old pool)

And of course many thanks to all the tapers of the original recordings for all their efforts and their enthusiasm.

I've done an mp3 version for those who can't use BT but please be so kind and do not trade it as mp3s.

mp3 version
disc 1
http://www.sendspace.com/file/3ajj2q

disc 2
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kvbjxl

Excellent Lostchords and Stew, much appreciated. An tour I have very little of. Only the Madison (A Cannonball Blew My Eyes Away) and second Boston gigs. In terms of full shows, which ones have the best sound quality? Am I right in saying Crystal Cat didn't cover this leg?

It's a little difficult to judge these shows in terms of sound quality. Most of them are available in different versions. At the moment I prefer Montreal (great show I think, but the sound is a little "boomy&quot and Lincoln (the milehigh recording).

Special thanks to LC and Stew for their fine work..A couple of worthy good old boys from the Pool...As far as sound quality..My notes from the Fall tour rate Denver and Lincoln as 5 stars (out of five)..Both fom Mile High..Auburn Hills is my favorite..dark and doomy with a sense of dread thrown in for good measure..Peace to all..

I put this compilation together when all these discussions about the so-called "Modern Bob" were up and running. In every second post I had to read that current Bob is so "bad", he can't sing anymore, the band is bad etc.

But then I was listening to all these and other performances that particular tour and what I heard was a Dylan in great form with a voice that wasn't that bad for 65-year old guy (and I prefer this vocal incarnation to many others from the 90s and early 00s), accompanied by an excellent, very tight and smooth (maybe too smooth for some other listeners, but not for me I have to admit) band that never tries to overplay Bob or bury him underneath a wall of pseudo-hard rock. And not to forget there is an extremly versatile guitar player who's responsible for some of the most interesting guitar work since Mike Campbell in 1987. I mean he plays some dirty Blues or Rock'n Roll as good and convincing as these fine lyrical solos in "Boots Of Spanish Leather" or "Simple Twist Of Fate".

These two performances of "Ballad Of A Thin Man" are among the best versions of this song I've ever heard (it seems as if he has rediscovered this classic in 2006, some of the current 2007 performances are nearly as good as these). "Summer Days" was nearly always great during this tour but this performance from Lincoln is interesting. I only hear one guitar and seems to me that Stu isn't involved (I have no idea why). There are great solo parts & Denny's really playing circles around everyone else. "Boots Of Spanish Leather" is an excellent re-interpretation and works in its own way as well as the beautiful acoustic versions in '88 and '95. "Simple Twist Of Fate" includes some fine singing, excellent solos and very effective harmonica playing.

But that's of course only my opinion, please feel free to disagree.

Hi Jürgen,

that looks like a fine compilation again, though I have to disagree with some of your comments regarding band and bob. It all comes down to the fact of personal taste in the end, really.

Me, i´m getting somewhat bored by this momentarily Dylan incarnation and to some extent by this band. Although they are all fine players for sure, especially Denny on guitar, they tend to sound muddy most of the time. I think there are simply too much musicians involved, there isn´t enough space in the music, can´t describe it better. In that regard, the organ for me was the worst idea Dylan had in the past years. I mean, i like organ playing when you have a player like Booker T or Auggie M. who know when to play and when not. But Dylan, especially on songs which require some silence in between like, say, Visions or Hattie Carol, simply doesn´t know when to switch that organ thingy off.
I quite like the Modern Times material, but it gives me nothing to hear one more Spirit or deal, because the differences between the tunes are just about minimal from concert to concert and Dylans voice is, i think, not able at the moment to give them that special something that we all love. For me anyway.
I personally hope he finds another approach in the next year and hope also that somehow his voice recovers.
That doesn´t mean that I don´t find moments or songs that I like in recent concerts, you mentioned Thin Man and you´re right about that, but these moments don´t come very often at the moment, unfortunately.

Thanks for the comments, Achim!

Yes, that organ! Actually I've learned to ignore it.

Wasn't Lincoln the show where Stu walked off the stage?

Great compilation! Thanks for your time and effort.

90% of the "modern bob" stuff is just from a small handful of trolls. Happens on every message board. Wo be to he who praises Springsteen on a Springsteen board.

Great compilation - thanks! Here's a bonus track, a fantastic Things Have Changed from East Rutherford:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/top03v

Yes the keyboard does not work all the time..The tunes that work the best are songs that had keyboards in the orginal recording..Not acoustic based tunes..That is why "Thin Man" works so well..This is a solid band..Denny is outstanding and Donnie is a great multi-instrumentalist..Is Denny better than Larry or Charlie?..Is Donnie better than Bucky or Larry?..They were in totally different bands and the focus was different..All excellent bands..This band fits Bob at 66 with Modern Times material..Larry and Charlie and L&T were perfect..All this carping about the curret band is a moot point..Bob knows how to put a band together that fits his style at the time..That fall tour of 2006 the band really came alive with the introduction on the MT material.. By the Denver concert they really began a roll thats continues today..Sorry if I'm ramblin' a bit..Bob certainly does not need me to defend him..I've really enjoyed the last three bands Bob has put together..Peace to all and thanks to LC and Adam for posting..And thanks for letting me have my say..