The Never Ending Pool

The second chapter is a hard one. With about 1000 performances blowin in the wind is one of the songs bob dylan performed most in his career. He kept on playing the song throughout the years and still performs it today. It has also been covered by a lot of other artists and a lot of people will say the best version is not dylans.
So picking a "best performance" is impossible for this one but i'll be very happy if we come up with a very very good one.

My first pick comes from a time when this song was just written and bob dylan started playing places outside of New York.
In july 1962, he got the chance to play this venue in Montreal, Canada. It's one of the first full concerts that got fully recorded in superb quality.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/4006xt

The second performance i've chose comes straight from rolling thunder. In these years he like to duet with Joan Baez and on may 16, 1976, they sang this version of Blowin in the wind. The overall feel of the songs if very different from the 1962 version. The tempo is higher and the melody and singing is richer and offcourse Joan adds a special twist to the song. (from hold the forth for what it's worth)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/69izt0

Number three. Only two years later, bob chose the religious path and injected the music with a bit of gospel. This performance from december 10, 1978 has a very rich arrangement with piano, backing vocals, a fluit or something like that and a bob that stretches every vowel like he really sees it blowin. (this comes from the hush hush sweet charlotte bootleg)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/i88da5

In 1986, bob dylan hit the road with tom petty. By this time, the song has transformed to a dancable song. still with backing vocals but much more modest. This version comes from the true confessions bootleg
http://www.sendspace.com/file/j782gz

By the end of the eighties, bob reverted to some plain simple solo acoustic performances. On february 6, 1990, he plays a very simple version of the song with the exact same instruments as he did in 1962: his voice, his guitar and his harmonica. Yet it sounds very different.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/f3kzxx

I'm taking a leap now, straight to the amazing year of 2000. Again, he plays fully acoustic but now he is accompanied by his full band. His voice is somewhat rougher than on all previous performances. The phrasing is very different and very typical for this period in his career. This performance comes from september 23, 2000 in Cardiff, Wales.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/bxgynq

At last, a version from modern times. a lot has changed since 2000. Bob dylan's voice sounds very rough by now and he raps through the song. The sound is bluesy and has dylan playing the organ and harp.
This performance comes from auckland, on august 27, 2007.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1bh5ia

So now it's up to you! upload your favourite performances or vote for on of these!

Thank you very much, that's excellent!

My favourite would be 1976 with Joan Baez, that were great versions. Here is the one from Ft. Collins. When I saw that on TV at that time it was quite a contrast to the official version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXggWraDTNs

The performance from the first (unreleased) 1976 Clearwater TV Special
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f01UehWq3v8


The 1984 versions should be mentioned, too. There was one excellent performance in that year in Barcelona, where the whole stadium sang it and Dylan was really surprised about the enthusiasm of the audience. I see if I can find the recording somewhere to make an mp3.

not among the best, but still worth watching:

Hamburg 1984 with Joan Baez & Carlos Santana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RHUOT_1YBo

Rio 1990 with G.E. Smith somewhere in the background
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCcgD7HgF-Q

Springfield 1990
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-858osA6Xo<br><br>Post edited by: lostchords, at: 2007/09/22 03:14

Can't find Barcelona but here's the version from Cologne 1984:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/9vze7l

I can't upload it at the moment, but if we're going to put one on from '00, I'd put the Santa Cruz version that was used in Masked &amp; Anonymous. That'd get my vote.

andrew

Here's nice version from Atlanta, Feb. 9, 2002. Certainly not his best, but worth the listen.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/9rhz7e<br><br>Post edited by: Mr. Tambourine Man, at: 2007/09/22 17:46

I've just listened to Auckland 27.8.07, as mentioned above. It's a fine performance with an excellent guitar solo. I wasn't that fond of the other 2007 - versions of &quot;Blowin&quot; but this one is really good!

Here's the soomlos version:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/x9q0va<br><br>Post edited by: lostchords, at: 2007/09/25 04:27

i dont like this song, unless its the Santa Cruz version in Masked &amp; Anon...

I would vote for either a solo 1962 version (e.g. the studio take on Freewheelin' or the 2000 version with the vocal harmonies by Larry and Charley.

That 2000-2001 version was really beautiful and very meaningful in the wake of 9/11. Listen to the 2001 Madison Square Garden show for a good example.

H.

Bangla Desh.

PSB wrote:

QUOTE:
Bangla Desh.

thats the one

Here's MY favourite version: http://www.sendspace.com/file/s9durl
it's also from '62, but from Gerdes Folk City. I particularly like the introduction, it's one of my favourite quotes when he explains, that he doesn't write folk songs, just 'something to be said by somebody for somebody' .

can we wrap this up?

my vote goes to santa cruz 2000

My votes on Santa Cruz to
Brilliant performance

I'll vote for Santa Cruz 2000 too.

Any of the 2000's are my favorite.

I'm mainly just bumping this up though so we can get another one going. If each song takes over a month, we won't be done with the comp for 3-4 years.