Expensive, but Worth it For Collectors

In a way this material seems like it was all thrown together, but collectors are going to want to get it for the unreleased material that's been salted into it. "Wade in the Water" from 1961," gives us kind of a bluesy Mr. D. "Handsome Molly" recorded at the Gaslight a year later gives us a folksy Bob. "To Ramona" from the "Don't Look Back" film is a nice version, but maybe they could have left off the horrible "Dead Man, Dead Man" recorded in New Orleans in 1981. The stuff from the "Never Ending Tour," is nothing short of outstanding. This CD is worth everyone of those five stars even with that one stinker on it.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

May Be Worthwhile If You're A Serious Dylan Fan

(...) we could have done better by Sony with this one... There are many fine live tracks here - and, granted, most of these performances are unavailable elsewhere (at least in "official" releases). As a serious-but-not-fanatical Dylan fan, I swallowed hard at the purchase price, took the leap, and have ended up enjoying the album greatly from start to finish.

BUT: not only are there several already-released cuts on the album, but Sony saw fit to only give us one CDs-worth of material. Even though this is an import, it's still awfully stingy of Sony not to give us more material - and more rare or previously-unreleased material - given the very hefty price tag of this item.

There are many, many albums out there by Dylan and others that provide more music and better music for 1/3 or even 1/4 of the cost of this album! So, unless you're a serious Dylan fan, I recommend passing this one over and instead buying two to four other Dylan albums with the money you would have spent on this live import... You'll probably also have enough left to buy a six pack of some fine import - which you can savor while listening to all the great music you just bought! On the other hand, if you ARE a serious Dylan fan, this album is certainly worth your consideration despite its steep price: every performance here is a strong one, most of the material is rare/previously-unreleased, and of the previously-released material there some cuts that were the only gems in otherwise lackluster albums.

Whatever was handy

An exhorbitantly priced single disc from Sony Japan that is a poor representation of Bob Dylan's work on the concert stage.



Clearly, whoever slapped this together just grabbed whatever was handy because there is no rhyme or reason to this set. A handful of rarities, some good (the jubilant "Somebody Touched Me") but others unremarkable (an okay "Deadman, Deadman"), are sandwiched between several performances previously released on "Hard Rain" (an energetic "Shelter From the Storm"), "Dylan and the Dead" (an incoherent "Slow Train") and "Unplugged" (the forgettable "Dignity"). None of these performances come close to qualifying as Dylan's best, but here they are, singled out as if they represent the highlights in nearly four decades worth of performances. And, as an import, it costs considerably more than any of the excellent multi-disc sets in "The Bootleg Series."



If you absolutely insist on owning a live version of "Country Pie," or are a die-hard who'll buy anything with Dylan's name on it, this disc is for you. All others should beware.



Brian W. Fairbanks