Terrific early Dylan

Terrific, eh? Four stars, eh? Yes, I know, Dylan-philes everywhere are already seeing me in hell, but I'm just trying to be fair and balanced. So sue me.



Another legendary Bob Dylan-concert which has been available as a bootleg for decades, the so-called "Halloween Concert" is not quite as accessible (or essential) as "Bootleg Series" volumes 4 and 5, the 1966 and 1975 concerts.

This is strictly acoustic material, just Bob Dylan, his guitar and his harmonica rack, and not everybody who like band-backed Dylan enjoy his earliest solo stuff. And while there are plenty of warm, wonderful performances here, there are also a couple of performances, including an 11-minute "It's Alright Ma", which are mostly for diehards.



But if you're seriously interested in the acoustic Bob Dylan, this concert is a must-have. The sound is spectacular, wonderfully realistic and immediate, and the transfer is extremely clean. The packaging is lavish, featuring a fine essay, numerous photos, and discographical information, just like the previous issues in this series. And there are some truly stellar performances here...104 minutes of music, including a wonderful, sensitive performance of "The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll", an acidic "With God On Our Side", and a lovely, melodic "If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Or Else You Gotta Stay All Night)".

Joan Baez guests on four songs on disc two. Dylan and her fool around on an enjoyable "Mama, You've Been On My Mind", and Baez sings a thoroughly beautiful "Silver Dagger" which is worth the entire second disc.



There are protest songs here, alongside "talking blues", folk, love songs, and humorous narratives. Great renditions of "Spanish Harlem Indident", "Mr Tambourine Man", "To Ramona", "The Times They Are A-Changin'", the definitive solo performance of "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)"...

And Dylan himself is is high spirits, relaxed, friendly and funny.

This is a must-have for fans of Dylan's acoustic period, and even those who already own the bootleg should consider replacing it. To me, these performances are often better than the solo numbers on the 1966 album, and several of them are equal to the magnificent acoustic songs on "Live 1975".

4 1/2 stars. Highly recommended.