Live Dylan: Harvard 2004
date: 2004-11-21
location: Gordon Track and Tennis Center, Harvard University
boblink: http://boblinks.com/dates22.html#1121
opener: Rainy Day Women
personal favorites played: High Water (For Charlie Patton), John Brown
Bob factor: This was the last show of 2004, and Bob seems to be in a good mood. He gets the audience to sing along with Rainy Day Women, and while he mumbles and rushes the lyrics more than I’d like, he does pick out some nice melodies to offset the more annoying quirks of the evening.
performance: This was keyboard-not-guitar era, as I mentioned. There is more keyboard in the mix than the earlier Sweden show I’d written up, which is nice to hear. Campbell plays a beautiful pedal steel guitar on most of the ballads. The band was tight no-nonsense. Session player Stu Kimball anchors a band that sounds much more solid and workmanlike than they had in a while. Any shortcomings in the blues-jamming department are made up for with good restraint, spotlighting their boss as a solo musician, and not just a roadhouse bandleader.
recording: The taper takes his time settling in, adjusting levels and such for most of the first song. Sounds like there might have been some PA problems, because instruments and vocals occasionally drop out at the beginning and end. The part of the recording that stays consistent, however, is excellent. Much better high-end coverage than a lot of audience tapes.
highlights: “Desolation Row” is 9 minutes long and worth every second. It’s followed by the blues version of “It’s Alright, Ma” That’s basically a slam dunk for me. “High Water” is a modern classic, and could be played twice a night and I wouldn’t complain.
lowlights: Despite several versions of “Forever Young” being enduring favorites of mine, the arrangement it gets here is lackluster. “Stuck Inside Of Mobile” wanders in the wilderness until it runs out of real estate.
decision: A definite keeper. Great recording, and a great show. The same taper apparently taped the Amherst show the night before, so that’s probably one to keep an eye out for.
March 25th, 2008 - Posted in Live Dylan | |
