Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration

by

Various Artists and Bob Dylan

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This concert, held back in October of '92, brought together a startling array of artists, whose presence alone was tribute to the musical significance of Bob Dylan. Thankfully, they all brought instruments with them, and somebody thought to record it. What we have here are some highlights of that show, which featured remarkably tight playing throughout. Some of the highlights are surprises, others quite expected: Willie Nelson gets the vibe of "What Was It You Wanted" just right, the Clancy Brothers do a glorious rendition of "When the Ship Comes In", and the O'Jays' (yes, the O'Jays) performance of "Emotionally Yours" is downright stunning. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a powerhouse, with Duck Dunn guesting on bass and a dual drum attack of Stan Lynch and Jim Keltner. Hearing The Band (well, 3/5 of it, anyway) give what was their first performance in ages was a treat. And Neil Young pretty well steals the show.

For all the highlights, there are a few things could have been better about this set. George Harrison's performance of "If Not For You" somehow didn't make it on here. The sound mix is decidedly bland throughout. Chrissy Hynde's guitar is completely buried on "I Shall Be Released", as are Garth Hudson and Richard Bell's accordians on "When I Paint My Masterpiece" (no wonder Neil Young insisted on mixing his tracks himself). The greatest indignity of all, though, is saved for Roger McGuinn, who sang ALL FOUR verses of "Mr. Tambourine Man" that night, not just the two that appear in this hacked-up version. The "Everybody" rendition of "Knockin' on Heavan's Door" is quite chaotic - despite the familiarity of the song, people seem to playing two different sets of chords. And, on a humorous but hardly surprising note, Bob's vocal on "My Back Pages" was redone later (I know - I still have the tape I made from the radio broadcast that night - plus, you can check the video, they don't show his mouth at all).

I think the Sinead O'Connor incident would have made a worthwhile inclusion as well, as a document of what the Woodstock generation are like now.

In any case, none of these drawbacks should keep you from buying and enjoying this set.