Crystal Cat has just issued the BOB DYLAN title, "Scandinavium 2005", which is getting described as an "exemplary" show and given the usual stellar packaging touches by the label...this release captures BOB's Gothenberg, Sweden show from October 21st, 2005 in excellent audience quality. Another DYLAN update...it seems 4Reel Productions has given Tamourine Man Visions' "Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back - The Outtakes" a stateside release and this time it's on a single DVD-9 disc, allowing the entire 136 minute feature on one DVD vs. TMV's double-disc release. Either way, it's a superb title and I think all of us would recommend picking up this one on either format. Now, on DVD-R there have been several new DYLAN titles to surface in the last week or so as well. From V-Jam comes "Bob Dylan 1984-1985", which is a video anthology that we've seen in many other releases that contains "We Are The World" outtakes and the Live-Aid performance, both the 1985 Farm-Aid Rehearsals and the actual show, plus Barcelona '84 and more. Another V-Jam piece is "Traveling Wilburys - Whatever Wilbury", a compilation of Promo Video Clips running about 90 minutes. From Footstomp comes "Bob Dylan And Friends - The Lost Films 1974-1978", which concentrates on lost 8MM live footage of Bob with THE BAND, LEON RUSSEL, JONI MITCHELL, and JOAN BAEZ amongst other snippets. Then, from Ayanami there is "Bob Dylan And Friends - Eternal" which is a complete document of "Bobfest" (his 30th Anniversary tribute concert) from Madison Square Garden on October 16, 1992...the disc features what is described as "professional" but private-shot footage of the Rehearsals on October 14 & 15, as well as the actual event.

Weekly Japanese Commercial Bootleg issues include...new DEEP PURPLE titles from Darker Than Blue..."Deep Night" is a 4CD set that features two different superb audience source tapes from the May 8th, 1985 show at Castle Hall in Osaka..."Killing Machine" 4CD gets the exact same approach with recordings from the same venue the following night on May 9th. New from Sirene is the ANDERSON, BRUFORD, WAKEMAN & HOWE double-CD "Night Of The Edge", capturing the YES-spinoff effort from Isstadion in Stockholm on November 8th, 1989. There is also a handful of the DAVID GILMOUR-led PINK FLOYD titles from Sirene on Recordable Media format and boasting awesome quality audience tapes..."Dark Moon Arise" 2CDR features their Modena, Italy show from September 17, 1994..."Tree Of Life" 2CDR, plus encore disc, documents the August 25th, 1994 concert at Parken in Copenhagen, Denmark...and "The Night Of Wonder" 2CDR has the Werchter, Belgium performance at Festivalweide on September 2nd, 1994. Another very limited release from Sirene is KING CRIMSON "Sleeptalk" 4CDR captures the band Live at Kan'i Hoken Hall, Gotanda, Tokyo on April 29th & 30th, 1984...the first night/first 2 discs from an FM Broadcast, and discs 3 & 4 from an audience tape...this title is being issued in 50 numbered copies only. So there you go. We haven't seen a ROD STEWART boot in awhile but Trial has broken that silence with "Tonight In The City" a 2CDR of ROD & BAND live at The Budokan in Tokyo during the Foolish Behavior Tour on May 13th, 1981 and boasts excellent sound...this one may in fact be sourced from video but that isn't confirmed. From Power Gate this week comes MEGADETH "Waldrock Festival", a stereo soundboard of their June 4th, 2005 show in Bergum, Holland. 

Plenty of DVD-R titles abound but here are some of the more interesting titles I came across this past week. Look for a new GUNS N' ROSES European DVD-R making the rounds called "Troubadour"...it's a pro-shot vid of vintage GNR from The Troubadour club in Hollywood on July 11th, 1986! From the Solenoid Label comes a few gems...IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS "Kilburn Brats" features a Rockpalast appearance from February 1978 as well as a BBC performance from 1999...STEELY DAN "Dan Abnormal" compiles rare live TV appearances from the reclusive studio band, rounding up their "Midnight Special" and "In Concert" and "American Bandstand" 1973 TV performances along with a 1991 "Rock And Soul Revue" Special...then we get our 60's fix with LOVE "Love, Love & Love", featuring "American Bandstand" clips from 1966, an original promotional film from 1969 and a Iceworld Live 1991...And THE ZOMBIES "Zombie Paradise" which compiles all their mid-60's TV clips from "Hullaballo", "Shindig" and "Where The Action Is!" circa 1965. Another nostalgic release comes from Silvertone and is called "Welcome To The Fillmore East"...the DVD-R features footage from a PBS Film that captured one night at the legendary New York venue on September 23rd, 1970...and contains performances by such varied acts as THE BYRDS, ELVIN BISHOP, SHA-NA-NA, VAN MORRISON and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND!  From Footstomp comes a new NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE DVD-R called "UK TV 1971 + Other Rarities", this one features NEIL's entire BBC Concert from February 23, 1971 with some bonus clips to boot.

Finally, for ROLLING STONES collectors...it appears that the popular Japanese Label, Jointrip, has changed its' name to Treasure Stone. Treasure Stone has just issued 2 new DVD-R titles..."Crazy Night In Fresco" features the audience-shot video from Save Mart Center on November 20, 2005..."Midnight Ramblers In Miami" contains another audience-shot documentation of the American Airlines Arena performance on October 17, 2005...and we mentioned that Devil Productions has re-issued the classic Stones "Live At The Marquee" DVD...this has been available on numerous labels and this one offers the same 2 versions of the tape the others have - if you don't own it, make sure you seek it out, classic and a must-have.  It seems that those STONES '81 soundboards will wrap up with 4 more titles to be split between Dog N' Cat Records and Empress Valley...we know that DAC will have their Syracuse '81 4CD set out soon and word has it that another featured show will be one of the New Orleans Superdome dates...I'll let you know more as details unfold.

I continue my vigilence of keeping my ear to our sources and will update the News Ticker throughout the week. Hopefully we'll see some more action...and you know where to hear about it!  Thanks again and have a great week.

Svengi
January 16, 2006