Another incredible Dylan gem surfaces, making the Spring of 2008 quite a landmark period for collectors. This New Orleans date from the 1976 Hard Rain period has been previously represented by a handful of mono soundboard sources on CD dating back to 1991's Rolling Thunder Revue from the Flashback Label and the most recent silver disc release being the TMOQ title from 2001, Live At The Warehouse, but all incomplete. Of course, a portion of the evening performance goes way back on vinyl. That last point of being incomplete still being true but now we are treated to a very warm and wonderful stereo soundboard tape that introduces two tracks from this May 3rd performance for the first time, the opening "If" and 4:57 of "Isis" - which fades early missing the end of the track.
I have a love/hate opinion of this rather insane chapter of Dylan's touring career but this release solidifies how brilliant and inspired Bob could be. The beautiful rendtion of "You're A Big Girl Now", a prime example of what I'm talking about. The performances can be so manic, the intensity seemingly stemming from a herd of nutcases with the ensemble cast, affectionately referred to as 'Guam' , sounding like an intoxicated Circus Troupe! From the opening poem reading, "If", by actor Dennis Hopper (as mentioned, availabel here for the first time) through singer/songwriter/actor/politician Kinky Friedman's odd contributions, the potential for this show to travel outside the venue and into stratosphere is certainly there, but it thankfully remains anchored on the stage of The Warehouse and the delivery more focused than almost any other of the available tapes from this period, in my humble opinion. Let's face it, the master source introduced to us here really enhances the experience for us listeners and augments anything we knew about this date previously.
While the Dylan portion of the show is more complete than any source previously, the Guam selections aren't - but that's ok. This is extremely enjoyable and at a tolerable pace, offering enough of the ensemble material to provide a solid flavor of what the event was like. Even Joan Baez isn't annoying! Highlights abound around a confusing arrangement of "Maggie's Farm", with "Mozambique" emerging as one of the strongest live versions recorded - a big surprise to me. "Isis" is just peaking in potential as it starts to fade but is a bit awkward as it strives to find almost a reggae tempo, trying to build. Disc 2 is where the whole offering hits a major groove and stays there. The moody Baez classic, "Diamonds And Rust" getting a beautiful reading here and then Bob joins her for a spirited "Railroad Boy"...and they just build on the tempo from there to an awesome version of "Stuck Inside A Mobile.." In fact, there's not a weak moment on Disc 2 at all.
Kudos to the issuing label for the stellar, colorful treatment to the trifold digipack which leverages superb photography, depicting the contents held within very nicely. The sound quality is tops, with minimal noticable patches of hiss and a very natural, rich sound with great depth. Another one of those recordings where you crank it up and feel like you are onstage with the band. "Friends And Other Strangers" is an apt title for this touring troupe and this excellent release. It arrives as a highly recommended title to the Dylan live catalog, seek it out and crank it up.
