Published on Apr 19, 2004
Before dividing his fan base by going electric, before the
motorcycle accident, before the marital breakup, before the weird
gypsy whiteface makeup, before his flirtation with Christianity,
Dylan was an energetic folk singer whose only baggage was only
being a spokesperson for a generation.
Fans have been bootlegging Dylan’s live performances since he
emerged as a potential heir to Woody Guthrie. His early live
recordings have mostly been an incomparable mess. Fortunately, the
latest bootleg series captures Dylan at the cusp of ending one
stage of his career and entering another phase that would change
rock music forever. Recorded at the Philharmonic in New York, the
crowd wasn’t shouting “Judas” or erupting in cheers. Instead, the
crowd was polite, albeit a bit cautious whenever Dylan introduced
his new material.
The most striking aspect of
The Bootleg Series Vol. 6 is the clarity of the recording.
For the most part, the concert was just Dylan and his guitar, with
Joan Baez backing Dylan up in three songs. Dylan’s voice has a
preacher’s clarity and there’s no better example of this than his
unveiling of the then-new song “Gates of Eden.”
“I’m masquerading,” Dylan joked to the audience on Halloween
night. “I’m wearing my Bob Dylan mask,” he quipped. He’s not
kidding. Only Cher and Madonna have worn more guises. Recorded when
he was just 23, Dylan was at his showstopping best in
The Bootleg Series Vol. 6. Throughout the two discs, you can
hear Dylan’s sometimes hilarious banter with the audience. Other
times, you can hear his empathy for those who didn’t know what to
make with songs like “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding).”
Virtually any song on
The Bootleg Series Vol. 6 can be treated as a highlight.
“Who Killed Davey Moore?” is Dylan at his protesting best and “If
You Gotta Go, Go Now,” proves that you don’t have to surrender your
sense of humor to be a social activist. For Dylan novices,
The Bootleg Series Vol. 6 is a safe investment. For
hard-core Dylan fans, it’s a damn-near essential purchase.
In terms of evaluating
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 doesn’t obviously have the
confrontational zeal of
Bob Dylan Live 1966 – The Royal Albert Hall Concert, the
concert which a fan famously yelled out “Judas!” during Dylan’s
electric set. It’s more or less a memorable snapshot of an artist
who wasn’t going to look back after the release of
Bringing it All Back Home. For rock fans that still don’t
get Dylan, this double-CD on an overcast Sunday afternoon is an
excellent introduction.