Despite all the historically 'significant' songs on this collection, sometimes they just aren't very well done. Also, the '84 tour was full of energy and this doesn't adequately portrait that. This is a great bootleg to have, but it probably works best if you have full '84 shows first.
Rough Cuts (Infidels outtakes) : A (A-/A)
This is a nice collection of outtakes from Infidels, the album many say could've been very good but is instead only mediocre (because of what was left off). Go here for an excellent, detailed review of the bootleg (written by Ben Taylor). In my view, this collection is very good. Some of these songs have drastically different lyrics than the officially released version. Blind Willie McTell is on the same track as Neighborhood Bully, but the same Blind Willie McTell (without a clipped beginning) appears on disc 2 anyway. The songs that make this 'essential' for me are Someone's Got A Hold Of My Heart, Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground, Jokerman, electric Blind Willie McTell, and This Was My Love. Some of these songs have been officially released on The Bootleg Series or elsewhere (see Ben Taylor's review for details). The final track of disc 2, several rehearsal takes of Sweetheart Like You, is 21:25 long!
Disc 1:
1. Sweetheart Like You
2. Someone's Got A Hold Of My Heart
3. Lord Protect My Child (Bob on harp)
4. Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground (Bob on harp) - written by Willie Nelson
5. Foot Of Pride (Bob on harp)
6. Tell Me
7. I And I
8. Union Sundown - some static distortion in background (fairly minor)
9. Jokerman
10. License To Kill (Bob on harp)
11. Man Of Peace
12. Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight (Bob on harp)
13. Neighborhood Bully
Blind Willie McTell (Bob on harp) - beginning clipped
Disc 2:
1. Julius And Ethel
2. Blind Willie McTell (Bob on harp)
3. This Was My Love - written by Jim Hibbert
4. This Was My Love - written by Jim Hibbert
5. Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground (Bob on harp) - written by Willie Nelson - gap at 2:22
6. Dark Groove (instrumental) - written by unknown (?)
7. Don't Fly Unless It's Safe (instrumental) - written by unknown (?)
8. Clean-Cut Kid
9. Death Is Not The End (Bob on harp)
10. Sweetheart Like You
11. Union Sundown
12. Sweetheart Like You (rehearsals - several takes)
06/19/84 Rome, Italy ("Oh The Streets Of Rome") : B+ (B+/B+)
Bob's vocals and the keyboards are both very upfront in the sound (this is the only '84 show I have so far that has the keyboards very upfront), unforunately Mick Taylor's awesome guitar playing is very much in the background (until the last few songs). A site I respect (Monica's Dude's site) says that this bootleg isn't recommended and that one should instead seek out the same show under the title of Live At Paleur. Nonetheless, the show's pretty good.
Disc 1:
1. Highway 61 Revisited
2. Jokerman
3. All Along The Watchtower
4. Just Like A Woman (Bob on harp)
5. Maggie's Farm
6. I And I
7. License To Kill
8. Just My Imagination (sung by Greg Sutton) - written by unknown (?)
9. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (solo acoustic)
10. Tangled Up In Blue (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
11. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (solo acoustic)
Disc 2:
1. Simple Twist Of Fate
2. Masters Of War
3. Ballad Of A Thin Man
4. When You Gonna Wake Up?
5. Every Grain Of Sand
6. Like A Rolling Stone
encore:
7. Mr. Tambourine Man (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
8. It Ain't Me, Babe (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
9. The Times They Are A-Changin'
10. I Shall Be Released
11. Tombstone Blues
12. Blowin' In The Wind
06/28/84 Barcelona, Spain : A (B+/A)
As Olof says in his online Bob Dylan 1984 Chronicles, "Barcelona June 28 - one of the best Dylan concerts ever!!", and yes it is really good! This is a very awesome show, with Dylan hitting excellence: Jokerman, the re-written Simple Twist Of Fate, the rare Enough Is Enough (written by Bob Dylan), the absolutely beautiful Girl From The North Country, the energetic Knockin' On Heaven's Door, and the sing-a-long Blowin' In The Wind are all the highlights from an all-around great show. The source of this bootleg, however, was an acetate; at times, you can hear slight pops and acetate-related noises - the only point in which they significantly affect a song is Girl From The North Country, in which the song skips at one point between verses (and, consequentally, repeats a note over and over for a few seconds). If you are at all interested in '84 (and even if you aren't), this bootleg is definitely recommended by me for you!
Disc 1:
1. Highway 61 Revisited - sound mixing 'fluctuates'
2. Jokerman
3. All Along The Watchtower
4. Just Like A Woman (Bob on harp)
5. Maggie's Farm
6. I And I
7. License To Kill
8. Just My Imagination (sung by Greg Sutton) - written by unknown (?)
9. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (solo acoustic)
10. It Ain't Me, Babe (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
11. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (solo acoustic)
12. Simple Twist Of Fate
Disc 2:
1. Masters Of War
2. Ballad Of A Thin Man
3. Enough Is Enough
4. Every Grain Of Sand - this track starts off with a guy yelling out: "I love you!"
5. Lay, Lady, Lay
6. Like A Rolling Stone
encore 1:
7. Mr. Tambourine Man (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
8. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
9. Girl From The North Country (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp) - skips at one point between verses (sourced from an acetate)
10. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
11. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
12. The Times They Are A-Changin'
encore 2:
13. Tombstone Blues
14. Blowin' In The Wind - sing-a-long version! =)
06/28/84 Barcelona, Spain ("From The Coast Of Barcelona") : B+ (B/A)
As Olof says in his online Bob Dylan 1984 Chronicles, "Barcelona June 28 - one of the best Dylan concerts ever!!", and yes it is really good! This is a very awesome show, with Dylan hitting excellence: Jokerman, the re-written Simple Twist Of Fate, the rare Enough Is Enough (written by Bob Dylan), the absolutely beautiful Girl From The North Country, the energetic Knockin' On Heaven's Door, and the sing-a-long Blowin' In The Wind are all the highlights from an all-around great show. Unfortunately, the sound isn't mixed very well. I prefer the sound on another bootleg I have of the same show. Also, I have reason to believe that this recording is slower than normal.
Disc 1:
1. Highway 61 Revisited - static pop at 0:38
2. Jokerman
3. All Along The Watchtower
4. Just Like A Woman (Bob on harp) - gap from 3:17-3:19
5. Maggie's Farm
6. I And I - gap from 0:03-0:04 and a static pop at 0:04
7. License To Kill
8. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (solo acoustic)
9. It Ain't Me, Babe (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
10. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (solo acoustic)
11. Simple Twist Of Fate
12. Masters Of War
13. Ballad Of A Thin Man
14. Enough Is Enough
Disc 2:
1. Every Grain Of Sand
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Like A Rolling Stone
encore 1:
4. Mr. Tambourine Man (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp) - very small gap at 4:32
5. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
6. Girl From The North Country (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp) - gap at end
7. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
8. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
9. The Times They Are A-Changin'
encore 2:
10. Tombstone Blues
11. Blowin' In The Wind - sing-a-long version! =)
filler:
12. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Van Morrison on guitar) (sung with Van Morrison)
13. Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison on guitar) (sung with Van Morrison) - written by Van Morrison
14. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (sung with Bono Vox and Leslie Dowdell)
- Tracks 12-14 are from 07/08/84 Slane, Ireeland
07/01/84 Paris, France ("Les Temps Changent") : B (B/B+)
This bootleg, on disc 1, opens with some loud static clicks. They come and are gone before the music starts. There is a gap of silence between tracks 13 and 14 on disc 1. The filler tracks from 06/28/84 Barcelona, Spain help to act as a reminder that that show is much better than this one. This one's good, but the Barcelona show is so much better. This bootleg has some re-written songs: Tangled Up In Blue and Simple Twist Of Fate. It also has a Dylan original which hasn't been officially released: Enough Is Enough. The Times They Are A-Changin' is sung with Hughes Aufrey (who sings it in French). Van Morrison joins Bob on It's All Over Now, Baby Blue.
Disc 1:
1. Highway 61 Revisited - opens with loud static clicks (before music starts)
2. Jokerman
3. All Along The Watchtower
4. Just Like A Woman (Bob on harp)
5. Maggie's Farm
6. I And I
7. License To Kill
8. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (solo acoustic)
9. Tangled Up In Blue (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
10. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (solo acoustic)
11. Simple Twist Of Fate
12. Masters Of War
13. Ballad Of A Thin Man - gap between this and next
14. Enough Is Enough
Disc 2:
1. Every Grain Of Sand
2. Like A Rolling Stone
encore:
3. Mr. Tambourine Man (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
4. It Ain't Me, Babe (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
5. The Times They Are A-Changin' (sung in French (!) by Hughes Aufrey and in English by Bob Dylan)
6. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (sung with Van Morrison)
7. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
8. Tombstone Blues
9. Blowin' In The Wind
10. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Bob on harp)
filler:
11. Every Grain Of Sand
12. Lay Lady Lay
13. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
14. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
- Tracks 11-14 are from 06/28/84 Barcelona,, Spain
07/07/84 London, England ("What's Real?") : B+ (B-/A-)
This was the second to last show in '84. The officially released live album Real Live released some of the songs from this show: Highway 61 Revisited, Maggie's Farm, Tangled Up In Blue, It Ain't Me Babe, Masters Of War, and Ballad Of A Thin Man. The sound has a 'wave' effect in some of the songs and when it settles down, the sound mixing still isn't the best. The highlights for me (and I won't mention any that have been officially released) are I And I, License To Kill, Simple Twist Of Fate, and Every Grain Of Sand. Masters Of War and Ballad Of A Thin Man are on the same track. Carlos Santana is on electric guitar for the encore songs. There certainly are many other guests during the encores (Eric Clapton, Chrissie Hynde, and Van Morrison). This show is, overall, quite good but the sound isn't the best.
Disc 1:
1. Highway 61 Revisited - sound levels are changed a lot during this song
2. Jokerman
3. All Along The Watchtower
4. Just Like A Woman
5. Maggie's Farm
6. I And I
7. License To Kill
8. Just My Imagination (sung by Greg Sutton) - written by unknown (?) - gap at end
9. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (solo acoustic)
10. Tangled Up In Blue (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
Disc 2:
1. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (solo acoustic)
2. Simple Twist Of Fate
3. Masters Of War
Ballad Of A Thin Man - gap at end
4. Enough Is Enough
5. Every Grain Of Sand - fades-out at end
6. Like A Rolling Stone
encore 1:
7. Mr. Tambourine Man (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
8. Girl From The North Country (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
9. It Ain't Me, Babe (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
Disc 3:
1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (Eric Clapton on electric guitar) (Chrissie Hynde on harp)
2. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (sung with Van Morrison and Chrissie Hynde) (Eric Clapton on electric guitar) (Van Morrison on guitar)
3. Tombstone Blues (Eric Clapton on electric guitar)
4. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power) (Eric Clapton on electric guitar)
5. The Times They Are A-Changin' (sung with Chrissie Hynde) (Eric Clapton on electric guitar) - a few notes and a few words cut at 1:17 - gap at 5:26 - tape glitch at 7:05
encore 2:
6. Blowin' In The Wind (sung with Chrissie Hynde) (Eric Clapton on electric guitar)
7. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (sung with Chrissie Hynde) (Eric Clapton on electric guitar)
From The Mountains Of Madrid ('84 compilation) : B+ (B+/B+)
This is the only performance of It Takes A Lot To Laugh in '84, and it's very well done. This Tangled Up In Blue is very interesting in that it's slower than I've heard from '84 and even has slight lyric variations from the already drastically re-written Tangled Up In Blue; it almost seems to be given more care here than on the faster versions from '84. Heart Of Mine was only tried twice in '84 (the one here is approximately 7 minutes long!). Why Do I Have To Choose? is wonderfully performed. Forever Young was also only tried twice in '84 (however, this version isn't very good at all). This is the only '84 performance of With God On Our Side and of Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues. Shelter From The Storm is very nice. And All Along The Watchtower is full of energy.
1. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
2. Tangled Up In Blue (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
3. Heart Of Mine
4. Why Do I Have To Choose? - written by Willie Nelson - first line cut out
5. Forever Young
6. To Ramona (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
7. With God On Our Side (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp) - volume gets quieter throughout
8. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
9. Man Of Peace
10. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
11. When You Gonna Wake Up?
12. I Shall Be Released (sung with Joan Baez)
13. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
14. Shelter From The Storm (Bob on harp)
15. All Along The Watchtower (Carlos Santana on electric guitar)
- Track 1 is from 06/30/84 Nantes, France
- Tracks 3,11,14 are from 06/14/84 Vienna, Austria
- Tracks 4-5,12 are from 06/03/84 Munich, GGermany
- Tracks 6-7 are from 07/08/84 Dublin, Irelland
- Track 8 is from 06/13/84 Berlin, Germany<
- Tracks 9,15 are from 06/11/84 Offenbach, Germany
- Track 10 is from 06/16/84 Cologne, Germanny
- Track 13 is from 06/10/84 Copenhagen, Dennmark