Bob Dylan: The 1966 Live Recordings - Sony 36-CD box-set - November 11th 2016

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Richard--W, Sep 27, 2016.

  1. notesfrom

    notesfrom Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC USA
    That's only because Mickey never made any studio recordings with Dylan. It required a different touch in each realm - the concert stage vs. the cloistered studio.

    Mickey had the heavy-handedness needed to drive the '66 live set forward, the gift for moment, and the ability to rein in the wayward Hawks into a center line they could work out from, strictly by way of the integrity of his rhythm . He was more Folk-Rock than even Dylan was, if that's possible. There is a palpable difference in the shows from that tour before and after Mickey Jones joined the band. What seems like it could work (the whole backing band thing) suddenly goes into warp drive with M. Jones behind the drum set. Pure musical combustion explodes as a result of this chemistry. After he joined, Dylan was ready to conquer the rest of the world.

    We're lucky that they taped nearly every damned show from the leg that he's on.
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2018
  2. Percy Song

    Percy Song A Hoity-Toity, High-End Client

    Indeed! I think there are three releases. The original signed DVD has a smoking Bob on the front and is well worth paying a penny plus postage for. (I think the regular release did not have the photo of Mickey in the bottom right hand corner) :-

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    The second release was this one, from 2005. I don't have a copy; it seems to have been updated but doesn't appear to have the "New Features" that are on the third release. Still, well worth a few pennies plus postage:-

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    This one is the most recent release from 2006 which has the interesting "New Features", including the interview with Richard Alderson. It was either @notesfrom or @asdf35 who alerted me to it back in the bowels of this thread (forgive me guys, I know it was one of you, but my mind otherwise is blank - either way, both your contributions to the early days of this thread were informative and entertaining, so you both deserve a special mention :)....). This is the one to get if you can find it.

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    None of these DVDs are essential companions to the 1966 box but the main film does have some interesting, albeit silent, footage. You can't go wrong for a few pennies!

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  3. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Well done, Percy Song.
    I have them all. The third one -- the last one -- is the DVD to get.
     
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  4. Wayfaring Stranger

    Wayfaring Stranger Forum Resident

    Location:
    York uk
    A friend of mine saw the '66 tour at Leicester De Monford Hall, and was seated on bleachers at the back of the stage, directly behind Mickey. At the end of the show, Mickey was dismantling his drums and my friend got into conversation with him, just drum-talk (by coincidence my friend is/was a drummer as well as a Dylan fan), and he says that Mickey was charming and friendly and just a thoroughly nice guy. The conversation MAY have taken place before the show, when he was setting up his kit. It was a long time ago.
     
  5. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    One shouldn't expect too much from home movies but I think this edition -- with the commentary and bonus features -- is an essential supplement to the Live 1966 box, actually.
     
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  6. The Bard

    The Bard Highway 61 Revisited. That is all.

    Location:
    Singapore
    RIP indeed. I have never got around to buying this DVD but I will now. Thanks for the reviews and recommendation of which version to purchase.
     
  7. Somebody Naked

    Somebody Naked Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Give it to me straight, people: I've got the middle edition. Do I need the updated one?
     
  8. Percy Song

    Percy Song A Hoity-Toity, High-End Client

    The most valuable extras you are getting in the last one I'd say is the 33 minute interview with Richard Alderson and the new 26 minute interview with Mickey Jones, both carried out just after "No Direction Home" was released. Much of what Richard says is repeated in the more recent promo film for the 1966 box, but he makes a few other comments which are interesting.

    In Mickey's interview he presents what he calls, "the original Scotch reel to reel tape that came off of Richard Alderson’s Nagra. It’s a 15 ips quarter inch tape and it is from our concert in Liverpool, dated May 14th, 1966. This is the original tape that came out of the theatre in Liverpool…” Obviously, this is not correct, and of course Richard confirmed in his email exchange with me that he'd never seen that reel and that it couldn't possibly be from his Nagra, but Mickey is wearing a nice shirt. It may not be impossible that the reel is from the "professional" CBS recording at Sheffield on 16 May, I suppose; we may never know. Or actually, I suppose it's more likely that we will know sooner or later if Mickey's possessions are auctioned.

    I posted summaries of Richard's interview in two parts on Pages 250 and 252 of this thread, and a summary of Mickey's additional interview on Page 253; the screen shots and photos that I included in those posts have disappeared due to a certain disruption I experienced in my computing capacity last summer.

    As far as I recall there is no additional footage from the home movies themselves though I'm happy to be corrected if that is not the case. You may only watch the additional features once but I know how much you have studied this period so if you can get it for whatever you consider to be a reasonable price I'd say it's worth having. I picked mine up, after @asdf35 's recommendation, for a couple of quid last year. It does seem to be more expensive to get hold of than the first two...

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  9. Somebody Naked

    Somebody Naked Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Thanks. It all sounds a bit familiar and/or inessential.
     
  10. davesmoked

    davesmoked Forum Resident

    I'm quite interested in this boxset...is it really worth it? I love Bootleg series 4 a real live 1966..
     
    Clanceman likes this.
  11. dbacon

    dbacon Senior Member

    That depend on your finances and how deeply you want to explore this Dylan era. BS 4 gives you a great version of the show. The box gives you 36 discs of the almost identical set list. I, personally, love to discover the shuttle differences from show to show...the different rants, etc. The box is reasonable priced (from my point of view). If $100 is a real stretch of your budget than you can live without the box....or just get the stand alone Royal Albert Hall show
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2018
  12. davesmoked

    davesmoked Forum Resident

    Have you listened to the whole boxset? I'm really tempted to get this :)
     
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  13. lou

    lou Fast 'n Bulbous

    Location:
    Louisiana
    I can wholeheartedly recommend the box set I don't get tired of listening to multiple versions of the same set every one is different not only in the performance but in the crowd response and in how the shows are mixed - prominent organ in one show, almost no organ and piano loud in another, etc. and for a set of this size and historical importance, the price is remarkably low!
     
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  14. Lemon Curry

    Lemon Curry (A) Face In The Crowd

    Location:
    Mahwah, NJ
    I've listened to it all, and if you can handle reading the many posts in this thread you'll also get a better sense of the content.

    It is repetitive, obviously. It's the same show every night, pretty much. The sound quality ranges from excellent to for-historical-purposes-only.

    But two things make it all worth it for me:

    1. Access to the actual history of this incredible tour. You hear for yourself everything that's been discussed in the Dylan books and articles. You can track the vocal troubles he was having, clearly not feeling well on some nights. You can hear the (in)famous one liners, and laugh while he endlessly tunes his guitar on purpose in Paris. And you can make your own judgements about it all.

    2. Although many adore the final nights in London as the best shows, I personally don't agree with that. The single best performances of individual songs came from an assortment of nights. The two existing soundboard recordings of Fourth Time Around and Tambourine Man from the May 10 show at Bristol are perfect, and are unmatched on any other night. So, to construct your "ultimate" '66 playlist, you need them all.

    The package was put together in a way to keep costs under control while also not cheapening things. The only thing I would have done different is have less disks, as entire shows could fit on one, instead of separating the acoustic from the electric on two disks.

    If you love Dylan, love this period, and understand what these shows meant, then you need to get the box!!
     
  15. I agree pretty much that for an absolute 'best of' for all the individual tracks you'd have to create a comp from multiple shows, and even then, it's largely a matter of personal taste. It's something I've been wanting to try, but so far lacked the time and initiative to put together. Would very much be interested in seeing your list though, if you've produced such an animal.

    And while I agree that the final London nights aren't necessarily the best overall shows, no doubt in my mind that the "Rolling Stone" from the first show would definitely make my 'best of' comp...
     
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  16. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
    Ive listened to every show, many more then once. I am one who sprang for the Live66 boot when it came out and spent a lot more on it then this box. This release is much more comprehensive and better quality for a lot less $$.

    Get it as a historical document alone, keep it and listen to it for the awesome performances.

    While the setlist is pretty concrete night to night, the varied tempos and vocal nuance lend a drastically different feel to many tracks. Its also interesting to see how the tour progresses from start to finish. Even the audience recordings are decent despite their lower fidelity, better then some reports

    The only thing lacking is the booklet which is very spartan and I like the Live66 boot books(2) better and supplement with some light Heylin when I need a fix :)

    Get it, you could do much worse with $100
     
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  17. Reader

    Reader Senior Member

    Location:
    e.s.t. tenn.
    Don't forget you can take your time and enjoy each disc on it's own. There's no rush once you have the box. I'm going slowly through it and have not heard all the music yet.

    I don't want to burn out so if I want to listen to anything specific more than once I do. I listen to other things then come back to this when I want.

    This is a set that will give pleasure for many years and I can't imagine knowing every note without many years of listening. If you enjoy live Dylan can't imagine not getting this and it'll probably sell out one of these days. Got mine the first day of release. Worth every penny.
     
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  18. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I'll add my voice to the recommendations. Live 1966 is essential both as a listening experience and as music history. A more detailed pictorial booklet giving editorial context would have been nice, but I suppose the date, location and tracklist and technical note on each slipcover conveys the facts we need to know. There is nothing else in music quite like Dylan in the 1960s. Savor these concerts, and don't be in a hurry to hear them all. Each concert, taken on its own, rewards repeated listening over time. To have so many concerts, each one a memorable performance different from the last of the same setlist, is a treasure.
     
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  19. Quincy

    Quincy Senior Member

    Location:
    Willamette Valley
    That's how I've handled it too. I use the booklet as a divider and move the ones I've listened to the other side (With my aging memory I'm able to at least remember that I've played the last London shows :laugh:). I can understand the enthusiasm of wanting to hear it all at once to pick up the subtle changes, but for me the first playing of something is special, and marginal utility of it all increases with some distance between the playings of shows for me. So I'm only about 60% through and I got on release day, although maybe 4 or 5 of the unplayed shows I already had from boots.
     
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  20. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    A disciplined edit of the 1966 concert footage is conspicuously absent. Of course, there is the great, great documentary No Direction Home, but that isn't strictly a 1966 concert film. I know how I would assemble it. I'd put the footage in chronological order whether its complete or not. Where some songs were only partially filmed or a fragment, include it regardless. Fade in on a title card for each venue, show ALL the footage from that venue, fade out, then fade in on the next venue. Keep it simple and straightforward.

    If they want to edit footage from different venues to make a complete concert as an option on the menu, fine. But don't leave anything out. Let ALL the concert footage speak for itself.
     
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  21. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Additionally, the Dylan organization should consider releasing Eat the Document as well. The bootleg versions are so numerous and so popular it must be a bestseller in that market. It's commonplace even among insiders who openly discuss the film as if it were officially released. Everybody has seen it. The fans have already made their judgment: they like Eat the Document and they want it in better quality.
     
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  22. Lemon Curry

    Lemon Curry (A) Face In The Crowd

    Location:
    Mahwah, NJ
    I started this exercise taking notes in my car, but never finished. Songs marked as excellent so far, though:

    Fourth Time Around - Bristol
    Tambourine Man - Bristol
    Leopardskin Hat - Sheffield
    Ballad of a thin man - Sheffield
    I don't believe you - Cardiff
    Rolling Stone - Newcastle
    Ballad of a thin man - Newcastle

    As "very good":
    Visions of Johanna - Belfast
    Desolation Row - Belfast
    Desolation Row - Sydney

    That was as far as I got, at least in terms of scoring the performances.
     
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  23. bodine

    bodine Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC
    Defintely worth the bargain price. Dylan’s performances are never mailed in, ranging from drug-addled to furious. And it’s a revelation to hear how in sync the Hawks were with each other, even with the recently-departed Mickey Jones on drums instead of Levon. Garth’s organ fills are endlessly engrossing, Manuel’s piano is anthemic, Danko holds the fort on bass and Robbie Robertson is never less than bluesy. Worth it-definitely.
     
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  24. lou

    lou Fast 'n Bulbous

    Location:
    Louisiana
    I found it interesting that the one song in the electric set that always kills it, even on nights where the other performances or vocals are ragged, is Ballad of a Thin Man. It's hard to pick one subpar performance of that tune!
     
  25. dbacon

    dbacon Senior Member

    Yes, I have listened to the whole set.
    It’s great. Get it!
     

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