Bob Dylan Recinto Ferial Vigo, Galicia, Spain 27 June 2008 2 CD - 64.33 / 53.10 3-way matrix of original recordings by soomlos, Luisbp51 & Condor - produced by stewART, March 2009. Mixing done with Audacity audio editor, FLAC/WAV conversion with dbPowerAmp. Artwork included. In an idle moment, I was experimenting with a combination of the 3 recordings of this first ever performance of "Handy Dandy", and was so pleased with the result that I made the same mix for the rest of the show, which as I came to realise had many other truly outstanding songs. Thanks to the tapers, and for encouragement for this project from Brian & Jenny G. (see review below) and others at Hunger City ! Comments welcome to stew@stewartgrant.freeserve.co.uk Previous matrix projects by stewART - Stockholm Debaser 2007-03-27, Stirling Castle 2001-07-13. (Next project - New York City 2008-11-21) Disc 1 : 01 introduction 02 Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat 03 Lay, Lady, Lay 04 Lonesome Day Blues 05 Girl of the North Country 06 The Levee's Gonna Break 07 Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again 08 Moonlight 09 It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) 10 Spirit on the Water 11 Things Have Changed Disc 2 : 01 Handy Dandy * 02 Highway 61 Revisited 03 Beyond the Horizon 04 Summer Days 05 Ain't Talkin' 06 encore 07 Thunder on the Mountain 08 band introduction 09 Like a Rolling Stone Handy Dandy * - first known live performance Band Members Bob Dylan - vocals, keyboard, harmonica Denny Freeman - electric guitar Donnie Herron - violin, viola, banjo, mandolin, steel guitar Stu Kimball - acoustic & electric guitar Tony Garnier - acoustic & electric bass George Receli - drums NB: "Mr. Tony Garnier has problems of back and the presence of a doctor has been needed." Tony Garnier sat in a high chair. (see below) Sources : soomlos - neumann km140's > lunatec v3 > m-audio mt1 (24/48) Luisbp51 - Edirol R09 (built-in mics) > wav (44.1 Khz, 16 bits, stereo) Condor - Soundman OKM II R Rockversion >Sony TCD-D100 Recording DAT Walkman (48kHz/16) Review by Brian Steedman and Jenny G. Jenny and I are still trying to improve our ‘declining years’ with periodic trips to see Bob; we are still ‘up for it’! We did Sheffield, Leipzig and Berlin last year, plus a visit to Chemnitz for the Drawn Blank Series Exhibition ….. Jenny also added Glasgow, but she’s younger!. We prefer the front row, and so look always for unseated gigs if possible. This strains the aging limbs, but adds to the contact with greatness. This year we felt like Spain with a side order of Portugal and, as the dates are hard to connect together by public transport fixed on Vigo alone. The idea was to fly to Porto, take in a huge craft fair starting at dawn in Barcellos, go on by train to Vigo, stay a few days there and return to Porto for a look round before flying back to London. The trip was great. Ticket collection was chaotic, but we also found out that the band ate near our hotel (minus Bob) and had a great (and not over- expensive) meal there the following lunchtime. Reports were that Bob’s boat was in the harbour, and that he stayed there (can’t speak for the truth of this). We left for the gig at 4.30 pm by taxi, and imagined we would be at some open air fairground. Instead it was a huge indoor exhibition site close by the airport. It was very hot, but we succeeded in making it to the front bar, and had position directly in front of Bob (mine obscuring Bob’s lower half ; Jenny’s getting the whole twitchy picture). A rather intense young man gave us 30 minutes of Spanish acoustic playing that was mildly diverting, but we failed to get his name. There was a period of charged excitement as the stage was readied for Bob and, at 9.30, the band were on stage, in daylight. Bob looked a little tottery, but very engaged. The crowd was not vast, but it was almost entirely Spanish, teens and twenties. There was great excitement and clapping in time, especially at the beginning of songs, plus singing along in loads of places. Between songs, sections of the crowd would break spontaneously into chants of ‘DEEEE-lan!!!’, over and over. Applause was huge, and there was massive and deserved appreciation of everything done. This seemed to charge up Bob, and in particular to bring about the playing of Handy Dandy. Bob scurried across to Tony and a little huddle ensued on that side of the stage (by this time darkness had fallen and we were into the customary lights out between songs). There was a thirty second briefing, and then the song began, to massive lack of recognition. I filled in by telling everyone around me that this was a song from UTRS, to cries of ‘aaah!!!’; I suspected that this was a first, and it was. At the end, in the darkness, Jenny and I clearly saw Bob raise both hands above his head in celebration, and punch the air; he tottered a little. and Tony laid a hand on his shoulder. The lights went up, and the band came to the front to massive cheering and applause ….. Bob nearly smiled, and seemed about to speak but, as usual, didn’t. I felt he was hugely happy at the reception. I have heard that Bob has smiled a lot on this tour – I felt it was more like a cross between a leer and a grimace – I remember the smiles from Leipzig last year. As much as anything this felt to me like him living the songs ….. I cannot emphasise how much it adds to my enjoyment to seem him driving the band (and himself) on. Our general impression was that the concert was great – I would say my best, but I HAVE done that lots of times ….. I will add that I often find the middle section of concerts a bit tame as we go into the Modern Times section. On this occasion, I felt that there was no slackening, and that Bob kept the band driving on. There was the usual great drumming from George, and the bass holding all together from the peerless Tony. George as ever was trying to get Tony as excited as he was, but Tony was very intently watching Bob, more than I have ever seen before. Once, Bob seemed to ask George to calm down, but more often he pushed him on! Donnie was not so central to the sound as previously, but still played as sensitively as ever – there did seem to be any of those ‘back and forth’ exchanged between him and Bob. I have no great love for the guitar work of Stew and Denny, but both played well, contributing to the overall sound and were more engaged than previously. There was one absolutely massive bum note, but I have yet to locate it in the recording. I can say the same for the yodel Bob effected at the end of one song, but I SHALL locate these!! I was so glad to find the recording waiting when we got back (much thanks to Andre and Hal) but feel, sadly, that it is no more than an average recording of a great gig. I do hope a better one emerges. Just to add that there were TWO mixing desks (I think) and LOTS of quite tense security ….. It crossed my mind that there might have been a good official recording being made for some purpose. There was a lot of security attention to the cables. I can’t pick out any bad songs, because there were none. I loved Lay Lady Lay, It’s All Right Ma (this current version is majestic), Stuck Inside of Mobile, and Ain’t Talkin’, which was majesterial. The version of Handy Dandy was excellent and LOTS of people thanked Bob personally. Like a Rolling Stone was so memorable if only for the huge gratitude it produced among mainly young listeners. I was enthralled, and time flew by. We walked out very slowly, surrounded by raving young Spaniards, and were lucky enough to grab a taxi immediately. At such moments one forgets the expense in the sheer joy of the moment, and in 30 mins we were in the centre of Vigo downing celebratory beers. Life does not get much better !! See you next year, Bob; as long as you go on, so shall we!!! Brian Steedman (inthealley) & Jenny G Review by A Madrinha Asociados Ltd. & Tedhead It doesn´t fit any doubt, June 27, 2008, is already a date that will be remembered in Vigo forever. The day dawned radiant, it couldn´t be in another way. The Tour´s Staff stayed 2 days before in the city, with the cattering prepared in the fairground, checking sound and testing the band in order that nothing was out of order. And certainly, it was obviously by the way things later happen. A bad news crossed the city as a gunpowder : "Mr Tony Garnier has problems of back and the presence of a doctor has been needed" someone said. Doc "Paco" rose at the instant to the fairground and solved matter but: "Tony, will play sat down" (bad pressage?). Maria - one of the 3 "runners" of the local promotion - was near to Bob - "He looks great" said the brown skin "gipsy face" girl. "I have a feeling that tonight its gonna be a mythical concert", she sighed. At 21:35 the band went out for the stage with Bob behind with his already classic gray hat with feather included. All dressed in impeccable black suits with the covered heads, something that in Europe doesn´t stop being calling us the attention for the foreign of the apparel. Anyway, great. "Leopard-Skin Pill Box Hat" started strongly unusual, with Bob dedicated and singing with clear and bright voice. The sound only can be qualified as exceptionally. Mr. Garnier sat in a high stool, was accompanying on the double-bass without a symptom of decay. Doc "Paco" did undoubtedly a good work. The band was sounding compact, powerful and total. Then Bob attacked "Lay Lady Lay", followed by "Lonesome Day Blues" and "Girl of the North Country". More than 5.000 people there, vibrated with the classic ones revisited and the reinterpretation of the new song. The tears were starting showing. We were prepared for a great concert, but not for one a spectacular night. The versions of the songs full of hues & shades, were recreating perfectly with their own architecture, leaving free field to Bob with his melodic & expressive lines. Bob never had been so intensive in the last 3 concerts he played in Galicia since 1992. "The leeve's gonna break " gave the step to the impeccable interpretation of "Stuck inside of Mobile" in which the public was out of themselves. When we begun to believe that concert had come already to climax, it returned again with "Moonlight" and "It's allright, Ma" simply genial. Then, "Spirit on the water" and "Things have changed". We were astonishing, every song was there for sure. Perfectly constructed and tested songs, with precise arrangements and a Bob delivered with pure and crystalline voice. And then came, it couldn´t be in another way. The song of the night that no-one of us recognized until the sound of the celular phone with a sms told us "Handy Dandy, i´ve got you ? Je". (The great "Pelda" (bassist also suffering from the evil´s back of the day) had recognized the great version, which of any form already it had filled us with enthusiasm.) The sound was precise, exact, accurate. The acoustic guitar and the banjo was listened perfectly with brightness, over the sonorous electrical bass. Tony by moments, stand up & turning the double-bass, we can saw him happy and that was transmitted for sure. Everything seemed like in a dream, almost unreal, and then started the most powerful version that we had heard before of "Highway 61 Revisited ". The fairground almost broke down, it was really great. The lighting returned to go down and there sounded "Beyond the Horizon" & "Summer days" to give the final step to "Ain't talkin" with a low lighting, projecting their shades on the backdrop. Bob's voice was magic, sounding cozy and frightening at the same time. A farewell without precedents that leave us petrified. The public applauded nonstop and after 5 minutes the band returned to the stage to dazzle with " Thunder on the mountain " while the curtain was spreading out with the logo of the tour. Bob presented the musicians and they said bye with the brilliant grand ending "Like a Rolling' Stone" & the audience can sing at last. After a while and for a moment it seemed that the band was going to return to the scene, but sincerely, it had been a rudeness to ask for more. If we had to qualify last night event in Vigo, we can say one thin g for sure: to certain science that there will be one before and one after this day. Now the public already knows what Rock and Roll is, and where are the artistic levels who only the chosen ones can show us. The popular music of the last two centurys has reached to the top yesterday in Vigo. A Madrinha Asociados Ltd. & Tedhead remolca@remolca.com Review by RAGGEDENPONTE Tuvimos en Vigo Handy Dandy, un estreno mundial y un privilegio para todos asistentes. No sé que quieres decir con ‘entrega’. Que saque la pilila y grite Imos Vigo!!? Bueno carallo. Los que le seguimos sabemos lo que hay, y en Vigo todo dios salió contento, unos mas que otros, pero muy contentiños. Odio insistir, pero no tocó I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight, aunque algunos/as siguen empeñados en que lo tocara.Boas tardes, R Review by Old Bob el concierto estuvo fenomenal, y la verdad que Bob, mucho mejor de lo que esperaba por lo que decia la gente de su caracter.Gracias Bob…..