Customer Reviews

Bob Dylan: Unplugged

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In the blackest of sunglasses and a polka dot shirt, Dylan, and his musicians, are fabulous in this concert taped in Sony Music Studios on November of 1994, in an intimate setting with a small but enthusiastic audience.
From the mellow country feel of "Shooting Star", the up-tempo "Dignity", or the somber "With God on Our Side", the musicianship is a marvel, and being a "nobody sings Dylan like Dylan" person, I love the way he sings his music with his gravelly voice that gets rougher as the years go by.
The acoustic instruments are a pleasure to listen to, as well as a visual delight, especially the gleaming rich wood of the double bass.

This disc contains 4 tracks that were not included in the MTV Unplugged broadcast (# 1, 5, 6 and 8), and total running time is 73 minutes.
The terrific musicians are: Tony Garnier on bass, Bucky Baxter on dobro, Winston Watson on drums, John Jackson on guitar and Brendan O'Brien on organ.
Track list with original release album dates:
1: "Tombstone Blues" (Highway 61 Revisited '65)
2: "Shooting Star" (Oh Mercy '89)
3: "All Along the Watchtower" (John Wesley Harding '67)
4: "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (The Times They Are A-Changin' '64)
5: "John Brown" (MTV Unplugged '94)
6: "Desolation Row" (Highway 61 Revisited '65)
7: Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35" (Blonde on Blonde '66)
8: "Love Minus Zero / No Limit" (Bringing it All Back Home '65)
9: "Dignity" (Greatest Hits Vol. 3 '94)
10: "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid '73)
11: "Like a Rolling Stone" (Highway 61 Revisited '65)
12: "With God on Our Side" (The Times They Are A-Changin' '64)

Dylan's more than deserving resurgence in recent years traces its birth back, in my opinion, to this incredible live performance from 1994. This show has it all, mixing old and new music that more than satisfies longtime fans such as myself while also managing to appeal strongly to the younger generation, many of whom would know Dylan only by name had MTV not provided the medium for him to prove his genius and longevity to them first-hand. Dylan's tendency to be reclusive and mysterious has made him inaccessible to some listeners in the past, but the energetically appreciative audience is an important part of this recording, and you can tell that Dylan is really enjoying the whole performance. He even smiles at one point; having seen Dylan perform live, I know just how rare an occurrence this can be.

The older songs are great, but they differ significantly from the original recordings (Dylan is constantly redefining and recreating his legendary classics); this may disappoint some fans, and I admit it took me a while to appreciate this particular version of The Times They Are A-Changin', but the soul of each song remains the same, no matter what kind of modernized or different interpretation Dylan decides to go with on a certain night. I love Tombstone Blues, and it does start the show off with a great kick. It's always nice to hear Dylan's All Along the Watchtower, if for no other reason than to let people know the song didn't originate with Jimi Hendrix. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 has never been a favorite of mine, but this version is an enjoyable splash of fun in between a couple of slow, serious songs. John Brown is a significant track, dating back to 1963 but never having been released. It vividly reflects the anti-war feelings Dylan expressed so forcibly in his formative years. Dylan's newer songs only build on the musical momentum. I was a little surprised to see Shooting Star from the Oh Mercy album included, but the track looks and sounds great and fits right in. Dignity was a brand new song at the time, standing as a true showcase of Dylan's unparalleled songwriting and performing skills. He may have aged, but his musical vision and talent are eternal.

Three songs particularly stand out to me. Desolation Row is a truly incredible, meaningful song that only Dylan could write and perform. Lasting more than eight minutes, it's the kind of song you never want to end. Knockin' on Heaven's Door really starts building the momentum that reaches its crescendo with my favorite Dylan performance ever of his greatest song, Like a Rolling Stone. Having wowed his audience for close to an hour, Dylan is definitely "feeling it" when he gets to this crowd-pleasing classic (after a rather humorous false start). Its length is matched only by its powerful delivery, and I get the feeling watching it that even Dylan is a little surprised at how great a show he is putting on. He is absolutely on fire, and he knows it. With God On Our Side is an interesting song with which to end the show, but it reflects the heart and soul of music's greatest songwriter. Following on the heels of a rocking performance, it reminds the audience that the old Dylan so many have loved for decades is still there, even if his classic songs have been given a fresh overhaul.

Having a rather small audience so close to the musicians makes this live performance a true personal triumph for Dylan, and the sense of intimacy between the legendary performer and his fans is powerful and palpable. Dylan never looked or sounded better than he did on this unforgettable night in 1994. If you saw the performance on MTV, you should know that the DVD contains four bonus songs not included in the television broadcast (as well as one song - Love Minus Zero/No Limit - not included on the CD). If you already have the CD, buy the DVD as well - the visuals capture the magical effects of the performance in ways the audio cannot.

I have watched music performed, I have listened to music performed, but never have I felt music performed until Bob Dylan. I have loved him for 30 years and if this video doesn't make you fall in love with Bob Dylan you never will. I can watch this video over and over and still not understand how one man can have so much talent inside. This video is a must for anyone who appreciates the man and his lyrics and his unyielding ability to make you feel his music.

Bob Dylan shows that he can still performe on the stage.Dylan has never been blessed with a nice and good voice but he whrote history with his music.It's the music and words that made Bob Dylan great.On this video Dylan sings like he never did in the 80's.He is coming back and so is his {new}band.In the mid 80's his concerts was not what you expected.But now on this video you will see Dylan reborn.Lots of songs who was sung by others can not reach that spirit like Dylan does on this video.Bob Dylan is always on tour and the concerts is still growing with it.His last album "time out of mind" will show you that he is still the greatest artist ever.

Dylan concerts are famously uneven: Some are magical, some are dead, but this is one of the magical ones. Not only are the performances terrific with Dylan upbeat and engaging the audience, but he shows how a performer should age. Rather than try to recreate the youthful rock and rolling that existed when "Tombstone Blues" and "Like A Rolling Stone" were recorded, Dylan brings the tempo down and provides arrangements that are different but just as good as the originals. The best part is the music fits the man singing it, so instead of looking like a middle aged rocker clinging to youth, Dylan has recreated his music to age with him.

Dylan's music has always been timeless, and it's wonderful to see he has the creativity and self-awareness to make himself timeless in the vein of BB King, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, and not a ridiculous looking Mick Jagger pretending he's still twenty-five.

Coming from more of a classical music background, one might think what-in-heck-credibility would a gal like me have to evaluate this amazing soul, Bob Dylan and his music? Well, I know what it's like to feel those jitters before you go onstage while pretending (mostly for own sake and sanity) that you're cool. I also know what it feels like to have aged enough that many might wonder if you have enough left to deliver - as you once did. Critics may be helpful in pointing out areas of their experience and expertise, but unitl you perform on a stage like Bob Dylan did with one of the best back up bands I have ever heard (...even an orchestra can be "back up"), we'd all be better off to take in and enjoy as much of this unparalleled artist, poet, musician, composer, arranger as we can while gifted with that intangible illumination rendering one completely still and...in tears.

What we have here is the video replica of the self-titled 1995 live cd, with an identical setlist of songs extracted from 2 gigs at NYC Sony studios. The owners of the previous VHS tape edition can now throw it away or give it as a present to some annoying relative, and enjoy the four "new" songs (that do appear in the cd, they are 'Tombstone Blues', 'John Brown', 'Desolation Row', and 'Love Minus Zero/No Limit') and the improved image and sound (both PCM stereo & Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround) quality.

These differences with last century's tape version are boasted on the dvd cover as 'special features' (cheeky guys!) and, yes, that's all there is. No previously officially unavailable songs from the sessions have been added (big 'OOOH' here), nor anything at all anybody might have expected or fantasized with. The disc contains 4.20 Gb of information consisting in a 73 mins concert, and nothing else, that's all, folks. It neither has subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing which, given the state of Dylan's voice, might've been welcomed. But i know every word of the lyrics, and so do you. At least it's cheap, and cheaper than here in Spain, my dear lucky americans, i paid 17+ euros for my fresh copy.

As for concert itself ... well, we've all heard or seen it, don't you? ye fellow dylan-iacs. I quite like it, especially the totally plugged rocking acoustic guitars. Not your average mellow unplugged 'oh-but-we-are-sensitive-souls-deep-inside' concert, thanks Bob. The Major drawback is the cinematic quality itself: dull, unimaginative, repetitive. what can you expect from an awful channel such as MTV? the thing is filmed in a kind of loop of a few shots with lots of showoff dollys showing nothing interesting. the same shots over and over again. you can predict which will come next like with the lyrics of a bad song. Sometimes Bob starts a solo and boom! they cut to the bass player or something. maybe it's very avant-garde and i didn't get it. or maybe it's that i bought 'The Last Waltz' dvd the same day and watched bits of it before and, boy, 'The Last Waltz' is, simply put, the best filmation of a concert EVER made, and comparing the work of Martin Scorsese with that of some MTV director is well, like comparing the animation of Walt Disney's 'Pinocchio' with that of 'Beavis and Butthead'.

Bob Dylan is without a doubt the best folk or rock musician ever. The MTV Unplugged is a showcase of some of his best work. Some of my Favorite selections are John Brown, Dignity, All Along The Watchtower, and Like A Rolling Stone. I truly believe that Bob Dylan influenced modern music more than any other person or group. This performance is essential for any music lover.

Bob Dylan doesnt release a lot concert DVDs. So when one comes along, they have to appreciate it for its rarity and value. I watched this DVD several times and it's great to experience another dimension to him that is not found in his quintessential albums. Get this DVD right now even if you are a casual Bob Dylan listener.

The opener, a reworked version of Tombstone Blues, is an absolute scream -- there is no need to watch the rest of the video. However, for those too floored to hit the Stop button, the rest of the show sustains.