Aqui los reviews de Gopherstick para abril del 99, los faltantes de la gira española: de Gijón a Barcelona...(conciertos de Gijon, San Sebastian y Santander recientemente publicados por jcastro)
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April 10 Gijon
Sound: 8.5 (the guitars are clear and bright, the rest of the instruments well separated, the vocals up and loud. The only problem is that they have a touch of venue echo on them now and them, but nothing bad at all. This is another killer recording. Towards the end of the acoustic set this recording cleans to an easy 9. Intrepid tapers, you spoil us!)
Highlights: Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Comments: The first few acoustic tunes are completely average, then Bob tries in vain to perk up a bit during Desolation Row. He sings plenty of verses, but his vocals sound raspy and you can tell he's reaching a bit. Still, it limps along, and then the usually stellar Boots of Spanish Leather follows and even that is listless tonight. Things take a slight turn up during the electric set. Wow, dig Bob's yell on Just Like a Woman, where did that come from? Don't Think Twice is short and sweet, and LARS ends the show in majestic fashion.
Bottom Line: No bad points, but no song really stands out above the rest, either. A good, solid average show.
April 11 San Sebastian
Sound: 8 (the vocals are clear but dry and flirt with echo now and then. The bass is hard to hear as well)
Highlights: Masters of War, Tomorrow is a Long Time, One Too Many Mornings, Not Fade Away
Comments: This is the first time all tour that the crowd is around the recording. They talk a bit here and there, but it's not so bad. Bob is still sounding crispy and baked, but he is annunciating much better than Gijon the night before. Friend of the Devil and My Back Pages make for a very interesting pair to kick a show off with, and they're both cool versions. Masters of War follows and strangely enough that is the main highlight of the first three songs. Terrific guitar work by all parties involved, they climb the scales again and again. Tomorrow is a Long Times starts off a little out of tune, but they quickly correct themselves. Best vocals of the night by Bob, he always sings this one great. The taper seems to be fiddling with his rig or his jacket or something during the song, trying to get comfortable perhaps? One Too many Mornings ends the opening acoustic set with a beautiful harp solo, and despite the talkative crowd it still was a damn fine set of music. A surf flavored Everything is Broken leads off the electric set, but Bob's voice needs a day off, his timing sounds just a bit tired. Bob messes up the band introductions, telling the crowd that Larry is playing the drums. He introduces David Kemper next, realizes his mistake, then says to hell with it and reverses himself again, joking with the crowd that David is playing guitar tonight. Not Fade is a wonderful way to end a concert, and the guitars will have you grinning like an idiot at your speakers. The vocals are messy as usual.
Bottom Line: He sings two of my favorite songs, Tomorrow is a Long Time and One Too Many Mornings, so there's no way I'm giving this one anything less than a hearty recommendation.
April 13 Santander
Sound: 8 (vocals are clear but are not as upfront as I'd like. Well, perhaps it's not really that but the fact that the overall sound is about 10% too far back. The guitars are loudest, followed by the thin drums and shallow bass. This one definitely can use a little knob-twisting)
Highlights: Fourth Time Around, Mama, You Been On My Mind, Forever Young, the band on Not Fade Away
Comments: This show isn't too bad. It's a mildly killer setlist, no doubt about it. The trick usually is with these April shows is that if Bob is 'on' during the opening acoustic set, then the rest tends to follow suit. I guess my point is that he rarely is able to recover from a mediocre acoustic set, that the electric set is tough to salvage. Things are not as grim as all that tonight, no indeed, he's turning in some fine performances. Listen to the vocal turns and sneering on Mama, You Been On My Mind, he's hilariously playing the wide-eyed innocent on this version. Forever Young works well because the backing vocals are so mellow. When Larry is singing louder than Bob it's never a good thing. This one has perfect levels in my opinion. Backup vocals should be low in the mix, there if we want to listen to them, not shoved inside our ears. The electric set crawls out of the gate with Bob offering half-hearted attempts at Gotta Serve Somebody, Positively 4th Street and even Cold Irons Bound is boring. Things get better with a more focused She Belongs to Me and the jam-fest of Highway 61. Silvio has a scarce encore slot appearance, but there's nothing special about the tune tonight. The only encore tune worth anything is the way the band jams out Not Fade Away; they're crunchy and tight, too bad Bob's heavy-fisted solo is so shrill.
Bottom Line: Another solid show here. Not essential, but easily worth a listen or two.
April 14 Madrid
Sound: 7 (heavy, muffled vocals, the bottom end has flooded and swamped anything resembling treble here, so reach for those controls and tweak things in your favor. You can clean this one up to about an 7.5 during the slower tunes)
Highlights: Love Minus Zero/No Limit, Senor, Blowin' in the Wind
Comments: After fiddling with the controls a bit to get this one dialed in, 'the moment' just never comes. Aside from a good Love Minus Zero, the acoustic set is a lazy construction area. Senor is the first major highlight of the electric set, listen to how Bob acts the part of a weary sort of Don Quixote. Tom Thumb's Blues follows and it's a tired thing, Bob's vocals slow the parade down to a crawl, and it almost dies right there on stage. Nothing seems to shake them out of the funk; the Simple Twist of Fate is a yawner, Highway 61 is more of a thick molasses than a jam, and Rolling Stone sounds more like a eulogy than a sarcastic fairy tail. The only time his hemped-over delivery works is on Blowin' in the Wind, a great and subtle work of art. The band must be applauded for this one. And again on Not Fade Away, Bob finally lets them off the leash, so to speak, and they rip the song apart. Bob, if you're going to hog the solo's every night at least play more harp, one harp solo a show is a drag.
Bottom Line: Average show here; a couple nice tunes but mostly just another concert.
April 15 Valencia
Sound: 8.5 (vocals are upfront and loud, but they threaten to buzz the high end at times. It's almost as if the taper's deck was just about to overload. The guitars are clear as a bell, every note comes sparkling through. Still, with the unnatural distance between the band and the audience as well as the sometimes buried guitar ad drums, this one would be a perfect candidate for a remastering job. The sound as it is leans more towards an 8 if you held a gun to my head, but when vocals are this clear I tend to get all giddy and let my excitement cloud any objectivity I have left)
Highlights: Masters of War, Girl From the North Country, Highway 61 Revisited
Comments: Well, Bob is frustrating the hell out of me of late. We're in the midst of a fine run of shows, but he's just been scraping by, the past few shows have been good, but by no means great. Tonight continues this simply satisfactory trend unfortunately, although the signs are looking up. My Back Pages tries to get things off on the right foot, but it's Masters of War that really starts the show for me. Bob is playing the Preacher and his Pulpit. Listen to how he hits the "...like I see through the water that runs down my drain..." line, it's awesome. The whole song is like that, wild phrasing abounds. And as only Bob can, he picks an odd song that wouldn't seem like a natural choice to back a song like Masters of War, but when he plays it, it sounds perfectly obvious. This time he runs out Girl From the North Country, and it's a beautiful version, with shades of the great 1995 vocals. Tangled, Tambourine Man and Forever Young are nothing to write about, and that's the acoustic set for you. Hey, 2 acoustic highlights is about the average, you know? The electric set opens with a clattering and killer version of Can't Wait, complete with 1:20 intro, and Bob's oily, back ally vocals turning this song from the typical end-of-his-rope longing to a professional plea for love, but not the sweet kind, this kind of love is more what a pimp wants one of his girls to feel for him or something, very downtown. Then Bob does his setlist trick again, playing Just Like a Woman right after, and folks he does this too often to call it coincidence. It's amazing to watch him construct these things night after night, it's a like a child playing with blocks or Lego's, trying to build things in a slightly new way every time.
Bottom Line: This one, like the past few shows, had such potential for huge monster performances, but instead are merely good-to-above-average.
April 17 Malaga
Sound: 9 (vocals are bright and close, the guitars are clear and very distinct, the crowd is not a factor at all, like most of these splendid tapes. Another beautiful recording here, thank you tapers, wherever you may be!)
Highlights: To Ramona, the harp on Don't Think Twice, I Shall Be Released
Comments: This show kicks off with decent versions of Friend of the Devil, a great To Ramona (or do I just think it's great because he hardly ever plays it? Hmm, maybe a little of both), a Masters of War that goes nowhere, a good and upbeat version of Desolation Row, and an awful Times, complete with missed cues and trailing lyrics. A wholly average Tangled and Don't Think Twice follow. The harp solo on Don't Think Twice is a sorely needed relief, and it's as wonderful as it usually is. This time gives it a playful rising toot, like in the old cartoons. The electric set is a little better, but not much. A spirited attempt at 'Til I Fell In Love With You and I Want You ultimately fall flat, and only a quality airing of I Shall Be Released rises to the top of the rest. And really, is there anything funnier than hearing Bob call someone (in this case show opener Andres Calamaro) his "amigo"?
Bottom Line: above average, call it a B- if you like the grade school report card system of scoring.
April 18 Granada
Sound: 8 (vocals are clear and just a step out in front of the band. he guitars
Highlights: The acoustic set, To Make You Feel My Love
Comments: The tapers who recorded these shows really did a superb job. The crowd is rarely a factor, the guitars arm usually warm, and of course the vocals are out there leading the way. Hey, finally and at last, an acoustic set that is consistently rewarding. From a sardonic Fourth Time Around, a damning Masters of War, and the gem of the evening, a robust and beautiful Visions of Johanna. As you may know, Bob is usually only playing the harmonica once an evening, and here he picks Mr. Tambourine Man and he just goes off on it, it's such a happy shock to hear him wail away on these shows. The acoustic set ends with a somber Hattie Carroll, and Tony leads the funeral waltz with a dignified root. The electric set cannot sustain the fragile heights of the acoustic set and is simply decent, with the special exception of a lovely To Make You Feel My Love. Bob knew he hit it, too, listen to how he greets the crowd for the band introductions after. I think he also calls his opening act, Andres Calamaro, his buddy in Spanish.
Bottom Line: Great acoustic set makes this show recommended.
April 19 Murcia
Sound: 8.5 (crisp and close vocals, the band is a bit more 'back' than usual, but having Bob's vocals up this much makes up for. It's like an optical illusion: I know this isn't balanced perfectly, but when you listen to it, it sounds great)
Highlights: Masters of War, My Back Pages, You're a Big Girl Now
Comments: Christ, what do you think about this Masters of War? The show starts off with a normal waking up slightly off key Friend of the Devil and then an uninspired Tambourine Man. Then he gets to Masters of War, sets up his little pulpit and proceeds to lay out a very deliberate and harrowing story. He comes in late on a verse, starts another one early, but nothing matters because he's singing it so well. What could be better than that? Well, how about the Tomorrow is a Long Time that follows? This time the backup vocals are better, and while this isn't the end-all-be-all airing, just to have these two songs put back to back is cause for minor celebration. Shame he didn't break out the harp for it, but we can't have it all. Anyway, Bob butchers Times next, so we're back to reality. My Back Pages is soft and this time Bob blows a tender harp solo, slowly building a three or four note pattern up into a swift, and sadly shrill, affair. The crowd is back in the mix too, if you were wondering, and their applause sounds like rain. Tombstone Blues is a slow burning rocker with the usual lyrical slips and crunchy guitar hooks. Always a fun listen in 1999. Then of course when you realize they're playing almost the exact same riff for Maggie's Farm to close the show you feel slightly foolish.
Bottom Line: Your average Spring '99 show. More ups than downs, in great sound.
April 21 Zaragoza
Sound: 9 (the vocals leap out of the speakers and jump right down into your ears, the acoustic guitars are bright and up front, with the bass and drums back in he mix. Very nice recording)
Highlights: Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie, Blowin' in the Wind, What Good Am I?, Highway 61 Revisited
Comments: Well, God bless Elizabeth Cotton! Oh Babe it Ain't No Lie is such a great opener for Bob. It's not that fast paced, has some comfortable backup vocals, and the lyrics are easy as anything to remember. Bob nails it here, then turns in a much more competent Tambourine Man than he did the night before. He senses this as well because he pulls out the harp halfway through and jams with himself a bit to a delightful end. Great stuff! You know, is it just me or does Bob's guitar playing get better when he's on top of the lyrics? I suppose on some level that makes sense, if he's hitting the verses his confidence shoots up a notch or two and he can focus on the guitar. Listen to Masters of War, damn, for Bob that's some pretty nice playing. The crowd is a non-factor being so far back in the mix, and there is basically nothing between you and Bob on this one, which is always a good thing to say the least. The tapers really went above and beyond during this tour, most of these recordings are nothing short of superb, catching every note and word in total clarity. What the hell is Bob saying after Girl of the North Country, is that...Spanish? No time to reflect, they've already launched Hard Rain into the water. He hits the "...darling young one" line with obvious relish, and even the usually dire backup vocals are decent here. Bob pulls out a surprise airing of Blowin' in the Wind to end the opening acoustic set, and it's a good one, Bob's all over the lyrics, eager to sing them and to get to next set of questions. The electric set is subdued and a little less potent. What Good Am I? is beautifully performed. Bob laughs his way through the band introductions then the boys jam out a splendid Highway 61. The encores are standard issue, It Ain't Me, Babe being the easy standout thanks to Bob's vocal attack.
Bottom Line: Subtle yet amazing show here folks, this one really grows on you with every listen.
April 22 Barcelona
Sound: 8.5 (the vocals are not as clear as you'd like, but still this is a very nice recording, with warm and distinctly separated instrumentation. This drops to an even 8 during the last few songs as the vocals start to echo a bit)
Highlights: the whole thing is great
Comments: April 21st started it, and this concert continues Bob's ascent back into the heady summits of 1999. Compare this show with ones from a week before and it's almost night and day. Listen to the amazing phrasing Bob pulls off in a delightful Tambourine Man. He piles up the lyrics like an overflowing sink. Mama, You Been on My Mind is rounded off with perfect playing by the band and a light and peppering harmonica solo by Bob. The crowd is not as far back in the mix as they have been in previous concerts in the month, but a yell or scream aside, they don't bring you out of your listening experience any. One Too Many Mornings closes out a fantastic set of acoustic music, listen to the way Bob whispers and sings at the same time. I've never heard anybody else sing like he does on these types of songs. Very smooth, very precise, he knows how he wants to sing each line, and he pulls it off. Neil Young with a cold, a younger Jerry Garcia, try to describe it all you want, all I know is that I like it. Bob is a happy mood during the band introductions, saying "Bravo!" after introducing Larry, and then as the band sets the picnic table for a lazy summer I'll Be Your Baby Tonight, he tells the audience that "...I've Been here awhile, but I haven't seen a bull fight yet." The he pauses for a second or two and starts singing the song without so much as a look back. Utterly on top of things, professional. The band slays the song, too. They handle the abandoned church tones of Can't Wait just as well as they take a fun and late night swing-fest of To Be Alone With You, bring the crowd to a boil. Outstanding job tonight.
Bottom Line: Highly recommended, a monster of a show!
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Foto Fernando Merinero.
