Bob Dylan: Stumblin' Along
Format: 1CD
Label: Hawk
Catalogue number: 058
Townsend number: T-403



> Subject: Re: Stumblin' Along Boot CD 
> Author: Ben Taylor
> Email: bptaylor@laguna.demon.co.uk
> Date:  1997/08/02
> Forums:  rec.music.dylan 

> It has a nice homemade kinda quality to it. Feels like a small room jam-
> packed full of people, an intimate concert. I like the knock on wood
> sound of the drums. The back cover is from, I guess, Hearts of Fire,
> showing Bob with his black shirt sleeve rolled up, standing away from
> the mic and pointing into the crowd. From a different time and place but
> definitely evocative of the sound.
> 
> You're Gonna Quit Me is so bright and bouncy that you gotta love it,
> Lord, Lord. The Memphis Blues vocal is very attentive, real drawn out
> lines and charged emphasis - I almost never hear Bob sing it like this.
> Has Dylan ever sung a bad Born In Time? I'll believe it when I hear it.
> Bob Dylan is Jim Jones, no doubt about it, right there on stage in front
> of your very eyes (can you believe it?). There was a time when
> appearances of Don't Think Twice were a bore but this ain't one of 'em
> (we'll ignore the bit where a card carrying member of the audience
> momentarily decides to improvise a whistling backing to Bob's harmonica
> solo). I like the way they manage to squeeze in a taster of the guitar
> riff on God Knows, right before the drums come marching in.
> 
> Looking back, the 1993 shows I've heard never really stood the test of
> time for me. 1993 feels like a transitional period, from the gravelly,
> jazzy, folky, acoustic(y) 1992 shows through The Year Of The-Voice-Is-
> Gone Man to the up and up focus of the 1994 tour. And beyond (up up and
> away).
> 
> But there's a nice exception here with the October 2nd gig on the
> "Stumblin' Along" disc. 'T ain't perfect but perfection is boring
> anyway. Only the two encores are missing from show (Thin Man and It
> Ain't Me). Very enjoyable and one of a select few CDs I could never give
> up.

> Subject: Re: Stumblin' Along Boot CD 
> Author: Erika Ladsle
> Email: aquarian@nospam.hypnet.com
> Date: 1997/08/03
> Forums:  rec.music.dylan 

> >It has a nice homemade kinda quality to it. Feels 
> >like a small room jam-packed full of people, an 
> >intimate concert. 
> 
> Actually, quite the contrary -- the show was at 
> the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, which is an 
> enormous outdoor bandshell sold-out with 
> probably 10,000 to 20,000 people.
> 
> Dylan played after Santana that night.  Santana's
> group had about a dozen rumbling noisy percussion
> players so everyone's ear drums were vibrating
> as Dylan took the stage and bellowed out "You're
> Gonna Quit Me, Baby..."
> 
> The Bowl's outdoor sound system is probably one of 
> the best and clearest anywhere, as they host nearly
> all the Hollywood heavies and philharmonic 
> presentations.
> 
> The show itself was tight, though the setlist
> could've had a few more layers.  I left feeling
> like it needed a few more sparkling highlights
> like VISIONS OF JOHANNA, or BABY BLUE
> to balance out the lesser known low-key, 
> JIM JONES, QUIT ME, BORN IN TIME, etc.  Also,
> STUCK IN MOBILE was a little fast.
> 
> Compared to other Dylan shows, I gave it a B+ --
> though in retrospect, the CD would probably be an
> A-.  People around me who didn't know Dylan's
> songs thought it was interesting but not that
> compelling.  I gave the performance an A,
> but the setlist B-.
> 
> But Dylan shows are like wine, they get better
> with age.



> Author:  not sure yet
> Email: nospam@no.spam
> Date: 1998/06/08
> Forums: rec.music.dylan 

> >Is it a reasonable guess that since this 
> >disk, Stumblin' Along, has no reviews/links at Lonesome 
> >Sparrow's site that it is of less than
> >stellar quality?
> 
> No.  It's quite good.  It's been praised on rmd
> and DEEP BENEATH THE WAVES as underrated.  The
> sound is very good/excellent, the setlist is
> solid (one more ironic romantic song like _Dont Think
> Twice or _Queen Jane) would've made it perfect
> (plus leaving out _God Knows_).
> 
> It's got one of the most powerful _YOU'RE GONNA QUIT 
> ME_'s ever (the opener).  A great _Gates of Eden_...
> 
> If it was the only Dylan boot someone heard they'd
> say it was mighty strong, but compared to the other
> zillion shows it's just another window in the airplane.