Euro 2005 Brussels (Tambourine Man Records TMR-103/104)
Forest National, Brussels, Belgium – November 1st, 2005
Disc 1: To Be Alone With You, The Times They Are A-Changin’, Lonesome Day Blues, Love Minus Zero/No Limit, It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding), Under The Red Sky, Cold Irons Bound, Girl Of The North Country, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, John Brown
Disc 2: Desolation Row, Down Along The Cove, Masters Of War, Highway 61 Revisited, Like A Rolling Stone, All Along The Watchtower. Bonus tracks, Mittelhessen Arena, Wetzler, Germany – October 30th, 2005: Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power), God Knows, Shooting Star, New Morning
Euro 2005 Brussels is the first of three titles released on the TMR label documenting his last tour in Europe. The tape used for the Brussels show is a complete superb stereo audience DAT recording capturing Dylan on a very good night. After listening to the tapes from his tours in the past year, it’s most obvious that his voice really benefited from the rest before the European tour. He doesn’t sound as hoarse as he did on the North American dates and he is able to convey much more subtly. The introduction (“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the poet laureate of rock and roll…”) on disc one is tracked separately not noted on the liner notes. “The Times They Are A-Changin'” is played at waltz tempo and “Love Minus Zero/No Limit” is given a very dreamy arrangement. Songs like “Down Along The Cove and “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” are given very Dylanesque heavy rock treatments. A fun version of “Under The Red Sky” has a magnificent harp solo, but perhaps the highlight of the show is a very sensitive reading of the rare “John Brown”. It’s puzzling why this track, written in 1962, was only released on Unplugged in 1995. Donnie Herron plays a banjo moving the tale along to its emotional climax and the Brussels crowd is breathless!“Desolation Row” sounds more laid back than previous arrangements with Herron switching to electric mandolin for the track. The bonus tracks come from the previous evening’s show in Wetzler, Germany and contain great versions of “Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)” and “Shooting Star”, one of the better tracks from Oh Mercy. TMR’s artwork is really nice with the scrollwork motif on the inserts and the discs themselves giving nice continuity. This is definitely one of their better efforts and is worth having. (GS)
