EYES OF THE IDOL
QRecords 13/14 [T-544]
(1) Stadthalle (Magdeburg, Germany); July 12, 1996
(2) Zeltfestival (Konstanz, Germany); July 3, 1996
(3) Palace (Louisville, KY); May 7, 1996
Tracklist: To Be Alone With You, Lay Lady Lay, All Along The
Watchtower, Positively Fourth Street, It Takes A Lot to Laugh,
Silvio, Ballad Of Hollis Brown, Gates Of Eden, Mr Tambourine Man,
Jokerman, Like A Rolling Stone, Absolutely Sweet Marie, Times They
Are A-Changin', Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
(2) Maggie's Farm, I'll Remember You, Everything Is Broken, Times
They Are A-Changin'
(3) Never Gonna Be The Same Again
DEEP: The sound quality is astonishing. The full force of
Dylan's vocals come through loud and clear, upfront and strong,
every nuance and inflection fully intact and true. The acoustic
tracks just leap out of the speakers and sound so alive. The
balance is perfect - Dylan's vocals ride above the equally forceful
instrumentation in perfect sync. Every instrument is clearly
defined. The setlist is a doozy, more varied than most. The
performance is special. The throttle was opened up from the get-go
and stayed on throughout. More even than usual, Bob's vocals are
playful and crisp and alive with adrenaline. The trump card,
though, would be the killer filler. Finally, we get the tracks from
Konstanz with Boyd Tinsley of the Dave Matthews Band accompanying
Bob on violin. Very well though out, this set. The original
artwork is a very interesting and deceptively simple pastel
portrait of Bob, amidst a wonderful design of pastel squares and
blocks, a classy touch to an all-around class package.
CDG: Another Euro '96 show, but a special one! An audience
recording in superb quality; one of the best performances of that
tour. The filler tracks are well picked, of somewhat lesser quality
than the main dish, but still highly enjoyable.
rmd: The hype surrounding this title has always been epic for some reason and it just doesn't deserve it. I know what he sounded like on a good vocal night back in 1996, and several other '96 boots blow this out of the water. The sound that swims with the tide and the voice with the piercing lilt honestly makes for a tired listening experience. (gopherstick)
The downtalking of this album is utterly inexplicable. I consider this period to be one of Dylan's most enjoyable and this album to be perhaps the best document of it. The recording quality is good and the performances sound very inspired.
