Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Bob Dylan In Concert: Brandeis University 1963

This recently unearthed seven-song set was performed during a more innocent time in young Dylan's career, just weeks prior to the release of his sophomore The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, and before he would explode into the American consciousness. He was still a relative unknown then. This is engaging as Bootleg Vol. 6: Live At Carnegie Hall. It begins weirdly halfway into Honey, Won't You Allow Me One More Chance?. You'll be immediately hooked onto the songs; Dylan's gift for phrasing his words and his singing style forces you to listen, even if the hilarious Talkin' John Birch Paranoid, World War III and Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues all have the same rhythmic structure. And you'll also chuckle with the audience after every verse. This is a good companion piece to last year's Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos.