BOB DYLAN : SANTA CRUZ 2022

Disc One (52:28)

1. Watching The River Flow
2. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
3. I Contain Multitudes
4. False Prophet
5. When I Paint My Masterpiece
6. Black Rider
7. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
8. My Own Version of You
9. Crossing The Rubicon

Disc Two (50:03)

1. To Be Alone With You
2. Key West (Philosopher Pirate)
3. Gotta Serve Somebody
4. I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You
5. Melancholy Mood
6. Mother of Muses
7. Goodbye Jimmy Reed
8. Every Grain of Sand

Label : No label

Venue : Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Recording Date : June 23, 2022

Quality : Audience recording (A+)

Review : Good quality audience recording of Bob's show in Santa Cruz, California.

Concert Review (Bob Links) : First show here since March of 2000, at (I believe) the smallest venue he's played in quite a while, 2000 seats. Great old WPA era Civic Center, reserved seats, packed, very appreciative crowd, with no murmers of dissatisfaction about low light, loud music and no "hits." "A Friend Of The Devil" might have been TOO on the nose for this crowd, but I am sure it would have been appreciated! Bet some great tapes will emerge as Deadicated Tapers abide here, and security was very loose. Notes based on two shows I saw in last few weeks, and maybe 15 or so tapes of shows from this tour that I have "collected" and obsessed over. In comparison with the Oakland show I saw on June 9th, I'd say better sound, tighter, and, dare I say, a more "professional" show, but perhaps, Oakland has a touch more soul. But obviously, miles vary. A one-two punch of "Masterpiece" and "Baby Tonight" surprised me, but otherwise everything tonight seemed sharper, and dare I say it, a more intimate performance than the one I saw a couple of weeks ago. Dylan's piano playing was a real highlight all night, with emphatic, driving solos, especially at the end of "Jimmy Reed" - and it seemed the band looked for directions in every note he pecked out. Harmonica intro to "Masterpiece" - very rhythmic and something I wish could have gone on forever. Great new arrangement of "Baby Tonight" with a great gear shifting slow blues rave up at the end. "Key West" has mutated into some weird tropical fusion of "Desolation Row" if Jimmy Buffett happened to live there, but it's heading to a great place, though I am partial to many of the last few months excursions and evolutions that this song has been through. A beautifully SUNG night too - hitting and sustaining some amazing highs during "Give Myself To You", among others. He was a bit wobbly during the letter perfect "Melancholy Mood" - and a friend wondered if he had been sampling one of his whisky blends - but I was reminded of 60 years ago, when his act was referred to as "Chaplinesque." Big picture, he's the master painter jazz blues king, improvising beat poetry with subtle, wonderful phrasing and diction, where you feel like you are witnessing a private rehearsal, but we are all his fellow musicians. The idea that he played with this kind of intensity in Santa Barbara last night, and, did what I just saw him do here tonight is inspiring to say the least. If you haven't seen a show yet, well, to coin a phrase, "Don't you dare miss it!"