The Library has three audience recordings. All are compromised by a couple of very trivial glitches
during All Along The Watchtower. Commenting on the glitches, Paul Lyman wrote: "Regarding the glitches
in Watchtower on the Milwaukee 10/30 tape: If these are what I think they are then you will find them
on all Milwaukee tapes. After the first verse Bob's mic failed with a couple of little bursts of static
heard thoughout the auditorium. He skips the 2nd verse as he then had no mic. But the band of course
keeps playing. Then one of the crew runs up in the front of the stage and replaces the mic and Bob
resumes the song with the third verse. I was there and witnessed it. I also have a master tape and it's
on my tape as well. So this would be an accurate recording of what actually happened sonically in the
hall, not a problem with the tape at all, if this is what you heard." Paul very kindly lent the Library
his Master tape (see 9910302), which confirms his surmise.
The first is an outstanding stereo recording. Clean, complete, crisp, and problem free. Thanks,
Robert! Dubbed 11/19/99. 100 min. Request 9910301.
The second is a similarly superb stereo recording, but suffers from a destructive tape flip (during
Highway 61 Revisited). I have closed the resulting gap on Library Masters. Otherwise, clean, complete,
crisp, and problem free. Thanks for the loan, Paul! Dubbed 12/09/99. 100 min. Request 9910302.
The third is a pretty good recording, but suffers from occasional distortion; quite a bit of obtrusive
audience revelry; and some very heavy handed editing. The recording is quite hot (recording levels too
high), hence the distortion. Though much of the recording is unaffected, the distortion is particularly
severe during interludes between songs and during the electric sets. The entire recording is punctuated
by raucous screeches, screams, and squeals. Though neither the distortion nor the juvenile antics of a
young man in very close proximity to Spencer, the taper, contribute to a pleasant listen, it's really
the editing that ruins this one. I counted no less than six rough edits from Mama, You Been On My Mind,
onwards. The purpose of such butchery eludes me. The source CD-Rs also have short gaps (closed on
Library Masters) between each track. Dubbed 02/18/00. 100 min. Request 9910303.