Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Collection Blu-ray Review


Bob Dylan Concert Blu-ray

Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Collection is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Columbia Records and Legacy with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer (mostly) in 1.78:1 (some of the archival footage is in 1.33:1). This is a clear and detailed enough looking release when the cameras capture the artists in close-up, but it's relatively soft looking by contemporary standards quite a bit of the time, something that's only exacerbated by the often red or blue lighting scheme. On the plus side, despite the interlaced presentation, there are few if any noticeable combing artifacts, and even the aforementioned stage lighting rarely results in typical live concert bugaboos like pasteurization. In the more brightly lit segments, colors are accurate looking and nicely saturated. The blue and red lighting schemes tend to make flesh tones take on slightly weird looking casts at times. Softness is most obvious in some of the wide shots (especially those of the audience), where the image lacks little definition and clarity and becomes more like moving blobs of color.

Video Quality: 4 out of 5

The biggest complaint many fans will have with this release is that it only features an LPCM 2.0 track, though one has to remember this was recorded in the Dark Ages of live concert fare, when thoughts of future lossless surround tracks hadn't quite entered the mainstream. Still, it's peculiar that Columbia wouldn't want to go back to what must have been multitrack masters to create a surround track. That said, my job is to actually detail what is here rather than what isn't, and while narrow and occasionally just slightly crowded sounding, the LPCM 2.0 track offers excellent fidelity and some surprising depth. All frequency ranges are reproduced very well, and the mix nicely balances the ambience of the stage performers with the sounds of the massive audience. Yes, a surround track would obviously have been appreciated, and perhaps could have opened up the sound considerably more than what is here, but taken purely on its own merits, there's not much to complain about with regard to the track on the Blu-ray disc.

Audio Quality: 4 out of 5

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Collection features some absolutely amazing performances, and if there are perhaps niggling qualms with some aspects of the video and audio presentation here, there is such immediacy and vibrancy in so many of these performances that it's hard to completely throw out the baby with the bath water. With the caveats above kept in mind for those of you who set your personal bars high for concert fare on Blu-ray, Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration is recommended.


Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Blu-ray Disc Details:
  • Release Date: Mar 04, 2014
  • Run Time: 173min
  • Studio: Columbia
  • Disc: Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc
  • Video Codec: MPEG-4AVC
  • Resolution: 1080i
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Audio: English, LPCM(48kHz, 24-bit)
  • Behind the Scenes (1080i; 39:06) has tons of great candid footage of many of the stars who performed, including Dylan.
  • Bonus Live Performances include:
- Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (John Mellencamp) (480i; 4:19)
- Boots of Spanish Leather (Nancy Griffith with Carolyn Hester) (480i; 6:37)
- Gotta Serve Somebody (Booker T. and the M.G.'s) (480i; 5:18)

Bob Dylan the 30th Aniversary Concert

The Blu-ray Disc is comprised of:
  • Like A Rolling Stone - John Mellencamp
  • Blowin' In The Wind – Stevie Wonder
  • Foot Of Pride – Lou Reed
  • Masters Of War – Eddie Vedder/Mike McCready
  • The Times They Are A-Changin' – Tracy Chapman
  • It Ain't Me Babe – June Carter Cash/Johnny Cash
  • What Was It You Wanted – Willie Nelson
  • I'll Be Your Baby Tonight – Kris Kristofferson
  • Highway 61 Revisited – Johnny Winter
  • Seven Days – Ron Wood
  • Just Like A Woman – Richie Havens
  • When The Ship Comes in – The Clancy Brothers and Robbie O'Connell with special guest Tommy Makem
  • War – Sinead O'Connor
  • Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues – Neil Young
  • All Along The Watchtower – Neil Young
  • I Shall Be Released – Chrissie Hynde
  • Love Minus Zero, No Limit – Eric Clapton (Track Only Available on DVD/Blu-Ray Format)
  • Don't Think Twice, It's Alright – Eric Clapton
  • Emotionally Yours – The O'Jays
  • When I Paint My Masterpiece – The Band
  • You Ain't Goin' Nowhere – Mary Chapin Carpenter/Rosanne Cash/Shawn Colvin
  • Absolutely Sweet Marie – George Harrison
  • License To Kill – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
  • Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
  • Mr Tambourine Man – Roger McGuinn
  • It's Alright, Ma – Bob Dylan
  • My Back Pages – Bob Dylan/Roger McGuinn/Tom Petty/Neil Young/Eric Clapton/George Harrison
  • Knockin' On Heaven's Door – Everyone
  • Girl Of The North Country – Bob Dylan

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