By Karsten S. Andersen
1993 revisited
Published 2007-03-11
Sorry about the long absence. I'm actually pretty busy working on a new version of Greasy Lake that I hope will be ready to launch within the next few months.
Anyway, while we're waiting for news about a new release, the trading world is busy making older recordings available to the public. Last year the so-called "uber trader" campaign was launched. The idea was to make recordings available that for some reason or another had only been available to a limited number of people.... the uber traders. I'm not sure anyone believed there would be any significant result coming from this, but time has shown that the efforts have paid off.
One of the best things coming from this campaign is the A Gentleman in Verona DVD. The two-disc set features a show from Verona in 1993. Bruce had just returned to Europe for a more extensive tour with his new band, supporting the Human Touch and Lucky Town albums. The whole tour has since been cause of much criticism and even ridicule from hardcore fans. The band seemed like a discount version of the E Street Band with the addition of a bunch of female backup singers (and one male) who often seemed uncomfortable and out-of-place. And throughout the year-long tour Bruce himself seemed to struggle with his own role and how to mix the setlist with the right amount of new and old music.
The Verona 93 DVD, despite the fact that it only includes the last two thirds of the show, is probably the best document to emerge from the tour. With its 100% professional picture and audio quality, it reveals the problems with the band and the music with brutal clarity, but more importantly, it shows that the tour wasn't as bad as some of us have perhaps made it out to be. Only five minutes into the set, we get a majestic version of "Because the Night" that beats most of the post E Street Band reunion versions I've heard. Bruce's guitar work is loud and clear and simply breathtaking. And the sequence from "Who'll Stop the Rain?" to "Light of Day" is Bruce at his best as both entertainer and serious rock 'n' roll artist. Those songs alone is more than enough to forgive the slow tempo on "Prove It All Night", the always embarrassing emergence of Crystal Taliefero's sax solo during "Born to Run" and Zack Alford's blunders on the drums.
Altogether the set is a gem, both for entertainment reasons (for better or worse) and as a historic document and is highly recommendable.
So how does one go about getting a copy? Well, if you're not aware of it already, bootlegs are and should be virtually free. There are hundreds of traders out there who won't mind burning a copy for you in return for either blank discs or a mere "thank you". Start at the trading section of Greasy Lake's message board or go to one of the other trading communities on the Internet and ask if anyone can help you out.
Anyway, while we're waiting for news about a new release, the trading world is busy making older recordings available to the public. Last year the so-called "uber trader" campaign was launched. The idea was to make recordings available that for some reason or another had only been available to a limited number of people.... the uber traders. I'm not sure anyone believed there would be any significant result coming from this, but time has shown that the efforts have paid off.
One of the best things coming from this campaign is the A Gentleman in Verona DVD. The two-disc set features a show from Verona in 1993. Bruce had just returned to Europe for a more extensive tour with his new band, supporting the Human Touch and Lucky Town albums. The whole tour has since been cause of much criticism and even ridicule from hardcore fans. The band seemed like a discount version of the E Street Band with the addition of a bunch of female backup singers (and one male) who often seemed uncomfortable and out-of-place. And throughout the year-long tour Bruce himself seemed to struggle with his own role and how to mix the setlist with the right amount of new and old music.
The Verona 93 DVD, despite the fact that it only includes the last two thirds of the show, is probably the best document to emerge from the tour. With its 100% professional picture and audio quality, it reveals the problems with the band and the music with brutal clarity, but more importantly, it shows that the tour wasn't as bad as some of us have perhaps made it out to be. Only five minutes into the set, we get a majestic version of "Because the Night" that beats most of the post E Street Band reunion versions I've heard. Bruce's guitar work is loud and clear and simply breathtaking. And the sequence from "Who'll Stop the Rain?" to "Light of Day" is Bruce at his best as both entertainer and serious rock 'n' roll artist. Those songs alone is more than enough to forgive the slow tempo on "Prove It All Night", the always embarrassing emergence of Crystal Taliefero's sax solo during "Born to Run" and Zack Alford's blunders on the drums.
Altogether the set is a gem, both for entertainment reasons (for better or worse) and as a historic document and is highly recommendable.
So how does one go about getting a copy? Well, if you're not aware of it already, bootlegs are and should be virtually free. There are hundreds of traders out there who won't mind burning a copy for you in return for either blank discs or a mere "thank you". Start at the trading section of Greasy Lake's message board or go to one of the other trading communities on the Internet and ask if anyone can help you out.