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SPL's Must-have Bootleg List - The River tour

PetePeteJukebox Graduate
We've talked about it in the past. Now let's do it.

Let's name the Top 5 bootlegs for each tour, with as many as 5 more suggestions. The sound has to be pretty damn good for a boot to make the list, but sound quality is not the sole criteria. We'll weigh in the performance (i.e., the energy level, the setting, the setlist, etc.) because that matters, too. Otherwise we'd all be listening to the Atlanta Rising boot, which won't even make the list.

I'll keep a running list here at the top of what the consensus seems to be for each tour. It will change, of course.
Anybody who wants other ideas can probably dig through this thread someday for suggestions that fell short. There are going to be a lot of excellent boots that don't make the list.
So let's get started.

This is the 'The River' tour thread, covering the dates 1980-10-03 to 1981-09-14.

1980-10-25 Portland (The Mountain Show, Ev2)
1980-11-05 Tempe (Heart & Soul, E St Records)
1980-11-20 Chicago (The Rosemont Reception, Ev2)
1980-12-09 Philadelphia (The Lennon Show)
1980-12-11 Providence (Passing Through Providence)
1980-12-28 Nassau (Hussey Remaster)
1980-12-29 Nassau (Coliseum Night, CC)
1980-12-31 Nassau (Nassau Night, CC)
1980-12-31 Nassau (Nassau - The Master Tapes, Ev2)
1981-02-21 Mobile (A Night Of Singing, Dancing And Howling, Ev2)
1981-05-07 Stockholm (Warm Welcome In Stockholm, Ev2)
1981-05-08 Stockholm (Teardrops Revisited)
1981-07-15 Philadelphia (Spectrum Night, CC)
1981-08-04 Largo (Have The Faith, Ev2)
1981-08-20 Los Angeles (As Dreams Don't Mean Nothing, Ev2)
1981-08-28 Los Angeles (Scattered Like Dry Leaves, Ev2)
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

buckshotbuckshotTougher Than The Rest
1981-02-21 MOBILE AL A Night Of Singing, Dancing And Howling-EV2
1981-07-15 PHILADELPHIA PA Spectrum Night
1981-08-04 LARGO MD Have The Faith-Ev2

All are better than
1981-05-07 Stockholm (Warm Welcome In Stockholm, Ev2)
1981-05-08 Stockholm (Teardrops Revisited)
Are you retarded? Hell yeah it was better in '78!
PetePeteJukebox Graduate
Originally Posted By: Bobby_G
What about the partial soundboard show from Toronto January '81?

(I've never heard the non-soundboard part of the show)


Problem is it's incomplete, I think it's important to have just complete shows. I think that's why the Nassau Masters should be discounted, along with the annoying hum/hiss in the background.
F FlynnTougher Than The Rest
Originally Posted By: Bobby_G
yup, agreed. Unfortunately, it seems that there are precious few soundboard shows from The River tour...


We have four complete soundboards from 1980 (Tempe and the 3 Nassau shows), that's pretty good. Then we have the partial Toronto, partial Detroit, partial Vets (which is not as good as the audience recording, unfortunately), partial 8/23 (or 8/24?) from LA, and those five songs from NJ 81. That's a lot of soundboards, more so than we have from USA and Tunnel tours, certainly.

BTW, I'm in favor of excluding partial shows as well.

Flynn
OferOferRagamuffin Gunner
no way we'll give up the Vets show.this one IS the definition of a must-have Springsteen show.

i agree that Tampa is not that great but it has the best Jackson Cage ever.

my list:


1980-11-05 Tempe (Heart & Soul, E St Records)
1980-12-29 Nassau (Coliseum Night, CC)
1980-12-31 Nassau (Nassau Night, CC)
1981-08-04 Largo (Have The Faith, Ev2)
1981-08-20 Los Angeles (As Dreams Don't Mean Nothing, Ev2)

these are a good cover of the river tour for me.IMO,these shows should be chosen.

TIA
kmkmISO Soundchecks
my favourite river boot has to be the 12/2/1981 Mobile show.
The original Freezer tape was excellent and the Ev2 Edit "A Night of...." improved it even more so.

top 5 or 6..??? who cares but a great gem of a show.

=============================================================

Someday's you're the statue, someday's the pigeon.

PetePeteJukebox Graduate
So if you had to get this master list down to twelve, which shows would you pick. My choice:

1980-10-25 Portland (The Mountain Show, Ev2)
1980-11-05 Tempe (Heart & Soul, E St Records)
1980-12-28 Nassau (Hussey Remaster)
1980-12-29 Nassau (Coliseum Night, CC)
1980-12-31 Nassau (Nassau Night, CC)
1981-02-21 Mobile (A Night Of Singing, Dancing And Howling, Ev2)
1981-05-07 Stockholm (Warm Welcome In Stockholm, Ev2)
1981-05-08 Stockholm (Teardrops Revisited)
1981-07-15 Philadelphia (Spectrum Night, CC)
1981-08-04 Largo (Have The Faith, Ev2)
1981-08-20 Los Angeles (As Dreams Don't Mean Nothing, Ev2)
1981-08-28 Los Angeles (Scattered Like Dry Leaves, Ev2)

Should the Lennon show be included on it's historical significance, or is the sound quality too much of an issue? If it's included, what should be scrapped?
LBLB"old enough to know better"
Quote:
I would include either the Lennon Show and/or the Landover Show and scrap one of the Nassaus and/or one of the two Stockholms to have a wider range of choice


Agree. The first Nassau show is not as good as the other two and as much as I like the first Stockholm it's not as good as the second night.

 

"I've done my best to live the right way"

buckshotbuckshotTougher Than The Rest
Originally Posted By: Pete
So if you had to get this master list down to twelve, which shows would you pick. My choice:

1980-10-25 Portland (The Mountain Show, Ev2)
1980-11-05 Tempe (Heart & Soul, E St Records)
1980-12-28 Nassau (Hussey Remaster)
1980-12-29 Nassau (Coliseum Night, CC)
1980-12-31 Nassau (Nassau Night, CC)
1981-02-21 Mobile (A Night Of Singing, Dancing And Howling, Ev2)
1981-05-07 Stockholm (Warm Welcome In Stockholm, Ev2)
1981-05-08 Stockholm (Teardrops Revisited)
1981-07-15 Philadelphia (Spectrum Night, CC)
1981-08-04 Largo (Have The Faith, Ev2)
1981-08-20 Los Angeles (As Dreams Don't Mean Nothing, Ev2)
1981-08-28 Los Angeles (Scattered Like Dry Leaves, Ev2)

Should the Lennon show be included on it's historical significance, or is the sound quality too much of an issue? If it's included, what should be scrapped?



The sound is just not up to par on the Lennon show. 1980-12-28 is nowhere as good as the other two Nassau shows. 1980-12-29 is BY FAR the best show of the stand. That second set during the 12-31 loses focus and runs of the tracks. 1980-12-29 is THE BEST river boot. The best combo of sound and performance.
Are you retarded? Hell yeah it was better in '78!
zekezekeTougher Than The Rest
Originally Posted By: Pete
Should the Lennon show be included on it's historical significance, or is the sound quality too much of an issue? If it's included, what should be scrapped?


Is there a version that runs on a correct speed? None of the versions (4 total) i have heard doesn't come even close. I'd rather see a fresh transfer than remastering those versions that has circulated since the cd-r's came. (aka era of poor soundcards, and unknown tape gens)
buckshotbuckshotTougher Than The Rest
Not when there are soooooooo many shows with better sound quality. Personally the broadcasts and these "special" don't do as much for as me as shows where he put on a killer performance without the whole world watching. Even if this was top ten instead of top five I still wouldn't include it. It's simple not something you gonna listen to over and over.
Are you retarded? Hell yeah it was better in '78!
S scoperTougher Than The Rest
The nature of this collection has to be better defined.

Sound
Performance
Importance/Scope/Context

For the Lennon show, sound is so-so, but the other criteria are off the charts. The emotional component of the night, not just for this show but for anyone alive and old enough to remember those terrible days, overrides other considerations.

It's one of those shows everyone wishes they could have seen. To me, that seals the deal.
N NBStolen Car
Spot on. Surely one reason for its inclusion is something that tD posted during the early stages of this project:

Quote:
The sound has to be pretty damn good for a boot to make the list, but sound quality is not the sole criteria. We'll weigh in the performance (i.e., the energy level, the setting, the setlist, etc.) because that matters, too. Otherwise we'd all be listening to the Atlanta Rising boot, which won't even make the list.
PetePeteJukebox Graduate
Originally Posted By: Ofer
you all forget it has an historical value,this alone is enough to include it on the top 5 no matter the not-so-great sound quality IMO.
same thing goes to the VETS show.you don't even think of giving up this one although its sound quality is average at best.am i right ?

TIA


I don't see it in the Top 5, not with the competition. Vets I think is better than average, especially with a bit of eq. The Lennon show performance may be off the charts stunning, but it's always going to be smothered by the poor sound. Dig up a soundboard and we'll talk again wink.
LBLB"old enough to know better"
Here's my 12. Same as Pete's except I put in the Lennon Show over 12-28 Nassau.

1980-10-25 Portland (The Mountain Show, Ev2)
1980-11-05 Tempe (Heart & Soul, E St Records)
1980-12-09 Philadelphia (The Lennon Show)
1980-12-29 Nassau (Coliseum Night, CC)
1980-12-31 Nassau (Nassau Night, CC)
1981-02-21 Mobile (A Night Of Singing, Dancing And Howling, Ev2)
1981-05-07 Stockholm (Warm Welcome In Stockholm, Ev2)
1981-05-08 Stockholm (Teardrops Revisited)
1981-07-15 Philadelphia (Spectrum Night, CC)
1981-08-04 Largo (Have The Faith, Ev2)
1981-08-20 Los Angeles (As Dreams Don't Mean Nothing, Ev2)
1981-08-28 Los Angeles (Scattered Like Dry Leaves, Ev2)

 

"I've done my best to live the right way"

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