Bob Dylan 1988 Never Ending Tour
Touring band
Bob Dylan: vocal, guitar, harmonica
George Edward (G.E.) Smith: lead guitar, electric slide guitar, backup vocal
Kenny Aaronson: bass
Christopher Parker: drums
Big bands, strings and washed-out horns, background vocals and lack of inspiration, in 1988 Dylan throws it all away. With only drums (Chris Parker), lead guitar (G.E. Smith) and bass (Kenny Aaronson) a revived Dylan plays energetic rock and roll interspersed with short acoustic sets where traditionals sparkle. Who could ever imagine that this was the beginning of a work of art that encompasses decades?
After a bad year Dylan gets new inspiration from a cooperation with George Harrison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison in The Traveling Wilburys. After this resulted in new songs and an album, Dylan starts with what turns out to be the first leg of the Never Ending Tour (NET). First a summer leg of 40 shows in the US, followed by 25 concerts in the US and Canada.
Neil Young plays electric guitar on the first 13 shows at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, CA and a few following shows.
The shows are short (60-90 minutes), with various supporting acts, among them The Alarm and Tracey Chapman. Almost no harmonica is played. The year ends with a performance of 6 acoustic songs with G.E. Smith at the Bridge Benefit Concert at the Oakland Coliseum.
Releases
Down In The Groove
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (Traveling Wilbury’s are: Bob Dylan (guitar, keyboards, vocals); Roy Orbison (guitar, vocals); George Harrison (guitar, vocals); Tom Petty (bass, guitar, vocals; Jeff Lynne (guitar, synthesizer, keyboards, vocals).
Bob Dylan is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Recommended bootlegs
Live At Jones Beach Theatre 1988 (Shamrock SR- 201005/6). Perfect soundboard recording from Jones Beach, Wantaugh, NY, June 30. A must have.
Denver 1988 (Scorpio BD-08021). Soundboard recording of a great show in the Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Denver, CO, June 15.
| 1988 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 71 shows, 87 different songs played, 13 live debuts and 19 covers played * * * * * START OF THE NEVER ENDING TOUR * * * * * |
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| Date | Venue | Title | No of Disks | Label/Source | Sound | Art/setlist/info |
| 1988-04/05 | Malibu,Hollywood,Los Angeles, CA | Park It Where The Sun Don't Shine | 2CDr | Hollow Horn/studio | A | Outtakes Traveling Wilburys Vol 1. See Compilations: Hollow Horn Studio Outtakes vol 8 |
| 1988-06-07 | Concord, CA | Concord Pavilion | 1CDr/Tao | - | A | First show in the Never Ending Tour (NET). Four live debuts: Subterranean Homesick Blues, Absolutely Sweet Marie, Lakes Of Pontchartrain (trad.) and Driftin' Too Far From Shore. w/Neil Young. |
| 1988-06-10 | Berkeley, CA The Greek Theater | San Francisco Bay Blues | Flac/2CD | Live Style LSD 20001/2 LB-5889 | 7 | w/Neil Young. Titel of this bootleg is from the Jesse Fuller song San Francisco Bay Blues, played in the acoustic set. Four covers in this show. Rank Strangers To Me (A. Brumley) and Everybody's Movin' (Glen Trout) were live debuts. |
| 1988-06-15 | Denver, CO, Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre | Denver 1988 | 1CDr/90m | Scorpio BD-08021/Sbd | 10 | Perfect recording of a great show. First ever performance of Eileen Aroon (Carolin O'Daly). |
| 1988-06-17 | St. Louis, MO | Born in Spring | Flac | Southside Butcher | A | - |
| 1988-06-24 | Holmdel, NJ Garden State Performing Arts Center | New Jersey 1988 | 1CDr | Scorpio BD-08022/Sbd | 10 | Entire 75 minute concert, another great show |
| 1988-06-30 | Wantaugh, NY | Live at Jones Beach Theatre | 2CDr | Shamrock 201005-6/Sbd | 10 | - |
| 1988-07-03 | Portland, ME, Old Orchard Beach | By the Waterfront Docks | Flac/1CDr | Scorpio BD07008 | 10 | Excellent sound board recording. |
| 1988-07-26 | Memphis, TN Mud Island Ampitheatre | Mudplex Part 1 | Flac | Mudrock 1-2 | 8 | w/Joe Walsh, guitar |
| 1988-07-28 | Dallas, TX Starplex Amphitheatre | Mudplex Part 2 | Flac | Mudrock 2-3/LB-7842 | B+ | - |
| 1988-09-04 | Bristol, CT Lake Compounce | Wanted Man | Flac | Kiss The Stone KTS099/ SBD | 8 | Released: 1992, Italy. Debut of Had A Dream About You, Baby. |
| 1988-09-07 | Essex Junction, VT Champlain Valley Fairgrounds | Beauty Walks On A Razor's Edge | Flac/2CD | Southside Butcher Production | A | - |
| 1988-10-18 | New York City, NY, Radio City Music Hall | Old Man with Broken Teeth | 2CDr | LB-1252 | A- | Fillers: New York City, NY, Radio City Music Hall 1988-10-17 |
| 1988-10-19 | New York City, NY, Radio City Music Hall | Stuck Inside New York | 2CDr | Kiss the Stone 012-13 | 8.5 | Fillers: Lake Compounce, Bristol, 1988-09-04 |
| 1988-12-04 | Oakland, CA, Alameda County Coliseum Arena | The Bridge Benefit School Concert | 1CDr | Sbd | A | Short (six songs) acoustic set with G.E. Smith/Second ever performance of Pretty Boy Floyd |
| 1988-12-04 | Oakland, CA, Alameda County Coliseum Arena | Crossroads | Flac | Sbd | A+ | Acoustic set with G.E. Smith. Second ever performance of Pretty Boy Floyd (Woody Guthrie). |