Bob Dylan

11.24.2006 -- Review by: Gregg Geil

For that tour he put together a band handpicking the musicians that made up the Hawks, the former backing band of Ronnie Hawkins and a drummer whom he had seen behind Johnny Rivers, Mickey Jones. As the tour left for its first stop in Hawaii, Jones carried his camera with him.

Now, the DVD is titled, Bob Dylan � The 1966 World Tour � Home Movies, but to be honest, that is a little misleading. They are home movies and many were made during the 1966 World Tour, but there is very little Bob Dylan in them. There are a few shots of him on stage, a few shots at a distance and eve a few shots through the darkened glass of his passing car. If you are looking at long passages of Dylan at play, you won�t find them here. Actually, you won�t even find short passages of Dylan at play. To see that footage you would have to get a copy of D.A. Pennebakers� documentary Eat This Document. Originally released in 2004, this 2006 version updates with a new interview with Mickey Jones as he gives his take on the Martin Scorsese documentary No Direction Home.

So why call it Bob Dylan � The 1966 World Tour � Home Movies? Let�s be honest, would you buy it if it said Mickey Jones � The 1966 World Tour � Home Movies?

But, there are two types of people who would be interested in this DVD, that�s why I am reviewing it here. The first are the diehard Dylan fans that want/need everything Dylan related.

The second are people like me who love music history, even the minutiae. The bulk of the DVD is Jones sitting in front of an editing bay telling his story from coming up as the drummer for Trini Lopez to his acting rolls. Interspersed is film footage from the 1966 Tour as well as clips from prior to that (including clips from a 1964 gig with Lopez in France with opening act The Beatles). His stories are entertaining and he comes of as a good guy who was fortunate enough to make a living and have some fun doing what he loved.

Four new interviews are included as special features. There are interviews with Johnny Rivers and Trini Lopez as they recount Mickey�s time with them and how they viewed the impact of Bob Dylan on music both in the Sixties and now. Also included is an interview with Charlie Daniels including several stories of his time in the studio with Dylan.

The final interview is an updated interview with Jones where he talks about No Direction Home and the conclusion it purports in regards to one of the more famous moments of the 1966 Tour.

It was interesting to hear many of the stories from the perspective of someone who was there. It�s not for the casual fan, but I found the DVD enjoyable for what it was.