Bob Dylan - Ace Of Clubs (1999)

The five-disc bootleg box set Ace of Clubs chronicles the four club dates performed by Bob Dylan during his summer 1999 co-headlining tour with Paul Simon: June 14's appearance at Eugene, OR's EMU Ballroom, July 6's appearance at Detroit's St. Andrews Hall, July 11's appearance at Cincinnati's Bogart's, and July 27's appearance at New York City's Tramps. Befitting the intimacy and warmth of the small-venue settings, Dylan devotes a large segment of each performance to acoustic sets resurrecting his classic songs of the mid-'60s. The timeless beauty of music like "Boots of Spanish Leather," "My Back Pages," and "Visions of Johanna" is astounding, buoyed by uncommonly thoughtful vocals that wring unexpected nuance from the now-familiar lyrics. While no doubt representing too much of a good thing for casual Dylan fans, Ace of Clubs is essential listening for the faithful, touching on virtually every landmark song in a career stuffed with them. Excellent sound and dignified presentation round out a wonderful package.

Ace of Clubs Review by Jason Ankeny

Disc 1 recorded live at E.M.U. Ballroom; Eugene, Oregon (June 14, 1999)
Disc 2 recorded live at St. Andrews Hall; Detroit, Michigan (July 6, 1999)
Disc 3 recorded live at Bogart's; Cincinatti, Ohio (July 11, 1999)
Disc 4 recorded live at Tramps; New York City (July 26, 1999)
Disc 5 recorded live at E.M.U. Ballroom; Eugene Oregon (June 14 1999 tracks 1-4), live at Tramps; New York City (July 26, 1999 tracks 5-11), live at the Theatre At Madison Square Garden (July 27, 1999 track 12)

Tracklist
Disc 1 - E.M.U. Ballroom - Eugene, Oregon - 06-14-99
01. Cocaine (04:36)
02. My Back Pages (06:31)
03. Boots of Spanish Leather (06:50)
04. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (09:53)
05. Love Minus Zero/No Limit (05:37)
06. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (08:18)
07. Down Along the Cove (04:31)
08. Blind Willie McTell (06:14)
09. Most Likely You Go Your Way, and I'll Go Mine (05:57)
10. Simple Twist of Fate (07:43)
11. Can't Wait (06:51)
12. Highway 61 Revisited (05:55)

Disc 2 - St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, Michigan, July 6, 1999
01. Cocaine Blues (04:42)
02. Mama You've Been on My Mind (04:53)
03. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (09:57)
04. Love Minus Zero/No Limit (06:23)
05. Tangled up in Blue (08:13)
06. Girl from the North Country (05:54)
07. Silvio (06:29)
08. Man in the Long Black Coat (06:24)
09. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (06:00)
10. Not Dark Yet (06:59)
11. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (07:23)
12. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (04:54)

Disc 3 - Bogart's, Cincinnati, Ohio, July 11, 1999
01. Somebody Touched Me (03:30)
02. My Back Pages (06:46)
03. Desolation Row (07:53)
04. To Ramona (05:26)
05. Tangled up in Blue (07:41)
06. Girl from the North Country (05:54)
07. Seeing the Real You at Last (06:16)
08. Lay Lady Lay (04:58)
09. Most Likely You Go Your Way, and I'll Go Mine (06:35)
10. You Ain't Going Nowhere (04:18)
11. Not Dark Yet (07:12)
12. Highway 61 Revisited (05:53)
13. Love Sick (06:13)

Disc 4 - Tramps, New York, New York, July 26, 1999
01. Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie (03:42)
02. The Times They Are A-Changin' (06:37)
03. Boots of Spanish Leather (06:18)
04. John Brown (07:58)
05. Visions of Johanna (08:34)
06. Seeing the Real You at Last (05:33)
07. Ballad of a Thin Man (06:23)
08. Most Likely You Go Your Way, and I'll Go Mine (06:30)
09. Every Grain of Sand (07:42)
10. Tombstone Blues (05:49)
11. Not Dark Yet (05:59)
12. Highway 61 Revisited (05:59)

Disc 5 - Encores
01. Not Dark Yet (06:29)
02. Like a Rolling Stone (07:36)
03. Blowing in the Wind (05:24)
04. Not Fade Away (04:07)
05. Love Sick (05:44)
06. Like a Rolling Stone (07:42)
07. It Ain't Me Babe (09:24)
08. Not Fade Away (04:11)
09. Blowing in the Wind (05:43)
10. Alabama Getaway (04:45)
11. I Shall Be Released (05:47)
12. Highlands (09:56)