Boot Tracker, June 27th 2008, Paris

Moerie hit us with a double shot. Hot off the heels of his Amsterdam tape comes his Paris recording from a few days down the line. The shows are interesting to compare for two reasons. First there is the sound. There has been some discussion on the web on which recording is better Paris or Amsterdam. I'm prone to say Amsterdam, but maybe I'm biased since I was at that show. But in general the sound on the Amsterdam bootleg sounds just a tad clearer and closer. Paris to my ears is almost equally good as Amsterdam, but does sound a tad more distant. A big plus on Paris however is Garry's bass, which seems to sound a notch warmer on Paris. The big difference between Paris and Amsterdam however is the way the audience is present in the mix. On Paris the audience is much further down, where on Amsterdam they are a pleasant but prominent part of the recording. I personally prefer the audience to be present on a recording like they are on the Amsterdam recording, so you can get a taste of the evening's feel. The audience is almost part of the band if it comes to Springsteen shows, don't they?

Second there's the set list. Amsterdam got a pretty standard set, filled to the brim with greatest hits, save for the encores. Paris however got quite a few curve balls. Most notably the rare "Janey Don't You Loose Heart" and a spine tingling rendition of "For You", solo acoustic on piano. While this makes Paris a show to drool over for the more fanatic fan, it may provide a few off moments for the more casual fan who's taken aback with songs he or she isn't all that familiar with. When the casual fan is taken aback, intrusive chatter and beer runs start happening that intrude on the fanatic's enjoyment. Then again, a set with 'standards' takes some of the joy away for the fanatic as well. We are a difficult to please lot. Judging from the audience's response on this bootleg though, Paris got a great show and had some fantastic fans in the house. I sense as much enthusiasm for a rarity as "Rendezvous" as I do for a staple like "Darlington County". In the final judgment, I'll let Paris take the edge on account of the set, where I'll let Amsterdam win on sound. But feel free to drop me a comment if you disagree.

"Rendezvous"

MP3 File

Download the full show here in part 1 and part 2
A small request, use mp3s for personal use only. Keep them in your iPod or on your computer but never use a mp3 based CD in a trade. The quality of mp3s deteriorate rapidly every time a CD is ripped. Using high quality music files such as FLACs is essential in keeping the trading pool healthy.

Recording: 4+ out of 5
Show: 5 out of 5
Artwork: none