These videos are from a rejected TV special that was shot at the Starlight Ballroom of the Biltmore hotel in Clearwater, Florida on April 22, 1976 during Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review tour.
Here’s nearly an hour of the Rolling Thunder Review:
And some individual songs:
Bob Dylan, “Lay Lady Lay”:
Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn, “Knocking On Heaven’s Door”:
Bob Dylan, “Just Like A Woman”:
Bob Dylan, “Isis”:
Bob Dylan, “Like A Rolling Stone”:
Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin'”:
Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, “Blowin’ In The Wind”:
Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine”:
Joan Baez, “Diamonds and Rust”:
Bob Dylan and Bobby Neuwirth, “When I Paint My Masterpiece”:
[In August of this year I’ll be publishing my rock ‘n’ roll/ coming-of-age novel, “True Love Scars,” which features a narrator who is obsessed with Bob Dylan. To read the first chapter, head here.
–- A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-
Forty-four years ago, on June 8, 1970, Bob Dylan’s most controversial album, Self Portrait, was released.
At the time the album was almost universally disliked by rock critics.
The album found Dylan covering an eclectic group of songs. Most were covers. A few were live versions of older songs. And there were three new songs — surprisingly Dylan didn’t even sing on one of them.
I was 17 when I got the album. I loved it. This was Dylan doing something new and different.
My mind was open. Dylan was going through changes and this two-record set was how he chose to express himself.
I published a rock magazine, Hard Road, that summer of 1970, and I wrote a review of Self Portrait.
It began like this:
“All the tired horses in the sun, how am I supposed to get any writing done?”
That may well be the theme for the new Dylan album. An album of few new Dylan compositions but many new surprises anyway. Self Portrait is a cumulation of nine years of recording. From the simple structure of the first Dylan album through the complexities of Blonde On Blonde, and back to the country melodies of Nashville Skyline. It’s all documented here for your listening pleasure. It’s an album abut Bob Dlan, poet, folk singer, folk-rock originator and rock and roll star.
Last year saw the release of Another Self Portrait.
That album, which includes alternative takes and unreleased songs from Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait, and New Morning plus a few others, is a completely different album than Self Portrait. An even better album.
Below is a very cool 11 minute mini-documentary on the making of Another Self Portrait. If you haven’t yet seen it, now is the time.
Here’s a Spotify sampling from Another Self Portrait:
Or listen to the entire deluxe version of the album including the Isle of Wight live tracks here.
And here’s the original Self Portrait:
By the way you might want to check out the “True Love Scars” soundtrack playlist here. It’s the music that goes with the first two chapters of my novel.
–- A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –
Photo by Susana Millman via Bob Weir’s Facebook page.
Bob Weir and RatDog at the Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA, February 15, 2014):
“She Belongs to Me”:
“When I Paint My Masterpiece”:
Full show:
First set:
– Shakedown Street
– She Belongs to Me,
– I Need a Miracle,
– Cold Rain and Snow
– Greatest Story Ever Told
– West L.A. Fadeaway*
– Even So
– October Queen
– The Deep End
– Deal
Intermission:
Second Set:
– When I Paint My Masterpiece
– Most of the Time
– Corrina
– Lady with a Fan
– Terrapin
– The Other One
– Stuff
– The Other One Jam
– Dear Prudence
– One More Saturday Night
Encore:
– Touch of Grey
On February 6, 1989, 25 years ago, the album Dylan and the Dead was released.
Rock critics hated the album.
Rolling Stone: [The record] “makes you wonder what the fuss [over the tour] was about…”
The Village Voice, Robert Christgau: [What Dylan] “makes of his catalogue here is exactly what he’s been making of it for years—money.”
Amazon.com, Steve Appleford: “If these were the stadium tour’s best performances, pity anyone who actually sat through one of these concerts with a clear head.”
Listening to the album now, I think it sounds pretty good. No, it’s not among Dylan’s best, but the combo of Dylan and the Dead is a good one. Garcia’s guitar work is, often enough, the perfect compliment to Dylan’s songs, and the Dead’s harmony vocals are just right.
“Queen Jane Approximately” is a standout with outstanding guitar playing from Garcia, a strong performance from the whole band and strong vocals from Dylan.
“Knocking On Heaven’s Door” is a solid performance — it’s great to hear how the Dead handle backing Dylan.
Also quite strong is “All Along the Watchtower.” And, really, “Slow Train” and “Gotta Serve Somebody” aren’t bad either.
The only track I could really do without is “Joey.”
Of course a much better album could have been pulled together if other songs from the tour had been included, as well as some of the songs Dylan and the Dead rehearsed at Club Front in San Rafael, June 1, 1987, before the tour began.
What’s so weird is that there are times during the rehearsals when Dylan’s voice sounds fantastic — like he was more into just jamming on songs with the Dead than when they were actually out on the road.
Here are some performance from the tour and the rehearsals that I like.
“Queen Jane Approximately”:
“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” Eugene, July 19, 1987:
“The Wicked Messenger,” East Rutherford, July 12, 1987:
“The French Girl,” rehearsal:
“When I Paint My Masterpiece,” rehearsal:
“Tomorrow Is A Long Time,” rehearsal with the Dead, 1987:
“Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” Eugene, July 19, 1987:
“Pledging My Time,’ rehearsal:
“I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” rehearsal:
Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia (vocals), “Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power), first take, rehearsal:
-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-
This Rolling Thunder Review show, which took place at the War Memorial Auditorium, Plymouth, MA, October 31, 1975, kicks off with a terrific version of “When I Paint My Masterpiece” that has the feel of Basement Tapes Dylan and the Band.
This is a fantastic set with Dylan in great voice. I’ve included a couple of videos below the audio, just so you can get a little of the vibe of this musical caravan.
Info courtesy of BOBFAN.
0. When I Paint My Masterpiece !
* It Ain’t Me, Babe (missing from circulating tape)
* A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (missing from circulating tape)
1. Romance In Durango !
2. Isis !
* The Times They Are A-Changin’ [Dylan/Baez] (missing from circulating tape)
3. Never Let Me Go [Dylan/Baez] !
4. Mama, You Been On My Mind [Dylan/Baez] !
* I Shall Be Released [Dylan/Baez] (missing from circulating tape)
5. Diamonds And Rust (Joan Baez) !
* Mary Hamilton (Joan Baez) (missing from circulating tape)
* Love Song To A Stranger (Joan Baez) (missing from circulating tape)
6. Oh Happy Day (Joan Baez)
7. Please Come To Boston (Joan Baez) (one-minute fragment)
8. Chestnut Mare (Roger McGuinn)
9. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Joan Baez)
10. I Don’t Believe You !
11. Hurricane !
12. Oh Sister !
13. One More Cup Of Coffee !
14. Sara !
15. Just Like A Woman
16. This Land Is Your Land [Revue]
! indicates tracks from the recently-surfaced tape,
Thanks BOBFAN!
“Tangled Up In Blue/Isis”:
“Romance In Durango”:
-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-
