This is very early on in the Rolling Thunder Revue; it's the third show. And these earlier Rolling Thunder shows are quite different from the ones which were later on; Bob's voice isn't as harsh and some of the music is a bit different. Disc 1 is all performances by members of Guam (the name given to Dylan's band). Disc 2 has Bob's first set and part of Joan Baez's set. Disc 3 has the end of Joan Baez's set and Bob's second set. The songs on disc 1 all have a nice sound to them; they seem to fit perfectly into the Rolling Thunder environment. This is a very good show. The crowd goes wild for the duet on Blowin' In The Wind. This is an UNBELIEVABLE With God On Our Side! It was only performed this one time in '75, and the re-written lyrics are awesome...the whole song's awesome! This show is quiet good.
03/07/75 The Other End, New York and
03/23/75 S.N.A.C.K. Benefit Concert, San Francisco : B (C+/B+)
Apparently, Bob's mic was turned away during the S.N.A.C.K. Benefit show so he is almost inaudible; I can't hear him singing at all during track 2 and I can only sort of hear him singing during I Want You and Knockin' On Dragon's Door. This bootleg does have the live debut of I Want You, but because you can't hardly hear Bob on that song, it's not worth getting for that. Knockin' On Dragon's Door has the same tune as Knockin' On Heaven's Door but it has different lyrics, but because of the sound problems, I can't figure out what these different lyrics are. Helpless and Knockin' On Dragon's Door are on the same track which sort of makes sense because the first flows into the second.
At The Other End, Bob joined Ramblin' Jack Elliott for two songs with Jack Elliott on lead vocals for both (Bob on backup vocals for the first), and then Bob does an UNBELIEVABLE solo acoustic Abandoned Love. This Abandoned Love circulates elsewhere, but it is nice to have it in context with the other two songs Bob played guitar on.
03/23/75 S.N.A.C.K. Benefit, San Francisco:
1. Intro
2. Are You Ready For The Country (Bob on harp) (sung with Neil Young) - written by Neil Young - dropout in left speaker at 1:15
3. Ain't That A Lot Of Love (Bob on piano) (sung by Levon Helm) - written by Willia Dean Parker and Homer Banks - sound moves to right speaker at 3:42 and sound is worse for rest of track - fades-out at end
4. Lookin' For A Love (Bob on guitar) (sung by Neil Young) - written by Neil Young
5. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (Bob on guitar) (sung by Rick Danko and Levon Helm) - written by Stevie Wonder and Ivy Hunter
6. I Want You (Bob on harp?) (live debut of this song from Blonde On Blonde)
7. The Weight (Bob on guitar) (sung by Rick Danko and Levon Helm) - written by Robbie Robertson
8. Helpless (Bob on guitar) (Bob on harp) (sung with Neil Young) - written by Neil Young
Knockin' On Dragon's Door (Bob on guitar) (Bob on harp?) (sung with others)
9. Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Bob on guitar) (sung with Neil Young) - written by Carter
03/07/75 The Other End, New York:
10. Pretty Boy Floyd (acoustic) (Bob on acoustic guitar) (sung with Ramblin' Jack Elliott) - written by Woody Guthrie - one word repeated due to skip at 2:09
How Long (acoustic) (Bob on acoustic guitar) (sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliott) - written by Leroy Carr - few dropouts from 4:25-4:26
11. Abandoned Love (solo acoustic) (live debut of this song from Biograph) - static glitch at 2:38
03/23/75 Golden Gate Park, San Francisco (The S.N.A.C.K. Benefit Concert) : C (C/C)
Apparently, Bob's mic was turned away so he is almost inaudible; I can't hear him singing at all during track 2 and I can only sort of hear him singing during I Want You and Knockin' On Dragon's Door. But the problem on this bootleg isn't just that we can't hear Bob, it's that the sound quality is pretty terrible all around for the whole show. This is rough listening, and only recommended to those who are Bobsessed beyond repair! This bootleg does have the live debut of I Want You, but the sound quality's so bad, it's not worth getting for that. I debated with myself whether or not I should even leave this up on my tradelist, and decided I might as well. Knockin' On Dragon's Door has the same tune as Knockin' On Heaven's Door but it has different lyrics, but because of the sound problems, I can't figure out what these different lyrics are.
1. Intro
2. Are You Ready For The Country (Bob on harp) (sung with Neil Young) - written by Neil Young
3. Ain't That A Lot Of Love (Bob on piano) (sung by Levon Helm) - written by Willia Dean Parker and Homer Banks
4. Lookin' For A Love (Bob on guitar) (sung by Neil Young) - written by Neil Young
5. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (Bob on guitar) (sung by Rick Danko and Levon Helm) - written by Stevie Wonder and Ivy Hunter
6. I Want You (Bob on harp?) (live debut of this song from Blonde On Blonde)
7. The Weight (Bob on guitar) (sung by Rick Danko and Levon Helm) - written by Robbie Robertson
8. Helpless (Bob on guitar) (Bob on harp) (sung with Neil Young) - written by Neil Young
9. Knockin' On Dragon's Door (Bob on guitar) (Bob on harp?) (sung with others)
10. Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Bob on guitar) (sung with Neil Young) - written by Carter
10/31/75 Plymouth, MA and 11/11/75 Waterbury, CT ("Plymouth Rock") : A (A/A)
This disc contains the complete circulating 10/31/75 Plymouth, Massachusetts show (there are no songs missed after I Don't Believe You, but before it there are nine missing songs) and chosen songs from the 11/11/75 Waterbury, Connecticut show (this bootleg does not contain the complete circulating 11/11/75 show), and both shows are sourced from the soundboard. From the Plymouth concert, I Don't Believe You is sensational. Bob's voice is quite nice and smooth at the start of the Rolling Thunder Revue (it gets more rugged by the end of '75). This 10/31/75 show was the second show of the Revue. For several of the songs from 10/31/75, the ending few notes are cut out and there's a gap between each track. Both of these shows are superb. If, however, you are interested in getting more of the 11/11/75 show, then I'd recommend a bootleg called "A Satisfied Mind" (I have that one as well).
10/31/75 Plymouth, Massachusetts:
1. I Don't Believe You (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
2. Hurricane (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
3. Oh, Sister (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
4. One More Cup Of Coffee (acoustic with band)
5. Sara (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
6. Just Like A Woman (sung with Ronee Blakely) - gap of silence at 2:15 and then sound quality has worsened a little bit
7. This Land Is Your Land (sung with Rolling Thunder Review) - written by Woody Guthrie
11/11/75 Waterbury, Connecticut:
8. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
9. Romance In Durango
10. Isis (Bob on harp)
11. Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic) (sung with Joan Baez)
12. The Water Is Wide (sung with Joan Baez) - written by unknown (traditional)
13. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (sung with Joan Baez)
14. Never Let Me Go (sung with Joan Baez) - written by Johnny Ace
15. I Shall Be Released (sung with Joan Baez)
16. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (sung with Roger McGuinn)
11/04/75 (afternoon) Providence, Rhode Island : B (B-/A-)
The sound quality isn't very good. It is listenable, but is approaching borderline. It's so much easier to appreciate and love the Dylan songs or any song that the listener has heard before and can identify. Disc 1 track 7 is a continuation of track 6 (there's a track division in the middle of the song, for some reason). There's also some distortion 0:13 into disc 1 track 7 (it's not too bad). There's a gap of silence near the start of disc 2 track 6 before the song starts (there was an intermission at this point in the show). There's a small gap of silence between disc 2 tracks 7 and 8. There's also a gap of silence at the end of disc 3 track 5.
Disc 1:
1. Good Love Is Hard To Find (sung by Bobby Neuwirth with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
2. Cindy (When I Get Home) (sung by Bobby Neuwirth with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
3. Don't Blame Me (sung by Stephen Soles with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
4. Too Good To Be Wasted (sung by Rob Stoner with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
5. Torture (sung by T-Bone Burnett with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
6. Is There Life On Mars? (sung by Mick Ronson with Guam) - written by unknown (?) - continued on next track
7. Is There Life On Mars? (sung by Mick Ronson with Guam) - written by unknown (?) - distortion at 0:13
8. Alabama Dark (Hank Williams Is Dead) (sung by Bobby Neuwirth and Ronee Blakely with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
9. Please (sung by Ronee Blakely with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
10. Mercedes Benz (sung by Bobby Neuwirth with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
11. Ramblin' Jack (sung by Bobby Neuwirth with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
12. Me And Bobby McGee (sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliot) - written by Kris Kristofferson
13. South Coast (sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliot) - written by Lillian Bos Ross, Sam Eskin, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller
14. Friend Of The Devil (sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliot) - written by Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, and John Dawson
15. I'm A Rich And Rambling Boy (sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliot) - written by unknown (?)
Disc 2:
1. When I Paint My Masterpiece (sung with Bobby Neuwirth)
2. It Ain't Me, Babe (Bob on harp)
3. Romance In Durango
4. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
5. Isis (Bob on harp)
6. Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic) (sung with Joan Baez) - gap of silence at start (there was an intermission at this point in the show)
7. Never Let Me Go (sung with Joan Baez) - written by Johnny Ace - small gap between this and next
8. The Water Is Wide (sung with Joan Baez) - written by unknown (traditional)
9. I Shall Be Released (sung with Joan Baez)
10. Diamonds And Rust (sung by Joan Baez) - written by Joan Baez
11. Swing Low Sweet Chariot (sung by Joan Baez) - written by unknown (traditional)
12. Joe Hill (sung by Joan Baez) - written by Alfred Hayes and Earl Robinson
Disc 3:
1. Love Song To A Stranger (sung by Joan Baez) - written by Joan Baez
2. Long Black Veil (sung by Joan Baez) - written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin
3. Please Come To Boston (sung by Joan Baez) - written by Dave Loggins
4. Eight Miles High (sung by Roger McGuinn) - written by Roger McGuinn, Clark, and Crosby
5. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (sung by Joan Baez with Guam) - written by J.R. Robertson - gap at end
6. With God On Our Side (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
7. Oh, Sister (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
8. Hurricane (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
9. One More Cup Of Coffee (acoustic with band)
10. Sara (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
11. Just Like A Woman (sung with Ronee Blakely)
12. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (sung with Roger McGuinn)
13. This Land Is Your Land (sung with Rolling Thunder Revue) - written by Woody Guthrie
11/11/75 Waterbury, Connecticut ("A Satisfied Mind") : A- (A/A-)
This is quite a good show from '75. It isn't, unfortunately, the complete show, but I do believe that it is the most complete one can get right now. Anyway, it's only missing the two opening songs (When I Paint My Masterpiece and It Ain't Me, Babe). The highlights for me are: The Water Is Wide and Never Let Me Go.
1. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
2. Romance In Durango
3. Isis (Bob on harp) - slight glitch at 3:34
4. Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic) (sung with Joan Baez)
5. The Water Is Wide (sung with Joan Baez) - written by unknown (traditional)
6. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (sung with Joan Baez)
7. Never Let Me Go (sung with Joan Baez) - written by Johnny Ace
8. I Shall Be Released (sung with Joan Baez)
9. Simple Twist Of Fate (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
10. Oh, Sister (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
11. Hurricane (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
12. One More Cup Of Coffee (acoustic with band)
13. Sara (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
14. Just Like A Woman (sung with Ronee Blakely)
15. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (sung with Roger McGuinn)
16. This Land Is Your Land (sung with Rolling Thunder Revue) - written by Woody Guthrie - fades-in to start of music and sound quality is worse than rest of show
11/20/75 Cambridge, Massachusetts : A- (B/A-)
This is either the complete 11/20/75 show including Bob's act and the other performers, or it's very close. I have two other complete shows from '75 and they, along with this show, are structured in a certain way, and this show is missing the two opening songs sung by Bobby Neuwirth and then the first song on this recording has its beginning cut. I don't know if another version circulates or how much it really matters unless you're a Bobby Neuwirth fan. As always, Isis is extremely well done, as is the solo acoustic song.
Disc 1:
1. Hulahoop (sung by T-Bone Burnett with Guam) - written by unknown (?) - start is clipped
2. Don't Blame Me (sung by Stephen Soles with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
3. Too Good To Be Wasted (sung by Rob Stoner with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
4. Is There Life On Mars? (sung by Mick Ronson with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
5. Alabama Dark (Hank Williams Is Dead) (sung by Bobby Neuwirth and Ronee Blakely with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
6. New Sun Rising (sung by Ronee Blakely with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
7. Cindy (When I Get Home) (sung by Bobby Neuwirth with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
8. Mercedes Benz (sung by Bobby Neuwirth with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
9. Edith And The Kingpin (sung by Joni Mitchell) - written by Joni Mitchell
10. Don't Interrupt The Sorrow (sung by Joni Mitchell) - written by Joni Mitchell
11. Ramblin' Jack (sung by Bobby Neuwirth with Guam) - written by unknown (?)
12. Muleskinner Blues (sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliot) - written by Jimmie Rodgers - gap at end
13. talkin' song about road trip (sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliot) - written by unknown (Ramblin' Jack?)
14. Salt Pork, West Virginia (sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliot) - written by unknown (?)
15. I'm A Rich And Rambling Boy (sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliot) - written by unknown (?)
Disc 2:
1. When I Paint My Masterpiece (sung with Bobby Neuwirth)
2. It Ain't Me, Babe (Bob on harp) - static glitch at 2:05
3. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
4. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
5. Romance In Durango
6. Isis (Bob on harp) - gap near end
7. Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic) (sung with Joan Baez)
8. Wild Mountain Thyme (sung with Joan Baez) - written by unknown (traditional)
9. Mama, You Been On My Mind (sung with Joan Baez)
10. Dark As A Dungeon (sung with Joan Baez) - written by Merle Travis
11. I Shall Be Released (sung with Joan Baez)
12. Diamonds And Rust (sung by Joan Baez) - written by Joan Baez
13. Swing Low Sweet Chariot (sung by Joan Baez) - written by unknown (traditional)
14. All My Trials (sung by Joan Baez) - written by unknown (traditional?)
15. Love Song To A Stranger Part 2 (sung by Joan Baez) - written by Joan Baez - edit at 0:43
Disc 3:
1. Long Black Veil (sung by Joan Baez) - written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin - start is cut (this is on original)
2. Please Come To Boston (sung by Joan Baez) - written by Dave Loggins
3. Chestnut Mare (sung by Roger McGuinn) - written by Roger McGuinn and Jacques Levy
4. Eight Miles High (sung by Roger McGuinn) - written by Roger McGuinn, Clark, and Crosby
5. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (sung by Joan Baez with Guam) - written by J.R. Robertson
6. Simple Twist Of Fate (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
7. Oh, Sister (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
8. Hurricane (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp) - gap near end
9. One More Cup Of Coffee (acoustic with band)
10. Sara (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
11. Just Like A Woman (sung with Ronee Blakely)
12. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (sung with Roger McGuinn)
13. This Land Is Your Land (sung with Rolling Thunder Revue) - written by Woody Guthrie
11/21/75 (evening) Boston, Massachusetts ("Cowboy Angel Blues") : A- (A/A-)
This is an almost essential Rolling Thunder Revue bootleg to have; it's a great starting point for anyone interested in the Rolling Thunder Revue (which should be all Dylan fans!). The soundboard quality is great throughout. Only the last two songs from disc 2 aren't from the soundboard. I've heard better performances by Dylan as part of the Rolling Thunder Revue, but this one's still up there (hence the A- rating). This bootleg does contain my favourite Rolling Thunder versions of It Ain't Me, Babe and Tangled Up In Blue (this is the one from Renaldo And Clara). The Hurricane on disc 1's beginning is cut (three and a half verses are cut - this is on the original), there's a small glitch on Just Like A Woman (disc 2, track 10), and there are static glitches on It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (disc 2, track 14).
Disc 1:
1. When I Paint My Masterpiece (sung with Bobby Neuwirth)
2. It Ain't Me, Babe (Bob on harp)
3. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
4. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
5. Romance In Durango
6. Isis (Bob on harp)
7. Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic) (sung with Joan Baez)
8. The Water Is Wide (sung with Joan Baez) - written by unknown (traditional)
9. Mama, You Been On My Mind (sung with Joan Baez)
10. Dark As A Dungeon (sung with Joan Baez) - written by Merle Travis
11. I Don't Believe You (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
12. Tangled Up In Blue (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
13. Oh, Sister (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
14. Hurricane (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp) - first three and a half verses are cut out (this is on original)
15. One More Cup Of Coffee (acoustic with band)
Disc 2:
1. Sara (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
2. Just Like A Woman (sung with Ronee Blakely)
3. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (sung with Roger McGuinn)
4. This Land Is Your Land (sung with Rolling Thunder Review) - written by Woody Guthrie
filler:
5. I Don't Believe You (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
6. Hurricane (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
7. Oh, Sister (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
8. One More Cup Of Coffee (acoustic with band)
9. Sara (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
10. Just Like A Woman (sung with Ronnee Blakely) - small skip in this song
11. This Land Is Your Land (sung with Rolling Thunder Review) - written by Woody Guthrie
12. Simple Twist Of Fate (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
13. Oh, Sister (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
14. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp) - static glitches from 3:15-3:20
15. Love Minus Zero/No Limit (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
- Tracks 5-11 are from 10/31/75 Plymouth, MMassachusetts
- Tracks 12-13 are from 11/11/75 Waterbury,, Connecticut
- Tracks 14-15 are from 12/01/75 Toronto, OOntario
11/27/75 Bangor, Maine : B (B-/B+)
Unfortunately, the sound quality isn't great - the sound isn't mixed or balanced very well (if you're up close to the speakers the sound seems to favour the right speaker, if you're further away it seems relatively well balanced). There's seemingly almost no bass at all. Nonetheless, this is great to have because it's another great Rolling Thunder Revue show, with energy and power in every song. Something odd happens in The Times They Are A-Changin' - it seems as though it isn't rehearsed very well! :-) This is a good show.
Disc 1:
1. When I Paint My Masterpiece (sung with Bobby Neuwirth)
2. It Ain't Me, Babe (Bob on harp) - dropout in right speaker at 4:22
3. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
4. Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
5. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
6. Romance In Durango
7. Isis (Bob on harp)
8. The Times They Are A-Changin' (acoustic) (sung with Joan Baez) - slight dropout at 0:35 - volume gets a bit louder at 0:45
9. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (sung with Joan Baez)
10. Mama, You Been On My Mind (sung with Joan Baez)
Disc 2:
1. Dark As A Dungeon (sung with Joan Baez) - written by Merle Travis
2. I Shall Be Released (sung with Joan Baez) - bit of static in left speaker at 4:27
3. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Met) (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
4. Simple Twist Of Fate (solo acoustic) (Bob on harp)
5. Oh, Sister (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp) - fades-out at end
6. Hurricane (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp)
7. One More Cup Of Coffee (acoustic with band)
8. Sara (acoustic with band) (Bob on harp) - fades-out at end
9. Just Like A Woman (sung with Ronee Blakely)
10. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (sung with Roger McGuinn)
11. This Land Is Your Land (sung with Rolling Thunder Review) - written by Woody Guthrie