The 1974 Live Recordings

The 1974 Live Recordings
Live album by Bob Dylan and The Band
Released	September 20, 2024
Recorded	January 3, 1974 – February 14, 1974
Genre	Folk rock country rock
Length	1736:25
Label	Columbia
Producer	Steve Berkowitz
Bob Dylan chronology
The Complete Budokan 1978 (2023) The 1974 Live Recordings (2024) 50th Anniversary Collection 1974 (2024)
The Band chronology
And Then There Were Four: FM Broadcast, Chicago 1983 (2015) The 1974 Live Recordings (2024)

The 1974 Live Recordings is a 27-CD boxset of live recordings from Bob Dylan and The Band's 1974 tour of the US and Canada, released in September 2024 by Legacy Records. The compilation includes every known soundboard recording of the tour, the majority of which were previously unreleased. ^[1] The compilation includes the full concerts from which songs were selected for the 1974 Before the Flood live album. The compilation omits recordings of The Band's songs, also performed at these shows.

Background

The compilation was released on the 50th anniversary of the tour to prevent the entry of the recordings from entering the European public domain, in the same manner as Dylan's earlier The 1966 Live Recordings (2016) compilation.

Promotion

The compilation was announced on July 9, 2024, with a live performance of "Forever Young" (recorded at the Seattle Center Coliseum on February 9, 1974) being released as the first single. ^[2] Further singles included performances of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" (recorded on February 14 at the LA Forum), ^[3] and of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (recorded on January 30 at Madison Square Garden). ^[4]

Also announced was an abridged compilation released by Third Man Records. Titled The 1974 Live Recordings – The Missing Songs From Before the Flood, it was a 3-LP set that included recordings of Dylan's songs that were omitted from the original 1974 Before the Flood album. ^[5]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Mojo Magazine	[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
Uncut	[9]

The 1974 Live Recordings currently maintains a 80% positive ("Generally favorable") rating at Metacritic. ^[10]

References

1. "The 1974 Live Recordings Now Available! | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
2. Willman, Chris (9 July 2024). "Bob Dylan's 1974 Tour With the Band to Be Commemorated With 27-Disc Boxed Set". Variety.
3. Gleadow, Ewan (17 August 2024). "Bob Dylan and The Band – It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Live at the Forum) Review". Cult Following.
4. Greene, Andy (6 September 2024). "Hear Bob Dylan and The Band Play 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues' From New 1974 Live Box Set". Rolling Stone.
5. "THIRD MAN RECORDS ANNOUNCES VAULT PACKAGE #61: BOB DYLAN'S THE 1974 LIVE RECORDINGS: THE MISSING SONGS FROM BEFORE THE FLOOD". Third Man Records – Official Store. 9 July 2024.
6. "The 1974 Live Recordings: Review" – via www.allmusic.com.
7. Currin, Grayson Haver (20 September 2024). "Bob Dylan & The Band The 1974 Live Recordings Review: A mountain of music so mighty it reorients an era". Mojo. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
8. Matos, Michaelangelo (17 September 2024). "'The 1974 Live Recordings' is a Deeper-Than-Deep Dive Into Dylan's First Arena Tour". Rolling Stone.
9. Williams, Richard (24 October 2024). "Bob Dylan And The Band - The 1974 Live Recordings". UNCUT.
10. "The 1974 Live Recordings [Box Set] by Bob Dylan" . Retrieved 6 February 2025.