The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue

Last updated
The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue
Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Volume 5.jpg
Live album by
ReleasedNovember 26, 2002 (2002-11-26)
RecordedNovember 19–21 and December 4, 1975
Genre Folk rock, rock and roll
Length101:48
Label Columbia
Producer Steve Berkowitz and Jeff Rosen
Bob Dylan chronology
Love and Theft
(2001)
The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue
(2002)
The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall
(2004)
Bob Dylan Bootleg Series chronology
Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert
(1998)
Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue
(2002)
Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall
(2004)

The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue is a live album by Bob Dylan released by Columbia Records in 2002. The third installment in the ongoing Bob Dylan Bootleg Series on Legacy Records, it documents the Rolling Thunder Revue led by Dylan prior to the release of the album Desire . Until the release of this album, the only official live documentation of the Rolling Thunder Revue was Hard Rain , recorded during the less critically well received second leg of the tour.

Contents

The two-disc set received a warm reception from critics and fans, although some lamented that it does not document, or emulate, a typical complete show from the tour. [1] Fans have also expressed exasperation at the omission of certain revered performances, notably the cover of Johnny Ace's "Never Let Me Go".[ citation needed ]

A bonus DVD accompanying the initial release of this album features two video excerpts from Dylan's 1978 film Renaldo and Clara : a November 21, 1975, performance of "Tangled Up in Blue" (included in audio form on the main album) and a December 4, 1975, performance of "Isis" (which had been included in audio form on the 1985 compilation Biograph ). It spent nine weeks on the chart and was certified and awarded a gold record on March 12, 2003, by the RIAA. The album reached number 69 in the U.K.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Music BoxStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Stylus Magazine A+ [5]
Tiny Mix Tapes Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]

A more comprehensive 14-disc collection entitled Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings was released in 2019 to coincide with the Netflix documentary-film Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese. At that time, The Bootleg Series Vol. 5 was re-issued on vinyl. [7]

Track listing

All songs written by Bob Dylan, except where noted. All songs recorded live in concert.

Disc one
No.TitlePlace and dateLength
1."Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You" Montreal Forum, Canada, December 4, 19753:55
2."It Ain't Me Babe"Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19755:25
3."A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"Montreal Forum, Canada, December 4, 19755:16
4."The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)5:25
5."Romance in Durango" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19755:22
6."Isis" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)5:11
7."Mr. Tambourine Man"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (first show)5:39
8."Simple Twist of Fate"Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19754:17
9."Blowin' in the Wind"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)2:43
10."Mama, You Been on My Mind"Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19753:11
11."I Shall Be Released"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (first show)4:33
Total length:50:57
Disc two
No.TitlePlace and dateLength
1."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"Montreal Forum, Canada, December 4, 19754:34
2."Love Minus Zero/No Limit"Montreal Forum, Canada, December 4, 19753:13
3."Tangled Up in Blue"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:41
4."The Water Is Wide" (traditional)Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)5:16
5."It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)3:12
6."Oh, Sister" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:04
7."Hurricane" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)Memorial Auditorium, Worcester, MA, November 19, 19758:15
8."One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:14
9."Sara"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:29
10."Just Like a Woman"Boston Music Hall, November 21, 1975 (second show)4:31
11."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 19754:22
Total length:50:51

Personnel

Technical personnel

Notes

The "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Mama, You Been on My Mind" duets of Dylan and Baez on disc one were originally listed in reverse order on bobdylan.com. However, the respective recording dates of 20 November 1975 in Cambridge and 21 November 1975 (evening show) in Boston were not changed on the final insert. Baez' spoken intro to "Mama, You Been on My Mind" is said to be from Cambridge, not Boston, while "Blowin' in the Wind" is said to be from Boston. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Renaldo and Clara</i> 1978 film by Bob Dylan

Renaldo and Clara is a 1978 American film directed by Bob Dylan and starring Bob Dylan, Sara Dylan and Joan Baez. Written by Dylan and Sam Shepard, the film incorporates three distinct film genres: concert footage, documentary interviews, and dramatic fictional vignettes reflective of Dylan's song lyrics and life.

<i>Hard Rain</i> (Bob Dylan album) 1976 live album by Bob Dylan

Hard Rain is a live album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 13, 1976 by Columbia Records. The album was recorded during the second leg of the Rolling Thunder Revue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolling Thunder Revue</span> 1975–76 concert tour by Bob Dylan

The Rolling Thunder Revue was a 1975–76 concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan with numerous musicians and collaborators. The purpose of the tour was to allow Dylan, who had now become a major recording artist and concert performer, to play in smaller auditoriums in less populated cities where he could be more intimate with his audiences.

<i>From Every Stage</i> 1976 live album by Joan Baez

From Every Stage is a double live album recorded by Joan Baez on tour in the summer of 1975. The first half of the album was acoustic, with Baez accompanying herself on her guitar, while the second half features electric backup. Baez' recording of "Blowin' in the Wind" from this album was later included in the Forrest Gump soundtrack album. The song "Natalya" was dedicated to Russian poet and human rights activist Natalya Gorbanevskaya,

<i>Gulf Winds</i> 1976 studio album by Joan Baez

Gulf Winds is the seventeenth studio album by Joan Baez, released in 1976. It was her final album of new material for A&M. Baez stated in her autobiography, And a Voice to Sing With, that most of the songs were written while on tour with the Rolling Thunder Revue with Bob Dylan. "O Brother!" was a clever reply to Dylan's song "Oh Sister". On the title song, a ten-minute long autobiographical recollection of her childhood, Baez accompanies herself only with her own acoustic guitar, creating a sound reminiscent of her earliest pure folk recordings.

<i>The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert</i> 1998 live album by Bob Dylan

Live 1966: The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert is a two-disc live album by Bob Dylan, released in 1998. It is the second installment in the ongoing Bob Dylan Bootleg Series on Legacy Recordings, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA. It was recorded at the Manchester Free Trade Hall during Dylan's 1966 world tour, though early bootlegs attributed the recording to the Royal Albert Hall so it became known as the Royal Albert Hall Concert. Extensively bootlegged for decades, it is an important document in the development of popular music during the 1960s.

<i>The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall</i> 2004 live album by Bob Dylan

The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall is a live album by Bob Dylan, released in 2004 on Legacy Records. It is the fourth installment of the ongoing Bob Dylan Bootleg Series. The album is the complete recording from the October 31, 1964 "Halloween" show at Philharmonic Hall in Manhattan by Bob Dylan.

<i>No Direction Home</i> 2005 documentary film by Martin Scorsese

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan is a 2005 documentary film by Martin Scorsese that traces the life of Bob Dylan, and his impact on 20th-century American popular music and culture. The film focuses on the period between Dylan's arrival in New York in January 1961 and his "retirement" from touring following his motorcycle accident in July 1966. This period encapsulates Dylan's rise to fame as a folk singer and songwriter where he became the center of a cultural and musical upheaval, and continues through the electric controversy surrounding his move to a rock style of music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Dylan</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1941)

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter. Generally regarded as one of the greatest songwriters ever, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his 60 year career. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" (1963) and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (1964) became anthems for the civil rights and antiwar movements. His lyrics during this period incorporated political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defying pop music conventions and appealing to the burgeoning counterculture.

"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his Bringing It All Back Home album, released on March 22, 1965, by Columbia Records. The song was recorded on January 15, 1965, with Dylan's acoustic guitar and harmonica and William E. Lee's bass guitar the only instrumentation. The lyrics were heavily influenced by Symbolist poetry and bid farewell to the titular "Baby Blue". There has been much speculation about the real life identity of "Baby Blue", with possibilities including Joan Baez, David Blue, Paul Clayton, Dylan's folk music audience, and even Dylan himself.

"I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan.

"Love Minus Zero/No Limit" is a song written by Bob Dylan for his fifth studio album Bringing It All Back Home, released in 1965. Its main musical hook is a series of three descending chords, while its lyrics articulate Dylan's feelings for his lover, and have been interpreted as describing how she brings a needed zen-like calm to his chaotic world. The song uses surreal imagery, which some authors and critics have suggested recalls Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" and the biblical Book of Daniel. Critics have also remarked that the style of the lyrics is reminiscent of William Blake's poem "The Sick Rose".

"It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" is a song written by Bob Dylan, that was originally released on his album Highway 61 Revisited. It was recorded on July 29, 1965. The song was also included on an early, European Dylan compilation album entitled Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits 2.

"One Too Many Mornings" is a song by Bob Dylan, released on his third studio album The Times They Are a-Changin' in 1964. The chords and vocal melody are in some places very similar to the song "The Times They Are A-Changin'". "One Too Many Mornings" is in the key of C Major and is fingerpicked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You</span> 1969 single by Bob Dylan

"Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You" is a song written by Bob Dylan from his 1969 album Nashville Skyline. It was the closing song of the album. The song was the third single released from the album, after "I Threw It All Away" and "Lay Lady Lay", reaching #50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and reaching the top 20 in other countries. It was anthologized on the compilation albums Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II and Playlist: The Very Best of Bob Dylan '60s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Baez discography</span> List of recordings by Joan Baez

This is a discography for American folk singer and songwriter Joan Baez.

"Mama, You Been on My Mind" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Written in 1964 during a trip to Europe, the song dealt with his recent breakup with his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo. Dylan first recorded the song in June of that year during a session for his album Another Side of Bob Dylan. However, the song was not included on the album, and Dylan's version remained unreleased until 1991. In total, in the 1990s and 2000s four versions were put out on Dylan's Bootleg Series of releases, including two live performances with Joan Baez from 1964 and 1975.

Bob Dylan is an American musician, singer-songwriter, music producer, artist, and writer. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest.

<i>The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966</i> 2015 compilation album by Bob Dylan

The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966 is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on Legacy Records in November 2015. The tenth installment in the ongoing Bob Dylan Bootleg Series, it comprises recordings from 1965 and 1966, mostly unreleased demos and outtakes from recording sessions for his groundbreaking albums Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. The standard set peaked at #41 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings</i> 2019 live album box set by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings is a box set of 1975 live recordings by Bob Dylan, released on June 7, 2019. For this tour, Dylan assembled a loose collective of a backing band called Guam and played across North America for several dozen shows. The tie-in Netflix documentary film Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese was released the following week. A similar compilation was released in 2002 entitled Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue, as part of Dylan's ongoing Bootleg Series. That compilation was re-released on vinyl as a companion to the later release.

References

  1. allmusic ((( The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975 - The Rolling Thunder Revue > Overview )))
  2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue at AllMusic
  3. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  4. Metzger, John. "Bob Dylan - Live 1975 - The Rolling Thunder Revue Bootleg 5 (Album Review)". www.musicbox-online.com. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  5. Weiner, Matthew. "Bob Dylan – Live 1975: (The Bootleg Series Volume 5, The Rolling Thunder Revue) – Review – Stylus Magazine". stylusmagazine.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  6. "Bob Dylan – Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975 | Music Review | Tiny Mix Tapes". tinymixtapes.com. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  7. "Bob Dylan – the Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings Now Available! | the Official Bob Dylan Site".
  8. Fraser, Alan. "The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Live 1975 (2002)". www.searchingforagem.com. Retrieved 11 April 2018.