If you've ever seen Martin Scorsese's documentary about the Rolling Thunder Revue, you know how strange this particular Bob Dylan tour was. Now, a new all-encompassing box set that documents the 1976 leg of the tour captures it all.
Like all of Dylan's box sets, The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1976 Live Recordings is a dense listen. Spanning 39 discs and 371 previously unreleased tracks (381 total), The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1976 Live Recordings is the definitive companion to 2019's 1975 Live Recordings set.
There are a lot of new songs performed in the 1976 box set and some incredible performances that capture Dylan at one of his highest points as a singer and performer. Surely not for everyone, but any Dylanologist has to listen through it at least once. Like most of his works, it gets better with every listen.
Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1976 Live Recordings box set review
For starters, any fan knows that the Rolling Thunder Revue was more than just a tour. Essentially, it was a traveling show—akin to a circus—with a star-studded collective on the marquee.
Other icons like Joni Mitchell, Dylan's ex-girlfriend Joan Baez, and Roger McGuinn backed him during it, frequently appearing on stage with him. If you didn't know Dylan and Baez's duets before, The 1976 Live Recordings will make sure you're familiar.
Like Dylan's current setlists, the night-to-night shows are pretty static, though the 1976 leg is vastly different from the 1975 leg. 18 of the shows open with “Mr. Tambourine Man,” which Dylan performs vividly every night by himself, and most feature his biggest hits like “Blowin' in the Wind” and “Knockin' on Heaven's Door.”
Lyric changes
Desire, which was released in January 1976, is also well-represented. “Isis” and “One More Cup of Coffee” make appearances, but perhaps the biggest highlight is the Blonde on Blonde numbers.
“Lay, Lady, Lay” is reworked with a full-band arrangement and features some revised lyrics, which is ironic since Dylan chastises Baez for changing the words to “Blowin' in the Wind” during the Pensacola, Florida, show on Disc 13. She jokes, “You can do a lot of things with this guy, but you don't f**k around with the words,” after what was a chaotic performance, with an over-enthusiastic fan jumping on stage.
“Forget this dance, let's go upstairs,” Dylan sings in the revised verse of “Lay, Lady, Lay,” continuing, “Let's take a chance, who really cares?”
Several shows later in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dylan adds another modified lyric. “How don't you know you've got nothing to prove? / It's only your eyes and the way that you move.
In that same performance, he tweaks the middle eight, adding emphasis to the already emotional lines, telling an ex-lover who cheated, “You can run, you can run, but you're running in vain.”
Some Blonde on Blonde highlights
“Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” was the biggest surprise, though. It shows up 11 times in the box set, including being performed once in Mobile, Alabama.
For Dylan's standards, it actually sounds close to the original arrangement on the album. He doesn't shortchange you either, performing it in its entire glory. It's one of his best songs, especially from Blonde on Blonde, and a rarity to hear live, making it a real treat.
“I Want You” makes a few spirited appearances throughout the box set. It's especially tight during the show in Fort Collins, Colorado. It's highly energetic, and Dylan appears to be having fun singing it.
The arrangement has more pep in its step than the original. This is the definitive live version over the renditions heard on the famous Budokan live album.
Why hearing the same songs over and over matters
Listening to a box set that includes every performance in a year means you're bound for repetition. Dylan and the rest of the Rolling Thunder Revue are tight as expected, meaning there aren't a lot of noticeable screw-ups (except for Baez's “Blowin' in the Wind” blunder).
It might sound mundane, but listening to the same songs over and over is a unique experience. After a few shows, you'll be able to tell when Dylan is having an off-night (which is never more evident than the show in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
1975 was a special year for Dylan, as he released Blood on the Tracks—a masterpiece—and Desire. Songs like “Simple Twist of Fate” and “Idiot Wind,” some of his most impassioned performances, are nightly highlights.
“Shelter from the Storm” sounds even better than the original album version in the box set, becoming a show-stopping epic. It benefits greatly from being performed almost nightly. Something about these performances conveys a sense of hope rather than the despair felt on the album version. “Tangled Up in Blue” makes a couple of appearances, and you'll wish there were more.
As you navigate the box set and get further into the depths, “Tangled Up in Blue” becomes a rocker during the final show in Fort Collins, Colorado. While not as great as the acoustic rendition, it gives the song a whole new meaning hearing the garage rock take.
A Blood on the Tracks surprise
Another Blood on the Tracks highlight is “You're a Big Girl Now,” one of the most poignant songs on that heart-wrenching album. It doesn't make the setlist every night, but it's a standout every time it does.
Dylan's songwriting and vocals were at a unique peak in the mid-70s. It's great that he highlighted two of his best albums from that decade as much as he does in The 1976 Live Recordings.
Other classics from the '60s, like “Maggie's Farm,” which is played with bite every night as Dylan sings “I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more” with a little more emphasis every time, make the setlist almost every night too. The guitar riff comes fast and furious before Dylan begins each verse. There are some occasional appearances from classics like “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” and “The Times They Are A-Changin',” which are always great to hear.
Dylan and Baez also routinely performed her song “Railroad Boy,” which somehow becomes more haunting with their duet. They also typically performed the Scottish/Irish folk song “Wild Mountain Thyme,” bringing Dylan back to his traditional folk roots.
Bob Dylan returns to his folk roots
“It's All Over Now, Baby Blue” makes a one-off appearance during a concert in Houston, Texas. Dylan performs it by himself. It's genuinely one of his best performances in the box set, which includes 381 tracks. Like “Wild Mountain Thyme,” it brings him back to his folk days. If you close your eyes while listening, it almost sounds like his rendition at Newport a decade earlier. It's the closest he's come to that majestic performance since 1965.
Article Continues BelowHis delivery of the final line, “Strike up another match, go start anew,” is delivered with extra emphasis. It's unknown what caused this extra emotional performance, but it is the most memorable song in the entire set.
He took a similar approach to “A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall” during his show in Corpus Christi, Texas. He opened the show with the song from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan alone.
For as much as Dylan ran from the folk scene in the mid-'60s, there are moments where he returns to it on the Rolling Thunder Revue. It's beautiful to hear him play acoustic renditions of songs like “A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall” or “Mr. Tambourine Man,” which remain some of his best.
Should you buy Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1976 Live Recordings box set?
All of Dylan's live box sets are dense, and The 1976 Live Recordings is no exception. Visiting each night of the 1976 Rolling Thunder Revue leg sequentially gives a whole new perspective on that period of Dylan's career.
You may fear that lacking a visual component takes away from the burlesque imagery the Rolling Thunder Revue created. However, only having audio and taking it in that way lets Dylan take your imagination exactly where he wants it.
The 1976 Live Recordings box set is grandiose, but more importantly, it's weird. It might sound mundane to explore the same tour night after night. However, the slight tweaks and variance of performances night-to-night make it interesting, especially since most haven't been released before.
There are 371 new tracks for Dylan fans to listen to, most of which are full performances (with the occasional edited or incomplete take). Suffice it to say, he left no stone unturned or any blood on the tracks. Despite the daunting task of navigating 39 discs is, it's a rewarding listen.
Truly, this is the closest thing to a time capsule of Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. Do yourself a favor and take a trip on this magic swirling ship.
Bob Dylan's The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1976 Live Recordings will be released on Nov. 6.