Bob Dylan Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Live 1966-The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert CD

LIVE 1966... includes a 56-page booklet filled with rare photographs.
Personnel: Bob Dylan (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica, piano); Robbie Roberston (guitar); Richard Manuel (piano); Garth Hudson (organ); Rick Danko (bass, background vocals); Mickey Jones (drums).
Recorded live at the Manchester Free Hall, Manchester, England on May 17, 1966.
Includes liner notes by Tony Glover.
Personnel: Bob Dylan (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano); Robbie Robertson (guitar); Richard Manuel (piano); Garth Hudson (organ); Mickey Jones (drums); Rick Danko (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Michael Brauer; Steven Berkowitz.
Liner Note Author: Tony Glover.
Recording information: Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England (05/17/1966).
Editor: Mark Wilder.
Photographers: Don Hunstein; Hank Parker; Art Kane; Jerry Schatzberg; David Gahr; Sandy Speiser; Barry Feinstein; Larry Keenan; Jan Persson; Paul Kelly.
The most famous bootleg in rock history, with the possible exception of Dylan's own Basement Tapes, finally makes its official appearance 32 years after the event, and nearly 30 years after it started circulating in the underground. Although often identified as a Royal Albert Hall show, this May 17, 1966, concert, in which Dylan played electric material in front of a British audience, was actually recorded in Manchester (hence the unwieldy title with quotes around "Royal Albert Hall"). Even those who've owned this recording for many a year might be tempted by this official package, as it has been expanded into a two-CD set that not only includes the eight electric rock songs from the original bootleg, but also the seven solo acoustic performances that comprised the first half of the show. It's all in very good fidelity, about as good as any copies you could find through unofficial sources. More importantly, the electric half in particular is an important document of rock history. It captures the point at which Dylan was at his most controversial and hard rocking as he blazes through mid-'60s classics such as "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Ballad of a Thin Man," radical electric arrangements of songs that had originally been recorded acoustically ("One Too Many Mornings," "I Don't Believe You"), and the hard rocker "Tell Me, Momma," which Dylan never recorded in the studio. The acoustic disc is not as epochal, but on par with the electric half in the quality of material and performance. On top of everything else there's a 56-page booklet with a fine essay by Dylan's friend Tony Glover (a notable folk musician in his own right). It's not just an interesting adjunct to Dylan's '60s discography; it's as worthy of attention as anything else he recorded during that decade. ~ Richie Unterberger
A bootleg so legendary its incorrect origin graces the title of the official release, the Manchester-recorded "ROYAL ALBERT HALL" CONCERT documents one of rock and roll's watershed moments. The folk prophet's embrace of electricity in the face of his audience's dissatisfaction with such a decision is among the finest rock myths. This performance, recorded in the last days of Dylan's epochal 1965-66 world tour, proves the music he was creating at the time every bit as extraordinary and complex as the greatest art of the 20th century; Picasso, Joyce, and Kurosawa spring to mind much faster than any popular musicians.
The show's first half consists of folkie-friendly acoustic tunes--though one wonders what stringent folkies made of the hallucinatory wordplay of "Desolation Row." When the Hawks join him onstage, the calm atmosphere becomes a deafening din, as coffeehouse introspection dresses up in garage amps turned to eleven, treating the stale traditionalists to a post-modern hootenanny. Robbie Robertson and Dylan trade electric guitar catcalls, like gunslingers grazing each other with bullets just for fun. Garth Hudson's organ rolls out a juke-joint groove. And the bard delivers a batch of songs bursting with ideas ofRolling Stone (5/13/99, p.52) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."
Rolling Stone (10/29/98, p.74) - 4.5 Stars (out of 5) - "...a vicious, exhilarating reminder that rock & roll...once had the power...to be a weapon of argument and vengeance....it often feels like Dylan and the Hawks are playing into a fierce wind, fighting the tide of attitude with venomous glee..."
Spin (1/99, pp.120-121) - 7 (out of 10) - "...His naysayers were probably right to reject his conviction as posturing, although the mod suit and pointed boots he wore that night were certainly no more `inauthentic' than his old hobo hat and coat....The audience tension admittedly pushes Dylan and company into an intense performance..."
Entertainment Weekly (10/16/98, pp.84-85) - "...From the snarl of Robbie Robertson's guitar to the carnival-carousel tone of Garth Hudson's organ to the prodding sneer of Dylan's voice, it's a joyful mess....that sense of exploration electrifies the music in multiple ways..." - Rating: A