Bob Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue can be seen as a reaction to his tour of the year before with the Band. Playing arenas in a pressurized atmosphere left little room for the kind of happy musical accidents that were so central to Dylan's live ethos. Rolling Thunder was more suited to his mercurial vision; a spontaneously planned and executed series of gigs with an odd assortment of players in a ragtag kind of gypsy caravan. In the repertoire, Dylan found a way to have fun with his legacy by reinventing some of his classics and simultaneously present tunes from his more contemporary albums (BLOOD ON THE TRACKS and DESIRE) with suitable verve. In this regard, these shows can actually be seen as a template for his subsequent Never Ending Tour.
The songs from DESIRE, from the allegorical "Isis" to the biting, sociopolitical narrative "Hurricane" are powered by Scarlet Rivera's electric violin and the thick, aggressive guitar tone of Mick Ronson. Dylan's early folk days get a nod via some heart-tugging solo acoustic performances and a series of duets with Joan Baez. Obviously charged with passion and fully immersed in the moment, Dylan singing with gut-wrenching intensity on both the ballads and the rockers, providing a kind of transcendent catharsis that's now happily documented for posterity.
Includes liner notes by Larry "Ratso" Sloman.
Personnel: Bob Dylan (vocals, acoustic & electric guitar); Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn (vocals, guitar); Bobby Neuwirth, Steven Soles (guitar, background vocals); Mick Ronson, T-Bone Burnett (guitar); David Mansfield (steel guitar, dobro, mandolin, violin); Scarlet Rivera (violin); Howie Wyeth (piano, drums); Rob Stoner (bass); Luther Rix (drums, congas, percussion); Ronee Blakely (drums).
Compilation producers: Jeff Rosen, Steve Berkowitz.
Rolling Stone (12/26/02, p.104) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of 2002" Rolling Stone (11/28/02, p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...[The collection] captures the Fellini-esque splendor and chaos of the caravan..." Entertainment Weekly (11/29/02, p.104) - "...The latest installment in his Bootleg Series of rarities affords us our biggest peek to date into this mysterious, mythical period of Dylan's career. Its two discs are revealing..." - Rating: B Q (1/03, p.134) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Dylan's vocals ooze an almost missionary urgency....[The band] creates a molten, gloriously loose sound..." Mojo (Publisher) (12/02, p.131) - "...LIVE 1975 is both of history and outside it....It demands repeated playing from anyone keen and exhilarated to hear life pour from their stereo speakers..."
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Bootleg Series, Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975 - The Rolling Thunder Revue Music Review
Customer Bootleg Series, Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975 - The Rolling Thunder Revue Reviews
Average Rating: (4.8 out of 5 stars)
Essential-Dylan at his Finest Terrific concert-great sound-Dylan annunciates the words clearly-what a difference compared to his recent albums-too bad more songs weren't included considering the length of each CD.
The booklet is well done-great photos + annotations. A BONUS DVD is also included which I found very enjoyable. Submitted by fairbanks2000 (Toronto, CANADA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
--- An excellent Dylan live album...probably his third best (after the '66 and '64 bootleg series releases), but much, MUCH better than Before the Flood (which the Band blew him away IMHO). His voice is sparkling, the Rolling Thunder Revue backing band is spot on, and you hear excellent renditions of Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You, It Takes A Lot To Laugh..., Romance In Durango (with a great rollicking, tex-mex chorus), and Knockin' On Heavens Door (with Roger Mcquinn adding a heart-wretching verse...terrific!!). Submitted by Jimmy (Enid, OK) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Rolling Thunder Review This is a great compilation of songs from Dylan in 1975. I bought this cd earlier this year and I just love it. For people who often say "I respect him as a songwriter but as a musician and a singer he sux." Well take a load of this cd. Dylan absolutely rocks with songs like "Tonight I'll be staying here with you" and a kind of up tempo "knockin on Heavens door" for people who aren't big listeners of Dylan, his music in this cd is right up there while still retaining some of his older more accoustic songs like "It's all over now Baby Blue" are the best I've ever heard. His voice is crystal clear and the band has it's own feel to it. I prefer the 2nd cd because it has more solo accoustic songs rather then the 1st cd. Submitted by a reviewer (Port Lincoln, SA, Australia) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Roll On Renaldo This live set from the 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue ensemble led by mystical maestro Dylan is incredible. Taken from tapes that were never mastered until now, these recordings sound as if MADE now and not 27 years ago! Long time Dylan fans have waited decades for this release and the wait was worth it. The concert footage featured in the film "Renaldo and Clara" which chronicled this tour's exploits provided the only (legally) available Rolling Thunder recordings, but since the film had no accompanying soundtrack album, fans were at a loss. Until now.
This stuff is a rare snapshot of a memorable tour and exceptional performances by Renaldo himself, Bobby D. and his touring pals. If you buy one album this holiday season, this should be it. Packaged with an impressive booklet with previously unseen photos and a worthy essay about the tour, Dylan fans have been amply rewarded for their patience. Audiophiles take note, the sound is beyond impressive on this one. Roll on Renaldo! Submitted by lbizarro (Fairhaven, MA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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