Bob Dylan: The 1966 Live Recordings - Sony 36-CD box-set - November 11th 2016

I think I've been watching too much Star Trek, because this reminded me of something else from 1966:



Is Bob Dylan secretly a ROMULAN???

 

Thought some might like to know that the product in question is now again available from Amazon UK. Still a quid cheaper at HMV though

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01LXC8X05/ref=pe_7771_158819571_emwa_email_title_1

 

I think you could be right. You have been watching too much Star Trek. Romulans in Houndstooth?

 

There is the possible bonus of a free auto rip download of the discs with Amazon though, I haven't read anywhere yet if this will happen.

 

That could be interesting - do you have a link? That means it would be in my Amazon Misic Library as well. However I can't see a mention on the page.

 

From Mikal Gilmore on Facebook:

This is a comment that Dylan offered to the audience at the end of “Tell Me, Momma,” in London, May 27, 1966 (Disc 31). The transcription is my own and I'm possibly mistaken about a few of his under-the-breath words: “I like all my old songs, it’s just that things change all the time. Everybody knows that. And this music here right now, which you’re going to hear, no matter what it is, I mean if anybody is out there that can offer any suggestions how it could either be, uh, played better, or, uh, the words could be improved on, we appreciate all the suggestions. But, uh, other than that, we like all these songs. I like all these songs very much. I’m saying this only because the last night we’re here—and I love, uh, England, you know, like a lot—but we did all this in the states, from September on, and we’ve all been playing this music since we were ten, ten years old ON, and folk music just happens to be a thing which interrupted, which was very useful, you know, because of, frankly, the rock & roll thing in the United States was (laughs)—forgive me, forgive me; anything I say now please don’t hold against me. But I realize it’s loud music and all that kind of thing, but if you don’t like it, I mean, well, that’s fine. You got some improvements you could make on it, that’s great. But the thing is it is not English music you’re listening to. It’s a shame that we’re here now and it might sound like English music if you’ve never really heard American music before. But, uh, but the music is, uh, is, uh, is, uh, is uh, is uh, is, uh (audience laughter)…I would never venture to say what it is, and I can’t really say, but your just hearing me here now is the sound of the songs. You’re not really hearing anything else, except the songs, the sound of the words and the sounds, so you know, you can take it or leave it. Like, it’s up to you. It doesn’t matter to me (applause). I mean, like it really doesn’t. I love all of you (laughs), and if you don’t, if there’s something you disagree with, that’s great. But I’m not going to disagree with you, fight you or any anything, and discuss it with you. Shhh. Anyway, this happens to be an old song I wrote a long time ago, and it’s called 'I Don’t Believe You.' Now, it used to go like that, but now it goes like this. Now rightfully so.”

 

Waiting for my copy of the Deluxe "Portfolio" version from Bob's site to arrive... Shipped on Thursday Morning.

Very excited.

 

Totally Awesome...

And bodes well for all the chatter being left in.

 

I can't wait to hear this show in full. I was just listening to the circulating tape the other night. It unfortunately cuts off near the end of Mr. Tambourine Man, but there's no doubt that the acoustic set is performed with a lot of passion and purpose. It includes his "I don't write drug songs" speech before Visions of Johanna, and, to my ears at least, the first harmonica solo on Mr. Tambourine Man really takes on a life of its own (even more so than most nights of the tour).

He was apparently rather talkative that night. With it being the last show of the tour, it seems he had some things he wanted to get off his chest.

 

Does this mean you have heard disk 31 or is this based the existing bootleg material ?

 

As I indicated in my post, the transkription above is taken from a Facebook post by Mikal Gilmore. He's listened to the whole set.

 

Every extant 1965 Live recording EXCEPT San Francisco 12/11 & San Jose 12/12. Heylin describes them in his book. They're extant... Somewhere.

 

I think they are playing nightly in a hidden-away folk club called "The Public Domain".

 

Ginsberg's San Jose '65 tape is at Stanford, along with the Berkeley tape "released" in the download with the Cutting Edge.
Bay Area Bob Dylan concerts in Allen Ginsberg Papers »

 

Safely tucked away forever?

 

I had this message from a friend of mine ......who works for a music distribution company regarding the Dylan set.
The Dylan '66 set is Uber limited. One of our customers pre-ordered 50 copies from Sony and their rep told them that they may be able to allocate 10 to them. Unbelievable!

 

I would think the first pressing will be limited, until they can gauge the demand. If the demand is there I am sure they will produce more.

 

Still a mind boggler a '36 CD box set.
Must weigh a mighty ton.

 

I hope ChristopherG is still watching this thread. He has a fine account of his attendance at RAH on 27 May. Please tell your story here, Chris...

 

I picked up the bluray set from best buy yesterday. I put it on to see some of the bonus footage. It's been a while since I have seen the movie on DVD so can't really comment on quality of the video. I hope it's an upgrade. The 2-disc set came in a double slim cd jewel case which is weird for a bluray release (and it has a right sided "obi strip"). I ordered my poster too which was all free and should arrive in 6-8 weeks.

I'll probably watch it in a couple weeks when the 66 box comes in. I need to order Heylins book and I might upgrade my Don't look back dvd set. It's the calm before the storm...

 

I sure as hell hope Bullmoose gets enough to send me one! Maybe it will help that I pre-ordered just a day or two after the announcement.

 

From what I remember reading, it was made by Robbie's tailor in Toronto.

 

OK, the time seems to be right..counting the days until the box hits us!


May 27th 1966 Royal Albert Hall


Some memories


I was 16 and had been living and breathing Dylan since early 65, unknown to me he’d entered my DNA via “The Madhouse on Castle Street” which I’d watched with my parents who were horrified at the singing, it sounded good to me and if your parents don’t like it…well what better excuse. I filed that away and about that time my elder brother began a subscription to “Billboard” magazine, in which started to appear large advertisements for “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan”, I still didn’t make the connection between the two. My favourite band in 64 were “The Animals” and Eric Burdon started to namedrop Dylan in interviews and songs, finally it all came together and I was smitten.


In 65 I started work and spent my first weekly wage on the “Bob Dylan”LP. I then bought each album in order of release as I could afford them. I made no attempt to see him at The Royal Albert Hall in 65, in fact I have no recollection of the gig being advertised or even taking place until reading the reviews. But in 66 I was ready!


Living in Surrey I was only an hours journey to London, so I got on a train and bought a ticket from the RAH box office, it cost £1 and was the top price, the man in the booth told me that ‘it was a good ticket”. He was right it was a stalls seat, for those of you who don’t know the RAH, the stalls are the slightly raised area encircling the arena the area in front of the stage which traditionally would be called the stalls in any conventional theatre. My seat was at about the 2 O’clock position and had great sight lines.


There is no curtain in front of the stage at the RAH so you could clearly see the amps and drum riser even for the acoustic part of the show, so even if you hadn’t read any of the press reports you knew that something was about to happen.


The lights dimmed and a spotlight hit the stage, Dylan entered stage right wearing the hounds tooth suit(which I would refer to as Rupert Bear check for many years after!), my side, clutching a handful of harmonicas making his way to the stool positioned at the microphone. His hair was amazing and where was the leather sports jacket that I’d lusted after and finally found a version of?


All goes very well until the start of a new song,( “VOJ”) where we got the “this is not a drug song’ rap, someone shouts “we’re with you Bob” from way up above me, in fact you can just hear this on the Gelston acetate recording, after which our hero answers “yes all right.”


He drops a harmonica before one of the songs and does a funny Chaplinesque stoop down to pick it up, the audience laugh at which Dylan says “don’t do that., that’s terrible again clearly audible on the Gelston recording.


The harmonica solo in “Baby Blue” is spellbinding, it floats around that huge hall which in those days had quite an echo depending upon where you sat, long before the saucer structures were hung from the ceiling in an attempt to “cure’ this. The security in those days consisted of elderly gentlemen in slightly military uniforms and hats, the one at the door nearest to me looked totally mesmerised by this song. Then it was “Mr T Man” lots of applause and intermission.


Now remember that the amps and drums have been visible throughout. When Dylan and The Hawks hit the stage (Robbie in the white striped suit) there is mixed applause and derision, the atmosphere has changed, Dylan has changed, he’s pumped up now in complete contrast to the quiet reservation of the first half. It’s loud, but no problem to me as I’ve been going to rock gigs since I was 13 years old, Little Richard at Kingston Granada anyone, and been fed a diet of Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters by my brother.


When they do “One Too Many” and I Don’t Believe You” I start to get a bit agitated, I didn’t see why he had to amp up what I perceived to be ‘folk songs’ that I’d been besotted with for a year or more, yes I wasn’t totally ready for the electrification, I loved the already familiar new rock songs though.


Dylan is very animated he keeps throwing his arms around Robbie’s neck, which for a Surrey boy of 16 is quite shocking!


Someone struts forward at each chorus to share the microphone in “One too Many Mornings”, with hindsight probably Rick Danko.


There is a lot of booing and shouting and people do leave. I’m totally shocked that people could buy a ticket to someone they wanted to see and then boo.


Two girls next to me are worried that “he’ll walk off in a minute”, it was clear to me that he wouldn’t, he seemed to be almost enjoying it and was in a way in control. Now of course with the knowledge of he Pennebaker footage in “No Direction Home“ we can assume that he was part elated at the thought of it being the last gig and he was going home.


‘LARS” is long and then it’s all over, it all passed very quickly. I wish I could remember more.


I do remember walking along Exhibition Road (I may have levitated) back to the tube station that I really didn’t know if I loved or hated the man. It was that good.


I dreamt in colour that night, something I rarely ever did or do.


In 1970 a good friend of mine Jeff Thomas, sadly no longer with us, called me up and played me a tape down the phone, it was he said Dylan at RAH the electric half, it was amazing. Well I knew it wasn’t the May 27th set but it could have been the night before, it was of course the Manchester gig. It was long before any bootlegs of this existed, and as far as I’m aware was one of only a few copies in the country at that time.


Footnote


A few years ago I was invited to a friends dinner party and Dennis one of the guests, now no longer with us, told the story of how he went to see Peter Paul and Mary at the Royal Festival Hall in 1964, after the show he and his friends went for a drink at a pub near the venue only to find that Peter Yarrow was also having a drink there. They told him how much they had enjoyed the gig and he remarked that if they’d enjoyed that, then they must go and see “a friend of his called Bob Dylan” who was going to perform there in a few weeks time, “he’s sensational” he told them. Dennis went and was totally underwhelmed, apparently Dylan didn’t speak at all between songs, but he did remember that he sang “Mr Tambourine Man”. At that dinner party you had three people who had seen Dylan in 64, 65 (the host) and myself 66, there can’t be many instances of that surely.


Chris

 

Does anyone know if the RSD 'Real Albert Hall' Vinyl set is the same as the edition coming out in later in November?

 

Wow, what a post. Thanks, Chris, you lucky so-and-so. Enjoy the new box set!