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

I bought this set and 'Big Blue' because they (Dylan/Sony) were gracious enough to make it available - both at great cost ('Big Blue') and at bargain price (The 1966 Live Recordings); the costs kind of leveled out from one to the other, as if a market correction took place (and the repetitive nature of the '66 setlist certainly contributed to the reduced pricing angle).

If you've been a fan of the 1965-1966 era, it's a godsend to have this stuff, even if it was fifty years after the fact, or maybe especially because of its late arrival (better late than never). I don't know whose grand idea it was to release the Cutting Edge Deluxe box. However, reportedly it was Clinton Heylin who recommended the release of all the '66 tour recordings in one shebang (minus a few reels that were missing or duplicated, ie., Alderson's Manchester electric set, etc.); based on this, I have vowed to never say anything 'bad' about Heylin again.

But really, the 36-CD set is not for everyone. I think a lot of us got burnt out by February of 2017 on this stuff. I will probably revisit the set come April/May this year with the emergence of high spring. I did have the RAH 2-CD set in the car this Autumn, but found it to be not the best show of the tour, imo. Manchester electric and Sheffield acoustic had it pretty much covered all this time, as far as close-to-definitive tour specimens. I mean, how much gold does one person really need?

The picture is still incomplete, though, due to the 24 hours of '66 tour film footage that hasn't been minted for widespread public consumption (beyond its archival status in Oklahoma). Heylin needs to start lobbying for that. Audio will only get you so far (though so good).

 

All of it should suffice.

If anyone has any interest in this era, this box is indispensable.

 

Too much of everything is just enough is an overstatement. But too much of Dylan in his prime is just enough is an understatement.

 

Can't disagree more with Manchester's electric set. It's consistently good, but better versions of each song can be found elsewhere in my opinion. Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, RAH1 all have electric tracks that are either more energetic/passionate or have better support from the Band. And I haven't even made my way through the whole set yet.

 

Other shows may have odd tracks here and there that excel perhaps beyond a typical Manchester track. But as a whole show, the Manchester set is exemplary from head to toe, still so, and much taken for granted over the newness of hearing the other recordings. There is no errancy on it anywhere. If it were the unreleased set in a sea of previously-released '66 audio, we'd still be talking about how it is the crown jewel in the heap. As it stands, it is still the basis from which the ongoing legacy of this tour has been carved - and it's solid rock. Still the show from which all other '66 shows are judged.

 

I'd argue it's not taken for granted by many seeing as it's been most people's foundation and point of reference. I struggled at first listening to other 1966 concerts because Manchester was so ingrained in my head. Any different inflection or note seemed odd to me. It took awhile to realize Manchester was on the low energy side compared to other electric sets (except for LARS of course). I preface all of this with it's just my opinion of course.

 

Not to mention that it has a more "hostile" audience. And that it's in amazing sound quality. I don't know that it is quite the crown jewel. But it is surely a worthy ambassador for the tour.

Now, just imagine if the Bootleg Series vol 4 had been RAH 2! No way would they have released that back then.

 

Mickey Jones was also the source of the best quality version of 'Eat The Document' that is currently available.

 

It really depends on how much you like Dylan and the Band. There are performance variations between shows and there's some songs not performed in Manchester. But unless you're a big fan you probably don't need more than 15 1966 live versions of "Desolation Row" or "Like A Rolling Stone".

 

How’s the sound quality for a guy who loves his cds to have a natural, warm, analogue, non-fatiguing sound?

 

If you need for your CD's to have natural, warm, analog, non-fatiguing sound THE 1966 LIVE RECORDINGS fits hand in glove. There may be warmer recordings out there but the sound on these concerts is as natural as analog gets.

I didn't realize Mickey Jones was the source. god bless him!

 

They had to rename it the 'famous Royal Albert Hall concert' because it was too majestic and historic to have taken place in some out of the way northern town. The 'Judas' confrontation just sends it over the top.

RAH2 is a marvel. I guess it had to happen eventually on this tour.

 

Hmmm. If Heylin advocated the release of all the 1966 live recordings, why doesn't he advocate the physical media release of the 1965 live recordings? Please everybody, if anyone here has any contact or influence with Clinton Heylin, pressure him on this point. Remind him to drop the other shoe.

 

There is actually a 4th version - a slightly revised/repackaged version of the first one posted. When Mickey Jones sent me a second signed DVD I noticed it had different artwork. Basically it is a reissue of the original under the 'Studio Works' brand name- there is now a screen grab of their logo at the beginning of the film, after the copyright warning bit, although from there it looks identical - same menu page, chapters and photo gallery bonus features; same running time of 91 minutes.
Sorry I can't upload a scan, but the packaging is very similar to the 1st release - identical cover photo, typography etc but Mickey's small mugshot has been moved from the front cover to the rear, which also features a barcode and revised/extended notes. There are also extra logos on the back - DVD Video, Dolby Digital 5.1, a 'Studio Works' corporate logo, a 'Ventura' corporate logo, and one for Highway61 Revisited, the tribute band who did the background music. The front also has a small review line printed under the title, reading ' "Home movies aren't supposed to be this cool" - Associated Press'
The first edition of the DVD doesn't have a catalogue number as such, whereas the second one does - printed on barcode, spine of cover and on the DVD disc design - 17032-7.
So, now you know!

 

You will be pleased.

 

In Mickey We Trust!

The Sony "In House" version? That is the best I knew of, and that is about 10 years old now. Or is there a better version....dear god

 

I love the box set. I really wanted there to be a better overall show than Manchester but I dont honestly think there is. True there are highlights scattered throughout though.

For lovers of ETD (like me!) someone has posted a 2 hour fan edit over on ER. It's wonderful! I think I sat through it twice.

 

I can never decide which concert is better than Manchester.
The concert I like best is always the one I'm listening to, which I like better than the one I heard before, until I move on to the next one.

It used to be the electric rock that I responded best to.
Now it's the acoustic sets.
The acoustic sets are hypnotic and thrilling.
There is nothing else like them, not in poetry, not in beatnik recital, not in popular music.
Each acoustic set is an event unto itself.
I still love the electric rock sets but they don't hypnotize or suspend time like the acoustic.

For me Dylan appreciation has always been about the songwriting and the vocal delivery.
On that basis there are no disappointments in The Live 1966 Recordings.
The concerts that don't surpass Manchester are, like Manchester, operating on the brilliant scale.

 

is Manchester really the best performance? or do people think so because it's in the best sound, being recorded by Columbia? the quality of the recording goes a long way toward appreciating the performance. I think the Nagra captured performances just as good if not better. Of course, they are all on the great scale.

 

I think the Manchester Rolling Stone would be hard to best from any of the other shows. For the rest, I think there are better Nagra performances or at the very least equally good from other performances.

 

I'd have to go through the box again to give a reconsidered answer, but circumstantially it was the right recording at the right time - more than halfway through the May slog; the band knew all the songs inside out and were prepared that night. They knew they were being recorded, knew that this could be the live album heard by millions, and they pulled together a great set from top to bottom.

I can't think of another set offhand that we can compare to it. People have been pushing parts of other sets or singles songs from elsewhere forward, yet so far there's not a contender for a better electric set. The only obvious deficiencies of the Manchester set are the low piano volume through some of it (compared to Alderson's mixes), and the low volume of Dylan's vocal on 'Mr. Jones', but even those aspects aren't enough to bring the set down.

Again, we judge this set as if it's always been around, which, for practical purposes, it has been. But if it had been newly-released along with the rest of this box set, I and others would be marveling about how it's such a consistent and historic set/moment in Dylan's career and the flow of the tour. I mean, there were people calling this guy 'Judas!' and stuff. What does Dylan say after that? How did this not get released back in the day?

 

Your insights are right on the money, as usual notesfrom.

Dylan had nixed a live album in 1963 that Columbia wanted to release. Perhaps he didn't want people to think Bob Dylan In Concert would be the same show they'd be getting, or he didn't want to be held to the folk-protest content when he had it in mind to move away from that.

Historically, some artists and record companies think it's a mistake to release live sets. It's the "why would people pay to see a live act if they can listen to it at home?" mentality. So they would just release a taste to show people what they're missing, say a single like "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" or a live TV appearance. Perhaps that had something to do with the decision not to release Manchester in 1966. I think the Hawks play perfectly at a number of shows. All the performances are different, but the musicianship is never less than amazing.

 

Especially after becoming familiar with various other shows first through various 'unofficial' sources and now the official release, I'm of the opinion that while Manchester may be the most 'professional' sounding gig overall, there is something about the performance itself that lacks a certain spark or energy often present in other gigs. And maybe this is at least partly due to the fact that the band knew beforehand that this was being professionally recorded that accounted for them pulling back just a bit (IMHO) - I think many times that appearances on high-profile gigs like the Ed Sullivan Show frequently had the same effect for other artists. Personally, I definitely prefer the Liverpool and London1 electric sets, and several other acoustic sets overall.

 

Isn't Live In Sydney from this box-set being sold on vinyl? or is it only in Australia?

 

Never mind. Found it.
I've started collecting the Bootleg Series and the MFSL editions on vinvl, beginning with Live 1966.

If anyone has shopping tips on Bootleg Series vinyl PM me.