Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

I didn't expect to like this album, but the 1001 Albums project has slowly got me to realize I do quite enjoy Dylan's music.

The nasal voice, the boring dynamic. The second half interestingly gets a lot stronger, just to become boring again in the end. Royal Albert Hall is beautiful though!

#1044. This was already mid at best, but that harmonica is a bit torturous. 2/5: not necessary

I tolerated Bob before but I just realized I don't like him now.

3,5

Bob Dylan, 6eme album =>1/5

Please stop the pain. I refuse to believe that people actually think this is enjoyable to listen to. His annoying whiny voice sounds like he is mocking someone and the harmonica is just too obtuse to be real.

Extremely boring and like a flat line; he is an acquired taste, and not down my alley at all... 🤷🏻‍♀️

Live albums are not my favorite (and neither is Dylan, frankly) but at least a little credit needs to be given to his lyricism and having what is inarguably a natural voice for the blues. I just have a hard time getting into him.

I liked the more upbeat blues of disc 2 more than disc 1. Not really a big fan of Dylan's voice in the slower stuff but it works well enough when things are a bit louder.

I’m sure I will listen to better from him

I think I enjoy Dylan songs more when someone else sings them

Bara fínt, eða eitthvað. Óþarfi að gefa þessu tvær því að þetta rann bara í gegn.

I consider myself a Dylan fan, however I struggled with the acoustic set on the first disc. The electric set is the one that resonated most strongly with me. I hadn't know that this was the Judas concert, it makes for a richer experience knowing that.

As miserable in conception as it is in execution. I just can’t with this guy. I used to just think his voice was affectatious but now I hear it as the voice of a petulant self-important child. The only thing I’ll call out is (I’m assuming this is on lead guitar) Robbie Robertson is more of a gunslinger on guitar than I’ve ever given him credit for.

Robert Zimmerman portrays Bob Dylan as a masturbatory harmonica player with an annoying voice.

Ehh, wasn't feeling this one. I've liked the studio Dylan albums I've listened to, but this really was not working for me. The acoustic album was bland - and included a 13 minute version of Desolation Row...which I felt was 9 minutes too long in the first place. Then when Dylan goes electric on Album 2, it was fine, but I just didn't want to hear another hour of him (his voice felt extra pinched and shrill on this). Still don't think live albums should be on this list.

Good concert album but I just don’t particularly like them

Wish I could have been there. Wasn't long after this that he turned.

This album ends a lot stronger than it starts. Still not sure why select live albums are in this list. Not a huge Dylan fan. 2.75

I usually don't like live albums but this one is a gem!

I usually like harmonicas, I even have 2 pretty good ones at home. But something must have been wrong with this one because the pitch was so high and even if it were good, it was way too much. Also his voice is annoying to listen to. Second side is a lot better, and would be great with a different singer

A Dylan greatest hits. Not sure why this makes it on the list really.

When I had my big 60s Dylan phase a couple years ago, I skimmed this album but never sat through it from start to finish. What an exceptional live record, capturing an innovator at the peak of his powers. The shifts in audio quality are such an important remnant of the bootleg-ness, though I wish we were able to hear more of Dylan's interactions with the audience (Where's Judas??!!). As a Blonde on Blonde and Highway 61 obsessive, I couldn't ask for a better tracklist. Obviously, due to the sheer length, I doubt I'll be returning to this in full anytime soon, but that doesn't diminish how impressive and important of a historical document it is for American music. Fav Tracks: Vision of Johanna (Live), Desolation Row (Live), Mr. Tambourine Man (Live), Tell Me, Momma (Live), Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (Live), Ballad of a Thin Man (Live), Like a Rolling Stone (Live) Least Fav: Just Like a Woman (Live) Score: 8

Armed with just an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, Dylan delivers spellbinding, razor-sharp renditions of tracks like "Visions of Johanna," "Desolation Row," and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". Far from a safe folk-singer performance, Dylan sounds wired, poetic, and intensely focused. The audience sits in a hushed, reverent silence, hanging on every surreal word

From that short list of live albums worthy of a place on here, we all know what’s coming. The atmosphere, particularly once the amps are switched on, is electric and it feeds the whole thing.

MUMBLER! I bet the audience was sitting down for the whole concert.

I guess it was a big deal him playing electric guitar, but meh

second side is amazing and that saved this album for me

I know so many people consider this man some sort of legendary singer and songwriter but, I just don't have any desire to listen to listen to the nasal voice and the lyrics that truly make no sense. I have tried to listen to him with an open mind, and I just can't connect to him. For me this is a 1-star album and I ain't ashamed of that. Not every legend is meant for everyone and that is the case here.

I still don’t get Bob Dylan. The first disc of this was bad. The second disc was fine (at best) and kept this from being a 2-star rating.

gotta admit, these live songs werent better than the studio versions, still good listen though, but it didnt do it for me

Me quedo con los discos. El vivo no le suma lo que le suma el vivo a otras bandas o cantantes. No lo volvería a escuchar, pese a que tiene temones.

Good Dylan

Twinkotheé Chalamet could never

This is not worth anyone's time. Why is this bootleg on here? There are enough Dylan records that are worth being on this list, but that one is not one of those.

Fun live album. The first half Bob is acoustic, while the second half he plugs in. And as blasphemous as this sounds, I think I prefer the electric half of this concert. Maybe I'm missing why it was so controversial that he chose to plug in.

Not first yime

This gets a bit long. Dylan's highs are very high, but there's a lot of not that on here.

second half is so great. Never realized I stood on that side of the Dylan divide

Altså, joda, for all del, men ikke sånn at det føles som nokka æ _må_ høre, for så viktig e det nu ikke. Æ like Dylan, æ.

I need some help finding my way into Bob Dylan, something I'm hoping happens during this project. I genuinely get the reverence, but that particular lightning bolt has never struck me. Alas, this live album is not an entry point. All of the things that turn me off are present in spades. I think if someone was already a fan, this would be solid gold. Hopefully someday I can return to it with an open heart.

Visions of Johanna

I dont even like Bob Dylan at his best, but now a live album? For shame. I can only take so much harmonica wailing, I'll give him this, his voice is so unpleasant that it doesnt really sound that much worse live. Once again, I understand his importance and contributions to music, especially during this era, but its just such a slog to get through. I say this every time, but you should just stick to poetry Bobby.

Basically the worst kind of album for me. A double, live, Bob Dylan album. The gun was in my mouth but then I remembered I don’t actually have to listen to the full album. I have free will!

Album 57/1001. Listened 8/21/2026. As a writer, Dylan is phenomenal. As an audio-based performer ... not as enjoyable. Some of it was OK, but I'm not likely to spin it again.

Bob's never been my bag. He's got some songs I really dig. He's one of those artists I'd rather listen to a greatest hits album then any individual album. He just bores me for the most part. I will add, this is far better than either of the times I saw him live. He just hid behind his piano and droned on.

Exceptionally good recording for a bootleg if you ask me. The first half reveals all Dylan's vocal eccentricities, of which there are many. And I wish the second hadn't been entirely denuded of the heckling. It would have been spectacular to have heard "Judas!" on here.

I like Bob. Maybe a 90 minute live album was bit of a weird choice but I’m assuming there’ll be more to come.

Its Bob Dylan!!!

no.

I don't like Bob Dylan albums, a live album doesn't change that.

I was never a big fan of Dylan as a live performer, but someone recently directed me to The Bootleg Series 2-disc set of the Rolling Thunder Revue from 1975. At some point between 1966 and 1975 Dylan came into his own as a singer. He's no Roy Orbison, Marvin Gaye, Freddie Mercury, Jeff Buckley or anyone you’d call a great singer, but this collection of live performances completely changed my impression of him as a performer and especially as a vocalist. His singing draws you into every song, and he basically never fumbles or breaks the spell with a bad note. He leads the band with a clear, musical, and at best I would even say nimble style and doesn’t fall back on the mannered nasally sing-song style he had earlier in his career. And these recordings were drawn from just a few nights of performances, so not cherry-picked from thousands of mediocre or worse nights. On to the current selection from 1966, there’s plenty to like, especially in the first, acoustic set. “Visions of Johanna” stands out as a great performance. In the second, electric set he leans heavily on that vocal style that you would immediately think of if you wanted to impersonate Bob Dylan for a laugh, slurring and swooping around the notes with long exaggerated nasally whines. If you can look past the vocal style, the second set is an interesting look at a critical point in Dylan’s career. The band is good, and the songs are great. Not an essential listen but an important historic document. HOWEVER, the official release is not even an important historic document as almost all the audience response has been edited out. Essential listening: Interesting yes, essential no Desert Island Disc: No

This is a double album, with each disk having quite a different sound. The first disc is more acoustic-styled folk music that seemed to define early Bob Dylan's career. The second one replaces the acoustic guitar with an Electric one. I suppose its my Bias but the second disk is much more fun to listen to. Especially due to the inclusion of the psychedelic sounding organ. I really like this album. Especially the ending, with that sort of national anthem sounding outro.

Twas a pleasure

Much prefer disc 2 to disc 1.

This album feels like it would make a plot point for a movie or something.

there's some great stuff, and is a very nice recording, but a bit too much harmonica.

3 stars, more for the historical significance of Dylan goes electric than anything else. It's fine/good overall.

I have never been able to get into Bob Dylan… after a few songs I feel like I am listening to an overzealous impersonator…like bro, we get it….,

Dylan as a performer really doesn’t fit the live setting, with his less than stellar vocals and oft sparse arrangements. This reputation has proceeded over the course of his entire 6 decade career. And even when the band comes in on the second half, things go from slightly lucid to tepid.

The album proved why he is considered the best lyricist of all time. No notes, just legendary writing.

I actually quite liked the second half, if only because the band helps to drown out the terrible vocals. But after listening to the acoustic first half of Bob caterwauling and torturing the harmonica I was ready to claw my ears out. 2.5

I've never really been a fan of live albums and this one certainly didn't change my mind.

Dylan is a fantastic songwriter, but as a singer he's terrible. Plus live albums aren't usually my thing. Add in to that, the massive overuse of terrible harmonica. This one just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

The Good: It’s a bootleg! The Bad: It’s a double bootleg… The Ugly: Finding two legs, in boots… start of a murder mystery… Fuck me… that was not an easy one to get through. Sure, some very familiar songs on there, and they sounded great. However, one full album of acoustic BD live… just him, an acoustic guitar, and the fucking harmonica… Then, one full album electrified, yet the music was that electric… I could have been spared this album. I could have been spared several of BD’s albums… however, it’s not my 1001 list… so I will have to suck it up. 2* out of spite!

Evaluating this as a live album and not as a Dylan album as most of these tracks will be evaluated elsewhere. Compared to some of the live albums around the same time (the Johnny Cash prison live albums) the crowd energy was basically zero until ‘Tell Me, Momma’. Dylan’s vocals live are amazing but the lackluster energy makes this more of a ‘why’ than anything for me. Why record a live album at all?

It's alright.

Dylan isn't someone I would choose to listen to on my own, but its ok.

So its the iconic concert but sadly I just wasn't interested enough. That's because music has moved on and we're grateful in more ways than one.

Good lord, a live rendition of songs I've already heard on different albums. Not worth the long playtime.

I hadn't heard the electric guitar works of Dylan before and it's a good thing they decided to switch to that for the second half. One and a half hour of only the accoustic set would have become tedious. The songwriting is there as always, just like a woman made me pause for a while, so that's good. Serves as a good vertical slice of his works up to that point and the live energy gives the second half of the set a bit of spice. But your enjoyment of this album will likely depend on what you think of his vocals.

I learned i hate Bob Dylan. I hate his voice. The harmonica gave me a headache. I had to turn it off after 2 minutes.

I know it’s Dylan. He’s a legend and he deserves all the praise he gets. The lyrics are deep and clever. Musically it just never clicked for me. He has so much depth in his dynamics that it hurts my ears and starts to annoy me after 2 tracks. That’s also the reason why it all sounds the same to me.

Harmonica. Thats all that this album is. if you like that this is for you, if you don't, its not.

I'll get to it. Also weird this is Vol. 4 of a ove album series, like doesn't seem like an album-album.

dont fw his voice

The acoustic half is just awful. 9:17 long version of Mr. Tambourine Man? GTFOH. The electric half that people in the audiene got really mad at is a solid meh, but I get its historic significance. Still not something I'd listen to by choice.

I don't see the necessity after including the whole studio discography of Bob Dylan to put a live album of his on the list. Come on! Support your local small artists

Ok

Live Bob Dylan is a really specific experience and he is not for everyone. Live Bob Dylan is not for me. I love all these songs so it was kinda like a fun greatest hits album, but they were all just much sloppier with more sour notes and less melody than the album version. For the first acoustic half I was like "oh well he needs the band that's the problem" then the band comes out and I had moments of "this is awesome Bob Dylan is a rock star" and then he started doing his like donkey bray singing and I was out again. I think there's something admirable about his refusal to sing any song with the same melody as the albums, but I think he kinda just winds up singing random notes.

Amazing songs and a great performance but it's better as a historical document than as an album.

I enjoyed the flip from acoustic to electric halfway through. It is interesting reading about how audiences reacted back in those days when he started doing that. Unfortunately, streaming services these days took out a lot of the in-between crowd noise that was present on the physical versions of this album.

Long. Fine. I’ll never understand why he sings like he’s walking on uneven ground.

I like bob dylan but this was hard to listen to

More of interest as an historical piece than as a killer live album I feel, I bought this when it came out. I still listen to it now and again, so it must be half-decent.

Fuck that fucking harmonica. 2/5

Jeg vet ikke om folk er den sjangeren som gir mest mening som konsert-CD. Om jeg skal gå for et live-opptak over studioversjonen, så er det gjerne for energien og jam band impro. Dylan spiller låtene bra, for all del, men jeg kan ikke se for meg at jeg noensinne kommer til å velge disse versjonene av Visions of Joanna, Desolation Row, eller Just Like a Woman over studioversjonene...? Om jeg stod i publikum ville det vært noe annet. Får en del mer edge så fort de skrur på strømmen, men de beste låtene er likevel i første halvdel. Ballad of a Thin Man og Like a Rolling Stone er går hardt da.

Den akustiske delen av konserten er flott, men fy faen som den elektriske delen går hardt. Tror "Judas"-klippet må være det klippet jeg har sett flest ganger på Youtube. Dessverre er utgaven på Qobuz uten hecklingen mellom låtene. Kanskje for å tekkes en spillelisteorientert samtid? Jeg har uansett CD-en som er definitivt Judas-edition. Uansett, Bob Dylan live 1966 er en av de beste liveopptakene noensinne. All hecklingen var en del av fansen som mente Dylan hadde sveket folkmiljøet, men de kjøpte jo billett og møtte opp, så Dylan vant vel uansett. Dessuten fikk de det akustiske settet. Og selv om det er haterne som blir husket, så er det full jubel etter maratonversjonen av "Like A Rolling Stone". Og man skal ikke glemme at studioversjonen klatra til nesten førsteplass på Billboard. Så Dylan sto ikke der bare og spilte for seg selv, men det høres ut som han koste seg med det. Play it fucking loud!

It's bobbyyy, it's pretty goood. The story of it is pretty interesting too. I love his studio albums much more though. Not the biggest fan of live albums in general, so it would be a solid 3 for me.

Don’t really like this album, but I would think if you were there in 1966, fair play, I’d have been 5, my Dad wasn’t in to him, so no Dylan at home growing up

9/10

Where do i even begin with how or why this is even included in the 1085 albums list? First off, the title. It’s listed as the “Royal Albert Hall Concert”, which Bob Dylan didn’t even play at. In fact, he didn’t even play this show in London. It was in Manchester, at the Free Trade Hall. why have we retained the WRONG title for this bootleg? This has been subsequently released on vinyl, tape, CD, and digital throughout the years, and everyone knows who Bob is and where this was played and where it falls in the lineup of the Bob Dylan discography. Back in 1968, not so much- this was a way to hear an unofficial, but real, live show from Bob, scratchy and shitty as it is. Now- this title mistake is excusable because this is a BOOTLEG recording, which gets me to my next point. Why are we including bootleg recordings in the 1000+ albums you must hear before you die? And especially of BOB DYLAN who appears 7 times in this?? This is far from essential and necessary, not to mention it sounds like it was recorded on a Dictaphone from 1895 on wax! Bob Dylan already sounds TERRIBLE in studio format, both in mixing and his notoriously… polarizing voice, but take that and apply it to a shitty recording from 1966. What a terrible day to have ears. Thirdly: the format. Bob does something both fantastic, and apparently widely controversial and panned at the time in this show- he comes out and plays his twangy acoustic solo stuff on a bar stool for 40 minutes to raucous applause, then he comes back with his backing band “The Band” and plays an “electric” set (as electrified as you can imagine a BOB DYLAN SONG) of ‘the hits so far’ from his catalogue, culminating with maybe the worst live recorded version of ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ I’ve ever heard, and I love that song. This electric set was apparently quite disliked, and Bob was heckled and jeered at in between songs, because “folk music isn’t electric” as the people of the day said. All of this heckling was also CONVENIENTLY EDITED OUT OF A FUCKING BOOTLEG RECORDING. I don’t know if this was for vanity or some Bob worshipper did it themselves, but you can hear the cuts between songs, and where it picks up after some stage banter, which… again, this is a bootleg, not a professionally cut and mixed live album where you’d expect that. Unbelievable. This isn’t a 1 star solely because The Band’s playing and improvisation during the second half electric set is actually pretty decent backing. Better than Bob deserved, that’s for sure. ⭐️⭐️

A Drag Through Nasal Hell Look, I get it. Bob Dylan is a legendary singer or whatever. The man can write, I'll admit. But Jesus Christ, give the harmonica a break. This is a 1.5 hour (1.5!!!!) long album of nasal drone, shitty harmonica, and songs that all blend together into one long, forgettable mess. The first half is just Bob. Just him, his guitar, and that godforsaken harmonica. I couldn't help but giggle whenever his harmonica started to squeal. Truly sonically unbearable. I heard somebody say his vocals were like a slowly deflating balloon, and I couldn't agree more. The harmonica is so screeching and loud compared to everything else oh my god. "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" was the only song that gave me any positive feelings. The rest? Droning, boring, etc. The second set picks up a bit with an actual band behind him, but honestly, Dylan is even worse in a band. Rock doesn't match his voice or style, and the sound recording is horrible (again WHY do we have a live album in the 1001). It's a historical document, sure, but listening to it in 2026 is just painful. The songs all still sound the same. TBH, sometimes the only thing that told me when one song ended and another one started was the audience clapping. Rating: 2/10

Great “electric” album from his bobness

Second half a vast improvement over the first, to the extent they resemble actual songs. 3.5

Classic Dylan

solid 4.0. Acho que a seleção de músicas é boa, as performances são tal qual as versões de studio

Some of this is great. Some is not.

Well ok is the first part, not a fan of it so that's my bad I suppose. But once the "Hawks" join Robert on stage it gains momentum for me and ends very well. Saw him twice in the 90''s at a couple of excellent shows.

3 out of 5. My seventh and maybe last album of Dylan's on this journey. I will say after listening so far that I prefer him backed with electric guitars than acoustic. The second half of this album had me hooked much more than the first and it even sounds like it might have been a little fun being there.

Peak Dylan. Straddling his transition from folk to folk rock. I would award 6 stars if I could.

Kinda perfect?

he rocks, no two ways about it

A better listen than some of the other Dylan albums on here, but overstays its welcome

I'm not a fan of Bob Dylan or live albums. A live double album from Bob Dylan is almost torturous.

Geni!

Listening session: juli 1st/2nd, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: heard a few songs before Thoughts: this album is just too long and after a while the harmonica and Bob Dylan’s singing are starting to be annoying Favourite tracks: Just Like a Woman & Ballad of a Thin Man

Not a fan of Bob Dylan, his voice just grates on my ears. Somehow his voice was even more annoying on this live album. Was really hard to make it through this one.

I usually roll my eyes about the whole nasally voice or the piercing harmonica playing. Check my other Dylan reviews. But this live recording, those two things put me off big time. I tried twice, thinking I was being too hard the first time. I actually ended up more annoyed. Controversial rating, here I come. 1/5

Well... I listened to it. I understood 3 words, and every song sounded the same.

Fuck the rules here’s a bootleg. I guess it’s had an official release by this point but still. Uh…it’s more Bob, all the good and bad that comes with that. Except now he sorta sounds worse and better in many aspects.

Iconic

Why the hell is this guy famous. Genuinely. He can’t sing for shit and this album is completely unbearable.

(light 8/10) One half stripped acoustic, one half Folk Rock jamboree. It's every side of Dylan in a superb live performance. "Like a Rolling Stone" especially benefits from this live setting.

Dylan at the height of his youth and skill; there’s so much emotion and his lyricism is nearly unparalleled. While I find for him that best of performances miss some of his smaller and lesser known songs that I love, desolation row on this one is an all timer. Overall great

I was already familiar with this album prior to listening. This is one of those albums (and one of very few live albums) that is both good listening and historically important. I can't imagine how it must have been to be there and hear Dylan's folk fans boo him for "going electric" like they did. As for the album itself, it's a great listen. The first half is acoustic, including many of his standards. Great stuff. The second half is electric, and it is really incredibly good. The band (or should I say The Band) is excellent. This is peak live Dylan, in my opinion. I would listen to this any time.

On nuo sanoitukset aika mielettömiä! Livetaltiointi oli vähän tukkoinen, mutta kannatti kuunnella.

Ei ole koskaan tää Dylan oikein lähtenyt vaikka tässä toteutuu moni asia mistä tykkään. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

En ole ikinä ollut fani vaikka Dylanin merkittävyyden kyllä tunnistankin.

Has more value as a compilation of Bob Dylan's best early output than a demonstration of live prowess. Dylan plays it straight on all of these performances which, while not bad, really adds nothing to the studio versions. Diehards will possibly get something out of this, but I'm not sure what is in it for the rest of us.

Quite the piece of musical history, which epitomizes Bob's transformation away from pure acoustic folk at the infamous Manchester Free Trade Hall concert. What a transition it must have felt like for mid-60s listeners: going from the stripped-down, solo musician singing acoustic folk tunes in the first half, to absolutely ripping it full-volume with the Hawks (The Band) performing some of the most pioneering rock tunes ever written in the second half. I never really considered myself an actual Dylan fan, but man, what I wouldn't give to be able to see the man give a performance like this in his prime. Guy was a true pioneer (and still is, but given his decidedly mixed track record in the 21st century, safe to say I'm not too keen on seeing him perform at 80+ years old)

Segt

Dylan låter ovanligt irriterande här.

Är trött på honom i och utanför det här projektet

Dylan är ju bra, men livedubbelalbum? Pass.

Hated the first half. Enjoyed the second half.

More Bob Dylan mediocrity... but this one inclusion feels especially unnecessary. It is a fact that live albums inherently have less value.

This album should not be on this list. Dylan already has what feels like 50 entries, and all these tracks are already on the list in studio versions. Disc 1 is boring and droning, an while it does pick up on disc 2, it feels like it will never end.

This is a good album. Lots of songs I recognize. It grew on me. 3.5 but on the 4 side.

It’s fine, but unnecessary. I’ve already heard a lot of these songs already on the Dylan studio albums I’ve gotten for this project, and hearing them live didn’t really illuminate them in a new way, so it just kinda felt like a repeat.

Play it fucking loud

meh

to be completely frank, the only thing that told me when one song ended and another one started was when the audience started clapping. otherwise, the songs all kind of blended together for me, and i unfortunately was pretty bored all throughout. occasionally a melody would play that piqued my interest a little, but it never lasted through the whole song, and for me that became a trend for the entire album. that being said, like a rolling stone was pretty cool, it's just a bit of a shame it came at the very end.

Can't believe that woman yelled 'jewish' at our mate Zimmerman. Before the Flood is the best Dylan live album, cheers. Are there no Cat Power albums on this list. That's fucked. One star review is for Dimery.

I love Dylan's music and I love Dylan's message, but I really hate his voice.

Enjoyed the acoustic/electric different sets. Most of The Band is playing on the electric set, and they sound great. Bob is still a little grating, but overall this was pretty good. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again

5/10 It's a decent live album. Not sure why it had to be included in the book but at least I enjoyed the second half with the band. Really surprised that the audience preferred the acoustic half.

For 18 years, I averaged less than a song per year - yes, you heard that right, a fractional song per year on average of Bob Dylan music. It's just not something I've ever chosen to listen to. Yes, he's a poet. Probably a generational talent. His songs have spoken volumes to a generation. The generation or 2 before mine. This list has me listening to 60+ songs in 2 years, greatly broadening my Dylan experience, and for that I'm thankful. These are great songs. This is good music. If only the guy could sing.

I get the Dylan thing but, to be frank, this live performance makes me think about how overwrought his music can be. I wanted to change it halfway through. Three stars is the Hal effect of his other work.

joni where is my joni

Judas! The real Judases here are the compilers of this bootleg for dampening the crowd reaction to the second half. I want the version from the Scorsese doc - all booing and cranky Bob exhorting the band to play it louder. Anyway, both halves of this are brilliant if you love Bob, and probably quite painful if you don't like his singing and harmonica. I sit in the former camp, and loved it. Just Like A Woman is a particular highlight, and of course Ballad of a Thin Man on the second half absolutely rips.

Icon of the game but my adhd is struggling to hook onto these lengthy songs. Rating: 8.12/10 drink: lil strawberry limeade with a paper straw though

This is a decent live album. It's a good selection of tracks, played well. It does lack the energy and verve you might expect from a live album. But it's alright

Better than Coldplay

That harmonica needs a restraining order, but otherwise pleasant, if a bit homogenous and boring.

Bet ya can’t guess what I’m grillin

This is so bad. The harmonica is jarring and the live show just illustrates even more that he can’t sing. The second half is much better than the first. Funny that the crowd booed that half lol.

I find it kind of odd that a bootleg album is included on a list like this, I really thought they would go for more "formal" release. But I guess this is the truest, rawest document of Dylan in his 60s heyday. And, having now heard the live version of probably the single most relentlessly acclaimed artist of the past 75 years.... I have to admit about half of this album is actually pretty good. None of the good parts are in the first half though because that's just Bob Dylan, whose voice is completely shot after a long tour, a guitar strumming the same 4 chords, and a harmonica that never shuts up. If he didn't overblow the harmonica here and there I would dismiss it as a cure for insomnia; really nothing memorable for me here. The second half is a different beast altogether. If you ask me, the second half should have been the entire album and my perception of this album would improve about tenfold. Dylan is backed by a full band there, and his biggest weaknesses - the repetitive song structures and his marmite voice - are compensated by the band improvising all over them. It's definitely the best possible way to breathe life into these songs. It's an infectiously jovial half too, and all the memorable highlights are found here. Among them are "Tell Me, Momma" and "Ballad of a Thin Man." I'm told the version of that latter song is among the best ever by some. This double live album is really a tale of 2 Dylans, and whatever brilliance the listener finds really depends on what they were looking for going into it, which is something you could say about Dylan as a whole. I was just looking to enjoy it, and this album succeeded about half the time.

Arguably the greatest concert ever put to tape. People just had no idea... They couldn’t understand the why the 2 sets and frankly why he even had to do the electric stuff at all. And that’s part of the allure. The acoustic set flawless and emotional. The Visions Of Johanna will always be one of my favorites along with desolation row, tambourine man and she belongs to me. Followed by a blistering electric set. Dylan improvising in real time and creating these huge swings with his voice and the band. The version of Just Like Tom Thumb Blues is wild as he’s pouncing on every line accompanied by lively versions of Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat, one too many mornings and Rolling Stone. This is an all timer from the GOAT.

I just don’t get it. I like the harmonica parts, but that’s about it. I feel like there is really nothing of substance in this music, and I’d rather spend my time listening to anything else.

i dont like bob dylan

Sweet Christ. Bob Dylan. Again! I feel like I've listened to everything Dylan has ever done now. They can't ALL be essential, can they? I get that this is the show of the famous 'Judas' comment (sadly missing from the version I listened to) and I appreciate what that moment means in the history of popular music, but it's a moment to read about rather than listen to. This is not an essential album - it's a badly recorded live record. Yes, it captures a pivotal time in Dylan's evolution, and in the wider history of popular music, but it's just a crappy live record. I've had more fun at the dentist.

Live albums are a strange one - if you were there they could be imbued with their own special attachment, if not their engagement varies wildly. One thing that strikes me about this is the loud, possibly even rapturous applause, but the lack of whooping, shouting out etc. which perhaps is a sign o the times, but sounds slightly odd - particularly as THAT moment isn't on the recording - are there different versions of the album? Aside from that it's Dylan doing Dylan. While I would never expect a reproduction of a studio recording, when the songs are so familiar some of the phrasing, particularly on Mr Tambourine Man, sounds slightly odd. As a capture of something which was surely special at the time it does what you would hope for but as something I want to return to regularly I'm not convinced.

Це лише другий мій альбом Боба Ділана в цьому списку, але він мені уже набрид

Mellow. Many songs sounded the same. DNF

Songwriting 10/10

I like the harmonica parts. Solid album can’t go too wrong with the big BD.

I truly don’t understand why Bob Dylan has the critical acclaim and fame he does. His voice is horrendous and the harmonica worked my nerves. This is one of the only albums I had to split across several pats of the day as opposed to just going through it in one full sweep. I hope this is the only Bob album on this list because I don’t think I can take anymore of this.

One of the better Dylan albums to listen to, his vocals seem a little more melodic and restrained and the songs really stand out

God this is so bad . His voice is awful, k whiny and he can barely hold a note, it’s painful. His guitar playing is basic and the harmonica use is OTT. Granted there are decent songs here but not with this interpretation for other artists. Side 2 is slightly better due to the intervention of the band but even they can’t save this. When I think of all the fabulous artists that don’t even have one album on this list… Baffling

Voice and harmonica was just annoying

No me gusta como canta

I see a lot of people on here have a real scientific ranking system. I don’t. My system is “gut feeling at the end.” And I don’t skip songs. Live 1966 gets a 4, with a bomb-ass rendition of Like a Rolling Stone to close it out.

A corker of a live experience. The first half had me in a state of introspection with its acoustic vibes and surrealistic lyrics, but then the second half kicked in and blew my mind. This particular concert recording is where the infamous Judas incident occured, and if you listen closely, you can hear the audience are restless at first when it comes to hearing Dylan transition into his electric era, slow-clapping to throw him and the Band off. To me, going electric allowed Dylan to explore more avenues for his musical storytelling, and ultimately this audience had no idea of the greatness they were able to witness live. Definitely want to hear more of these bootlegs soon. Favourite track: Baby, Let Me Follow You Down Least favourite track: Desolation Row

Ok, I’m surprised how much I loved this seeing as how I never felt particularly drawn to Bob Dylan’s music. But this was SO GOOD and soothing and it was the perfect background music to read a book to. It felt like I was being sung lullabies in the first half. And the second half was fun and pumped me up. He really is something special.

Rate: 8.5/10.

Favorite Song: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

A live recording of Dylan at this time is a gem, even for those that prefer his studio work. As divisive today as he was then, you either hear genius here or you hear a sub par singer that is overhyped and revered for unknown reasons. This probably won't change your opinions on the artist one way or the other, but it's fun to hear the acoustic versions of some of the post-folk era that were captured on the first set.

I don’t believe you

How to write a Bob Dylan song: 1): Write some genuinely good lyrics to ruin 2): Clip a clothespin over your nose to replicate his nasally weasel voice as you sing 3): Once you’ve run out of lyrics, practice eating out your wife on your harmonica for 45-90 seconds to conclude the song 4): Repeat for the first half of this album Can you believe that some in the audience heckled him for using a band in the second half of the concert?? His band actually knows how to play music and their presence redeems what little there is to redeem about this album

I don't even mind his singing voice. I even think it's quite good, but Bob gotta be one of the worst harmonica players ever, I'm sorry. Anyways, this isn't exactly Highway 61.. it's very dull.

The first (folksy) half was Bob Dylan at his most nasally. if you are on the fence with regards to Dylan's singing, this acoustic set will firmly plant you in the "total bullshit" camp. And this is coming from a massive Dylan fan. I wasn't the biggest fan of the first half, but to be honest i've never been convinced that Dylan live was anything special (outside of the Rolling thunder Review tour) second (rock) half was better, but i guess ive always preferred Dylan's post "Like a Rolling Stone" stuff. Middle of the road album from a generational talent.

Custa-me um pouco dar esta «nota» ao Bob, uma vez que é um clássico e o seu valor é inestimável, ninguém contesta isso. Contudo, devo dizer várias coisas, pois a experiência de ouvir este álbum foi deveras difícil e angustiante: 1) um álbum ao vivo não deveria fazer parte de uma lista deste tipo! Uma coisa é ir ao vivo ouvir, ver, sentir a experiência, vibrar com tudo o que ali se passa! Ouvir um álbum ao vivo é lidar, como foi neste caso, com imensos problemas; 2) Como estava irritado com a minha sorte por ter tido este álbum, fui pesquisar e aprendi que na 2ª parte o Bob foi vaiado e o espetáculo foi tudo menos bonito! Saber que este disco foi editado e que se perde todo esse registo é má-fé, é uma autêntica batota. Por isso, a minha opinião de que este disco não deveria estar nesta lista e que esta experiência foi tudo menos agradável, sai reforçada; 3) O registo é extremamente longo. Ouvir a voz nasalada do Bob durante uma hora e meia, mais a harmónica e o raio que o parta, ao longo de uma hora e meia deixa de ser arte e passa a ser tortura. Poderia alongar-me mas acho que bastam estes motivos para poder dizer, com toda a certeza e na plena posse das minhas faculdade smentais - "desculpa, Bob, mas antes morrer do que ouvir isto outra vez" 1/5 (pode-se dar zero? Por um segundo, o meu desejo foi dar zero :-( ) **************************************** // *********************************** It’s a bit hard for me to give Bob this “rating,” since it’s a classic and its value is priceless — no one disputes that. However, I must say a few things, because the experience of listening to this album was truly difficult and distressing: 1) A live album shouldn’t be on a list like this! It’s one thing to go to a live show to hear, see, and feel the experience, to get swept up in everything that’s happening there! Listening to a live album means dealing with, as was the case here, a ton of problems; 2) Since I was annoyed with my luck for having gotten this album, I did some research and learned that during the second set, Bob was booed and the show was anything but pleasant! Knowing that this album was released and that all of that is lost is bad faith; it’s a total rip-off. Therefore, my opinion that this album shouldn’t be on this list and that this experience was anything but pleasant is reinforced; 3) The recording is extremely long. Listening to Bob’s nasal voice for an hour and a half, plus the harmonica and whatever else, for an hour and a half ceases to be art and becomes torture. I could go on, but I think these reasons are enough to say, with complete certainty and in full possession of my mental faculties—“sorry, Bob, but I’d rather die than listen to this again” 1/5 (can you give a zero? For a second, I wanted to give it a zero :-( )

Bob Dylan and his Harmonica are good. Not my thing though. Voice is definitely unique and a bit funny. Don't care for Live albums tbh. Tell Me, Momma was good. Later half of the album with The Hawks was better than Bob on his own. More to listen to/for I guess.

If I had a time machine I’d head to 1966 and slap every single dork that booed Dylan for “going electric”. What a joy this was. I will admit… I did find myself slightly more into the acoustic set than the full band, but the back half is still incredible. I mean, it’s The Band (minus Levon Helm) for chrissakes. If only those booing losers knew what they were witnessing. I guess in fairness the booing is a key part of the legend of Dylan. I had the opportunity to see Dylan a few weeks ago on his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. It’s insane that he put on a truly spellbinding show for me and a couple thousand other people nearly SIXTY YEARS after this performance at Albert Hall.

Side one really just sounds like the same thing over and over again. Open chord strumming, harmonica, and some guy moaning for 9 minutes (way too long). I am not really a lyrics guy, I'm sure they are great if you can understand him, but for me, if the music sounds boring no amount of story telling is going to save it. Why is this album so long... I think I've had 1 album under 80 minutes this week... Disc 2 is a lot more interesting, but by that point I reached my limit that I can handle of Bob Dylan and just zoned out. Mid 3.

Robbie Robertson's guitar sounds so good with the organ and Bob's voice. The passion of the acoustic set and the excitement of the electric set come through on this album but I feel that the songs are not served as well here as they are on his studio recordings.

Wow this sounds awful, He cant sing if it meant his life. It sounds like he's just talking and the high and false notes on the harmonica make it even worse. 3/10

Letzter Song ist natürlich bekannt, aber es war schon stellenweise eine Zumutung. Erste Hälfte schöner Akustik Sound, zweite Hälfte blankes Chaos 3 Sterne

mag Bob Dylan und auch viele seiner Lieder. Bin aber kein Fan von Liveübertragungen, besonders solche alten. Aber gute Lieder sind natürlich einige dabei.

Soll die Wäscheklammer von der Nase nehmen und die Mundharmonika nicht vergewaltigen

That's an incredible piece of music history. Huge Dylan fan alert! This live album captures Bobby in the high, low and crazy tour of 65 66. His show at the time was separated in to two sets- an acoustic one, and an electric set along The Band with him on stage. I wanna start with the controversial electric one first. It's absolutely fantastic. It might be a bit sloppy, but it's a part of the charm. It's not only electric, but electrifying. Dylan's voice here is so moving and powerful, the band is playing chaos. How can you not adore Garth Hudson listening to this organ man.. It's flowing so well from track to track. Reaching It's peak in the three song finish- One to many morning, Ballad of a thin man, and of course the best version of Like A rolling Stone. Priceless. The acoustic set has many highlights aswell. Of course all the songs are great, and the rendition of Desolation Row always makes me tear in the last harmonica solo. But I think the electric set is the thing to go to here generally. That's where Bob's mind was at the time. The entire album is not lower than a high 4.

I was skeptical of 1.5hrs of live Bob Dylan, but it was more enjoyable than I expected. It's a good mix of songs I know and like, and ones that I don't listen to as often. There were a couple that I'm not sure I'd ever actually heard Bob Dylan's version of, only covers. That being said, this was still long for an album, and I thought it lost momentum in the second half. The live aspect was also weirdly lifeless. Dylan's performance is fine, but the crowd is just not engaged at all.

Great

ho sentito circa 1/3 dell’album, bello ma probabilmente non l’ho approfondito abbastanza

Dylan has an iconic reputation but a double album does soften the impact. It's wild that the second half of this where the band joined him was controversial. Important legacy in music and an album worth hearing but I doubt I'd come back to it.

I was not in the mood for this. I felt trapped listening to this for most of Disc 1, but I was able to relax and sink into Mr. Tamborine Man. One Too Many Mornings was a good song. It's nice that this kind of stuff exists for the fans, but I don't see this as a required listen.

Às letras são ótimas, só precisa gostar da voz, o que não é meu caso.

Somehow everything I do not like

Great album - love the lyrics and enjoy the distinctive sound of his voice

Het begin moet je je echt doorheen vechten. B side nog wel wat vette nummers.

Bob Dylan is a legendary songwriter and with this skill he has been very influential. He also has a very distinctive sound which I like for one song but not for a whole album. Therefore I give it 3 stars.

Bobby Dylan, de man die mij aan alles kan laten twijfelen, mijn muzieksmaak, mijn pretenties, mijn hele bestaan. Hij is zo fucking goed maar toch haat ik hem de helft van de tijd vanuit het diepst in mijn hart. Wanneer hij met die jankstem zingt terwijl hij zijn veel te langgerekte mondharmonica solo’s begint, wil ik mezelf steken met een stabilo. Dan komt hij weer met de meest poëtische teksten en blues rock melodieën en ben ik een sicke fanboy. Er zijn er weinig die me van 1 naar 5 sterren laten switchen binnen 3 minuten. Album > live compilatie. Disc 2 >> Disc 1. 3 sterren voelt goed.

Need to revisit to give a proper chance. It’s Bob, but which Bob.

Bob Dylan has a vocal style like someone’s trying to rev up a troublesome moped inside his sinuses. I’m sure everyone will argue about his lyricism and poetry but I can’t take it seriously sounding like that. I think Shakespeare is incredible poetry, but I wouldn’t want to hear Hamlet read by Joe Pasquale (US users can sub in Gilbert Gottfried there if they so wish)

too consistently melancholy for me think it was affecting my mood , he’s talented but this wasn’t for me

Ugh I don’t like bob dylan I’m SORRY

lo siento gabi pero esto es un santisimo coñazo, demasiado chill. Se ve que tiene skills con la armonica pero madre mia

I know he’s an icon but I can never get over the cadence of his vocals, but it was still cool to hear everyone having a good time in the background - additionally the choice to leave the post-show music playing for a few seconds after he finished his set was so cool Playlist add: "Visions of Johanna - Live at Free Trade Hall, Manchester, UK, May 17, 1966"

Objectively, I hate Bob Dylan. He's a great songwriter, but I hate his voice and his songs all have the same structure which make them boring to me. This recording isn't anything special to me, it sounds like he's on the studio recording a greatest hits compilation.

escuche 2 temas y me dormí. Me duele ponerle un 1 pq es Bob Dylan, no me quiero ir con una mala imagen. Pero es la realidad. Es un embole este disco. Esto fue en vivo?? dios mio... me levanto y me voy

I guess one of the best concerts ever played and (surprisingly) I found the acoustic part even more convincing than the electric one (although the finale with thin man and rolling stone is obviously overwhelming)

Expected to find this a little tedious because I don’t love live albums, and this one was over 90 minutes long, but thank goodness I was wrong. The version of “Like A Rolling Stone” was worth 5 stars by itself. This is engaging and showcases Dylan at his best. I’ll give the list maker credit for one thing, and that is picking some of the best live albums ever, regardless of artist/genre.

Bag of cats live

Pretty much unlistenable.

These are the best types of live albums; familiar songs that we all know and love, but reimagined in ways that still suit them perfectly. I love the way he has done some of his most iconic post electric songs as acoustic, the way he makes it work so well really shows his immense talent as both a songwriter and a performer, and then of course really going for it and going full electric for disc two sounds awesome as well. And even though he takes very little time to talk to the audience between songs, his charisma still shines through so much just in the way he performs (something I really wish I could say for his more recent performances) as he sings with so much passion that it still manages to come through.

The first disc was dull, the second perked up a little bit but overall wasn’t just way too long.

Starting the morning with some 1 hour of acoustic Bob Dylan and shrieking low quality audio harmonica wasn't a very pleasant way to start my workday. I've come to realize I don't really care for most of his earlier stuff, exceptions notwithstanding. The second side made up a lot for it, sounds so ahead of its time! Not something I'd listen to again probably, I don't think these renditions really offer a better version of the songs than the originals.

LIterally could not listen to this hot steaming pile of garbage. I feel bad for the musicians that had to work with this grating voice.

Don’t hate me… but I liked it. Gritty instruments, and a Dylan that still tried to sing. Call me crazy, but 3.4

Alternating between boring and grating. I’m sure the lyrics are good, but if I have to listen to him sing them, it’s not going to end well. 2/10 Marginal

I get that there might be some haters for this album. But Dylan is the most important American songwriter and led a shift into in modern music. For those who say he can’t sing, well yeah but he brought the everyday folk vibe to modern song form but also his vocal rhythm is killer (and without his singing, we’d never have Hendrix singing because Hendrix borrowed a lot from Dylan). Hell, put some Christian era Dylan on here until morale improves.

I don't like live albums I don't like Bob Dylan I don't like this.

bob dylan can't sing. no bone in his body is vocally inclined, stop acting like he can.

Не хочу даже разбираться в контексте , влиянии и т.д.

Everything about Bob Dylan, I think, is for fans strictly, not for the casual listener. Having said this, I liked better the second part, with a more raw feel and full sound, pure energy and a great concert.

This is an incredible document of a legendary moment in the speed-fuelled visionary cutting edge evolution of Dylan. But also, it kills: the acoustic "Visions' with its urgent ghost whispers, the spooky "Baby Blue" with killer harmonica solo (for real!), the either tender or exhausted "Just Like a Woman". But then the electric set shreds: the Band is locked in, aggro, tearing it up, and Dylan sneers, yells, howls through his amazing new stuff. Insane that he was being heckled through it--no wonder he yaps "Play fucking loud" - he must have been pissed.

I’m still not sure that live albums should be on the 1001 list, but there is no denying how extraordinary this double set is. It’s a tour de force, and every song hits. Dylan’s voice is on, and both acoustic and electric make their impact.

oldie sound, calm

Every songs are so similar, kind of boring

It's great to hear Dylan in his prime with just an acoustic guitar, you can hear the beauty of his lyrics and songs. Its basically "Blonde on Blonde" live. And then side 2 the band comes in and wakes you up. Interesting choice to have a live album on this list since you could choose so many from him and his different eras, but I really enjoyed it. Got a little long and started to feel like one continuous song so I bumped it to a 3.

You’d probably have to be a big Dylan fan to truly love this album

Lifelong Dylan fan- so look, anything before and including Infidels is probably gonna get a 5, very easily. Dylan live now is so horrendous - that when you have a recording of him where he actually gave a shit, it’s special! Dylan live at Bodokan might be the best Dylan live recording- but early Dylan…recorded so cleanly…just amazing to hear. NOT TO MENTION: Dylan + The Hawks (The Band)..give me anytime and twice on sunday. Judas can sure rock! Danko's bass...Robbie guitar and Levon leading it all...man, they didnt know what they had.

The first album is brutal. Absolutely brutal. It feels like an experiment to see how long people will sit and pretend something is great before admitting it is actually a total farce. The second album is fine - nothing extraordinary, but at least it’s music.

It's hard to believe this was recorded over 200 years ago.

No me llegó su música! No es mi estilo

Love dylan

He sounds like the Bob that everyone does an impression of, but when he's delivering some of the greatest songs ever written, it couldn't matter less. Totally masterful. 5/5

wow uh…. lots of harmonica and whiny vocals that i wasn’t expecting. by song 2 i just wanted the album to be over tbh did not enjoy musically

I’ve been listening to a lot of early Dylan recently (through the open window bootleg series, first albums, gaslight cafe etc) and listening to Dylan invent himself and his sound. Getting this album in my list jumped me forward a couple of years to a time when I think we reach peak Dylan for the first time in many times. The man who is comfortable in exploring and exploiting traditional music and rocking out. A man who followed his muse pretty much uncompromisingly just to see how it went It is weird to think that many of the songs on this album were unknown to the Manchester audience that night and odd to think that anyone might decide to boo him. A great album from front to back. I have the whole box of these 66 shows to wade through at some point and I’m looking forward to it. I wonder if the actual Royal Albert Hall concerts will sound as good and as charged as this one?

The singer starts out playing solo acoustic songs which are okay, but the second part of the show with the loud electric band is much more exciting. I liked the rock music better, even if the whole album is average.

This felt cool to listen to, I’ve never been one for live albums but I am glad to have listened to this before I die. What would it have been like to be there in that moment? Cool stuff, glad it was part of the project.

too much bob dylan. vocals more grating than ever.

I like Bob Dylan, I did not like this album

Luck of the draw. I've never been a fan of Bob Dylan, but that's not because I have some utter disdain for his music. I assume it's because I just haven't had enough exposure to it. His Nobel Prize for Literature is well deserved, One of my reasons for taking on the 1001 Albums was to get more exposure to classic albums I have yet to hear! And by luck of the draw, my first Dylan album was this live recording. Turns out this is not at all how I want to hear Bob Dylan. This is a horrible first impression for someone to have for him, for a few different reasons. For one, the singing. I don't know most of these songs, and I wouldn't even be able to gather the content of each song in this recording unless I was reading along with all the lyrics. Then there's the mixing. In the acoustic set, the harmonica will often drown out the guitar completely. During the electric set, there are multiple songs where Dylan's singing sounds very distant, and the whole recording seems to switch from the soundboard to the quality of an actual bootlegged tape. I didn't enjoy listening to this at all, I can't see myself ever going back to it. But for hardcore Dylan fans, if it's any consolation, I have the utmost respect for the guy. When asked about the infamous "Judas" incident (the only thing about this recording that I would've been interested in, if it wasn't cut out) he said "All those evil motherfuckers can rot in hell." Nice guy.

Outside his big hits, I am not a big Dylan fan, so I rate this lower then most probably do, especially his fans.

Too much hate for this album in the reviews it is deservedly on this list and one of the most iconic music moments in history sorry !!! The one I listened to didn’t have any of the crowd interaction which was disappointing I would like to listen to the full edition with the crowd that would really make this iconic but how can this not get a 5 come on people - it’s great versions of great songs

Don't need a live album of what's already on this bad boy

90 minutes of nasal vocals, boring, drawling songs and frequent bouts of eardrum-piercing harmonica? Seriously, fuck off. Petition to ban the instrument starts now.

I understand the lore with this album but I don’t think any of the songs on side 1 provide a compelling counterpart to the original except for Just Like a Woman. Feel like he was just kinda screwing around on Mr. Tambourine Man (but that’s Dylan and he would be happy that I don’t like it so whatever [or wouldn’t care]). I feel like it really picks up side 2 and not just because it’s electric but because this early period electric era rips in particular. This band knew how to rock and knew how to piss people off and it’s a lot of fun to listen to.

While I love some of his classics, desolation row and like a rolling stone are awesome, after an hour and a half the nasal crooning does get to me. Still enjoyed this though.

Definitely gotta be in the mood for this but when it hits it hits

Legendary. The Judas heckler, and the hostile audience and how Dylan is responding to that in his performance is just insane. Amazing gig.

Nutteloze toevoeging aan de lijst, wekt ernstig veel irritatie op

Ja Dylan is best tof maar deze liveplaat is toch geen absolute must listen denk ik zo.

Not going to listen to Dylan live I'm afraid. Really don't get him at all.

I don’t understand why people like Bob Dylan, it’s so boring. And annoying: 30 seconds into this album and I want to switch it off again immediately.

I've never listened to Bob Dylan in any meaningful capacity before this. It's a little weird going into a live album as your first experience as well. Despite that, I really couldn't get enough of this - especially the first half. It's no wonder why he's lauded as one of the greatest songwriters and storytellers of all time. I listened to a few of the album versions of the acoustic songs and while they were all still great, these subdued and somber solo renditions were just as good if not better. The latter half of the album is understandably criticized more than the former, but it's still a good time. I'll definitely be coming back to this and I'll be excited to listen to more of his album-work.

This record is so fascinating, a Hollywood film was made about it last year, Timothee Chambalam was chosen to star, it received numerous oscar nominations and yet still simply did not do it justice. A final scene in a biopic could never do it justice, as it strips away the essential mundanity of the record. This album is a recording of one show that Bob Dylan played in 1966. He played 46 others between January and his motorcycle accident on July 29th on that World Tour and was chased by hecklers the whole way. This one contains the famous moment of course (and his famous response), but it seems unlikely to me that this night in Manchester felt like an emotional climax to Dylan himself. He was just doing his thing in yet another city where some idiots seemed determined to misunderstand him. So let's focus on the important thing, because those idiots were missing out - big time. Bob was at a truly astonishing peak at this time. Genuine genius was on display at the Free Trade Hall that night. So stop shouting Judas for god sake and sit down cos you're distracting us from something incredibly special.

high 5 i come back to the first half regularly for the "blonde on blonde" tracks. this is the definitive version of "fourth time around", one of my all time favs. the album versions production is very odd. same story with "visions of johanna" another one of his best. "just like a women" is genuinely stunning here, although the album version is good too. my other favourite thing about the first half how little effort he puts into the harmonica hes just blowing randomly on there why not. what can you say about the second half? knocks your socks of straight from the off then finishes with the greatest rock moment of all time. got to give a lot of credit to the drummer Mickey Jones who goes almost over the top, which is what these tracks deserve. it shows how good lofi can sound. robbies guitar, the bass, the drums and bobs voice are at the forefront and the piano, organ and bobs guitar fade into an incredible soup in the background, poking through now and then. its good thing robbies guitar is so prominent because the lads on fire. highlight - "am i still? driming? yeeeEEEEHH"

Sure I guess, not sure we need this would rather just listen to the studio albums

I was hoping I could hear the dissent in the audience, but I didn't get that.

That’s a lot of Bob. I’m sure it would have been a very unique and thing at the time. I respect the artistry, but I can appreciate Bob more in smaller doses, even more so in some of his collaborations. Probably could be a round up but it’s a solid 7/10 and not more so I’m rounding down due to length and annoyance. 3.5/5

This is the 6th album (so far) of Dylan encountered on this journey. Do we really need that many? Of course not. As a poet/lyricist Bob will always rate top tier. But as a vocalist? Good god. Not good. And for God’s sake, put down the dadgum harmonica. Used here and there to serve the song, the harmonica can be a nice touch. But harmonica noodling is never good. I can appreciate the split personality design here with solo acoustic vs full band electric. But this was a slog to get through.

I’ve got nothing but love for this era of Dylan. The combo of acoustic to full band sets was fun too

Man, the first 4 or 5 songs sound exactly the same. His voice is rough to take in big doses on this and the harmonica was waaaaay too much. I kind of liked the full band and was going to round up for Like a Rolling Stone. But then I listened to the original and it was so much better. 2.25

Did I audibly groan when I saw a 1.5 hour Dylan album? Yes. Did the album displease me less than I thought? Yes. Did I chuckle to myself when the electric set started and I was like "ah, it's too loud!" Yes. This is a pretty neat musical artifact. Not sure I will revisit, but glad it exists. I could use less harmonica, though. 3.25/5

Not for me.

Понравилось, но переслушивать вряд ли буду.

Always a favorite

Listened in the car and at home. Chat I think I don't really like Bob Dylan after all. This album had a lot going against it for me: it's a live album, it's longer than an hour, an unenthusiastic crowd, and Bob sounds like he's got a cold or something. I liked the second half a lot more than the first but even then it just wasn't doing it for me. Sad to rate it this low.

I really never could get in to Dylan. While I don't hate his music its something I would rather switch of if I have the option. I have tried different albums and songs throughout the years since so many love him and swear by his music. I haven't hear him life before today so I tried to have as an open mind as I can and listened through. Its not any better, in many aspects its worse. His mumbling made the few songs I kind of enjoy not enjoyable. A total miss for me.

Great writing, hate his voice

perdon, no me gusta la vibra de bob dylan, se me hace dificil escucharlo aunque se qeu es un gran artista

I couldn't stop laughing at his enunciation at the start/end of each line

I love Bob Dylan! I've known about this album but never listened into it in its entirety before today. Bob Dylan is definitely of those artists who feels "right" when live so this was an absolute joy. The stand out tracks for me were "Tell Me, Momma", "Desolation Row" and "Like A Rolling Stone".

Disc 1: snoozefest. Disc 2: HECK YEAH! Lesson re-learned: I like The Band more than Bob Dylan. Disc 2 by itself would be 5 stars.

Can’t deny this is a pretty essential document. And the music is great, so it doesn’t feel like homework! Win win win win win win win win.

It’s very hard to argue against this being on this list. I’ve listened to this on a few occasions before and again today, and it really is interesting. The length is helped by the juxtaposition between the electric/acoustic set. I can see how it could have been jarring for the audience, but both sets are very good and most of them seem to be into it. It also shows that Bob actually used to be good live. Also, the link sent me to the wrong album.

vraiment pas, sa voix, tout, le fait que ça soit en live

Legendary live album, where we can hear the audience turn against Dylan for going electric midway through the set. Even without all that backstory, I'd say this is still a worthwhile live album. The performences, both acoustic and electric, are fantastic, and Dylan's stage banter really adds to the experience, especially after he loses the audience in the second half. Is is 1001-worthy? Probably not, but you could do a lot worse than listen to this.

I'm a huge 60s-70s Dylan fan, so I was happy to see this album on my daily list. However, it feels like it drags for too long. The historical importance of this record does not fully justify its inclusion on this list. It was good, but not an essential album.

I wish i liked more of Dylan; I know he is a legend but after a few songs, I just can't

It gets so much better when he goes electric in the second half lmao. IN MY OPINION. Idk what those losers were booing him for. I spent most of the first half thinking “I really wish he’d just sing normally” 😐😐😐 then the second half started and it just clicked. If they’d kept the heckling in I would’ve given this 5 stars honestly. It’s all the drama Mick, I just love it.

nick drake vibes

The second half was great! The first half was fine, and really enjoy a few of those songs but I’ve got a pretty low tolerance for harmonicas.

So I chose to look up what made this live album so important to include in the list. Having read up on the circumstances surrounding this album, it doesn’t deserve to be on here at all. For anyone who naysays and claims this is a vital album for the point when Bob Dylan’s style changed by going electric, this album showcases none of that. The sets are separate, they edited out the heckling and jeering in the second set. This album is just a congratulatory back pat for anyone who wants to act superior toward someone who doesn’t like Bob Dylan. On top of that, the music is just bland. I still think Dylan’s lyricism is extremely basic especially in the realm of rhyming, and an hour of him with guitar and harmonica playing other songs with studio versions is just not interesting. The full band is an adequate blues rock group, but nothing about them really shines. This is just an album for people who like to say “you just don’t get it” or “you had to be there”. I don’t get it, I wasn’t there, and it doesn’t need to be heard on this list.

Поки це кращий досвід з Діланом. Навіть перша частина пройшла легше, ніж я думав. Але загальна думка все ще не змінилася.

Я розумію історичну цінність цього концертника, але мені слухати було дуже нудно, особливо першу частину. Не люблю тембр Ділана та його манеру співу, але коли все це з бендом, то ще якось норм. Тому 2.5.

Oh no... not a live album, by Bob Dylan, on a Monday, with a 1h 30min runtime, the day after daylight savings time change. It's just too much! The first half almost felt like a studio version Best Of version. The second half was less acoustic and consequently a fair bit messier. Not necessarily in a good way. While not as intolerable as I feared at first, I frankly don't know why this album is on this list. I don't feel like the live performance factor adds that much here. And we've probably had all songs on this album covered on other Dylan albums on the list anyways, so it just becomes a repeat. In the end I just don't like Dylan, so it's impossible for me to be objective reviewing this.

In general, I don’t think live albums really have a place on this list, unless they are culturally relevant. First things first: if you don’t like Bob Dylan, you won’t like this. Even if you do like him, I’m not sure he’s a particularly strong live performer. And if you think he sounds bad on this album, well… just wait until you hear him today. So, it’s a live album that isn’t particularly good—why should it be on this list? I think it’s because this was a big deal when Dylan “went electric.” The fact that they had to edit out heckling and boos in the second part of the album tells you something. It marks a major shift in folk music culture -there’s a clear before and after Dylan’s electric era. So, enjoyment of the album: 2. Relevance to this list: 5.

Bob Dylan. 1/5

I could’ve gone my entire life without hearing this and been perfectly content. It’s not a great album, and I honestly struggled to get through the first disc. The second disc is better, but not enough to really save the overall experience.

You can feel the tension in the room. The shift from acoustic to electric still carries weight, even if you already know the story. It’s more about the atmosphere than perfection.

Trop de chant, harmonica, un peu longueurs et répétitif

2.1/5 I've always liked Dylan in small amounts but this was a slog. I understand that around this time, Bob Dylan would change music forever with his songs but listening to it 50 years later it doesn't do much for me. The first disc being the acoustic part really wore me down. I honestly couldn't tell you where one song ended and the next begun as it all blended together. Look, I like Bob Dylan and will still listen to his music but this live album really didn't work for me.

canta como si estuviera resfriado te agarra deprimido y no la contas

Great recording

Didnt

disc 1 was a drag, but i didn't mind disc 2 as much as i thought i would. the band was great at bringing energy to the show, as well as dylan himself, he sounded way more excited and energetic when singing with a full band backing him up. the "electric" rock sound suits bob dylan more than his more regular acoustic folksy blues sound.

Bob Dylan has moments of greatness when I think I'm getting into it, then he always does something to ruin it. I just cannot stand his music Favorite Songs: Visions of Johanna

That harmonica really tested my patience. But I enjoyed the rest of it. 3.5 stars

The kind of voice that just has so much presence

Wild that 25 year old can write and perform these songs. They have so much weight. This well-behaved audience doesn’t know they’re witnessing an all-time great. I love the first acoustic set followed by a lively second set format. Good stuff!

This recording captures one of the most pivotal moments in rock history—Bob Dylan's 1966 world tour with the Hawks (who would later become The Band). This was Dylan's first full electric tour, following his controversial "electric" trilogy: *Bringing It All Back Home* (1965), *Highway 61 Revisited* (1965), and *Blonde on Blonde* (released May 1966, during the tour) . The tour was culturally seismic. Dylan divided each show into two distinct halves: a solo acoustic set followed by a full electric rock set with the Hawks. This structure deliberately built tension—audiences received the acoustic portion reverentially, then often turned hostile when the band plugged in . The Manchester concert became legendary for the "Judas!" incident: during a quiet moment, an audience member shouted the biblical epithet at Dylan. His response—*"I don't believe you... you're a liar"*—followed by the command to his band *"Play it fucking loud"* before launching into "Like a Rolling Stone," remains one of rock's most iconic confrontations . --- ### **The Music: Structure & Performance** #### **Acoustic Set (Solo Dylan)** The first half showcases Dylan alone with acoustic guitar and harmonica, performing material exclusively from his 1965-1966 "electric" albums—ironically delivered in folk format. The set includes: - **"She Belongs to Me"** – A delicate, ironic love song with intricate fingerpicking - **"Fourth Time Around"** – Dylan's sly response to The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood," performed with knowing humor - **"Visions of Johanna"** – The tour de force, a "dreamlike fantasia" that evolved nightly; Dylan's harmonica work here ranges from "spare melodic statements" to "abstract honkings" - **"Desolation Row"** – The epic conclusion, greeted at Manchester with "rapturous reception" and described as having a "hazy hush" that adds to its mood and mystique - **"Mr. Tambourine Man"** & **"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"** – Faithful revisitations of earlier classics Dylan's acoustic delivery is "fierce, taut, and hypnotic" . His harmonica playing had developed into something "as weird and pliable as Dylan's voice," moving beyond folk conventions toward avant-garde territory . This would be the last time Dylan regularly performed extended solo acoustic sets . #### **Electric Set (Dylan & The Hawks)** The transformation is immediate and confrontational. The band—Robbie Robertson (guitar), Rick Danko (bass), Richard Manuel (piano), Garth Hudson (organ), and Mickey Jones (drums, filling in for Levon Helm)—delivers what critics call "one of the best live albums of any artist, ever" . **Key transformations:** - **"Tell Me, Momma"** – The opener, never recorded in studio, exists solely to introduce the band "in the most belligerent way possible." It's "fast, loud, fun and kinda dumb. In short, it's rock'n'roll" . Dylan never performed it again after this tour . - **"I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)"** – Dylan introduces it with the perfect manifesto: *"It used to go like that, and now it goes like this"* . The acoustic *Another Side* ballad becomes a "stomper" with "pulsing energy" . - **"Baby Let Me Follow You Down"** – Transformed from the gentle debut album folk song into a "raucous rock song" and "searing rock-and-roll plea" with "scorching guitar lines" and "thrilling organ solo" . - **"Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat"** – Provides "comic relief" with its twangy blues attack, though it triggered some of the most intense audience discontent at Manchester . - **"One Too Many Mornings"** – Perhaps the most provocative rearrangement. The once "serenely sad" song becomes a "loud and wailing" rocker with "crashing drums, swirling organ and bellowed backing vocals"—pure provocation of *Times*-era fans, yet also a valid interpretation Dylan had been building toward . - **"Ballad of a Thin Man"** – Grows into a "particular psychodrama" across the tour. At Manchester, Dylan moved to piano and his vocals became "swampy, like he's singing/shouting from inside a safe." Garth Hudson's organ provides "funereal flourishes" . - **"Like a Rolling Stone"** – The finale, delivered with "blistering performance" after the "Judas" exchange. Mickey Jones' drums are "a marching clatter," Hudson's organ "blares like an air raid warning," and Dylan's rage is "palpable, his sense of righteousness apparent in every drawl and sneer" . The Hawks' sound is distinct from the studio albums—more muscular, "road-tested," with "jangling, bluesy" textures and a "carnival-esque sound" that would define The Band's later work . They brought their own amps and PA because no halls had systems powerful enough for them, "blast[ing] the music at the audience" . --- ### **Lyrics & Themes** The 1966 tour represents Dylan's full departure from topical protest songs into "personal expression that spoke more to the abstract intellectual autonomy of the counterculture than the ongoing issues of the New Left" . **Key thematic elements:** - **Alienation & Betrayal** – "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Positively 4th Street" (performed at other shows) channel vitriol toward former friends and the establishment. The Manchester audience becomes unwitting participants in this drama. - **Surrealism & Abstraction** – Songs like "Visions of Johanna," "Desolation Row," and "Ballad of a Thin Man" move beyond narrative into dreamlike, imagistic territory. The lyrics are filled with "wild imagery" that the Hawks' keyboard colors match . - **Transformation & Identity** – The entire concert dramatizes change itself. "I Don't Believe You" becomes meta-commentary on Dylan's own metamorphosis. The "Judas" accusation touches on religious imagery of betrayal and resurrection. - **Confrontation & Authenticity** – Dylan's stage banter is minimal but pointed. At the real Royal Albert Hall, he defended his new sound: *"These are all protest songs….come on!"* . The Manchester show's "Play it fucking loud" moment crystallizes artistic defiance. --- ### **Production & Sound** The album was recorded by CBS Records using multi-track equipment, though early bootleggers mislabeled it. The 1998 official release (produced by Jeff Rosen) marked a significant upgrade in sound quality from circulating tapes, though some audience members later claimed the actual hall sound was "a wall of mush" compared to the cleaned-up recording . The 2016 remastering for *The Real Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert* (by Chris Shaw, Dylan's engineer on *"Love & Theft"*) "wrings every last drop of ambient beauty from the truly otherworldly acoustic set" . The production captures a crucial historical document: the audience itself becomes "a character in the story," with heckles, jeers, and applause preserved as essential elements of the performance . --- ### **Influence & Legacy** *Live 1966* stands as "a definitive cap on one of the most productive and astounding periods in any popular artist's creative history" . Its influence reverberates through: - **The bootleg culture** – For decades, this was the most famous bootleg in existence, circulating widely before official release and establishing the template for rock bootleg collecting . - **The Band's development** – The Hawks' evolution into The Band began here; their "ramshackle" yet "rock-solid" ensemble playing laid groundwork for *Music from Big Pink* . - **Rock's electric transformation** – Dylan's insistence on amplified instruments, despite audience hostility, helped legitimize rock as serious art music. - **Performance documentation** – The album established the value of releasing "imperfect" historical documents over polished studio products. The tour ended with Dylan's motorcycle accident in July 1966, canceling remaining dates and removing him from live performance until 1974. This accident, and the subsequent retreat to Woodstock with the Hawks, led directly to *The Basement Tapes* and Dylan's "country" period . --- ### **Pros** | Aspect | Strength | |--------|----------| | **Historical Significance** | Documents a watershed moment in rock history; the "Judas" exchange is cultural touchstone | | **Musical Transformation** | Unmatched document of songs being radically reimagined live; the Hawks' arrangements often surpass studio versions in raw power | | **Dylan's Performance** | At peak creative powers, channeling "genius and inspiration on a nightly basis" with "unearthly confidence" | | **Acoustic Set Quality** | "Fierce, taut, and hypnotic" solo performances that represent the last time Dylan regularly performed extended acoustic sets | | **Band Chemistry** | The Hawks' "seething, artfully restrained" support creates unique textural blend; Garth Hudson's organ work is particularly praised | | **Emotional Intensity** | The confrontation with audience produces "unusually combative performances—the likes of which we'll never see again" | | **Lyric Evolution** | Captures Dylan's shift to surrealist, personal expression; "Tell Me, Momma" exists only in these live versions | ### **Cons** | Aspect | Limitation | |--------|------------| | **Setlist Rigidity** | "Uniformity of the setlist" across the tour; arrangements don't vary much night-to-night, though energy shifts palpably | | **Vocal Distortion** | On some electric songs (particularly "Ballad of a Thin Man"), vocals are "swampy" or distorted due to PA limitations and Dylan's movement to piano | | **Audience Hostility** | While historically significant, the constant heckling can be distracting; some listeners may find the tension uncomfortable rather than thrilling | | **Sound Quality Debates** | Some attendees claimed the actual hall sound was poor ("wall of mush"); the cleaned-up recording may misrepresent the live experience | | **Missing Context** | The 1998 release lacks extensive historical annotation; the 36-disc box set (2016) better documents the tour's evolution | | **Emotional Exhaustion** | By tour's end (real Royal Albert Hall), Dylan sounds "tired," "close to throwing up, or passing out"—the Manchester show captures him at better fighting form | | **Not the "Real" Hall** | The misidentification caused confusion; listeners seeking the actual Royal Albert Hall performance must look to the 2016 separate release | --- ### **Conclusion** *Live 1966 (The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert)* is essential listening not despite its imperfections, but because of them. It captures an artist at the absolute peak of his powers, deliberately dismantling his own myth before an audience that helped create it. The acoustic set represents the elegy for Dylan's folk past; the electric set is the birth of something new, delivered with "full-throttle defiance" . The album's value lies in its totality—the full narrative arc from reverent silence to open hostility, from "Visions of Johanna" to "Like a Rolling Stone." As one critic noted, "Taken individually, none of the electric performances are my favorite version of these songs, but that's not the point. The awesome power lies in the entirety of the set" . For Dylan scholars, rock historians, and anyone interested in the moment when folk became rock, this remains indispensable. The 2016 release of *The Real Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert* and the massive *The 1966 Live Recordings* box set provide welcome context, but the Manchester "Judas" concert retains its mythic status as the definitive document of Dylan's most transformative year. **Essential for:** Dylan completists, rock history students, fans of The Band, anyone interested in the folk-rock transition. **Approach with caution if:** You prefer polished studio perfection over raw historical documents, or find extended harmonica solos challenging.

bob 🫶🏻

2.4 I think if I didn't fall in love with the Freewheelin as a teenager I'd really dislike Bob Dylan. Reading the plaudits for this album I just don't get it... The first half he sounds like a caricature of himself, just a rambling man. The second half, putting aside the unsurprisingly bad audio quality of a 1966 live recording, it's just pretty bland. One of my fave Dylan songs, One Too Many Mornings is just casually butchered towards the end. Not my cup of tea, even though it really should be.

fuck bob dylan and his fuckass harmonica

I've come to appreciate Bob Dylan as the genius songwriter he is more than I used to. But having seen him live I can attest that that genius does not extend to his abilities as a performer and this album reiterated that.