Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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?

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

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

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"

Always a favorite

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.

I've been a fan of Bob Dylan for about as long as I've been in love with music. He's one of our greatest, and he's one of my personal favorites. I love all the shades of Dylan, the early folk singer, the 70s rocker, the blues singer, the psych hippy that played with the Dead, the resurrected Dylan of the 90s. I like all of them. I've listened to every record. But this is really truly incredible. His vocals over his guitar in the first set are almost chilling. The way he hangs on the words and plays with the pronunciation. The way he plays quietly and then builds in moments that catch you off guard. The harmonica! Damn, the harmonica is so good. Its like he's playing electric guitar solos on that thing. The second set has an entirely different energy entirely. Obviously, this was the famous electric set that alienated fans and was highly controversial. I love how the band just leans into the heckles and shouting. Its real rock n roll kind of stuff. Its bluesy, psychy and overall just really groovy.

Bob Dylan, aikamme suurimpia lauluntekijöitä, kuulemma. No enpä olisi osannut nimetä kuin Blowin in the Windin ja Knockin on heaven’s doorin. Joten skeptisesti lähdettiin suurmiehen livelevyn äärelle. Mutta mutta; eka levy mies ja kitara -meininkiä, piti otteessaan tiukasti, huuliharpun miksaus todella pintaan välillä häiritsi mutta muuten loistava. Kakkoslevy bändin kanssa vaan paranee entisestään ja kruununa lopussa Like a rolling stone. Tähän päivään sopii täydellisesti. Musanautinto! 5/5

Jamais écouté avant. En général peu client des albums live, je dois bien admettre que celui-là m'a soufflé. Pour sa valeur historique, bien sûr, mais aussi et surtout pour la performance de Dylan et du groupe qui deviendra The Band, pleine de hargne face à un public hostile. Grandiose. Top : Tell Me, Momma Flop : Visions of Johanna

I like Bob Dylan. I like hearing the different versions of these songs. I like thinking it's funny anytime anyone is a dick to Bob Dylan for playing electric guitar. It's that simple.

I’m a big Dylan fan. But I wouldn’t rate it5 stars if it didn’t deserve it. This is an important show. The acoustic stuff from the yet to be released blonde in blonde is amazing. The electric set is just great. Give it a chance. This was hugely influential onnthe rock world. 6 stars

I had the privilege of seeing Bob Dylan live in September of 2025. The thing you will notice when seeing him live is that he has allowed his music to outlive him to the point where he is essentially singing Bob Dylan covers. This mysticism extends to the story behind this performance. While the versions of the songs he plays here are mostly conventional, the energy with which they are performed is what makes the performance. He hangs onto every single word of Like A Rolling Stone. The Band was operating exceptionally here. Also, if bootlegs are allowed I think The Basement Tapes might also warrant inclusion. The drawn out acoustic first half is great with its copious harmonica, but the second half is really the highlight here.

Possibly the greatest live album ever recorded.

Play it fucking loud

why is he giving me that stare..... great live recording though. this is one of those albums i'm going to have on repeat for the next month. I would also recommend Cat Power's cover of this entire concert! She has a really unique take on all of the songs.

The closest you can get to a "best of" Dylan at the time. By this point in his career he already had so many great songs, so while he's (predictably) not doing the hits like Subterranean Homesick Blues or Blowin' In The Wind, he does some raw performances that are fuckin' bangers. I really like Dylan live. Imo this isn't as good as the Rolling Thunder Revue bootlegs, but it's still a great Dylan album and as essential as any other of that era.

Unplugged and plugged, Judas, why not both?, whirling piano sound Live - BoAT Desolation row Mr. tambourine man Tell me, mama Like a rolling stone

this recording of this performance is a gift. this is a perfect concert. perfect music. dylan at his most powerful.

Perfect!

I'm sure everything I could say about this has been said. Captures a really cool transition for Dylan. The Desolation Row is one of the best out there, and the electric half shows some Grateful Dead style jamming.

i admire dylan so much. an incredible collection of songs. of course the production quality of the bootleg isn’t great, but it gets the five stars for cat power’s full interpretation as well.

The version of like a rolling stone on this one Gives me chills every time

I wish I was whistled like that harmonica

Just read Franks Ozzy > Plant take... blasphemy! Spicy but blasphemous. As for Bob, cant really say a bad thing about him other than maybe im too dumb to follow his riddles. Here's my hot take. Bob Dylan has a great voice! Fuck the haters. Shout out The Band. The second half of this sounds fucking great.

It's hard to overstate the legendary status this double live album has. The first disc is composed of perfectly adequate – but not superior – acoustic renditions of some of his best songs released that year and the year before. I don't think any of these reach quite the same heights that the original studio recordings do; nonetheless it is still some of the best music ever composed, enjoyable to listen to in any format. Listening to the second disc, you realize that the first half was nothing more than a distraction, a wall built up only to be torn down. Theatrics. And it works. Tell Me, Momma (a song exclusively performed live in 1966 and never recorded in a studio) lights the stage up in Dylan's unique bluesy folksy punk-esque cacophonous electric sound, killing any hope the folk puritans in the audience had that the amped up Judas would return to his senses. What then follows is essentially a 47 minute victory lap. Perfected renditions of some of Dylan's most driving songs. I would describe the playing as being fine tuned over time, but there's more of a looseness and casual confidence throughout the backing band (proto-The Band 'The Hawks') than a sense of preciseness or by-the-books playing. Obviously, the victory lap ends with an 8-minute rendition of 'Like a Rolling Stone'. Obviously, it's the best thing you've ever heard. Obviously, Bob Dylan crashes his motorcycle a few months later, killing Judas, while Dylan carries on. Music changed forever.

Album 993 of 1089 Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) - Bob Dylan (1998) Rating : 5 / 5 I’m usually not big on the live albums that show up on this list, but this one is a clear exception. What really makes this album special is the way it’s split almost perfectly in two. The first half is Dylan solo and acoustic - just him, his guitar, and his voice - delivering those songs with confidence and clarity. It’s stripped down, direct, and reminds you just how strong he is as a songwriter and performer without anything else getting in the way. Then the second half flips the switch. Dylan goes electric, and the energy shifts immediately. The backing band comes in hot, and you can feel the tension and edge that made this period of his career so controversial at the time. Instead of softening the material, the electric set gives it more bite and urgency. Dylan sounds completely committed to what he’s doing, and the band backs him up perfectly. The recording itself may not be pristine by modern standards, but that’s beside the point. This is about the performance, and it never disappoints. So many great tracks are here that if they’d included them all, the album would never end - and I’m not sure that would’ve been a bad thing. This is one you can put on while doing just about anything. There’s never a wrong time for it. Whether you’re listening closely or letting it play in the background, it holds up. One of those rare live albums that actually adds something meaningful to the artist’s catalog.

I loved the first half soosisosososososo much. Made me so calm. FIVE

Obviously, an absolutely amazing record, but the pedant in me says this shouldn't be on the list. Lol. I'll get over it. Might be one of the albums I have listened to most. What an incredible document. 5 Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes: 35/135 (25%) Will I get? Already have, would love a vinyl reissue.

With the crowd jeering and pleading for him to go back and continue the acoustic set - Dylan instead turns to his band and says “play it fucking loud!” we witness the birth of punk rock! Another stand out moment is when a crowd member calls Dylan “Judas” - but the band continue on and play their plugged in jams.

A parte um do disco é como se fosse um filme. Lindo demais.

A genius at work - holding court in an audience that both reveres and hates him in equal measure. This is a masterpiece!!

Love this!

The streaming version cuts out the booing, which is the point. This is superb: the inexplicable nature of the booing is essential in our ongoing study of stupidity.

Highlight songs: She Belongs to Me 4th Time Around Visions of Johanna It's All Over Now, Baby Blue Desolation Row Just Like a Woman Mr. Tambourine Man Tell Me, Momma I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) Baby, Let Me Follow You Down Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat One Too Many Mornings Ballad of a Thin Man Like a Rolling Stone

Fav: Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues Least Fav: Just Like A Woman I’d say that with the exception of Just Like A Woman, all of these songs are improvements on the originals. Having an acoustic first half with the electric second half was so a great idea. In the end I’m just surprised how much I enjoyed 90 minutes of Bob Dylan, my past self would be shocked I enjoyed this so much

The acoustic bit is amazing.

Good

in 2020 when rough and rowdy was released, id not been a dylan fan, the opposite in fact.. but i liked the idea of his jfk tune then when i heard i contain multitudes i was struck. what an amazing track by this now-octogenarian… anywho, i then listened to his entire studio album discography in reverse chronological order from rough and rowdy down to his eponymous first album. i now love dylan only twas til yesterday that id listened to this recording and my god its amazing.

I started this project about 6 months ago and I think this is the 43rd Bob Dylan album I've heard. babaddababbaddababba*random object* drawwwwwn ouuuut woooooooord (ad infinitum... but sometimes you get 5 notes from a harmonica to liven things up!)

10/10

Great

It's Bob

It’s Bob Dylan, live, early in his career. How could you go wrong?

Bob Dylan is one of the greatest song writers of all time, no doubt about it. I know that his vocal style is a major stumbling block for some people, but this live performance allows the emotion behind his lyrics to shine through. The first half is his traditional acoustic set, but the second half is where he goes electric, much to the dismay of some hidebound folkies in the audience. They were wrong then and they’re still wrong now. Bob plus a band adds an extra dimension to the music. Judas-tastic!

A live album from Dylan's brilliant mid-1960s period, originally a bootleg. This has the famous "Judas" heckle. From the perspective of nearly 60 years, it's a bit hard to understand why there was this fuss about Dylan going electric! As a document of Dylan's transition from acoustic folkie to electric, this is an essential album.

There can be no doubt as to the historic importance of this recording. An artist in the brink having conquered one world and moving on to another. The performance shows that he was in command of both.

This is an historically significant album. In this tour, folk went electric, whether the fans liked it or not. Those Canadian boys in The "Band" were absolutely cookin' on the electric disc (Disc 2). Liked Songs Added: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat Like A Rolling Stone

Musikgeschichte!

Certainly one of the "big" albums of Dylan. Shows that he was not only a genius in the studio but also on stage. Wonderful album, which for sure belongs to this list of 1001 albums.

Famous live performance, especially since the Martin Scorsese documentary. Dylan is commanding on the microphone. He hammers the harmonica in the acoustic set with abandon. Interesting concession on this European tour where he did the first half of the show acoustic and the second half electric with backing band (the Hawks who would go on to become the Band). It’s a good live performance. Pretty much all of these songs are Dylan classics.

What is not to like.

I love this fucker so much. Acoustic Dylan solo with a harmonica moves me to tears. Electric Dylan moves me to boogie. Coolest Jew I never knew.

Wow that was good

first time listen for me. wow. i think this the first time im bumping an album to a 5 solely because its prestige is greater than the parts. the acoustic versions of many great blonde on blonde songs, the primitive live versions of studio bangers, the sheer weight of it all. very cool

I've listened to the whole thing twice - the unofficial one the second time so I could hear the grouchy crowd in the second half. I think I love it a lot!

Legendary show.

Sublime

i like being a dylan guy now

It was a bit long, but fantastic all the way through. I think I enjoyed the first half with just Dylan a bit more, but both disc's were great.

Oh I have this on CD. One of my favourites already

It isn't like I didn't know who Bob Dylan was before I heard this album. But I never heard this album. In fact many years ago my brother took a deep dive into his archive and was blown away. I did not get involved in the project and here I am today blown away! There is radio play Bob Dylan, which is great. But then there is this! The first song I was thinking OK, I know the voice, I know the style... but what I did not know was the emotional draw-in that had me by the middle of the second song. The poetry, the near spoken word stories he tells, the depth of it all! One forgets the "Bob Dylan" voice, the musical style as you get sucked into the feeling, the meaning which still feels immediate, in the now. This is a really good Frickin' album!

This started as a mid 3 and kept growing, gets better the further into the record you get. Mid to high 4 I think

Garth Hudson go off

Just phenomenal. Songwriting that feels like a poet unpicking the nature of the world, and that sound that kind of stops my heart dead for a second when I hear it.

😔

Bob Dylan's "Royal Albert Hall" Concert sounded really beautiful. His acoustic guitar, harmonica, and his voice projecting the lyrics were and still are, powerful. I wanted to pick up my guitar and play away; however, I desisted from the idea and listened. Some people do not like the harmonica Dylan uses in his songs. To me this is what Dylan is all about: Folksy, Americana.

Stellar live record. Not a single complaint from this guy.

Great classic live Dylan.

Love it

The recording is poor. I still love it. Dylan is great.

Wow

Bob Dylan: one of the best to do it, whether it be on acoustic or electric instruments. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

Hell has possibly frozen over: I’m at a 4.5 that I’m going to bump up to a 5. Somehow, someway, Bob Dylan has done it. Granted, the last time my group got an album from him was 428 albums ago, so I’ve heard a lot of fucking music since then that’s perhaps reshaped my approach to listening to someone like Bob Dylan. My brain feels way more attuned to understanding the more flowery poetic language from the folk music of the 60s, thanks to listening to way more albums from the era. Hell, even when we got those albums, I gave them a 3.5 & a 4, so it’s not like I hated the guy. Coming back to some of these songs a year later, a lot of them have clicked more nicely in terms of my ability to interpret them, and that added skill adds a bit of depth to both sides of this performance. As far as the first side goes, I think the intimacy of Bob Dylan, his harmonica, and his guitar, to a fully silent crowd, hung up on his every word, all there to witness his poetry… there’s something really, really cool about that. It’s very easy to picture in the mind too, so closing the eyes to imagine being there adds a lot to the atmosphere. Is it sort of goofy? Yeah, of course – Bob Dylan’s vocals in a fully acoustic setting are more exposed, more raw, and more prone to the shaky flaws that other people were motivated to parody in the many many years since. For some reason, though, I found that open-air atmosphere to feel vulnerable & endearing. Combine that with a good tracklist, and I really found myself enjoying the first half. Of course, for my tastes, the electric half is where this album shines; nowadays, there’s something silly about the idea of “tainting” folk music by giving it a rock & roll lean, but I guess it was something to be heckled and jeered for back then. Bob’s backing band does a great job throughout the whole set, and by today’s standards, they’re not doing anything THAT crazy. Hell, even for 1966, this is just one year before psychedelic rock came into the mainstream at a higher level. In terms of albums we’ve gotten on the list, there’s albums from The Byrds, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, the Velvet Underground, & of course, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, all released in 1967. Bob Dylan’s just opening the door at this point, really. As a whole, it’s not like he’s sacrificing that much – a lot of the storytelling on the electric side of the album is still there & present, and his vocals honestly sound pretty good with the heavier tones of the band covering up the shaky flaws in the first half. I really want to point at the version of “Like a Rolling Stone” on here in particular – the Judas intro is one thing, but what struck me the most about it is how much the slightly slower tempo affects the vibe of the track in a really, really cool way. It creates just a bit of a psychedelic vibe, especially in the way Dylan slows down that famous “how does it FEEL” line. It’s a small change, but it does so much to let Bob’s vocals hang in the air just a bit longer. Combine that with the way the band is totally in sync with each other, and with Bob & his harmonica, it feels specifically focused & motivated just to shut this one heckler up and make him realize that this is the direction music’s gonna go in. There’s something really special about that specific recording, and it’s the cherry on top of a pretty good album. It’s honestly what gives this the bump up from a 4.5 to a 5 for me. So, yeah, it’s a 5 for me. Does that mean Bob Dylan has finally clicked for me? I dunno. There’s a chance the rest of these studio recorded albums that we’re bound to get don’t appeal to my sensibilities like this one did, and as a whole, I think I’m still just a bit shaky on the guy. Granted, that shakiness was an average of 3.75 (and I suppose now a 4.16), so perhaps I’m overstating my case. At the very least, I think I’ll have a much healthier appreciation for the rest of the Bob Dylan albums we get from here on out, and if nothing else, this album lived up to the “important document in the development of popular music” line on its Wikipedia page. Good on you, Bob. Play it fucking loud, indeed.

One of the most perfect live albums ever created; from start to finish it is full of energy, passion and beauty. 10/10 Best Tracks: "She Belongs to Me" "4th Time Around" "Visions of Johanna" "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" "Desolation Row" "Just Like a Woman" "Mr. Tambourine Man" "Tell Me, Momma" "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)" "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" "One Too Many Mornings" "Ballad of a Thin Man" "Like a Rolling Stone"

On the face of it's a man that has given up trying to sing; and who's foregone any nuance in his guitar playing for a simple clipped strums. Such is the enigma of Dylan, it remains absolutely enthralling. To focus on the technical proficiency of the voice or guitar completely misses the point of course. His voice is cutting, vulnerable, cynical, barking, lonely, joyful. It's the instrument to tell his stories - the conviction is second to none. The fact that the audience reactions are cut from the streaming versions of the album is a travesty. The journey of the audience being delighted at the folk set, to the disdain for the electric set is lost. The tectonic plates of Dylan's music is shifting underneath them in real time; and that's a integral part of this album. But no matter. A vital document in rock - absolutely electrifying.

Telllllll me mommmmmmmaaaaaaaa.... Don't know why I haven't listened to this in over a decade - one of my favourite live albums ever. Recently watched the Timothée Chalamet movie which was technically competent but left me a bit cold - not a patch on listening to wobbly, keening, perfect imperfection of the real Bob in his heyday.

Maybe not the best live Dylan album, but certainly its most iconic. The « rock » side goes particularly hard. Too bad the streaming version doesn’t have any of the heckling and stange banters, since it’s one of the most crucial aspects of that album

Volume one is fine but doesn't seem to have the same passion as Volume 2. Volume 2 with the Hawks/Band is outstanding and what I really stands out. I'm going with 5 stars even though volume one is at best a 3. That Tom Thumb Blues on Volume 2 just blows my mind every time.

Love me some Bobby D. I like how the discs are split into an acoustic side and electric side. This year was arguably his peak and contains some of his best songs up to this point. 5/5 for me.

Great concert for a bunch of ungrateful British twats.

Put this one off for a while but this is peak Dylan. Hilarious backstory that the crowd got so butthurt about the second set being electric lol. The acoustic set is a bit rough at the start but quickly rights itself, very clear vocals and crisp guitar. Don’t think I’ve ever heard him enunciate more. The electric set rocks without letting up and benefits a ton from the extra dimension the keyboard brings. Listened to: while packing at home. Favorite tracks: Fourth Time Around, Desolation Row, Ballad of a Thin Man, Tell Me Momma

Simply a classic concert in an astonishing venue at the perfect time in history.

The times they were a changin' as was Dylan's approach to his music. Much to the chagrin of his purist folkie acolytes, he was pushing his music into the electric and rock realm. I came into his music after that fact so I accepted and enjoyed all of his music. There's lots to love from both worlds. 4.5/5

This was the album that turned me into a Dylan fan. The version of Visions of Johanna is absolutely haunting in a way that was never captured on Blonde on Blonde or anywhere else, at least to my ears. Listening to that with headphones and closed eyes is sublime.

This performance finds Dylan at a professional nexus, both at his songwriting prime and in transition from traditional acoustic folk to the wider world of electric instrumentation. This is Dylan escaping his cocoon of “then Dylan” for “now Dylan,” yet manages to be probably the best Dylan performance ever recorded because it catches him at the brief moment where he was at his performing peak for both sides of the Dylan coin. In the Dylan-verse, it doesn’t get much better than this. 4.7/5

Creo haber escuchado el álbum definitivo de Dylan. La primera mitad es acústica, con temas clásicos como "Mr. Tambourine Man" o "Visions of Johanna". La segunda es rock, con el acompañamiento de The Band antes de llamarse The Band. Un álbum que da testimonio del cambio de estilo del autor (en el transcurso de un solo concierto, nada menos). Una lástima que las reacciones del público hayan sido eliminadas de la versión en Spotify. Dicen que marca el inicio del folk-rock como estilo y, aunque no sé si será cierto, este álbum deja claro el impacto revolucionario de Dylan en la música popular de los 60. Más allá de su relevancia histórica, y de la curiosidad de tratarse de un bootleg que no se lanzó oficialmente hasta 20 años más tarde, musicalmente es buenísimo. Tiene algo de folk, algo de psicodelia y muchísimo de blues. Además, la selección de temas es casi perfecta en mi opinión. No tenía grandes expectativas, pero las ha superado con creces. Solo a veces desearía que torturase un pelín menos a la armónica.

an incredible artifact and the pure distillation of bob dylan, i fear if you don't like this, then you don't like bob dylan. this is a recording of one of the turning points of bob dylan's career - where he "goes electric" and a member of the audience loudly proclaims him 'judas' of the folk community. to have a recording of this concert is incredible to begin with, but it's a damn great concert too. the first acoustic set is brilliant and beautiful, and the electric set rocks like hell too. his backing band, the hawks (to become 'the band' in the future) are great and really hold it down. it really is one of my favorite concert recordings of all time, even if just for the music. probably one of the best and most important albums you will hear in this entire project.

Bob Dylan's career was so long and so great it can really be divided into several eras. This album functions as the greatest hits of his greatest era. Including all the best from his electric trilogy. I have been ignoring the context of whether or not any of the albums do or do not belong on this list and I will continue that trend. As a piece of music I would put on and listen to, it's among my favorite. If I was introducing someone to Dylan, this would be a decent place to start. And I think these versions of songs are just as great as the studio verisions. This is one of my favorite versions of Mr. Tambourine man I've ever heard and closing the show with Like a Rolling Stone is just the closer of closers. This might be top of my list of shows I wish I could have behind just Woodstock(?) This was a great show, possibly his best.

OMG this ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Effing brilliant.

JUDAS!! JUDAS!! HAS ANYONE SEEN MY FRIEND JUDAS??

what else is to be said about this concert that hasn’t already been said. shoutout to the hawks/the band for absolutely slaying in the electric set. play it fucking loud indeed

It must be the Mandela effect but I thought you could hear Bob say "Play in fuckin' loud" before the band launches in to Like A Rolling Stone but I didn't hear this seminal moment or the 'Judas' shout that prompted it on the streaming service I used to listen.

Cannot beat early live electric Bob. Also great when he’s playing acoustic and honkin on bobo.

I can listen to this album on repeat.

Excellent!

Sublime lightning in a bottle

Classic live album.

Amazing! Favorite Bob moments.

Bob Dylan's Royal Albert Hall Concert was infamous. He did an acoustic set, and then and electric set, backed by the the Hawks - soon to be known as the Band. In the second set, a member of the crowd yelled, "Judas," to which Dylan responds, "are you talking to me?" This release in connection with an extensive collection of all of the recordings of Dylan's 65-66 European tour. This is an incredible recording of an milestone show; this, like the Newport Jazz Festival, is the "moment" Dylan went electric, and helped meld the folk and rock music worlds.

"The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966 The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert" is a two-disc live album by Bob Dylan. It was the second installment of the Bootleg Series. Early bootlegs attributed the recording to having take place at the Royal Albert Hall but it actually took place at the Manchester Free Trade Hall during Dylan's 1966 tour. The album is divided into two parts. Disc one is Dylan solo and acoustic. The second disc has Dylan plugged in electrically playing with the Hawks (who would later go on to be the Band). Many critics considered this album a document in the development of popular music in the 1960's (from folk to rock). Commercially, the album hit #18 in the UK upon its 1998 release. The acoustic disc opens with "She Belongs to Me" from "Brining It All Back Home." Audience clapping cedes to the Dylan's voice and an acoustic guitar. A long harmonica outre. The crowd remains dead silent during the playing of "Visions of Johanna." Dylans takes it down a notch during the epic "Desolation Row." A thunderous applause afterwards. The electric disc opens with the first-time-on-an-album "Tell Me, Momma." The band is fiddling around with the guitar and then kicks it in. A bluesy stomp. Guitarist Robbie Robertson stands out. Another highlight on this side is "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat." This sounds a lot like the early Rolling Stones. A soulful organ and bluesy piano. The album has to and does end with an eight-minute "Like a Rolling Stone." The band is on fire, very inspired. Levon Helm on drums!!!! The acoustic side is bare with Dylan's voice, harmonica and acoustic guitar. Dylan is weaving his vocals to a very attentative crowd. The clarity of this recording, especially his voice, is remarkable. The second electric side fused Dylan's folk with a high-level rockin' band. Dylan didn't tone down his harmonica. At times, they sound like a bluesy jam band. Most of the playing is very inspired. On the recording, I didn't hear the apparent disgruntled taunting. Oh well, there was a big applause after "Like a Rolling Stone." This is an exceptional album. An album everyone needs a listen to.

++*: I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met), Like a Rolling Stone ++: She Belongs to Me, 4th Time Around, Visions of Johanna, It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, Desolation Row, Just Like a Woman, Mr. Tambourine Man, Tell Me, Momma, Baby, Let Me Follow You Down, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, One Too Many Mornings, Ballad of a Thin Man 10/10

one of handful of rock and rollers with a credible claim to being remembered in 100 years

The best of both worlds, acoustic and electric Dylan, great lyrics

Un gran Bob Dylan quizá en su periodo más fértil y comprometido con la música simple sin rimbombancias ni autotunes que inundaron el mercado musical ávidos de ganar un mercado, fama y dinero, Dylan no estaba todavía en esa carrera y su simple brillo fué con seguridad enceguecedor a sus contemporáneos. Cantautor y por ello poeta inconmensurable un trovador moderno.

I sometimes forget that Dylan can be a bit of an acquired taste for some. Surprised to see how low the average score is. I suppose faced with a 90 minute bootleg live album it might be hard to acquire the taste but I have faith that some of the low scorers would get there given mote time. One weird thing though. I see some reviewers saying they didn't hear any heckling. I suspect they didn't get to the second disc. Or maybe they listened to the Real Albert Hall boot somehow. Anyway, my considered opinion is that Dylan were not a bastard.

A live staple. Bob Dylan at his apex.

Bob, Bob and more Bob. Excellent.

I wrote such a long review and deleted it all! The songs and performances speak for themselves, just imagine being there to see, hear and feel it live. I'm becoming obsessed, he's rivalling Ray Davies as my favourite songwriter.

Acoustic -> electric Cool history Love diving into dylan

Always love.

Just brilliant!

JUDAS!!!!

probably one of his bets live performances

On my first listen I thought disk 1 was substantially better than disk 2. On my second listen, I thought the second disk was equally as good if not marginally better. This album isn't a Masterpiece but every track is enjoyable. Sure some tracks feel a little dorky but that adds to their charm. Visions of Johanna through to Mr Tamborine man are all hands down masterpieces and would be best track on any other album but here they are back to back to back bangers and make it genuinely hard to pick a favourite or the best. (It's gotta be Just Like a woman lol) BUT THEN MY BOY DOES IT AGAIN. Back to back to back bangers on disk 2 From Leopard Skin pillbox hat through to rolling Stone. And for whatever fuckibg reason this album wasn't just influential on Folk, Blues and rock but also contemporary experimental hip-hop for some reason!? And definitely contemporary blues. Awesome tracks. 9/10 Fav tracks - All - 1 Least Fav - Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues

Awesome, just bloody awesome. What a way to hear the changing of the guard.

The Royal Albert Hall Concert is awesome as it is, such a strong live performance and set list. The split acoustic/electric had me taking note that I saw Dylan open for the Foo Fighters during their tour in support of their acoustic/electric split album, In Your Honor some 40yrs after this iconic set. 40 fucking years, that’s remarkable. Such a great performance by Dylan and the band. Excellent harmonica accompanied by great banter as Bob refused to back down from a somewhat stubborn British crowd, seemingly irked by amplified guitars… this is a classic live set. This is dedicated to the Taj Mahal 5 stars

Historic and sounds great too

This is a long winding road with many of the songs that you already know and love Bob Dylan-- American vocalist whose sound is love/hate for many people. With Dylan, if you like the sound, it's probably love. It is for me.

What a phenomenal set list! Of course I want to have been at this show. The songs are almost all from Dylan’s rock trilogy of Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde On Blonde. It’s difficult to think of another three album run from which I’d rather have a set list extracted (Led Zeppelin II-IV come to mind). I could nitpick the tad-to-slow tempo on one of my favorite songs, Visions Of Johanna, or the quality of the recording, especially toward the end of the second disk, but that would be silly. Silly because this is probably the best version of Desolation Row that I’ve heard. Silly because you get the intimate, solo acoustic set followed by the rip, roaring electric set. Silly because his voice still had a beautiful quality to it. In a year when this 1089 experience is over, I need to go into a deep Dylan phase.

Love this era of Dylan

Parece ser que Dylan va a ser una fichita repetida en éste reto, lo cual, lejos de cansarme, me hace re-escucharlo y re-disfrutarlo más. Novedad: nunca me había puesto con sus vivos y éste libro me los está recomendando. Siempre los shows tienen otra sensibilidad. Muestran al artista de otra forma: con sus errores y aciertos, haciendo otros arreglos, experimentando con instrumentos y su voz, como un laboratorio con público. Siento además que va pasando el tiempo y el folk me va gustando más. Me pasa con el argentino y el de Estados Unidos no es la excepción. Me dejan en un estado de tranquilidad y de trance. Volviendo a éste disco, su segunda parte ya es otra cosa. Cruda, con un Dylan que se dirige más al público y un público que no conecta con él. Esperaban al Dylan folk. El rockero no les cierra. Les hace ruido y no lo aplauden tanto como antes, además de increparlo cuando pueden. Excelente trabajo. Muy bien 11.

This is simply a great live album. five star or A rating for me.

Well it was Bobbles at the top of his game, what's not to like?

I really enjoyed this one.

Acoustic side is extremely good and electric side nearly as good. It's hard to grok the all the controversy, given what we know now, mainly that Blonde on Blonde was fast approaching and that the early tunes would be certifiable classics (if they weren't already). The poise, grace and loveliness of the acoustic side is such that one can understand to some extent the haters – that is, there is a jarring contrast, but the electric side delivers, too, in a raw way that some of Dylan's records could be said to lack. But the songs ... the songs ... "Visions of Johanna," "Desolation Row," "Like A Woman," "Baby Blue," ... these are national treasures, wonders of the world, really and this is a most worthy document/artifact capturing a world-historical musical artist at a major inflection point of his many evolutions.

JUDAS! There you go, I've put it here because it was cut out of this recording. I've never been much of a fan of live albums, but this is different. I love Dylan, but the first disc takes some time to get going. I think that the slower tempos of Visons of Johanna and Just Like A Woman take something away from them, and the studio versions are way better. Then you get disc two. Holy shit, what an incredible performance - how anyone could have been upset by it is incredible. Hands down, one of the best records I've ever listened to.

Sloppy and raw at times but man what a document of Robbie Z and his talents. One mark off for scruffy vocals, one added for inspiration.

Excellent!

This is wild. I know it's cliche, but I'll always wonder how he gets away with that voice; it's beyond parody. This album was a great time, but I do really wish they hadn't edited it so hard, especially that iconic exchange before "Like a Rolling Stone". I love to see it - an artist doing what they want, and the audience is welcome to come along or not. Play it fucking loud.

Love the music, some of the ‘liveness’ is great but I can’t help agreeing wanting either a polished studio version (which we have ofc for the songs) or an unedited, unfiltered recording with all the booing etc. Hard to feel significant when what makes it significant is edited away

I'm sure it's touched up, but for a live bootleg from the 60s, I think the recording quality is quite good. I really enjoyed the intimate acoustic set, and the electric set has some great energy, fueled by more ways than one to drown out heckling. The set list feels carefully constructed, and the band is obviously talented and road tested. I dig it.

The memorable thing about Bob’s 1966 world tour was that this was the last time you would ever hear him perform this bunch of mid-60’s classics in anything like the same voice they were recorded in. Dylan would spend the rest of his life re-inventing these songs to such an extent that it was sometimes impossible to recognise what song he was singing. And I have to say, as much as I love him, it hasn’t always been pretty. I was thrilled when this was released on CD. I already owned a vinyl copy of the electric CD - a real bootleg on the Trade Mark Of Quality label - Bob Dylan : Royal Albert Hall - long before it was discovered that it had actually been recorded at Manchester Free Trade Hall. The beauty of this double cd is that you got a clarity that wasn’t in the original bootlegs. For fans, the release of this was such a gift. The acoustic set is stunning & I’m not gonna go through it - these are 8 masterpieces that Dylan does proud . And I guess I feel the same about the electric set. The difference is that this was where history was made - specifically this was where some cat cried “Judas” at Bob for plugging in, which prompted his reply : “I don’t believe you…” (ironically the title of Track 2 on this CD) “You’re a liar”. This is my favourite Bob vintage. The footage from it in Scorsese’s doco, No Direction Home, is priceless. Dylan’s either off his tits or extremely tired, but his performance (& the band’s) is outstanding.

Fantastic

Excellent. Desolation Row is stunning.

Soft 5

The "Dylan goes electric" moment -- or at least the one that folks point to. I've only recently started listening to Dylan on a semi-regular basis, but it's fascinating to hear the contrast between disc 1 and disc 2. And it's pretty damned killer all the way through. Nice Jewish boy makes good.,

Raw and ragged live early electric Dylan

Great show

Um die Platte zu verstehen, muss man den Hintergrund kennen. 30 Jahre alte Raubkopien in verschiedensten Fassungen eines Konzertes das im wesentlichen in Manchester stattfand aber der Royal Alber Hall zugeschrieben wurde 1998 veröffentlicht. Es zeigt unnachahmlich zwei Musikstile des Künstlers. Den alten (Folk mit Gitarre und Mundharmonika bis Song 7) und den neuen (mit Band ab Song 8). Einmalig ist die offene Kontroverse mit seinen Fans über den neuen Stil, den Bob im letzten Lied zu gewinnen scheint. Nicht die Musik sonder. das Album ist das Kunstwerk😊

Excelente colección de canciones, bien tocadas, con buen sonido.

Dylan es Dylan...

Listened 2x. 4.5

The amterial in this set is unbelievably amazing. Each song a classic. The arrangements on the full band "amplified" set are amazing and the playing is tight and swings and easily matches the material. I don't get the sense of vitriol from the audience during the "plugged in" 2nd half that I had been led to believe, just seems like an amazing show from an amazing artist to an adoring audience. 5 stars

this is the album ive been listening to the most for at least 3 months now. its fenomenal. the acoustic part is absolutely hypnotizing, the way his voice echoes throughout the hall accompained by the gentle but precise guitar playing is my favorite part about the album. and although the eletric part doesnt have the same quality of audio it sure does knocks you inside your head. his singing here is of a drunk madman in a bar and the band follows that with an uproar of rock and roll noise, and it all sounds amazing. also i do believe he is completed wasted here, he talks like hes about to pass out and say stuff like "we'd like to dedicate this song to taj mahal". this last one is probably just dylan being dylan but the way he says it sure sounds hilarious. love the way he throws off the idiots that were booeing the hell out of the band, saying: "this is not brittish music this is american music". this is my favorite live album from dylan and from any artist really.

I understand that Dylan can be divisive, and this is a document of Dylan at his most controversial period. Even his most devoted fans were divided at this point. I think that it's Dylan at his very best.

This album is so amazing. When The Band comes out to play is one the most incredible moments in history. Side note - Robbie Robertson crushes it. I highly recommend you listen to Cat Powers version of this entire set. Best cover of Dylan ever.

Amazing beginning to end!

Marvellous !!!

Bob is a goddamn legend. I don’t understand why people were so mad at him for using electric guitars and a full band when this concert clearly shows that he was still capable of and interested in making great acoustic folk music as well. The band-accompanied stuff doesn’t feel quite as iconically Dylan, sure, but it’s still a joy to listen to and it brings a raucous energy that one guy with a guitar can’t replicate.

Entrancing and transportative. A great concert recording from Bob, but I enjoyed his solo first half more than the full band portion.

Love Bob Dylan always. Honestly would give this album a 4 1/2 if I could though because the electric stuff just isn’t my favorite.

I was prepared coming into this one to say that this is a completely unnecessary inclusion on the list. I love Bob Dylan, no doubt about that, but I feel like he already has tons of representation here. I hate live albums, though this one does have excellent production quality, and after a couple of spellbinding numbers, it dawned on me that this is the closest I'll get to hearing Bob live in concert. Live and at his most impressive pinnacle. I love the songs, I love the music, I love Bob, so there's no need to be stingy and caustic with my grading when my heart and soul know they'll take any form of Bob they can get.

Maybe the best live album ever. 'Visions of Johanna', 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue', 'Desolation Row', 'Just Like a Woman', 'Mr. Tambourine Man', 'Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat', 'Ballad of a Thin Man', and 'Like a Rolling Stone'. Jesus Bobby, leave something for the rest of us.

9/10 showcases some of Dylan’s best songs while he’s not the best performer/musician, he sure is an incredible songwriter

Awesome. First time listen and it sounds amazing. Can see why the folkies were a bit upset though.

Toujours du bon Dylan, après la quantité d'album de Dylan dans les 1001 albums tructrucs est clairement abusée ; ok ils sont tous bien mais il existe d'autres artistes.

Huge Dylan fan, and I admit that not all of his recordings need to be on this list. However, this would have been a good replacement for Highway 61 because it shows the "going electric" more vividly than studio recordings. I love the solo acoustic half of the album, and prefer it over the full band - mostly owing to limitations of the recording tech (mike chirps and feedback). The harmonica is not for everyone, but adds an essential melancholy melodic note to Visions of Johanna and other songs. And to close it out, this is by far my favorite recording of Desolation Row - definitely the high point of the album.

I listened to the actual Royal Albert Hall recording, not the Bootleg series from Manchester, because it showed up first. I have no idea if that's actually right or if it's the same thing. Really good. I'm not certain whether to review this in the context of Bob Dylan overall - could quibble that the folk songs, esp. longer like Desolation Row, really benefit from the better timekeeping on the albums, and these ones don't benefit as much from Dylan's great rhythm acoustic playing. It's still very very good compared to everything on the list so far, and I think I like the band's sound on the electric section better than any album versions. A great piece of mythmaking from popular music's most prolific self-mythologizer. music: appreciated. (⌐▢ ̮ ▢)

Bob at the height of his power. And with The Band backing him! (minus Levon)

Live concerts are definitely the best way to listen to Dylan, in my view. His less-than-melodious singing style comes alive in the emotional setting of a concert, and the songs take on a richer, fuller meaning and effect.

Obviously brilliant.

Love this so much

Why'd they take out the part with the heckler

Amazing live album.

A five star album all the way. The first half acoustic set is the finest live release in his early repertoire. The second half then kicks it up a notch. The voice, the sound, the lyrics. All brilliant

This album is from such an interesting time in Bob Dylan's career and documents the reception he received when he went electric. This concert has been passed around for quite a while (although it was actually recorded in Manchester) and was already quite influential before it received a proper release. The first half is an acoustic set that is so captivating that I was hanging on every word. The last half is one of the most energetic performances I've ever heard committed to tape. Taken together, the album is simply phenomenal.

Great concert of Dylan at his peak.

Classic Bob Dylan. Just a man, his guitar, harmonica and poetry. This album made me feel like I was in a smokey coffee shop in Greenwich Village in the 60’s. Great listen!

This is incredible. Taking the historic status of the performance out of it, these are just phenomenal renditions of legendary songs. The electric set has a fierce energy to it, and which is aided by the what is perhaps the most overqualified backup group in history.

As good a live record as one has ever heard. There is a beauty in the songs and a vulnerability in the singing that isn't nearly as present or detectable in the studio recordings. And the contrast and distance between the two sides (acoustic and electric) is stunning; one gets fully the power and force of the dichotomy Dylan must have been experiencing, even if one doesn't hear the crowd's outrage described by the editors (one very much wishes one could hear it). The acoustic cuts are powerfully gentle, haunting in the humility of their presentation. One wonders if Dylan ever felt unsure of himself singing with that voice and in that peculiar style – could such an inscrutable genius have felt that way as a young man? The electric side rocks – rawly and energetically and the direct line to the perfections of Blonde and Blonde couldn't be much bolder or clearer. Hearing this, one feels humbled anew by Dylan's genius and output, and profoundly grateful for the man's work (as well as the opportunity to have seen him several times). As long as one's been a fan, hearing this record – and a few of the songs in particular – was like hearing him for the first time.

I am late comer to Dylan. Although I’ve always loved a few of his hits I used to dismiss him for the same reasons most Dylan doubters do: weird voice and singing style, plus the annoying harmonica and the hardcore fans. The last few years I’ve come to enjoy Dylan but I never took a deep dive into his discography. This double album live bootleg may not be the most obvious starting point, but I think it’s a great way to hopefully understand his genius. The intimacy of the first half and the inspired and louder band dynamic of the second half is a testament to his greatness. Amazing stuff.

Man, I love bob dylan. The sound of that shrill harmonica in that gigantic concert hall really hits different. “She belongs to me” and “just like a woman” were especially captivating. Loved it

just perfect. every dylan album we’ve had has been excellent, every live album we’ve had has been excellent. this combines all of that. i wish i could give it a 6.

Dylan’s lyrics can’t be beat

I saw Dylan live last year, some 56 years after this was recorded. Nice to have another live album to compare and contrast with; his voice may be a little more crinkly and he spent most of his time hiding behind his piano, but it was still undeniably Dylan and brilliant. This album is also great.

stone cold classic

“I don’t believe you! You’re a liar! Play it fucking loud!” 5/5

I read some of the other reviews before listening to this and there were quite a few saying it lacked energy or droned on too long. While I know Dylan can get pretty long-winded, I loved every second of this and felt the energy packed hall. I also love everything about Bob Dylan, but still. I'd give my eyeteeth to have been able to see him in his prime...

Només pel seu valor històric ja es mereixedor de les 5 estrelles, però és que a més el concert agafa a Dylan en un dels seus millors moments artístics, i les dues parts del concert, acústica i elèctrica, contenen interpretacions d'un gran nivell

Dylan at his absolute best

One of my favorite lives albums. Dylan essentially invented the rock concert. He started the practice of musicians bringing their own speakers and audio equipment to venues. And his audience wasn't ready for it. They angrily turned on him, and as their chanting and anger reaches a crescendo, he tells Robbie Robertson to "play fucking loud".

Classic Dylan

Not into this

Classic

this was a perfect listen.

"Judas!!" "I don't believe you...you're a liar...play it fucking loud" One of the most pivotal moments in music history, Dylan goes electric. If you know me, the score is no surprise. Absolutely perfect.

Excellent!

It's amazing to have such a famous and important concert recorded and on an Album. It's a bit of a shame that the famous "Judas", "I don't believe you" exchange was cut from this album although you can make out some other heckling from the audience in some of the songs. You can get a sense of atmosphere and imagine the scene of the band rolling on the drum kit and amplifiers for the second half. 4.5/5

Long album - few classics in there thought it would have a bit more of a live feel - good to hear bobs voice before the crackles started to show

Whenever I have the chance to see Bob live, I listen to this album or watch Pennebaker's/Scorsese's films. They are so good that I know I must go. Then I watch a few minutes of Rolling Thunder (I can't listen to the whole thing) and save my money. This album is perfect, particularly Tamborine Man, which he attacks, and the sheer noise of Baby, Let Me Follow You Down. Bob and the band are having so much fun. I wish he'd taken it down a few notches for Ballad of a Thin Man. The band have that sardonic tone down, but Bob's into full noise mode, not servicing the lyrics. Meanwhile, that nasal bellow is perfect for Like a Rolling Stone. "No secrets to conceeeeeeeeeeeeeal!" Perfect!

Excellent

nice dylan

Yup, that was really good

First half solo, 2nd half with band, boo'd by crowd.

Great concert....there are a lot of live Dylan albums out there...this one obviously is there because of the "Judas" "I don't believe you, you're a liar" confrontation in Manchester from the folk(ies) who thought he had "sold out".... it you like Dylan, it is a great gig. (Both acoustic and electric!)

As a big fan of live concert recording, you can't deny the importance and significance of this live concert from Dylan. Musically, the first disc is Bob, solo acoustic and the second disc features Dylan electric with the band with songs from his previous releases. What a performance! In my opinion, this is Dylan at his best and I'm sure glad this show was recorded! Thank you bootleggers!

I enjoyed it.

This is an absolute classic!!

A live album that earns its worth by capturing one of the most influential aesthetic shifts in music history basically in real time

Already listened, bloody amazing alum

So happy to see this

One of the most important live performances of the 20th Century. BT: Just Like a Woman, Tell Me Momma, Like a Rolling Stone

Amazing.

Dylan es Dylan...

Esencial para entender la música

there are severall versions @ spotify so I hope I listened to the correct one, great recording but, agaim, what is it with this list and the live recordings? were there not enough albums?

This is more than an album, it's a historical artifact. The music is amazing but it also captures an important time in the history of music and one of its most influential artists. Great pick for father's day! 5 stars.

There's no getting around how many classic Dylan songs are on this album. I normally don't like live albums because I feel like the crowd detracts from the songs, but this album it felt very intimate, like Dylan wasn't in a studio but was just singing direct to me in Albert Hall. I really enjoyed it, probably the best Dylan album I've gotten so far

Love the contrast between the first and second halves of the album. Hard to believe so many of his hits had been written before 1966. GOAT songwriter

Iconic

(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

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.

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.

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

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

Rate: 8.5/10.

Favorite Song: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

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.

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

Love dylan

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Понравилось, но переслушивать вряд ли буду.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

bob 🫶🏻

..... "Judas!".... One acoustic set, well received, one electric set... not so much. Apparently this album is actually from the infamous Manchester Free trade Hall. Interesting to listen back and see how it was received

A compelling argument for why rock is better than folk. Despite most of the best songs being on the solo acoustic + harmonica disc 1, the performances from the full electric band on disc 2 is just way more fun to listen to. Fun hearing him respond to the energy in the band, have more support, and let the possibilities of the songs blossom into something more fully realized.

I enjoy Dylan a lot, but I don't worship him like a god (like most people seem to do). ★★★★

zloty lajwik zlotego wieszcza

First time listen Pretty mixed on Bob Dylan overall, some of his albums are great and some of the stuff that people really love are kinda grating to me. This was mostly a collection of the stuff I like from him with a bit of a lull in the middle with some songs I didn't care for as much. The big long versions of Ballad of a Thin Man and Like a Rolling Stone at the end really elevated this album for me, really transformative versions of those songs - especially Like a Rolling Stone, it's nice to hear a different version of a song I've grown completely and utterly tired of hearing. Fav tracks: Ballad of a Thin Man, Like a Rolling Stone, Mr Tambourine Man Least fav: Just Like a Woman 3.5-4/5

Probably the best live album we have had so far? I never felt it was dragging on and some really good versions of his classics

Goes on a bit, dunnit. Second half with the full band is much better.

Album #74 Bob Dylan: Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) Bob Dylan catches a lot of slack these days for his inconsistent live performances, often receiving claims of phoning it in or simply turning his back to the crowd and mumbling deep cuts. It’s hard to hold that against him too much, when you are old and have nothing left to prove, you end up simply acting to please yourself rather than others. But in 1966, Bob Dylan was still young, and with that comes the fire to conquer the world. Live at Royal Albert Hall is one of the finest live performances that I have ever heard. One thing that I am especially impressed with that I normally take for granted in live settings is Dylan’s ability to memorize and sing every word without mistakes. It’s not something I would normally consider when going to a rock concert, since most of those songs follow simple structures and have intentionally memorable lyrics, but each of these 15 tracks that Dylan presents has such lyrical depth that it is akin to someone memorizing each word of 15 short stories and reading them on stage. In the first half of the album, Dylan opts for a more acoustic sound, relying only on guitar and harmonica, which creates a setting of sombre introspection and brings new weight to tracks like Desolation Row. Then the second half kicks off with my favourite track, Tell Me Momma, right after a lengthy and subdued performance of Mr. Tambourine Man; this thing really catches you off guard. The band is in full effect from this point on; the contrast of the two sides allows the concert to reinvent itself and stay fresh. If you were starting to feel tired come the end of act one, then this essentially rejuvenates you and feels as though you just walked into a whole new concert. I feel like we take for granted that someone like Bob Dylan is still alive, as my generation truly does not have many legends left to experience. I hope to one day see him live before he dies, even if it is only a fraction as good as this performance. Best Tracks: Tell Me Momma, Desolation Row, Like a Rolling Stone Worst Track: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat Score out of 10: 9

Je m’attendais à ne pas aimer. Et en dehors des applaudissements je me suis régalé, album parfait pour un voyage en train ou en voiture. En plus c’est hyper avant-gardiste pour la guitare et certains des sons à la fin

Not the greatest Bob Dylan in the first disc. But then the second disc blows you away. Was that really the same comcert? Mixing 3 and 5 stars to 4…

Dylan c'est très bien. Dylan en live, c'est très bien, mais un peu moins bien.

I mean this is basically a Best of Bob Dylan album

Famously this recording was attributed to his 1966 concert at Royal Albert Hall but was later confirmed to be his show at the Manchester Free Trade Hall from the same tour. The recording is pretty good...the acoustic side sounds like a studio album, and the rock side is relatively clear. You can hear the various parts from the members of The Hawks / The Band and they sound great. On the acoustic side, Dylan's material generally outshines his performance. This album represents an unquestionably important artifact in the development of modern music as it documents the pushback Dylan received for "going electric". It's the audio equivalent to the Gimme Shelter documentary including the Altamont concert and killing. Unfortunately streaming versions cut out a lot of the examples of the crowd showing its unhappiness, resulting in an album that removes any voice of dissent. The most important part of the album, when a fan yells "Judas" and Dylan responds "I don't believe you. You're a liar." Then says to the band "Play it fucking loud" before breaking into Like a Rolling Stone, is sadly missing. (Listen to it here: https://youtu.be/Xm4lCYq7d2g?t=5199).

Hey, it’s got acoustic and electric Dylan, it’s a good album. Love the way he sings live. Chaotic and spontaneous.

I liked the first half but was getting a bit bored of it, then BAM second half! Dylan goes electric! Fun and rocking - and, well, iconic.

Definitely picked up once got to the band and ending with like a rolling stone sounded great. Its a 2 listener for sure

Das war gewiss ein Album mit hoher Identifikationskraft

This is a classic time capsule, the world again reacting to the new. Wild to hear the crowd reacting to the electric songs that I grew up loving. This is Dylan at his most interesting to me, caught in transition. Good stuff.

I can't believe it's been over a year since I last got a Bob Dylan album. It really does not feel like my last one was in August 2024. It's probably the fact that I finally re-listened to Highway 61 Revisited a few months ago to give it the 5/5 that it deserved that makes it feel like it hasn't been over a year. Here we have a bit of a change of pace compared to the other Dylan albums on the list, as this is the only live album of his to be here. Bob Dylan's live performances have had a... mixed reception over the years, but there are a few performances of his that have found their place in the annals of history, and this is undoubtedly one of them. Yes, this is the famous "Judas!" concert, the representation of the backlash that Dylan received for "going electric." Obviously, this had been seen in the studio albums that he'd released the year prior to this recording, with Bringing It All Back Home and the aforementioned Highway 61 Revisited marking a creative evolution for Bob Dylan. Of course, we can look back on these albums nowadays and recognize them as some of the finest folk-rock albums of the 60s, but the pure folk crowd of the time was not happy. However, you can't really tell in this recording, at least not in the version I listened to. I listened to it on streaming, which I think cuts out the heckling that many think of when the electric half of this album comes to mind. I don't know why that is. Given the legacy of this specific performance, dubbed the "Royal Albert Hall" concert despite the fact that it was actually performed at the Manchester Free Trade Hall, I think the argument is there for this being on the list, but more so as a historical piece rather than an actual album. It's kind of like Brian Wilson Presents Smile in a way. That does not make this a bad album though. Far from it, actually. At the end of the day, this is a live performance of one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time in his prime. Of course it's going to be good. The song choices are strong, featuring some of his best songs of the time. The split between the acoustic and electric halves make sense from both a logical perspective and an artistic perspective. The instrumental work, both from Dylan on his own and the band backing him, is just as strong as the studio work. I enjoyed this quite a bit, though I can't really call it a must-listen on its own. While I can appreciate that the recording quality and consistency are almost on par with the studio albums, that makes the live album harder to recommend when the studio albums are right there. Maybe if they kept the heckling it would feel more like the piece of history that it is. Still, there really isn't much holding this thing back. It's great. 4/5.

Very good however very samey stuff

In a vacuum, this is a great live recording: the sixties is now a baggage of associations for those of us who didn't live thru it, and even for some of us who did, and this does as good a job as anything in recreating what it must have felt like to be alive during that seminal decade. Aesthetically, I dig the transition from acoustic to electric on its own terms. It's a nice structuring element as well as a notorious event that occurred. Dylan's playing, and in particular his singing, is inspired, approximating something that's natural + ritualistic, invigorated by spirit and invention. And yet, this one is known for its historical significance more than the music itself: 'Judas - I don't believe you, you're a liar.' For some reason, that bit is cut out - kinda annoying, no?

the Bob Dylan Universe timeline is divided into two eras: BEGI (before electric guitar incident) AJ (after "Judas")

Wondrous Americana

Classic Dylan going electric; it's quite good, although some songs are long

7.5/10 - It was nice to be able to understand what Bob was saying since he is such a great songwriter. I think some versions of these songs were better here, but some were better on the originals. A cool take on some classics.

I like the different renditions of some of his best ever songs. There are a few songs on here I don't love, mainly on the second disk. 8/10

Can’t believe I’ve never listened to this. It’s great to hear all these songs from Blonde on Blonde era Dylan. Both halves sound amazing! Bob’s electric band was on point!

Agree with the take that this is an intense listen. I was trying to read and have this on in the background and had to stop reading. This was cool as a musical artifact, and glad I heard it. More return value in the rock in’ second half, but loved the first half after a couple of closer listens.

When I first started getting into Dylan, I picked up CDs pretty indiscriminately, including a lot of the newly available bootlegs and live stuff at the time. I found it all pretty distracting while I was still trying to get to know the core material, so I've got a chip on my shoulder about a lot of this stuff. At some point I just don't care about how Bobby messed around with the songs on any particular day. However, this recording represents such a specific moment in history and such a pivotal transition that I was fascinated by it. I love that he did an acoustic set and an electric set and how much it pissed people off. I love the messy mix of material from Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 and Blonde on Blonde. It's the rare live album I could actually imagine returning to with some regularity.

The lyrics in this album were very deep and well thought-out. That said, Disc 1 fell short in terms of musical aspects, with Bob Dylan’s not-so-pleasant voice taking the spotlight of a song with boring guitar and (perhaps controversially) slightly annoying harmonica. In Disc 2, however, things took a turn for the better. “Tell Me, Momma” and “I Don’t Believe You” starting the chain of songs with great guitar solos, drums and more that add to a more exciting musical affect. So, half the album is full of songs that were honestly probably better as poems, and the other half is full of good rock songs that I genuinely enjoyed.

I'm glad I got this album, because I'm a huge Dylan fan but I haven't listened to this album (or any of the Bootleg Series) before. This was a real treat to listen to, especially the first half with the acoustic versions of some of the Blonde on Blonde songs. The second disk was a bit rougher, because the song selection wasn't as good (although I liked Tell Me Momma, which I'd never heard before), and the sound quality sort of fell apart on the last couple of tracks. Additionally, Spotify cut out the crowd heckling, which I've heard is an important part of the album. However, I really liked the backing band on the electric set, The Hawks (who later became The Band), and I think they added a lot to the sound. Favorite Track: Tell Me, Momma

I cannot describe why i like it. It's so simple. Just few instruments and almost talking instead of singing but it works so well.

A lesson in waiting to hear the full album (and read a bit of the context around it). My thoughts after about four tracks: while a perfectly nice listen, this is such an unnecessary inclusion. There are already six Bob Dylan studio albums and this is mostly more of the same songs, just live. So I actually stopped to read about why this made the book and had to finish it with a different perspective. I had actually heard the story from my Dad about Dylan stunning the folk world in 1966 but I hadn't realised there were bootlegs of it, or that they were awaiting me on the generator. So now I know what I'm hearing, yes it's quite a treat to be able to experience this. Not only for the historical significance of it but also because having finished his perfectly nice renditions of his folk classics, the full-band electric second half is fantastic.

For a live album, this was great. Overall, the performances hold up really well, with only a few duds (if you can even call them that) here and there. There are also a handful of performances (e.g. 'Visions of Johanna', 'One Too Many Mornings') which offer interesting and quite different takes from their album versions which I loved a lot and will definitely be listening to again in the future. All in all, this was really good. Not quite as good as Dylan's studio albums, but still great in its own right. 4/5

The solo side of the album drags this down at least in my estimation. It is uninteresting and is too long at over 48 minutes including an 11 minute version of Desolation Row a song that underscores the problems that many have with Dylan the songwriter i.e. the speak n spell poetry that he engages in on some of his songs, while also giving great credence to his limitations as a singer. 11 minutes is too long for anyone to sing, especially Dylan. But the recordings with The Band aka The Hawks are really great and I would be tempted to rate this as a 5 if there wasn't 48 minutes of solo Dylan with the harmonica to get through. As it is I will rate this a 4 because in total the second half of the album is what I last heard and it is so good.

So hard to rate this! Did not groove on the first acoustic half (2) but loved the second set with the Hawks (a.k.a. the Band) (4). Rating it a 3 is cop out IMO and ignores how good the second set is.

Solid (early) Dylan.

6/10

Fine album.

All good, but not as good as the albums the songs come from.

Not the most fun of the bootlegs for me but still. Either you get it or you don’t

Harmonica goes brrrr

I like how the applause sounds a little British

There is something about Bob Dylan that appeals to a part of my psyche that no other artist has ever been able to touch. I can tell you right now with certainty that I can remember the first time I actually recognized that I was listening to a “Great Song” (as distinguished from a song that I personally enjoyed), that song was “Like a Rolling Stone.” This performance is a document of one of the very last shows of the era that most would first imagine when told to visualize Bob Dylan. If told to “do a Bob Dylan impression,” most people’s instinct is to adopt a nasally voice, use that distinctive enunciation style, accentuating weird syllables and elongating the shit out of vowels. A Bob Dylan Halloween costume probably entails sunglasses, mod suits, and frizzy hair. That period, while iconic, is also fleeting, lasting under a year. 10 days after this show, Dylan would conclude his last tour for 8 years (by playing at the ACTUAL Royal Albert Hall, no less. That concert is also available on streaming under the title “The Real Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert). If during this concert he sounds like he’s on the edge of a complete collapse, it’s because he is, and it wasn’t getting better. I hate to quote a Reddit comment but someone there said that the difference between this show and the Real Royal Albert Hall Concert is that during the latter, “Dylan is 10 days more unhinged, 10 days closer to a break down, 10 days madder at the audience.” The next month, he released Blonde On Blonde and a month after that he was (allegedly) in a motorcycle crash that (allegedly) saved his life by making him step back from public life for a while. The show itself is a great showcase of Dylan’s contentious relationship with his audience, which is very much still on display today. The fans wanted a classic acoustic set. Dylan knew this. He gave them a 7 song acoustic set, but with the caveat that 3 of those songs hadn’t yet been released. And of the remaining 4 songs, none were from his folk era. No “Blowin In the Wind” or “The Times They Are A-Changin” or “Don’t Think Twice” or “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” to be found. The first half of this album is pretty spellbinding to me. Dylan’s vocal is at the forefront, accompanied only by his guitar and occasional bits of harmonica. Every word is clear and, while you probably don’t understand the meaning, it’s hard not to believe that the man himself does. The meaning, the feeling, is contained in the voice, not just the written words. The versions of “Visions of Johanna” and “Desolation Row” on this album are probably my favorite recordings of those songs. During that first half, Dylan is also at his most Dylan, sounding at times like the exact type of impression that I just described and playing harmonica parts that can best be described as “picking a note and holding it until ready to move on.” So, in short, the most Dylan form of Dylan is angry at the audience and on the verge of a total mental collapse. The second half is where this thing really comes alive, as Dylan is joined by his live band (who would later become The Band, though Levon Helm had bowed out of the tour by now) on a mission to play as (fuckin’) loudly and aggressively as possible. There’s something so primal about listening to Dylan shouting at the top of his lungs backed by a wall of sound so distorted that it’s damn near impossible to pick out the individual instruments. This is such a contrast to the perfection of James Brown’s band from yesterday. I don’t know if it’s the microphone placement or what, but I don’t know if even Keith Moon ever hit drums this hard. This is probably not a pleasure listen if you’re an audiophile or otherwise not a big Dylan fan, but for me it hits like nothing else.

okay bises es bootleg album uf die liste schafft mueses de dylan sii und eini vode elektrische performances vorem töff-unfall. glaub niemer ussert ihm het so viel mythos um sich anebrocht. finds sehr sehr guet. laaangi songs aber sie hend halt so viel text wies hend und er het s publikum sooo fest. d band ide zweite hälfti isch sooo cooking. sauguet. keis füfi well schochli lang rambly und so. aber sehr guet.

This is a good live album. I’m sure Dylan fans like it as it seems to have a lot of the hits in his prime. Sometimes he almost sounds like someone trying to sound like Bob Dylan.

I’m not generally big on live albums but the sound quality here and the type of music Dylan does works. This album felt very long but overall I enjoyed it.

It should be noted that this live bootleg was recorded at the Manchester Free Trade Hall during Bob Dylan's 1966 world tour, but was misattributed to the Royal Albert Hall for the longest time, hence the apostrophes around the venue name. The actual Royal Albert Hall concert has since been made available, but this record was chosen instead for the 1001 Albums series. With that tidbit out of the way... I assume this bootleg is here to provide historical context for a phenomenon that has received more attention from the general public. With the release of the biopic film A Complete Unknown, more light has been shed on the time when Bob Dylan started recording and performing with electric instruments. As someone who was born decades after this period, it's hard to imagine a time when fans of folk music revolted against the very notion of an artist like Dylan flirting with rock. In that regard, this archived recording of his Manchester Free Trade Hall performance is probably the closest I could get to hearing an audience heckle and jeer at Dylan, accompanied by a full rock band in the second half. I say second half, as the first half of this set saw Dylan play alone for a series of acoustic-only songs, followed by the "electric" set with backing band the Hawks, who would later be known as The Band. From a performative standpoint, Dylan and company played the songs off the electric trilogy pretty well, with a certain earnestness in the delivery. While I prefer the more rocking second half as they go off on the riffs amidst the raucous crowd, I accept that Dylan structured the set to likely ease his audience in, even if that ended up being a fruitless effort. Also, if it is true that this album was included in the 1001 Albums series for historical context, then part of that context is missing here. A portion of the live performance has been removed, where an audience member calls Dylan "Judas", and his response was to tell the band to "play it fuckin' loud". The fact that this exchange has been edited out of the official release of this bootleg is a pretty bad look, as it was the defining moment of the whole controversy. A Complete Unknown references this moment, albeit recontextualized for a different performance, but at least they acknowledged it. Regardless, this is still a solid performance from a rather poignant time for Dylan and his band, one that would prove to be a turning point for folk and rock music going forward.

Bob Dylan enjoyer generally, I preferred the first half but I will probably rate this too high based off personal bias

Classic

I’ve seen Bob Dylan at the Albert Hall myself—though it was a good 40+ years after this legendary gig. I’m still not entirely sure why so many live albums make this list, but Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) is certainly deserving of its place. Dylan’s voice is in excellent form throughout. The stripped-back, acoustic performances are stunning, and the harmonica adds a raw emotional edge. You really go on a lyrical journey with these songs—it’s intimate, powerful, and beautifully captured. Favourite track: She Belongs to Me is absolutely beautiful. Least favourite track: Every song earns its place here. Album artwork: A fairly standard Dylan cover, but it suits the mood.

very good favorite song desolation row

Great, never loved his voice, but gotta appreciate the lyrics

I am not a huge Dylan fan and knew absolutely nothing about this album and I'm glad I didn't. I had a little dread before listening to the Dylan I expected to hear for almost 90 minutes. The first half is exactly what I expected, slow, acoustic, lots of harmonica. The second half is I guess where Dylan sold out but it is f-ing amazing. After listening to the first half, the second half was like an explosion it was so unexpected. I can imagine going to a concert on this tour and expecting to hear all slow, folky Dylan and then, the explosion. It must have been mind bending. This is a fantastic album.