Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

Classic Dylan

Dylan Goes Electric! A la playlist: Fourth Time Around, Visions of Johanna, Desolation Row, Just Like a Woman, Mr. Tambourine Man, Tell Me Momma, Baby Let Me Follow You Down, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, One Too Many Mornings, Ballad of a Thin Man, Like a Rolling Stone. Realmente son 4,5 estrellas.

Cool live album. Some serious fire on the B side. Love the energy! I’ve never been a Dylan disciple, but he’s silly, and I enjoy an occasional spin down desolation row.

Might be the best bootleg of his...

Love Dylan, love this live and iconic album.

At first I was annoyed that an artist that I'm sure is already well represented gets another entry in the list with all the same material. I'm also not super bothered about the iconic moment captured here - that alone doesn't make it a killer album for me. HOWEVER, this is a really beautiful recording of an amazing concert. These are awesome versions of some excellent material. The acoustic side is so tender, beautiful and expressive. I love the artistic variations in timing and delivery and strumming. Then the electric side is genuinely exciting. It actually gives me some sense of how revolutionary it must have felt at the time. I feel like I understand how excited Dylan is for his new sound. Marks not for the event but for the music.

It was great but I didn't like the live sound

Assez fou de constater l’évolution du son de Bon Dylan au fur et à mesure de l’album : on commence par du vrai folk – guitare, voix et harmonica. Et petit à petit on rajoute une batterie, un piano, une basse et tout un attirail plus « électrique ». Et puis bon bah c’est Bob Dylan, avec sa voix reconnaissable parmi 1000.

Fantastic album. It gives great insight in how Bob Dylan was doing in the second half of the sixties. Great songs on this album as well.

Dope

Album #142 and finally my first Dylan. This one surprised me, as I didn't think there'd be any live recordings from him on the list. I suppose if one made sense, this would be it though. I'm not sure how I'd have felt about this prior to April of this year, when I finally saw him live for the first time. I'd previously held out, given the many negative things heard over the years of his live performances. But a friend offered a free ticket, so I couldn't pass it up. I was mesmerized the entire show, and totally got the appeal of how he just does whatever he wants to do and the audience either comes along for the ride or doesn't. With all of that, this album is likely the time in his life when he began doing that and has clearly never stopped. And I enjoyed it very much. I was actually a bit disappointed not to be able to hear any of the booing or complaining from the crowed, but whatever. I did enjoy the second electric half more than the acoustic first, but not to a very large extent. I don't feel that I have much to say about the individual songs, as it was more about the feel for me. And it felt very good.

Bueno, después de años de no conectar con la música de Dylan, el milagro por fin pasó y puedo escuchar sus discos con bastante gusto. Este concierto de 1966 tiene en su primera parte canciones de las que no me gustan tanto, como de las que hacía en sus inicios y se escuchaban igual todas; pero el segundo disco es una joya del blues, más en Dylan tardío con el que veo que estoy conectando muchísimo. Muy bien.

The first disk was unnecessary live versions of his famous songs but the second disk was pretty incredible with the full electric band

Whenever I hear Bob Dylan, I’m certain that at some point, nearly every person on earth got together and decided to play a big joke on me. I can only imagine it went something like this: “Hey let’s pick some pretentious nasally wanker who ‘sings’ completely unintelligible nonsense at unpredictable, uneven, and illogical volumes/tempos. We’ll all pretend to really love and revere that guy just to fuck with the few people that aren’t in on the joke,” Alright, good joke everyone. You got me. You really got me good. Now can we all drop the charade? Please???? They say Levon quit this tour because he couldn’t take the nightly booing, but I wonder if he just couldn’t stomach sitting through Dylan’s prickish navel-gazing one more night. That said…. THAT SAID…. even I must admit it’s not all bad. Sure, I think his lyrics are a constant stream of verbal diarrhea with no actual meaning, and his “voice” has GOT to be a joke, but there’s still some good stuff here. The electric half of this album rips. But the grump in me can’t help but ponder if that’s mostly in spite of Dylan, not because of him. 4/5 Highlights: Fourth Time Around Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat Ballad of a Thin Man Like a Rolling Stone

I really enjoyed this album! Unlike bob Dylan a lot and I love how they split it up between the acoustic and electric sides! Really cool to hear that!

The acoustic first CD is fine. The electric is much better due to The Band (but where is Levon Helm?) as his, well, band. 3.5 rounded up.

I like Dylan and I can point to other reviews to support that, but I’m not sure why we need a live album of his on the list. I’ve gotten the appeal of other live albums here (Sam Cooke, Allman Bros, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis — all energetic performers who brought a little something extra live). Not the case here. And if we’re going to hear this concert, we really deserve to hear the part where the dude calls Dylan “Judas.” That’s the whole point of this concert! https://youtu.be/RViHf4fABxI?si=cZS7a9SGHUoG8q75

Thoughts before listening: I imagine this will be a polarizing album for the list, especially since I bet most of these songs are already included in their studio versions. Looking at the setlist, I am going to assume this is either a mix of acoustic and electric or its all electric. Review: Well this is a very solid Dylan live album. I was correct that this is a mix of acoustic and electric, and it turns out that the electric portion was a very famous Dylan bootleg that was traded for 30+ years prior to this official release. Also, the show wasn't actually from The Royal Albert Hall although the bootlegs were mislabeled as such. As a bootleg afficionado and trader of live recordings that caught the very tail end of that phenomenon right before everything went digital, I love this story. I also am enjoying this recording quite a bit, so I can't fault its inclusion on this list. This represents a side musical history and fandom that strongly resonates with me. I'll give this 4-stars.

Rv/g

He improved his delivery in later years, but his lyrics are very deep.

Forever a timeless classic and one of my favorite musicians. Not the best album, but some are truly poetic and classic!

Really interesting to hear how Dylan changed his phrasing in concerts; however, his emphasis and exaggerated vocals in the first set bordered on laughable. The second set helped me understand why people got upset with his electric change, although I really liked it. Historic (and quite clean) bootleg. Worth the listen.

Day 58 I had only listened to this album once or twice before. I am a big Dylan fan! This live album really brings out his emotions and helps me better connect with his songs. A wonderful performance! (4/5)

Great, but did this really need to be on the list?

Das Doppelalbum dokumentiert ein Konzert vom Mai 1966 in der Free Trade Hall in Manchester, das lange fälschlich als „Royal Albert Hall Concert“ kursierte. Aufgenommen wurde es im Rahmen von Dylans Welttournee, begleitet in der zweiten Hälfte von The Hawks, die später als The Band bekannt wurden. Dylan, US-amerikanischer Songwriter, teilt den Abend in zwei kontrastierende Teile: zunächst ein Solo-Set mit akustischer Gitarre und Mundharmonika, dann ein elektrisches Set mit voller Band. Bekannte Stücke sind „Visions of Johanna“, „Desolation Row“ und das abschließende „Like a Rolling Stone“. Das Album gilt als historisch bedeutsames Dokument eines künstlerischen Umbruchs und zeigt Dylan zwischen Folk-Tradition und Rock-Rebellion.

I'm a Dylan fan, but the first half folk set was a little tough to get through. He sounded so vulnerable stripped down to just his voice, acoustic guitar, and harmonica. And let's be honest, he's not blessed with the greatest singing voice. But the rocking half is solid. He sounds much more settled with his "loud" rock n roll band raging behind him. It really is interesting and jarring to hear the switch mid-set. I'd ordinarily give something like this a 3 at best, but it's historical significance elevates it to at least a 4. 4/5 #174

Great live record

I'm not a big fan of live albums but I love Bob and this was a pivotal moment/tour. Hard to believe so many silly people made such a fuss over the addition of electric guitars....that is definitely the better half of the concert, with the exception of Just Like a Woman and Mr. Tambourine Man

I'm not at all a member of the cult, and the first half put me to sleep, so most of these stars are for the band.

3.5/5 The second half of this album saved it for me. I enjoy some of the raw acoustic Dylan stuff, but I don't think all of the tunes here are as well-suited to it as something like "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" or "Blowin' in the Wind." 9 verses with no changes to the music doesn't work for me too well. However, I also didn't have the time today to sit and read every lyric as I listened, so that surely didn't help. The second half, though, sounded great, man. The Band was just straight up cooking on it. They gave Bob so much more depth and feel. Yeah, I don't think I would have been booing at the Newport Folk Festival.

Listening to Dylan live turns the volume up on the music. And Dylan the composer—like Dylan the poet—is an absolute genius. I have never loved Like a Rolling Stone more.

Blonde on Blonde is an incredible album and I love the live versions of those songs on this album. I liked the blues-y, soulful renditions on this live album a lot. It's a 4 for me.

Kinda feeling this the same as The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Went into it not expecting to be that into it, but coming out of it liking it quite a bit. That said, with how much he already has on the list, do we really need a live album? I'd probably cut this one and probably another of his albums off the list to make room for underrepresented artists/genres.

I always say Bob Dylan can't sing, but in a very good way. On this album though, and the first song is an example, his signature swoops get really annoying. Maybe "vocalising" is a better word than "singing" for much of what he does, esp. live, oh my, saw him live last year and it was bad. Similarly, his harmonica playing, possibly worse than his singing, is better described as "nervously in- and exhaling through a harmonica". And yet. I love Bob Dylan despite all of this. His song-writing is peerless. His lyrics are not daft (understatement) like most. There's just something about his music that feels very "right" to me. This album in particular is significant, reflecting his (then) controversial inclusion of those damned electric instruments.

Really good but deserves another listen.

jos olisin 1966 nainen bobin kullin imisiminen alkaisi alta aikayksikön... woo bob... boooob... holy balls eroavaisuus disk ykkösessä ja kakkosess aomg elektronic kitara. holy FUCKING SHIT!!! ja housut alas hopihopi kikkelin kiillottaminen käynnistyy ´. valtaisa. valtaisa jalomielinen hahmo vittu hahmo tämä kaveri ei mikään ihminen. ehkä ei ihan maailman kuunneltavin livealbumi kuitenkaan, parempi jos olisin paikalla hehheh mutta se oli vaikeaa... ihme että joku bootleg saanut tällaisen virallisen tyyppisen olemuksen. pitää tämän rojektin jälkeen vähän penkoa hyviä live bootleg albumeja. mutta nyt olen polvillani pekka, paljasta pili pikimmiten. desolation row

Classic Dylan. Dude was a repetitive screamer sometimes, but his soul was in the right place.

Excellent album of the controversial Judas live concert. He could really play live and the quality is excellent.

I mean you got Bob Dylan playing like his best songs acoustic and then the band comes in. What more can you ask for. I will say desolation is too damn long. 4.5/5

Dylan but live

The Judas portion of the concert is the real reason to revisit this. The acoustic section is fine and Dylan plays some of his classic songs very well but once he goes electric, erm, it's electric. I always wonder if I would have been booing if I'd been there in 66? I hope not, but who knows, we all want to believe we're on the right side of history.

My first Dylan album is a live album I didn’t even know was on the list. It makes sense, I like any well knowledged classic rock fan know the legends of Dylan going electric to the anger of fans of his earlier work, and I know the legends of the divisive shows he was playing from 1965-1966. The first disc is the customary acoustic set. It opens with “She Belongs To Me” which is a decent opener and goes into “Fourth Time Around” and “Visions Of Johanna” both off of the Blonde On Blonde album, I personally love the latter and solidly like the former. I really like “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”. “Desolation Row” is among my favorite Dylan songs and it’s done very well here. “Just Like A Woman” is again done well. “Mr. Tambourine Man” is a great song performed well here. The problem I have here is that all of these songs sound near identical to the studio versions but with Dylan’s voice somehow more nasally. Beginning the electric half of this record is “Tell Me, Momma” which immediately resets the vibe which is getting very low, (not boring necessarily) but this gets the energy rolling quickly. “I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)” was solidly performed. The sound quality is surprisingly good, not sure why I was surprised but I was. I dunno as you might be able to tell I’m somewhat running out of things to say. I enjoy just about everything here. I really loved the rendition of “One Two Many Mornings”. I didn’t love the rendition of “Ballad Of A Thin Man” despite it being arguably my favorite Dylan song, and ending on a great rendition of “Like A Rolling Stone”

I can understand the uproar over the 1st hour vs 2 hour

Favorite Track: Like a Rolling Stone

This was actually really good! First half was acoustic and that was the highlight!

Disc 1 is Bob Dylan solo, performing plenty if classics. Good performances but nothing to significantly elevate the songs. Disc 2 is where it's at, members of The Band join on stage and they're fucking sick. The anti electric Dylan people were troglodytes.

Unnecessary.

Maybe a little too much Dylan

Vraiment une voix particulière mais quelque chose qui fait adhérer à cette univers 🙏😉

4 Loved the acoustic first set and electric second set. You could tell he was a little more jazzed up about the electric set lol. Great album, favorite songwriter, not my favorite singer but vocals aren’t everything in my opinion. Favorite song: tom thumbs blues. Least favorite: BOATM

Who told these mfs it was ok to add live albums to this book 💔

Is it weird I liked the second half more? Is that kinda Judas of me?

Finished.

I am not a Bob Dylan fan. That being said, the importance of this concert is undeniable, and it's damn great.

live folk rock done in the way only dylan can do.

When people ask me what I think of Bob Dylan, I say he's a whining nag with a cold. But truth be told, I was really impressed with this album. More up tempo than I expected. Excellent lyrics, not to whiny. Un expected 4/5

This was good. Weird how people hated when he did electric stuff.

Excelente registro do Dylan em um momento chave da carreira. QoA Adonis New.

A snapshot of the year when rock and folk collided. Dylan is the reluctant hero of this, which spawned thousands of bands. This set is great. The playing is free and loose, and Dylan’s vocals sound great. This is a quintessential moment in rock history, preserved in wax. Reverence in the highest order.

Probably preferred the first half. Nice to hear Bob, and he sounds great and enthusiastic. I don't necessarily think the album is justified on the list though. I think the individual songs are better on their respective albums.

Not sure about having live albums on the list, but none the less this was pretty great. Interesting about the reaction to the more electric sound. The acoustic half of the album is better though. I assume they did something to these recordings? If not or sounds incredible for 1966. 4.5

Standout Songs: Fourth Time Around Visions of Johanna Desolation Row Tell Me, Mama I Don't Believe You Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues Leopard Skin Pill-Box Hat Starting to realize I really like folk rock, already the 3rd album like this that I’ve gotten and I’ve loved every one. This is easily the best live album I’ve heard to date.

Good album. As a Dylan fan it is great to hear the crossover from Acoustic to Electric. It was a complete shock to the fans of the time and getting an opportunity to hear it is special. That being said, this is from a bootleg and it shows. Sound is not very good.

vier bis fünf

Good old Bob.

5/5 for the electric set, 3/5 for the acoustic set.

The electric set is my favorite but the entire album is raw and beautiful. Even with the obnoxious harmonica this one gets a five. I’m grateful it wasn’t a kazoo.

really enjoyed it. More than I thought I would. 4

I'm not sure this album was necessary to this list with all of his most notable albums already on it, but it's a great live album that shows a large variety of Dylan's catalog.

Dylan seemed a little "off" on the first half of the concert, but the electric/band side is really worth it. The tracklist is filled with a lot of Bob's best songs.

I’m not a big fan of Dylan. Except his lyrics. And voice works for his music. So I kind of like his guitar. I guess what I don’t like is harmonica. I just can’t stand harmonica. This is what I learned on this record.

Bob Dylan live was fuckin awesome, would’ve loved to have seen him live then, but at least there’s recordings of it

You know, I expected to hate this, but instead I liked it. Like really, really liked it. It contains many of Dylan’s best songs from the era, so it’s actually not a bad starting point for getting into his music. The audio quality is generally pretty good and the performances are great, especially the acoustic half of the record which has a really intimate quality to it. Wish they had included the heckling and audience banter on the electric half to just really complete the set, but it doesn’t take away from the overall experience.

Las dos caras; acústico y eléctrico. Mejor el segundo, pero las canciones flojean más.

This easy listening that does a lot for me.

im not sure about my feelings on a bob dylan live album coming up on this site because im going to hear like 99% of the songs from the original albums when they roll later anyway still cool though bob dylan went electric everybody heck yeah and stuff

actually, wasn't bad.

I suspect it sounds like sacrilege to suggest that this collection doesn't actually need seven different Bob Dylan albums, nor does it need a best-of compilation masquerading as a live recording. But it really doesn't. That said, though, I can see including this album as a substitute for much of his earlier work, as it provides an impressively hig-quality live recording of many of his great early songs, both pre- and post-"electric". And reading about how so many of the Manchester fans were alternately appreciative during the acoustic set and then outraged when he moved into his electric set, is both fascinating and baffling. (The "Judas!" call is rightly infamous, and seems to say so much more about fandom than anything Dylan did or didn't do. Sadly, though, all streaming versions of this album have omitted all the juicy pre-track snippets, including the whole back-and-forth before "Like a rolling stone".) It's also fun to listen to The Hawks (soon to be The Band) tear things up in the electric set. The only ding I'd give is that if only his voice wasn't so...Dylanesque...so many of the songs (acoustic, mainly) wouldn't sound so undifferentiated, but the lyrics are worth squinting for. Much like Thin Lizzy's "Live and Dangerous" album, this album feels like it's somehow circumvented the "rules" of this project, but it doesn't seem fair to knock down the rating because of it, and while I find overly long albums a bit of a bore, this one packs a lot of great songs into an hour and a half.

Surprisingly good record for being a live record. Standout is closing "Like a Rolling Stone"

So there arent many albums on this list that are actual cultural history being made, but this one is and merits its inculsion on this list purely on that basis, regardless of what you think of Bob. Im not a Dylan fanatic but ive grown up with his music and own a number of his albums. He is undeniably a poet and his impact on folk and then rock and roll was seismic. These tapes mark a changing of the zeitgeist and a bridge between two eras. The first half of folk really doesnt show hom off at his best. It plays to his weaknesses like his voice and his constant fucking around with the songs. Id much rather listen to his folk studio albums. The second half is a rip roaring rock and roll freight train that benefits from the energy of the live recording. If i had a time machine, i would be come a musical history tourist and this gig would be one of my first stops

Exemplary Dylan record that highlights a divisive point in his career. His Newport 1965 set sent reverberations across the American folk music revival as he seemingly began to embrace electric guitar with a full backing band. Contemporary folk had become folk rock, and audiences hated it. "No matter" said Dyland, because he was content to continue rocking. 1965 would eventually see Bringing It All Back Home, which cemented his pivot to the electric guitar, though he would structure his '65-'66 world tour around a two-set approach: the first set would be just Dylan with his usual acoustic guitar and harmonica act, and the second set would bring out the Band (called the Hawks at the time) and the electric guitars. This ought to satisfy fans of any disposition, but alas! It did not. The Royal Albert Hall concert is famous for a particular moment wherein an audience member heckles Dylan near the end of his electric set, shouting "Judas!" to express feelings of betrayal. "I don't believe you, you're a liar" Dylan says to the displeased concertgoer, before turning to his band "Play it fucking loud!" as they rip into Like a Rolling Stone. This heckling has been removed from streaming versions of the album for some fucking reason, so search it out on YouTube or something. This bootleg captures the passion and fury of both audiences and Dylan. In truth, the studio albums don't capture the full scope of how this move in Dylan's career reflected bigger changes in the American cultural landscape for music. Thank god for this album because this paints a bigger picture.

Nice one.

Started out being bored and about 6 songs in loved it!

Live albums shoot 100% from the field every time

How could it have been anything other than awesome?

JUDAS!

Gotta say, I’ve not been blown away by the Bob Dylan that has shown up on here previously but this was very good

3.5ish-4ish.

This seems to be one for the real hardcore Dylan fans, but you know what? Really, this one's for the moderate Dylan fans too. When the band kicks in on the second half, it's like a moody cloud breaking open to let the sun through, and I'd say it's worth listening to if just for that revelation.

I guess like the studio stuff more.

Favorite Track: Like A Rolling Stone

Always great 👍

omg this is so good

Better than I expected! Really enjoyed it!

Wasn’t expecting to have to commit a full hour and a half this early on. Would’ve been very funny for Lewis to wait a few days and have connor and I start with this one. That said, this is music history here and the vibe shift between discs is brilliant - very funny to hear an artist get more into their own music 45 minutes into an album. I like the harmonica. They should’ve kept more of the boos in. Nothing added to my playlist, 6 added to the 1001 playlist

you know what, i wasn't looking forward to this, but it ruled. wish it had been my last album here but unfortunately i have just noticed i missed some shit thing by Adele

Lättlyssnad och skön musik

I’m running out of patience with the acoustic stuff. The electric disc, on the other hand, I enjoyed more than I expected and am beginning to understand from it why Dylan was so influential.

After watching Dylan's recent biopic, I had a little more appreciation for his folk music as well as his early electric, which I did already enjoy. Also, while listening to the second set, I thought I recognized the jangly guitar playing of Robbie Robertson, only to find out that this way the era where Dylan was being backed by an early version of The Band.

A good album I liked Fourth Time Around the most

didn't think compilations and archival recordings like these would make it on the list. the bootleg (just a name) series has a number of bright spots i'd take over bobbadee's studio albums any day - the isle of wight concert on vol. 10, the piano demo of "i'll keep it with mine," all seven drunken hours of the basement tapes. this one is a good way to spend an hour and a half but won't set your world on fire.

Interesting

Not a great singer, but an amazing wordsmith. 4/5

If you only listened to the first half you might think this is pretty basic Dylan stuff. But the back half is where things get exciting. I’m not a big Dylan fan, but I had some vague idea that he had some big controversial concert - this is that concert. He changes up his sound pretty distinctly, including probably the best version of Like. A Rolling Stone out there

Day349 - maybe i didn’t need another bob dylan album. especially a live one but it does have “visions of johanna” my favorite dylan song

so interesting listening to live versions of songs, always takes me a while warm up to bob dylan, such a lyricist

This has to be one of the best ones. You have some of his best longer acoustic tracks on disc one and some of this best electric tracks on disc 2. A

Second side is waaaay heavier than I expected. Well done Bob, you never disappoint!

I know its controversial, but I do not like his voice, find it hard to listen to

Hits different after watching A Complete Unknown

so much character. still prefer the not live stuff, but still

Excellent stuff....huge Dylan buff.

Tolle Liveaufnahme, tolle Stimme, bekannte Lieder.

8/10 Amazing. I cant give this a 9 or 10 because it is a live album. Favourite Song=Desolation Row Least Favourite Song=Visions of Johanna

I love the dichotomy of this album, it feels like two different people are performing when it's just Dylan scaring off some close-minded folk freaks with some good ol' rock 'n' roll. And it's some DAMN good rock 'n' roll at that. I love the loud, chaotic instrumentals mixed with the barely audible heckling to make for perhaps one of the rawest musical experiences up to that point in history. I do think the quiet tracks on the first part are good too, I just feel like Dylan likes to drag a tad more there when it comes to length vs. content, but damn if there isn't some good tracks to drive on a lonely road to. A great live album, I was fearing this one due to its length and infamy, but this is one of my favorites from him.

Spent all day trying to listen to this with my 3 yr old in the house. Turns out she hates the sound of the harmonica so this album didn’t stay on for long… thankfully she’s not rating this or it would get 1 star. Now she’s in bed in getting to enjoy this album, I am a fan of Dylan but not a massive fan of live albums. But I did enjoy this, feels like it’s an important album being both a bootleg and showing the impact of Dylan moving from folk to rock music live and the crowd’s reaction. Both these points make this an album you should listen to before you die, but it’s not as enjoyable to listen to as Dylan’s best studio albums, so will always be below them in my ranking. But still an album I’d have to recommend, for the points mentioned above.

Fucking fantastic.

I'm sure this sounded great live, but especially the first side just makes me wish that I were listening to the album versions of favorites such as "Desolation Row." The second half picks up in quality a bit, but still doesn't feel like the best of Bob. The biggest redeeming quality is that this unpolished performance jives well with Bob Dylan's enigmatic lyrics and working-man personality.

Really enjoyable, not sure I have ever listened to this concert before.

Wonderful, as ever. Good to hear Dylan singing live back in the days when his voice still held up. Some of my favourite songs here and the live aspect really conjured a sense of the place and time.

Every Bob Dylan fan deserves a euphoric/baffling/disappointing experience seeing the man live. After some twelve years of being a fan, mine finally came in 2022 as part of the “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour. He played mostly new songs at a crawling and creeping pace, his gnarled and shattered voice like a fallen oak tree. He remained behind the piano for the entire gig, not acknowledging the audience at all except for a couple of select moments where he wandered out at the end of a song, struck a pose with hand on hip, soaking in the applause. In the very last song, “Every Grain of Sand”, he finally produced the harmonica and played a few bars, the ultimate act of fan-service. I came away a little bemused, but hugely grateful to have witnessed a living legend. Almost sixty years previously, Dylan was still confounding and delighting people in equal measure with this 1966 show captured on tape (at Manchester Free Trade Hall, rather than the Royal Albert Hall as the bootleg is named). As his shows at the time were structured, the disc is split neatly in half: Dylan is solo-acoustic for a set of songs, and then is joined by a full band (infamously alienating and angering many of his folk fan purists). Nothing on this bootleg was on his 2022 setlist: to be fair, the man has over four hundred songs on his studio albums alone, and hundreds more outtakes, demos, and covers. So it is that there are several songs across this bootleg which I hadn’t heard before, particularly in the electric set. Fortunately, though, there are just as many that I absolutely adore. “Visions of Johanna”, “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and “Desolation Row” are all highlights from the acoustic set, and I know the songs so well that every single tiny change smacks me in the face like “WOW! WHY DID HE DO THAT?!” In “Desolation Row”, the alteration from “the moon is almost hidden; the stars are beginning to hide” to “the stars are just pretending to hide” changes the meaning and tone of the entire verse. In “Visions of Johanna” and “Fourth Time Around”, every missed beat at the end of each phrase feels distinctly purposeful, to throw us slightly out of kilter… or maybe it’s just because Dylan couldn’t wait before the words were flowing out. In truth, I don’t feel that stripping back these songs to just acoustic guitar and vocals adds a great deal to them: the standout feature is of course Dylan’s lyrics, which were there to begin with, so these live renditions are never going to replace the studio recordings as the definitive versions for me. It’s only in the second half, when the full band joins, that things get livelier and a little more interesting. In the controversial electric set, the highlights for me included “Baby Let Me Follow You Down” (a rollicking and earnest cover which has been adapted many times by Dylan) and “Ballad of a Thin Man” (much more caustic and nasty than the studio recording). But really, what we’re all here for is the culmination of the night, the era, Dylan’s career up to this point. a disgruntled folkie fan cries “Judas!”, leading to Dylan’s iconic instruction to his band to “play it fuckin’ loud!”, before a mesmerising black hole opens up and “Like A Rolling Stone” drags us all into it… a historic moment, preserved here forever. Except, oh wait, no it’s not, because streaming services cut it out. Judases.

Quite liked this rendition of "Mr. Tambourine Man"

Minus one star because the whole "Judas" interaction was left out for some fuckin reason

JUDAS!

Ended up listening to this one on my Odyssey Journey back to my car after leaving it in the city after big sound. Bit chilly and grey and yet some how the ramblings of the first half of this album fit nicely. Didn't understand most of what Bob was saying as jack bot put it "I guess some of the lyrics are cool if you're into that deep poetic stuff". Second half was more generic old rock which ain't really what I imagine when I think about Bob Dylan, I imagine a Gay Jewish man named Adam trying to play guitar to get pussy, but failing and having an asthma attack playing the harmonica. 4/5

So close to a 5. The first disc is all acoustic and is prime Dylan - Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 era. The second disc is electrified and this is where it loses a star - mainly because the top of it is not great. The end of it is banger after banger. I caveat all of this with - if you hate Dylan you’re going to hate this 90 minutes.

Previously rated: Highway 61 Revisited (4/5) Blood on the Tracks (4/5) ******************************* He's an even worse singer live than in the studio, but somehow I enjoy listening to it. Half acoustic, half electric. I liked the electric a bit better, but the acoustic was good too. Did not feel too long at 90 minutes.

fínn tónleikaplata. melódíur fara út og suður hjá róberti að venju.

His lyrics are often good, but the style is a silly kind of 60s folkiness, and his voice is irritating. Give me something like "Desolation Row" sung by someone like Tom Waits, and I'd be all in for that. But why is something like "Mr. Tambourine Man" so long? Come on.

I like the electric side of this where Dylan is backed by the Band (ok the Hawks) better than the acoustic side, not that that side is bad. Mixing them gets me to a 3.5, but given it's importance in his transition to electric folk/rock, I'll round up

I am usually torn on Live records. Sometimes there are special guests or on rare occasions there are groups that truly shine in moment. he back story on this one probably puts it into a loftier air, especially the 'Electric' second half of the album. Dylan excels in his songwriting and it is impressive when he seems to effortlessly perform even his most complex verses.

I like Dylan’s songwriting. I like the way it flipped from acoustic to electric halfway through the album. It brought energy and renewed my attentions. I think there were some songs in here that found Dylan indulging in his worst habits, lyrically, the habits that get caricatured in pop culture; the rambling, pseudo-insightful nonsense imagery. I’m about that, for the record, so this isn’t a criticism. I quite like when artists have some pretension.

A very long live album, but probably the most enjoyable I have heard for Bob Dylan. Maybe just in the right mood for it

For better or worse, Dylan doesn't sound much different live than he does in the studio. Having been very familiar with most of these tracks before, it was nice to revisit them in different contexts as I have yet to listen to this live album in its entirety. The electric tracks here sound a lot more chaotic and simultaneously bright and dynamic, especially on this performance's rendition of 'Ballad of a Thin Man'. It's really the context of this concert that makes it so mystical and iconic within the history of live performances. Reading into it, and as apparent in the recordings themselves, Dylan's switch to electrical folk backed by the Hawks in the second set was controversial - spawning a negative reaction from the audience (see: infamous "Judas!" heckler incident). A reaction I don't fully understand - I mean Dylan had already released his seminal electric-folk album 'Highway 61' Revisited' at this point - so why the surprise? It's often attributed to Folk purism I guess. Either way, this is sort of a legacy recording in that sense, Dylan's career didn't take a hit upon his switch to electrical or anything - but spontaneous history captured in a recording in this fashion is always cool to experience, especially when it's this enjoyable - you can't go wrong with some good ol' Dylan. I love the stark warm/cold contrast of the double set list here, though I admittedly enjoyed the electrifying viscera of the rock-driven set more (despite the acoustic side carrying more of my favorite Dylan songs) especially when the band first dives into it with 'Tell Me, Momma'. I can only imagine the audience's reaction.

4 60s Dylan is always a treat. Some fine performances of some fine tunes here.

I feel like this project has helped my musical enjoyment to grow greatly in breadth. Before starting this journey, I would have seen a double live album by Bob Dylan as something akin to a punishment. Now, I see it as a remarkable recording of a "bootleg" concert, showing both the acoustic and electric side of a talented poet and musician. There were a few duller parts here and there on each disc, but equally there were moments of bliss. Some of the longer tracks defied their length by staying interesting. Overall a strong four star album.

Great stuff, long but almost two separate albums

4.5/5. Honestly one of the wildest and most consequential live performances in this genius’ career. Imagine getting called Judas all because you pulled out an electric guitar. Disappointing that they left out the heckling and Dylan’s iconic responses.

Sono tornatoooooooo

Man, that take of Like a Rolling Stone was a hell of a climax to a pretty cool bootleg tape

pretty good harmonica a lil loud and he needs to relax w it but great songs

This was a really glorious listen. To hear all the bangers and in their recognisable format, i.e. when BD started performing but making it so difficult to even tell what song it was. What a thing to be there. Loved hearing an eclectic mix for Dylan bangers

Recently, I've been enjoying the André 3000 album "New Blue Sun" (his ambient flute album) and reading reviews of it too. One thing critics seem to point out is how André 3000, one of the greatest rappers of all time, is actually a novice at playing the flute. His performance on the album isn't a showcase of virtuosic jazz playing, but rather the sound of a brilliant artist trying out something new. But there's something special about that too. It feels pure and vulnerable. I feel a similar way about Bob Dylan's harmonica playing on the first half of this album, the acoustic set. There are moments where he sounds tentative, almost like he's testing out the sound of the instrument before playing the real notes. These moments are usually followed by him wailing on the harmonica in a much more confident way. I like the rawness of that. I like knowing that Bob Dylan is just a guy messing around, using the harmonica as a means to express himself even if it's not always genius all the time. I'm not sure what genius harmonica playing sounds like but I like how Dylan uses the instrument. He punctuates his lyrics with it and emphasizes his emotions. The second half of the album, a plugged-in full band set, is loose and rockin'. I really enjoyed hearing songs I've heard a hundred times before played in a new way. I enjoyed the first half but this second half is something I could see myself putting on in the background again and again.

It's live, it's Dylan, it's solid.

I like Bob Dylan, but at first I thought it was silly to include a bootleg (if a commercially-released one) on this list. But honestly, Dylan’s shift to electric and the animosity it generated is a huge moment in folk and rock music history, and the fact that this is the famous “Judas” concert makes it vital.

3.5

Live-levyksi todella kova. Etenkin jälkipuolisko on rautaa ja kiinnostava historiallinen konteksti myös. 4/5

Vähän tämmönen greatest hits-kimara, joka hyvin demoaa Dylanin eri genrekiinnostuksia. Kiinnostava tarina myös sähkökitaroiden hapatuksesta! 4/5

I believe this is during the time where Dylan going electric was super controversial. As such, the second half of the record (the electric side) goes off the walls right away with “Tell me, momma” holy shit that was a slapper. By the end, you can literally tell everything was maxed out to the limits. The amps are busting, the sound quality is super degraded. It’s amazing. This is far from my favorite Dylan live album. Nothing touches rolling thunder imo- but I love how much Dylan goes on the attack here.

Shoutout to the guy who coughed during " Mr. Tambourine Man. The first half of this literally is supposed to be the before and after of going electric. So proper, so giddy, so silly, and yet it works so well. This version of Dylan is so amazing, and I am more of a fan of the electric Dylan, so when Tell Me Momma starts and just blows us all away with the dirtiness of it. Bob Dylan knows how to put on a show. The " Like a Rolling Stone ending is truly one of the greatest live versions I have ever heard. Dylan is putting his whole heart into it. This sounds like the end of an era. This feels like what the end of the world sounds like. Everything is falling apart, but Dylan's voice and guitar are keeping us alive. This is everything I had hoped for with Dylan's name behind this, and it is amazing.

It's really cool hearing this time capsule of such an insanely huge turning point in music history. I can't imagine what it would've been like to be there in person. Dylan really had to have an insane amount of confidence to trust his gut that this move was the right one, and history has clearly proven him right. Both halves of the set are killer but you can tell that the second electric set was really the future.

Such a unique story teller.

Bob Dylan is just as powerful as he always is. I love his music and this album stands out but I always find country to be a niche for some nights which leads to a 4 star. Play it often but it won’t come up every day.

another Bob Dylan, i prefer his live stuff to his studio stuff so there's that.

Awesome album, I wish I knew more of his studio work so I could better rate this. Another long album, but this makes sense as it is an actual concert.

An excellent live album and snippet of music history

Pretty good

Lol, my streaming service has volumes 1-3 and 5...I guess I'll have to listen to Phil Ochs instead. I listened to Bobby's self titled album. There were a few really good ones on there.

I don't know how I feel about this being on this list. It's obviously an important historical document in the context of live shows and in the context of Dylan's career, but it seems superfluous being on this list as 1 of 7(?) Dylan releases. I look at things from the Bootleg Series as not being really albums, but more historical artifacts expanding on Dylan's already illustrious career, and this was released 30+ years after the fact. That being said, I think it's awesome, and have listened to it before. It's inclusion on this list just seems dubious to me.

Great Album 4 stars

Folk rock, singer-songwriter. Right off the bat, I am not a Bob Dylan fan. I find his singing incredibly irritating and just downright bad. I don't know how or why anyone can be a big fan of him. That being said, I concede that he is an incredible musician and songwriter, which really shows in this live performance. A great setlist, split between the acoustic side 1 and electric side 2, full of his big hits. Was not a big fan of side one, his singing was up front and in the spotlight and it got old very fast. Harmonica and guitar were good, like I said he's very gifted in those departments. Side 2 was much more bearable, his more energetic and loud singing helped mask some of the quirks I don't like about his voice. The backing band The Hawks, technically not The Band yet from what I can gather, was incredible and kinda stole the show at least in my deeply biased eyes. Overall a great performance from Dylan, I can't deny his skills as a musician. While I probably won't revisit, I did have a pretty good time. Almost certainly will not revisit. 3.5/5

Did not know they did a series of bootleg releases. Really enjoyable to listen to, mostly. The harmonica on the electric portion got really shrill in some moments. His band the Hawks sound great, super tight. Overall real, real good.

I liked how the concert was broken up. I preferred the second part, but it’s amazing what Dylan could do solo.

Just when you think you've gotten to the bottom of Dylan's legendary sixties output, you keep on fishing other pivotal releases by the man as related to this period--here in the shape of a 'bootleg' recording of a 1966 concert in Britain. And as usual with Dylan, a postmodernist wealth of key information, endearing details, and other interesting tidbits and anecdotes abound as soon as you start 'studying' such a release... First, there's the misleading title, since this bootleg album was not recorded at London's "Royal Albert Hall" but in Manchester's "Free Trade Hall". Bootleg live recordings are infamously unreliable for that sort of information, and I reckon it took some 'research' by experts to find the real source of said recording here. But I guess that this initial confusion only adds to the mystique usually associated with sixties Bob Dylan... Secondly, that concert in Manchester was already known to Dylan hardcore fans for other, rather extra-musical reasons. And this even before this album was "officially" (re)released in 1998. It's indeed where that notorious "Judas incident" occured, and one can only regret that said incident was edited out of the recording right before "Like A Rolling Stone". That said, with this album's two-part construction--one fully acoustic disc where Bob plays alone, followed by one disc dedicated to the second *electric* half of the gig with The Hawks (aka The Band)--you have a perfect illustration of the controversy surrounding Bob during those years, and how it led to that famous "Judas" confrontation. If you've never heard of that story, go and explore that wikipedia page linked up there... Said twofold construction for the recording also allows the listener to have a sort of "anthology" gathering Dylan's many gifts and iconic sixties cuts in one single release. Not exactly a "best of" LP (you would need far more popular "hits" for this). But certainly a fitting entry point to get why so many people fell in love with the man's music and poetry. Finally, you have two *very interesting* curios opening the second, "electric" half of this release. First, there's "Tell Me, Momma", an original Dylan song and a very lively cut I had never listened to before--and this for good reasons, since it was only played during that 1966 tour, and never recorded in a studio. And then you have an equally lively, fully "electric" version of "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)", originally from *Another Side Of Bob Dylan*. And I got to say that this incredibly intricate yet hectic live version beats the original out of the park BIG TIME, ha ha So if you're only judging the music, songwriting and performances in this record, it's obviously a 5/5. And in terms of "historical importance" for pop culture, the albums also warrants a very high mark. That said, and as much a fan of Dylan as I am, maybe selecting this album in a list such as this one is a bit redundant--at least if you've already selected 5 out of the 7 albums (!) the man recorded between 1962 and 1965, just as I intend to do for my own list. Not to mention later records such as *The Basement Tapes*, *Blood On The Tracks*, *Desire*, *Time Out of Mind* or *Rough And Rowdy Ways*... Which is also why I will just click on "four stars" instead of five tomorrow, in spite of my 5/5 grade. Indeed, and bar a few exceptions where they represent the best thing an act has ever done, it seems to me that live albums shouldn't be put to the forefront of a selection of "essential albums" such as this one anyway. And the same goes for the albums that should appear on my "summary wall". We have enough on our plates sorting out the whiff from the chaff with only *studio* albums! No need to make everything even harder than it already is. As I already have nine or ten Bob Dylan LPs in my own selection, I therefore think it's better to leave a little room for other artists. At least as much room as we can, given the giant that Bob Dylan has been for pop music for so many years... 😉 Number of albums left to review: 239 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 329 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 195 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 244 (including this one, even though it's excellent--it's just that most of the musical and lyrical content of this particular recording is *already* available in studio albums that, surely, you DO need to "listen before you die")

Am Anfang hat mich die Musik etwas irritiert, aber am Ende des Albums fand ich es schon fast schade, dass das Album zu Ende war.

I like Bob Dylan... but 1.5 hours or him is a lot.

I like Bob Dylan, I don’t mind his voice. The second set was not enjoyed as much by the people there, but honestly I felt like it was better than the first.

So there's A LOT going on with this one, I'm going to give a brief summary so I remember. This is around the time when Dylan decided to go electric and move from a folk artist to a rock artist. People were not happy about this (understatement). So Dylan is touring in the UK and he does some shows there where the first half of the set is just him alone doing folk songs. Then the second half he brings out his band and they rock. Strong applause in the first half, lots of upset people in the second half. So these concerts aren't officially recorded, but some bootleg copies start getting circulated and eventually become a big deal (this gets a real release in the late '90s). It's called The Royal Albert Hall Concert, but it's pretty widely agreed now that this is actually from a concert at Manchester Free Trade Hall. This is at least partly known because a famous incident is caught on the recording, where a fan yells "Judas" at Dylan near the end of the show, and then he tells his band to "play it fuckin' loud" as they start "Like a Rolling Stone". I think that's the key history, but was slightly more confusing for me since the Spotify version cuts out quite a bit of the crowd interaction, and then there's another release on Spotify that seems to be (confusingly) the ACTUAL Royal Albert Hall show. It's all very confusing. It's also a 95 minute album so hard to fully follow. I think I eventually got a grasp of it though. I generally struggle a bit with live albums and I think this one is at least partly on the list for the "Judas" incident, but I have to say this is pretty cool. It's obviously partly cool as a history piece (it's wild how upset people were about him using an electric guitar). But beyond that I have to give him credit on this. Dylan is kind of a notoriously mediocre live performer, but he was really good on this. He sounds really great on the first half, and there's a real passion on the second half. It's striking listening to the two halves back-to-back like this. The song selection on this is also great, which isn't always the case on live albums. I don't know how to reasonably rate this against more normal studio albums, it's a whole different thing to me. It's definitely very good though, I won't get caught up in the numbers any longer. Favorite song: Like a Rolling Stone Other: She Belongs to Me, Fourth Time Around, Visions of Johanna, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, 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, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, One Too Many Mornings, Ballad of a Thin Man 3/21/24

Judas. I don’t believe you. One of the three or four musical performances in which Dylan changes the world. And deservedly so. The hawks are a powerful unit. And Dylan rises to the occasion. But it’s 25 years after the event, and the event was shrouded in legend. Dylan of course both knows the power of legend and has spent more than 50 years both downplaying his and using it to keep known. This is an event that you need to be aware of. But the album may make a non Dylan fan wonder what all the fuss was about. 4

For so many to call this brilliance suggests I dont know it well enough. I certianly appreciate it as interesting, alas, I have sat, as perhaps I should, intimately pondering the journeymans lyrics. His poetry may have been seminal in bringing political and social issues to the fore and the masses in a very conservative era. That couraegous subversiveness is to be celebrated and applauded. especially is he was aprt of changing the world. I wasnt born yet so I am bit an observer and commentator. This is album that I need to sit with. I dont have an authentic impression I can share right now. Its live, its a concert, and clearly for many its more thnan just a good concert, this is social, political and musical history. Giving it a 4 so I can come back respectfully and consecrate some time to my Dylan education. But in advance I know that its the social and phenomenoligical stuff that is going to be the magic for me, and not his voice. You cant always get what you want... btu tyou will get good lines out of him.

My favourite Dylan albums are Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited. basic, I know, but they are the ones I really like. So, it was great to hear these performances of some of my favourite Dylan songs. And of course I know the legend of this show. it is probably one of the most significant performances of all time. The cry of "Judas" is the most culturally significant heckle of all time, and Dylan's reaction confirms his commitment to his rock and roll direction, and where his whole career goes from there. But truth be told, I have never listened to the actual recording of the show. I enjoyed the song choices, which heavily favour his most recent two albums, and the recording quality is mostly exceptional, especially for the time. Ballad of a Thin Man seems like an odd exception, with a cavernous and strangely mixed sound. The acoustic first half is compelling and Dylan is in particularly good voice here. God knows how he remembers all the lyrics to Desolation Row.... But it is the second half, the rock and roll portion, that is literally and figuratively electric. The band (The Band!) are fantastic, as evidenced by the Basement Tapes and their whole subsequent career. I'm generally not a huge fan of Robbie Robertson, but his playing here is spot on. I think to how many bands, have taken their lead about how to present a show from this template... Bob really was writing the book, even as he stepped away from it. he never really sounded this good ever again. Really interesting point, and you will need to check your listening source, I listened to the official release of this album on spotify, and the "judas" exchange is all edited out. It goes straight from the end of "Ballad of a Thin Man" fading into "Like a Rolling Stone", without the famous interjection or Bob's replies. What a weird choice; that is one of the most important cultural moments of the 20th Century, and caught on tape, and they haven't included it in this release. That is really strange. I had to go to other sources to find the moment. Push comes to shove, I still prefer the studio versions of these songs, but this is a powerful recording of Bob at the height of his performance powers, a height he never touched again. Unappreciated at the time, but majestic in retrospect.

“play it fuckin loud”

I was going to say this is an example of music from Bob Dylan's best era, but he had a lot of best eras so that's hard to narrow down. The only reason this is getting 4 stars instead of 5 is because I like the studio version of these songs better. Well, that and the electric half of the album being a bit weaker than the acoustic.

One of the better Dylan albums we have listened to on this list. Great second side with the full band (outside of Like a Rolling Stone). Can appreciate the live energy. 4/5

Dylan's most famous live album, originally a bootleg until officially released in 1998. Unfortunately Spotify cut out the iconic adlibs, including the famous "Judas!" outcry from the audience. It's a height of his career, playing all of his famous songs, and has an awesome dynamic between the acoustic and electric side. If none of those conditions applied, I'd be giving this a 3. This is about as good as Dylan could be in his live performances. Still prefer the studio versions for almost all of these. It just feels organic to hear it live. Maybe could use some more improv, energy, and personality, especially on the acoustic side. But if I saw this live, I couldn't complain.

Great range of mid-60's Dylan tunes when he went electric. It was by all accounts a fantastic concert which these recordings support.

Bob Dylan is iconic. While I enjoy his music and recognize his voice, Im not very familiar with his work overall. Enjoyed this album and look forward to more!

enjoyed this one a lot

Man that electric half was actually really great. My favorite were the last two tracks.

The sign of a good live album or compilation is that it immediately gives you the craving to go back to the artist's studio albums, and this does that for me. It's split like 'Bringing it All Back Home' with an acoustic side first and the full band electric side second. Some of my favourite Dylan songs like 'Visions of Johanna' and 'Just Like a Woman' feature on that first side. Will be going through some of his classic albums in the near future i'm sure after this.

For being a folk live album recorded more than 50 years ago, it sounds fresh and authentic. It is a testament of how music evolved, what is the role of the artist, and how the audience react to the art - what expect out of it-. Yes, it is a double album with lots of whiny voices and harmonica solos, but I did not get tired. I did not skip a single song… I will definitely go back to it.

Does it matter that he couldn’t sing all that well? No. The music, the lyrics all defined who he is. One of the greatest story tellers every.

I am first and foremost a Bob Dylan hater. I find so many of his songs to be way too long and his voice irritating. That said, I like this live album. I do wish the hecklers were included, I think that would bump it up to 5 stars for me.

You have to already like Bob Dylan and be interested in the history of his music to appreciate this one. But I do so I do.

I am generally a Dylan fan, but I recognize that much of his output is not terribly accessible. This is a high quality recording for the period, a great setlist, and solid performance. I, for one, was quite surprised when this came out of the vault.

Mixed feelings. It's interesting to hear how he presented the electric songs, first doing an acoustic set and then bringing on the band. And boy they sound fantastic. I find it disappointing that the animosity from the audience that has become so legendary can't even be heard in the recording. I keep hearing this story about someone yelling "Judas" and Dylan calling him a liar before telling the band to play it fucking loud, then starting "Like a Rolling Stone" but you can't hear that at all here. I did find a clip of it elsewhere: https://youtu.be/RViHf4fABxI?si=8wXlAWNvvEueFD_R so at least there's some evidence that it happened. But point is, this album doesn't illustrate that legend, you just hear an audience politely clapping at the end of each song. But it does showcase some fantastic versions of these songs, particularly the electric versions. I was also skeptical that we were listening to, first of all yet another 90 minute live album, and secondly one that was only officially released 32 years after it was recorded. I came around a bit after reading about how much it was bootlegged, and how it influenced other great musicians. In the end I came around, I do think this album is worth a listen before you die, as long as you know some of the context around it going in.

I don't think live albums should be on the list. However, if a case could be made for a single exception, this might be it. Dylan going electric, and breaking people's brains in the process, is absolutely historic. A shame that streaming services cut out the interaction with the crowd in between songs. It is critical to the experience. Do yourself a favor and track down the CD version, or at least make sure you search a little deeper on YouTube: https://youtu.be/c2SWyTuJiEYsi=LtIzsmoJaAZ1IAG6 and play it fuckin' loud!

Dylan is definitely one of those artists that when they are "on" live, they sound maybe better than the proper recorded takes. Of course, when Dylan is bad live it's quite bad. This album though, he's on. And a bit spiteful to the folks who are not into the electric sound, which I think adds to the story here. I am not sure I'd go back to listen to this, but it's an important folk/Dylan moment.

I actually preferred the electric portion!

A vital moment in music history, lovingly remastered. Whether you prefer Bob armed with just his guitar and harmonica or backed by the prodigious talents of the Band, the renditions of Dylan classics presented here are vibrant and crackling with energy.

I'm still not convinced live albums merit a place on the list, and bootlegs even less so, but as a record of a moment when everything changed, this one maybe does. Bob still can't sing, but he can certainly write. I liked the "electric" set more, but the first half was also good.

Ok from what I’ve heard, a little on the longer side but it being a live album is a plus

Surprised this didn't get more love - I thought that this was really good. I guess that's because it's basically a greatest hits (up to 1966) album, but for some reason it seems to have a bit more character than the albums of his that we've had. I'm normally not a fan of elongated songs, and when I saw the track listing was a bit worried seeing 8 minute versions of 4 minute songs, but it actually worked really well. If we could cut out about half the harmonica, that would help, and if he had a proper singing voice that would help too, but it's still a 4/5 for me.

"Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)" by Bob Dylan, although I'm not generally fond of live albums, manages to transcend that preference with some truly standout tracks. This iconic recording, from May 17, 1966, captures Dylan at a pivotal moment in his career, straddling the line between his acoustic folk roots and his electrified rock persona. The album is divided into two sets, the first acoustic, and the second electric with The Hawks (later known as The Band). It's on tracks like "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Desolation Row" that Dylan's transformation and artistic courage are most evident. Despite the album's bootleg origins, which result in less-than-perfect sound quality, the intensity of Dylan's performance shines through. "Live 1966" is not just a live album; it's a historical document of an artist pushing boundaries and redefining genres. It's a testament to Dylan's significance in music history, and these standout tracks make it a must-listen for any music enthusiast.

Yeah it's good, but that version of Mr. Tambourine Man is terrible.

There's really not much wrong here, but it's not really an invigorating live experience

Enjoyed this live album. Was too young to remember the Vietnam War and the protests but my older sisters were teenagers and I remember them listening to Bob Dylan.

I’ve always appreciated bob Dylan’s music as being important and significant but this live performance just exemplifies that respect as one of the greatest artists ever

I was astounded that this was a live album, not only for the clarity of his voice but for the silence of the audience, save for the applause. Amazing voice, great spin on some songs. He is like the Christopher Walken of song speech pattern wise. I do get that he’s a bit marmite though so if you don’t like his voice you’re probably not going to like this album.

He's great, but I also just feel like his voice lends itself to every track having the same vibe

It's surprising to see a bootleg on this list. Back before the days of YouTube, bootlegs were the only way for the diehard fans to hear any unreleased content (especially live releases) and an entire hidden sub-industry sprang up to support it. The often sloppy nature of these releases is captured in the title: The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert that wasn't recorded in the Royal Abert Hall. As far as the content of the release, the first half with the acoustic set is straightforward Bob Dylan. Impressive and classic songs, but not much that you won't get on the early studio albums. The second half with the full band is more interesting. Performed during Dylan's controversial transition period to electric guitars, the music is much fuller. What's missing is the audience reactions that were cut out for the official release of this album. In the original bootleg, you can hear the hecklers between each song. In that context you know that the band is loud and defiant, and feeding off the energy of the rest of the crowd who is along for the journey. The infamous "Judas" incident before "Like a Rolling Stone" was featured in Martin Scorsese's documentary and is worth looking for. It's a shame that the heckles were removed from the album as they only help to make Bob Dylan even more significant.

One of my all time favorite live recordings of Bob Dylan. Re-listening this time I heard a cynical tone throughout the first set. The second set of the highlight in my opinion, but there are gems on the first half as well. A good rendition of Desolation Row doesn't nearly feel like 11 out 12 minutes. I also think that the acoustic Visions of Johanna might be better than the studio recording. Overall it's totally worth the listen. The dynamics between sets feels like your getting two shows in one. Both sides have highs and lows, a little bit of a mixed bag on performances, but this is a week dinner recording capturing a glimpse of a moment in Bob Dylan's storied career.

This recording is a good reminder that despite everything that turns me off about Dylan artistically, there is a brilliant lyricist and storyteller in him, and I always appreciate the increasingly rare times he would tap into that energy. The Hawks' performance is definitely an enormous shift in energy but it's quality stuff. Extra admirable in the face of all the crap the audience gives them for the mere idea. In hindsight it feels like this tour was a realization for Dylan that nobody ever really gave a damn what he wrote; it was all in the aesthetics. Hard to blame him for not caring afterward after such a rough reception.

that Dylan's turning point. Like it.

This is great. Another bit of history I’d heard of but never heard. Some less compelling tracks in there, but the overall effect is tremendous. ‘Desolation Row’ is hypnotic. And the switch to the band in the second half is fab. The harmonica playing really grabbed me! The drone at the end of ‘She Belongs to Me’ might’ve earned a nod from John Cale. Whatever version I listened to over Spotify jump-cut over the “Judas!” exchange.

i got halfway through a different royal albert hall album from 1966 with the same track list before realizing it was the wrong album and then switched to the correct album which isn’t much different. moral of the story is i am insane but these songs are quite nice so i don’t mind listening to them again

This album’s rating will really depend on whether one is a Dylan fan or not, or predisposed to this music. Lacks the dynamics of a strong album, but it really brings out the soul of Dylan’s lyrics. And I am a fan. So a good 4 stars.

Goofy ass version av tambourine man, å goofy att dehär e på listan. Men ja måst säga att de va nog chill album fr fr

Very enjoyable live album honestly. Both the acoustic portion and the full band portion work well and service the songs well. You probably don’t NEED to listen to it before you die, though.

Recognizing my Bob Dylan bias, this isn't a perfect album but if you like that sound it comes very close.

The first side contains some great renditions of some of Dylan's greatest songs, Visions of Johanna being the highlight, but side two is where everything comes alive and this turns into a great live album. Dylan and The Band are raw and energetic, bringing an extra energy to already fantastic songs like Ballad of a Thin Man and Like a Rolling Stone.

Beautiful Bob Dylan music if that’s your thing.

Enjoyed this

Great live album, many of Bob Dylan's hits. Overall a good representation of his musical abilities.

I feel like this would be better experienced actually at the concert to get the full effect, but still a really great album

A tale of two halves that make one hell of a concert!

Lovely, love a bit of Bob

Got to say the crowd don't seem that mad. Oh what? you don't even hear the 'Judas' moment! Stupid spotify sanitised version. Bootlegs are supposed to be raw,

So wonderfully demonstrates that flip from acoustic folk to electric across the two discs

I'm usually not a big fan of Dylan, but this album was great.

confessing my ignorance: I did not know Dylan (and The Band) could rock like that!

Ome Bob live, op z'n aller-jaren-zestigst: gitaar, mondharmonica, en die mallotige stem. Als je even vergeet je te ergeren aan die maffe manier van zingen, is het eigenlijk best goed aan te horen, zelfs sfeervol. Het geluid is ook niet altijd even best, maar zelfs dat deert niet al te veel. Ik vond het nummer 4th time around al veel op Norwegian wood (Beatles) lijken, en kennelijk was dat ook de bedoeling. Bob dist Lennon en McCartney, dat moet Eric toch aanspreken.

Nice to hear early Dylan. The acoustic stuff in particular

Första halvan tillför ju inte så mycket. Den andra däremot är ju både legendarisk och bra. Mer The Bands förtjänst än Bobs, kan man tycka.

Classic Dylan

I prefer the acoustic side of the record.

I loved it, and especially when the whole band was jamming and getting delightfully bluesy!

Dunno what they were moaning about, the electric stuff is fucking great

Power of lyrics still shine through

Did you know he’s involved in a digital pen related book signing scandale? Man’s got lyrics.

I'm a sucker for the first-half acoustic second-half electric live album formula. It really brings a sense of cohesion to something that can otherwise seem a bit aimless, and especially with Dylan's discography it feels like a turning point in his career unfolding in real time

Ok bob

Trevligt litet livealbum. En del dylan klassiker andra bra låtar. Inget mästerverk men är ändå lite najs att lyssna på.

I mean, really good stuff. As an album? Too long, and obviously not the best quality in some cases. But I enjoyed it.

An incredible record of an incredible moment.

A nice early recording from Dylan. Some classics on here, but nothing that stood out on the first play-through that would make me prefer these offerings. Strong close with Ballad of a tin man and Like a rolling stone.

Yes the band are in fine fettle but early signs of Wavering Bob Voice. It sounds like a great gig to have been at, but not quite THE BEST THING EVER .

This was a great collection of Dylan tunes. Have always appreciated him and his work, not necessarily my all time favorite but I still f with it.

Bob

First time listening to Dylan's live album. Classic Bob, beautiful stories, spoken word style and characteristic harmonica/guitar combo

I really enjoyed this, It was a lot better than my first Dylan experience here.

Looses some of the intimacy of the studio albums

I like Dylan, but more for his songwriting...and the first half of the album was letting me down...and then the first track on Side two kicked in and I remembered the story about this...looked it up and that whole acoustic/electric set controversy. I was all prepped with 2 stars but I am going 3.5 now after listening to the second half and a little bit of historical relevance affecting my wanton handing out of half stars.

more importantly culturally than it is great musically in my opinion. Much like the audience, I also prefer Dylan's folk stuff, but the rock isn't bad.

lazy

Disc 1: 2 Disc 2: 5

I've never been a huge fan of Dylan's voice, but this album is very compelling!

I really enjoyed listening to a young Bob Dylan sing live

es dylan, son clásicos, suena muy bien, se aprecia cada detalle a pesar de ser grabado en una presentación en vivo, gusta, falta apreciar mejor las letras. en ocasiones la harmónica cansa, dale tranqui Bob. no estoy de acuerdo con la crítica a la segunda parte del concierto, me gustó tanto como la primera, hace un buen trabajo

Anything by Bob Dylan live is gold

Jel ovo može biti loše? Ne može. Amen, gotova misa.

Electric side is 5*, acoustic not so much (but still good)

Spellbinding portrait of a transitional time.

You have to love yourself some Bob Dylan to really get into this whole album, but it's really lovely, showing off the two sides of Dylan at that pivotal moment in his career. Disk 1 is a really bare bones, slower paced recording that will probably try the patience of your casual listener. Disk 2 is much more to my taste, with Dylan supported by the excellent pre-Band Hawks. Just some really warm, rich performances that I could listen to for hours. Dylan is in excellent voice, singing some of the greatest songs of his career. Sound quality is mixed, with Dylan's vocal fading out quite a bit in "Ballad of a Thin Man," which is unfortunate. Not the album I would recommend as an intro to Dylan, but still pretty great. Fave Songs: Like a Rolling Stone, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, One Too Many Mornings, I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met), Tell Me Momma, Just Like a Woman, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, Visions of Johanna

I'm trying to understand this album in the context of its time - Bob Dylan, folk singer extraordinaire goes electric and his audience goes bonkers. Calls of "Judas!" and heckling fill the air. Ok, but I don't get this, because he had already released his electric Highway 61 Revisited nearly a year earlier to rave reviews. Classics on that album (performed here) include Like a Rolling Stone and Ballad of a Thin Man, both of which were originally recorded electric. So, I can't help but wonder if the audience theatrics are just a whole bunch of pretentiousness. Either way, I found the acoustic side a little dull - I kept thinking, "this is a 3." His singing sounds like a parody of himself. The guitar lines are just the same chords over and over, with an occasional break to blow on the harmonica. Plus, for all the raving about his lyrics, sometimes they're pure cheese: See the primitive wallflower freeze When the jelly-faced women all sneeze Hear the one with the mustache say, “Jeeze I can’t find my knees” [insert eye-roll emoji] Now, I knew some of these acoustic tracks were pretty well-known songs and noticed that many of them were hits for others, so I went listening to other versions. I found in most cases I preferred the covers, such as the hit versions of It's All Over Now, Baby Blue by Them (i.e., Van Morrison) and Mr. Tambourine Man by the Byrds. Both covers led me to conclude that Dylan is an awesome songwriter who should leave the performing to others. Then I hit the electric set. Immediate thought - Dylan can actually sing. Yeah, he still has that weird twangy inflection, but he was belting it out over the band (or I guess, technically, over The Band). But another thing was that these songs had much more character than Dylan with just a guitar. Tell Me, Momma comes across like a slap to the pretentious audience members who only want to hear folk Bob. I Don't Believe You is the first one where I thought Dylan really sang well. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues and Leopard-Skin Pill-Box are both rockers with great guitar work (Robbie Robertson, presumably?). Ballad of a Thin Man and Like a Rolling Stone are both classics and both sound great here. So, the electric side brought me to a 4. I'm looking forward to hearing more - particularly Highway 61 Revisited (which I've listened to before, but never closely). This live album is probably more important as a historical recording, but it made me want to dig a lot deeper. I'm sure digging deeper will make me better appreciate the "back-story" of this apparently legendary concert.

This is just an hour and a half of pure Bob Dylan. It’s good if you like Bob Dylan, and probably pretty unbearable if you don’t (fortunately, I do). The first half of the album is slow Bob Dylan songs, and the second half is faster Bob Dylan songs. There isn’t much more to say than that. It’s a long Bob Dylan album. Favorite track: Tell Me, Momma

I enjoyed this album, as I’ve always been someone who appreciates Dylan. The Highway 61 / Blonde on Blonde time period has far and away been my favorite, and the tracks on this album did not disappoint. I liked how the first half was solo acoustic and the second was with his band. It’s quite interesting to me how negatively the “band” part of Dylan’s history was received at first. As far as “bootlegs” go, this was very well done.

I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. It still stands that Bob Dylan is an excellent storyteller, and a fantastic songwriter, but his vocal tones are borderline unpleasant at times.

I enjoyed this quite a bit, I guess I'm a fan of the harmonica.

I'm a Dylan fan, but not a Dylan stan. He has some works I really like beyond just their reputation, but Petty has always been my Traveling Wilbury of choice. So I have heard this concert performance before once or twice, but it's not exactly what I'd call a fun time, it's honestly more of a history lesson. A history lesson with some incredible songs, including a couple of my favorite Dylan tracks, but I don't see much need to listen to this other than to understand this point in his career. As a historical artifact, it's terrific. As a recording of this particular setlist, it's still quite good, but I'd honestly take this out for something a little more daring instead. And I find both halves pretty equal. B

Not a fan of Bob Dylan's singing style with the constant upward inflections, but his songwriting is on point. The first half of this release, the acoustic half, also has a really intimate feeling that is very enjoyable. Dylan's singing style bothers me a lot here though. The second half, with The Hawks, is a masterful performance. Atmospheric, psychedelic, folky, and rockin'. Dylan's singing is a bit more restrained, which fits the music better and is far more enjoyable.

I was expecting too much from this release. It's nice since I already assumed that Bob Dylan is beyond my comprehension, so I can say that the album is not as remarkable as I thought. It's good, sure, but lower expectations could be a good approach to listen to it in 2022 when Bob Dylan is already a Nobel-prized author with so many expectations over his songs. The twist acoustic/electric between the two discs is something strong.

Oh cool! I've heard of this performance, when Dylan "went electric", but I didn't realize it was available to listen to. Yup - it's exactly as advertised. Dylan does his usual folk crooning on disc 1, and then invents folk rock on disc 2. I like em both! Hard to imagine people disliking the rock sound so much. I'm almost inclined to give it 5 stars for the historical importance, but gonna stick with 4 for the purely subjective listening experience. Fave track - "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" from disc 1, "Like a Rolling Stone" from disc 2...

Great songs, but I don't think I'll be re-listening this very often, so 4*.

a dandy

It is funny what they consider a bootleg, but this live concert was very well recorded and displayed a lot of Dylan's songs immediately following his shift to electric guitar. This milestone and its importance cannot be understated for its impact on music, and the music on this album serve as a prime example as to why Dylan is so highly regarded.

Flottur Dylan á flottu tímabili.

It's good if you can ignore the singing

Bob innit

Classic Bob Dylan some great live versions of classic songs

An incredibly performed show from a peak point in Bob Dylans career. Favorites: "Just Like a Woman", "Tell Me, Momma", "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"

Well now I don't know how to rate this album. I listened all the way through twice and was quite well taken with it the first time, ready for 5 stars. But after a second listen, I'm tired, ready for it to be over, at a low 3. I'm not sure what happened. I find I like it best when I can give all my attention to the lyrics. That makes it hard to get anything done while I'm listening. Second time through, I had to get some work done so maybe that's why it grated. I did really like the first side both times, all acoustic with just Dylan "singing." His voice is definitely a parody of itself and I can't call it "pretty" or even "good" but honestly I can't imagine these songs sounding any other way. This is poetry talk-sung to some simple, sweet melodies. His musicianship really shines on the harmonica --- chords and single tones with dynamics! Whoa. I started writing down all the lyrics I particularly liked but had to stop pretty quickly because I'd be quoting entire songs. I like the second side less with more musicians and more electricity. I see now from the album's Wikipedia page that the audience agreed with me: "The first half of the concert was greeted warmly by the audience, while the second half was highly criticized, with heckling going on before and after each song." It wasn't bad but I wasn't as charmed. I'll split the difference and give the whole thing a 4. I'm glad to have listened to it but I may not listen to the whole thing again.

I wasn’t sure if I would be into this. Hearing this might be a bootleg tape gave me visions of terribly audio quality - and I struggle at times with Dylan's vocals. Fortunately the audio quality seemed good for something with "bootleg" in the title. Although on the first 3 songs I struggled Dylan’s delivery, I started to enjoy the album during “Visions of Johanna”. “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and “Desolation Row” was very good and where I started to relate more to the album. At the end of the first album I was still not sure how to rank this. I was not yet really enjoying the listen despite the brilliant songs and extremely talented performance. Was I going to have to give this 3 stars since I had no interest in adding it to my music collection? When the second disc in the set started with the band everything changed. The band helped click everything into place and I really started loving the music. They helped smooth over the parts of the vocals that I had found grating. The lyrics took on a new urgency. And everything became much more fun! I was hearing some of that heckling from the audience because Dylan had "sold out." I guess I am one of those unwashed masses that Dylan sold out for, because I really like him when he plugs in. I'm so glad he ignored the haters and expanded how he presented his music. I'm glad to have the opportunity to experience "pure" Dylan in disc one, but I'm not really interested in listening to it again. When Dylan started working with the band my appreciation of him moved from my head to my heart.

If we hadn't already given freewheelin' a 5 ....

lang, maar hij weet u toch maar te pakken heee

Oke Bob Dylan, je verdient men volledige aandacht voor die depressieve lyrics. Maar ik kan je die niet voor de volledige 1u5 geven 😟

Good album. Great history

Enjoyed! Will have to come back around to this again.

My wife and I had very different experiences with this album. I was never really a Dylan fan and had a hell of a time trying to decipher what he was saying, and for this reason didn't get as much out of this album (a problem exacerbated by the live recording). My wife, on the other hand, is a Dylan superfan and loved hearing the rawness and unpolished versions of yhe dongs that she knows all the lyrics to (which I understand is most of Dylan's allure). We split the difference in our rating.

Bob Dylan, más de 50 años componiendo. Una puta leyenda viva del folclore americano que aunque no sea mi música favorita, reconozco la enormidad del asunto.

Enjoyable Bob Dylan album.

Big fan of the fact that this was recorded at the Free Trade Hall in MCR and not the Albert Hall as stated in the title. Excellent album however some tracks don't really hit, for example track 1 didn't really do anything yet the ovation is huge, maybe blinded by the man.

A concert (and an album) of two halves. The first half, the extended acoustic set, is a fantastic collection of Dylan numbers brilliantly executed and is a really enjoyable listen. But it’s the second part of the set where it really catches fire and feels, quite literally, electric. Superb.

Es Dylan. La primera mitad del disco canta el solo y se me hace larguísima pero la segunda lo hace con banda y el conjunto gana bastante. Es bueno pero es Dylan.

This double disc was on constant rotation in Wheatfields. Almost makes me wish we didn't have access to all music ever made all the time anywhere. I miss forming those deep relationships with an album that's only possible when you're limited to an armrest full of CDs. These days my attention deficit disorder and Spotify isn't a recipe for repeat album listens, let alone playing one 100+ times. Pretty much every second of this is burned somewhere in my head, so it really stood out when Spotify trimmed off the breaks between songs (presumably because saving 5 seconds per song racks up more streams?). The legend of this album is Dylan going electric in front of a bunch of uptight British folk purists, so what's cut out - the crowd's response, Bob's reactions - is a big hole in the story. I know I sound like a music snob, but the big moment where someone yells "Judas!", Bob says "I don't believe you", turns to The Band, says "play fucking loud!" and bangs out Like A Rolling Stone, is great, and is gone. I suppose that doesn't matter for 1001 though. Disc 2 is a perfect 5/5 A+ for me. Snotty, sloppy, way too trebley, raucous (for 1966) Bob. Disc 1 is somewhere lower - it takes a rare patience to love a 9 minute Tambourine Man. A

The first seven songs are beautifully preformed, just a man his words, his guitar and his harmonica. But when the songs are electrified and played with accompaniment, the album just explodes out of the headphones. Tell Me Momma bangs so hard. I’d give this a 5, but I can’t bring myself to give a live performance/best of album a 5.

Man he’s got a lot of stamina with these long songs. Bob Dylan albums can be a little tough for me, but I liked this one more than I expected to. Had a good feel- need to revisit to appreciate the lyrics. The history of the bootlegging is cool.

It loses a star for the length and the amount of harmonica but overall fantastic. Comfortable. 8/10

7/10. Weird choice to put a vertically stretched picture of Mike from Stranger Things on the cover. Fairly enjoyable album, but didn't have much of the excitement that live albums often have, and Like a Rolling Stone and Desolation row were the only stand-out songs in my opinion.

Super good shit

why does it seem like he is whispering in my ear?

I like it a lot, I just don't know how often I'll come back to a 1.5 hour Bob Dylan album. 8

Classic Dylan

nice nice

Wordsmanship at its finest with a hint of folk rock

Very good live album, especially the second half

Git country

half-listened, distracting day

One of the best Live albums that I’ve heard. Actually enjoyable, and edited well.

Always think I'm gonna like Bob Dylan less than I end up. Desolation Row was especially great.