Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

Bob unleashes his full potential.

I’m not usually into live albums, but this one was solid. It’s a double disc set, with the first disc showcasing Dylan’s intimate acoustic style and the second disc leaning into a more upbeat, energetic electric folk rock sound. Other than that, it definitely sounds like classic Bob Dylan.

The music itself is decent, but many (most?) of these songs have been on other Bob Dylan albums I’ve listened to as part of this project, so it seems redundant. The live performance doesn’t seem to add or change much, and it’s very long. The harmonica started to annoy me in the first half.

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

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"

Loved Dylan’s lyrics in this one. Hated just about everything else.

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.

Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) The fact that the Judas moment is missing has thrown me for a bit of a loop with this. I started writing that it’s hard for some things to live up to the myth, especially when the myth is Bob Dylan and the people creating the myth are Dylanheads and 60s rock journalists, and that the ‘Judas’ moment does genuinely crackle, Dylan’s sneer of ‘I don’t believe you, play it fuckin’ loud’, the hit of the snare, the energy of it all is palpable, you can feel it 59 years on. But that’s not on the streaming version, and I can’t remember from when I had the CD whether there was more talking between other songs too. I don’t think there was, and it was as presented here, with no audience interaction, giving it a characteristic Dylan aloofness and otherworldliness. And as great as the Judas moment is, and whether the streaming version is missing in between song chatter, it’s not the greatest thing about this album. The acoustic set is stunning, utterly captivating in its crystalline, glassily mesmeric simplicity and starkness. His pin sharp, spectral, alien charisma is tangible, how just guitar, harmonica and voice can freeze time and hold an audience in stillness is remarkable. The electric set is great in a different way, the Band/Hawks really is excellent, feeding off the sense of confrontation and creating a roughshod brilliance, especially on the version of Baby Let Me Follow You Down, which I love, and of course on Like A Rolling Stone. But it's the acoustic set that lingers and that I keep coming back to, both for its magnetic, ghostly magnificence and as a snapshot of someone at the peak of their artistry, while close to a physical and mental breaking point. The electric side has historical significance of course, and is worth a high mark on its own, but combined with the first set this is an easy 5. 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸 Playlist submission: Desolation Row

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.

Kjedelig..

Saw Bob Dylan live. Kinda same vibes as this plain boring live album.

The second half of the album was soooooo much better than the first half. Still not particular towards his voice, especially during the first half... the second half's instrumentals complimented his voice more though. Would have rated this higher if it was just the second half.

Mumbles and his harmonica, not doing it for me.

He is a great lyricist.

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

2 sterne

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

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.

Not for me. 1/5

Very good electric set, but the acoustic side drags a little.

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.

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.

Not sure if it was the recording or the speakers I'm using but the harmonica on this hit painful levels for me. I guess the second half was better because less harmonica.

I liked the second half more than the first half, when he plugged in and started to rock a little more. Crazy that this wasn't looked upon fondly at the time. I didn't find the recording to be very good, which was distracting. Some good songs but really hard to listen to this. My least favorite Dylan album we listened to, not because of the content, but just because I didn't like the recording at all.

This was simultaneously great and terrible. I knew of this by reputation. The concert where Dylan switched from acoustic to electric halfway through and the crowd hated it, booing and jeering. Well it turns out the audience didn't really hate it all that much. Sure there's some dissenters after each song, but mostly applause.

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

Listened through early and despite the length I had a decent time with it. But here in the evening re-listening to some tracks to pick one for my 1001 playlist, it sounds much worse. Never loved Dylan much, his voice is just so whiny it leaves me to feel he’s sadly much overrated. 2.5/5 but going to rate down as this seems more a glorified greatest hits under the guise of being a “live” album

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.

i saw bob dylan live in 2015. his vocal range had been reduced to 2 low notes that sounded like the buzzes of carpenter bees, he stood rooted in a shoulder width stance in front of the mic almost the whole time like he was nailed down, and he only played songs from after 2000. i think someone actually had to help him get to the piano behind him at one point. it was a little disillusioning and i had a hard time listening to full dylan albums again after that. i love bob dylan, but i truly believe that the best thing he ever did was help The Band become a thing. i didn't enjoy this as much as i hoped i would. 3/5 don't smoke kids

I think it’s lame for any live albums to be on this list. I really want to rate them a 1 by default but let’s give it a chance. Speaking on Bob - not a fan and never have been. I get the appeal but give me Tom Waits if I have to listen to a terrible vocalist with good lyrics. This starts so gratingly boring and is so grinding to my ears it was really a slog to get through. Truly 7 or 8 listening sessions throughout the day and the first time I'm finishing an album in a time crunch. I am arriving on Side B at 10pm... Thank God for the second half. Without it I would have review nuked this into the ground. I'm sure the first half is sick if you're a fan of the man, but truly did not enjoy anything until The Band (lol) started playing. Complete 180, became a great listening experience. Evolves into something you absolutely need to listen to before you die, historically and musically. Too bad that first half is torture. Not an album you need to listen to before you die, but absolutely an improperly labeled bootleg to listen to the second half of and also read the wikipedia page for context before you die.

FLAG ON THE PLAY. Is this album allowed on this list for it being a live version? I think the only reason why this "album" is on here is because of the cultural impact that Bob Dylan had when he transitioned out of folk music and into electric music (music with electric instruments). I don't think this is fair, but I'll give it a review nonetheless, but will be deducting points. The folky half of the album is good minus the occasional piercing harmonica. I enjoy the composition of it, but because it's a live production in the 60s, the quality isn't where it could be. My main takeaway is "these are a good collection of folky songs". The second half of the album is cool too, but it comprised of a number of songs on his prerecorded albums. Again, I like the songwriting, and I can tolerate his voice, but I'm deducting points for the Bob Dylan glazing that's obviously occurring.

Let’s get this out of the way. It’s long and the first 45 minutes don’t really do much for me - except for Desolation Row. I love that song and still do after a 11:30 minutes of a live performance. This really kicks into gear when the full band comes out, Dylan’s voice is louder and the way he’s sneering into the mic as he delivers a billion lyrics over his super long songs somehow works for me. All in all, I get that this is a touchstone for music. It has moments of greatness and I like where he’s going not so much where he started. Strong 3/5

There are 7, yeah that's right fucking SEVEN, Bob Dylan albums on this list. To be blunt, there is exactly one reason that this album is on this list, and its because it shows the response to Bob going electric because he changes to electric halfway through this album and got booed. BUDDY I was booing Bob Dylan from song one of this album, you fuckers from '66 don't got nothing on me, I'd have been revolutionary in my hating on Bob Dylan. Anyway, Bob Dylan sucks, he sings like hes making fun of himself and his songs are boring, if I'm giving Tom Waits, a 30 times more interesting artist, a 1 or 2 then poor bobby over here will live in the lowest depths of onedom. Also electric bobs better then folk bob. Allegedly someone yells "Judas" at bob at some point right before "Like a Rolling Stone" on this album but I just don't hear it, maybe they cut it out of the copy I was listening to? The wikipedia page says that the crowd was hostile to him switching to electric but both halves the crowd sounds the same to me.

I enjoyed the harmonica.

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.

Great concert for a bunch of ungrateful British twats.

I guess the best songs, but still not sold on dylan

Fourth of seven Dylan albums on this list. This is one of the two that probably shouldn't be on this list. It's here because of the legend and myth surrounding the performance, but I feel like there is an over representation of Dylan and the mystique of this album shouldn't be the major qualifier for it's inclusion.

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

# 454 : 09/04/2025 : I don't love it, I don't hate it. I thought it was very ordinary, quite long and rather forgettable. For a live recording it wasn't that energetic and Jesus Christ, Bob. Give that harmonica a break, not something I want to hear for 1.5 hours!

Great story behind this one. Helped me realize that I'm actually a fan of Dylan, but only whenever there's a band behind him drowning out his awful voice. I should just listen to The Band, huh?

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

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

Honestly no more enjoyable than an open mic night at my local

I love Bob Dylan, I think he's a brilliant song writer, but I also wonder how many people slept through that first set. Great songs, but so much softer and more sublimated than the studio versions. The second picks up with some percussion and electrified guitar.

Love the music and the lyrics. Still working on loving the voice.

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

2,5

I can't do it. I can't listen to this album. I'm giving it a 3 just to be fair to the ratings but I cannot stand this shit. I didn't even make it through the first song.

Ugg... thats two Bob Dylan albums in the same week. His voice grates on me. Listened to first disc, couldn't face the second one.

His singing style is so goofy, I laughed out loud a couple of times during this album. Still enjoyed some of the songs, but surprisingly not mr tambourine man, even though it’s my favourite of his - didn’t like this version of it at all

Why is this here? I tend to enjoy Dylan but this list has way too much live shit on it. The first half is far from his best performance. I much prefer an actual album to be made on the list over this. If a live album must be included, at least make it look significant, not this. 3/10 only because it's still Dylan, so I still like the music.

actually, wasn't bad.

I can't handle live albums, sorry bob

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.

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.

Album starts with a beautiful, intimate version of "She Belongs to Me" which showcases his Nobel-Prize-winning writing chops. "Fourth Time Around" will never not sound like "Norwegian Wood" to me and I'm okay never hearing it again. Then a masterpiece: "Visions of Johanna." Sigh. He had me at "Ain't it just like the night..." The intensity keeps up with the next few songs, all winners. The electric set starts with "Tell Me Momma" and it's worth seeking out the complete recording which includes the audience heckling and Dylan's asides. My Amazon Prime stream didn't have this part but I found it on YouTube if you dig around. Amazing how upset people got with his electric move! Fantastic album and I'm personally developing time travel so I can go back and be there.

This list has made me realize I really don't like Bob Dylan. He's just painful to listen to. The story behind this record, that is to say this concert, is interesting - but not really. Not enough to warrant me having to listen to it. Also, the album wasn't available on my streaming service, so I had to listen on YouTube, where all the banter and heckling between songs was apparently removed. If that's why this album is a must listen, then I am disappointed. Not in that I didn't hear it, but in why it's on this list. I think maybe I need to try listening to covers of Bob Dylan songs to maybe appreciate the songs more, because, damn, Bob Dylan is awful to listen to sing. When Jimmy Fallon does his Bob Dylan impression, it's no parody; it's a genuine and faithful imitation. Bob Dylan is a parody of himself. I'm going to skip any more Bob Dylan records on this list. Two strikes and you're out. I'm not coming back for a third.

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

I like many of the songs on this album, and I am a fan of Bob Dylan. But my guess is that this album belongs here more as a cultural/historical impact. Listening through here, I don't feel that this stands apart from his typical studio albums in terms of musical prowess or execution. It's a good live album listen, but with bootlegs kind of being a thing of the past in the easily sharable/searchable digital music age, I don't see why this would deserve to be on the list over other full length studio projects of Dylan's.

Like okay, but all the same all th 2 cds

je mehr ich dylan höre(n muss/darf), desto mehr gefällt seine musik. hier für mich teil 2 klar besser, weil akustik und dylans stimme dann doch auch anstrengend wird.

Sicher eine Legende, aber mir zu eintönig. Zum Glück haben andere dann seine Lieder besser gesungen.

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.

60% Best: Tell Me, Momma; Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues Must-Hear? I wouldn’t wish the first disc/set against my worst enemy. However, the 2nd disc/set is actually pretty decent, in no small part to the Band.

Not a bad recording by any means but I guess I just don't care for live albums all that much.

Por que? No tenemos suficiente de Dylan ya?

Meh

I want to shove that harmonica down his throat

Liveeeeeee

I would be surprised a bootlegged album is in this generator, but since the world has a crush on Bob Dylan, I'm not surprised. The album needed less Harmonica(and more Cowbell). It's a shame this was my 100th Rock Album in this generator.

90 minutes of this shit? No doubt it’ll be rated highly because it’s Bob Dylan, but nope.

Nice sounding tracks, he sounds the exact same live and in studio, good collection of his main tracks, worth a listen I must say.

Nice one.

The first of the album was just Bob, his guitar, and an intermittent harmonica. Although I have the utmost respect for his songwriting, listening to these tracks, one after the other grew tiresome to me. Things picked up during the second half with the introduction of the band.

ugh no more nasal boy pls

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!

I enjoy some Dylan, he wrote some great songs, but this is a lot of Dylan. The first side is fairly dull, and the harmonica is always a grating instrument to me. The electric side of the album is better, the Hawks are a fantastic band that went on to be The Band.

p822. 1998. 1 star. A live double album of Bob Dylan's nasal whine. Fuck no. Not one song on this adds anything to the studio versions. The second album is better, but that's not saying much. This is only on the list because of the Judas moment, and that is NOT a good reason to listen to this abomination.

Yet more Bob Dylan. I have to say, the first disc of this album was less bad than I expected. Maybe Dylan is starting to grow on me? But the second disc was the same screechy yelling I've come to loathe so much. I feel like he has to yell harder when accompanied by electric instruments in order to not be drowned out by the band Ranging from boring to actively bad, this is gonna be a no from me

Boring hahaha and sorry Dylan is a big one but doesn't make it necessarily not borning :p

2 stars. I don't like his voice and I hated the acoustic set half. I felt like I was losing my mind when people talked about loving him and his lyrics bc I couldn't get over how much I hated his voice in this. Then the band kicked in and it was p good.

I couldn't listen to the end. So bad. I have no idea why this should be a must-listen album. Bad singing. Boring melodies.

Not a fan, which surprised me. His voice annoyed me, but the mouth organ really bugged me. All the songs sounded the same to my ear.

Live, raw, visceral, and yet abrasive. This is what I spoke about a few days ago, I was a bob dylan hater. Somehow his live performances are so captivating, rich and full of soul but theres almost no ability to relisten. Beautiful album. A former bob dylan hater but lets not pretend he's a songbird. He's a fog horn on a steamship. However there is alot of beauty in the dichotomy of Bob Dylan's acoustic and electric sound. I dig it.

No thank you.

Puedo entender (intento) que aportó a la música pero no puedo tolerar su voz, sorry.

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.

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.

Not sure I like Bob's voice from the earlier days. It's distinctive but most of the time I'm not enjoying listening to it. A shame cause I like the music behind it

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.

There’s a bit to unpack here… Firstly, it's another album made in Manchester, so it was pretty cool listening to this on the commute past the Free Trade Hall. Secondly, Bob Dylan has never been an artist of which people say ‘oh he’s so much better live than on record!’ So why is this live album included? Well, it's presumably here to represent, in album form, the moment Dylan ‘went electric’ at Newport the previous year - a seismic event in popular music history, by all accounts. At first I thought this concert, some 6 months later, would be a poor substitute for Newport, but to be fair, ‘At Folsom Prison’ wasn’t Johnny Cash’s first prison gig either. And if the righteous indignation of the folk-loving public continued into ‘66 then I guess this recording could succeed as a document of that era. Unlike Cash's prison albums, though, I don't think the occasion comes across if you don't already have the context. There's a bit of crowd noise between songs, but I had to really listen hard to pick up any boos or heckles, which seems to defeat the point a bit... What about the actual music? The performance is decent, though some of Dylan's weird intonations (particularly during Mr Tambourine Man) grate on me here more than they usually do. The setlist is good too, featuring a lot of his best acoustic songs and a couple of his best electric ones. If you were to listen to only *one* Bob Dylan album before you die, perhaps this would be a good shout. As it stands though, pretty much all his studio albums from this era feature on the list; indeed 11 of the 15 songs from the setlist are already represented, so this album feels more than a little superfluous.

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.

90 minute Dylan live album. This is a real undertaking. I'm ambivalent on Dylan. Listened to many of his albums, though I find him really hard to get into. She Belongs to me Not much to comment on. As Dylan as a Dylan track gets. Singing is odd, harmonica is good. Fine. 3/5 Fourth time around Opens quite well. Unrefined. Great storytelling. Doesn't excite me too much, but is a good enough song for me to not be completely disinterested. Fine. 3/5 Visions of Johanna Paints a somber atmosphere. Impressive worldbuilding. Some of the inflections on this track are unique to say the least. Never really goes anywhere interesting to me. There's a story here, and the writing is good just isn't something I'll be returning to. 2/5 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue Bluesy. I like the melody on the verse. Harmonica sounds great here, played really soulfully. Passionate delivery. Zoned out a bit, sorry. Fine. 3/5 Desolation Row Classic. I enjoy the narrative structure. Guitar melody is nice in the background. I appreciate how easy the story is to follow, and the picture it paints over the course of the song. The final verse caps off the song wonderfully. Great 4.5/5 Just Like a Woman First two lines set the tone well. Not sure if I like the chorus. Wish I had more to add, just nothing stands out too much. Enjoy the somber vibe. 3/5 Mr. Tambourine Man Yeah this one I can't rate fairly. Heard it too many times so not an actual first impression. I think it's an absolute classic. This version has a slightly different tempo and delivery. Prefer the studio version, still a 5/5. First half is good, just not entirely too exciting for me personally. Kept my attention through most of it. Had a good time in general. Tell Me Mama Opens quite differently. Appreciate the sonic difference brought by the electric instruments and the drum. Bluesy. Nice energy. Don't care too much about the lyrics. Decent. 3.5/5 I don't believe you (She acts like we haven't met) I notice the organ as soon as it comes in. Love when the multiple sounds of the band come together with Dylan's voice. Love the vocal performance here. I like the confused character of the narrator in the song's story. Ends well. Enjoyable track. 4/5 Baby, Let Me Follow You Down Unsure about the first minute. Chaotic. Guitar is played with a lot of feeling. I do not like the organ solo. Okay piano solo. Rounded out nicely. 3/5 Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues Sluggish. Whiny. Decent enough instrumentation. Some cool melodies there. Okay concept I guess, just really not entranced in anyway. Find myself a bit bored of it around the 3 minute mark. Average. 2.5/5 Leopard-Skin-Pill-box-Hat Repetitive. Nothing really to comment on, kinda funny I guess. Tounge in cheek lyrics. Fine. 3/5 One too many mornings First verse is well structured. Sounds like what it's trying to sound like. Executes its concept very competently. Totally okay with hearing it again. 3.5/5 Ballad of a Thin Man Classic. Vocals are really quiet. Complicated. I guess I don't really understand the lyrics. Am I stupid? I'm entertained by my own confusion. Can't say I'm not entertained. I like it I think? 4/5 Like a Rolling Stone Probably heard the studio version of this song 1 million times. I think it's just fine. Just never been my favourite. Don't like the sound quality of this version too much. The organ is too sharp in my headphones when playing the higher notes. I understand why he'd end with this song. Works great as a closer. Catchy, kind of bored of it. Rating on the day. 3.8/5 Was what I expected. Enjoyed most of it. Will probably prefer returning to more condensed Dylan projects over this one. His studio records are easier for me to listen too, though as a historic record I'm glad I finished this one at least. Fave track. Mr. Tambourine Man Least Fave track. Visions of Johanna

I just don't enjoy Dylan. His music is definitely very significant for this time. Nice to hear the early rock and folky roots.

Live albums are generally meh and I cannot stand Bob Dylan's voice. Love his lyrics so this pains me.

uggggghhh live albums. whyyyyy. I do not like you, Bob Dylan.

Favorite Track: Like A Rolling Stone

Always great 👍

Jesus Christ. Is someone punking me? Is there a camera hidden behind this potted plant? This is torture. Please. I'll tell you anything you want to know.

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.

If someone besides Mr. Burns could sing these songs that’d be great.

Never in my life have I needed a harmonica solo. I really do not like Bob Dylan.

I love Bob Dylan, but this album helps me see why many people don’t. I still enjoyed this album, kind of, but I don’t see me going back to it. The wailing harmonica alone kind of drives me away…and I love the harmonica. Just not played like this. I also appreciate the cultural significance of this album. It’s largely that reason that it belongs on this list.

I'm not that familiar with Bod Dylan, that I mainly know from covers (notably French-translated ones). And I'm not sure that album was the best way to get to know him and his work better, because it overall wasn't that pleasant to listen to. I already knew Dylan wasn't that great of a singer, and I don't think it's necessary a bad thing for a singer-songwriter with engaging lyrics. But this selection of songs was not the most interesting one on that side, with very few political or engaged songs. And if I found the voice-guitare combo compelling as a folk fan, I have to say ; there is a problem with the recording of that harmonica. The problem isn't in the instrument itself, but how strident it is, how loud compared to the rest. And I wasn't that convinced by the rock side of things. It doesn't match his voice and overall style that well, and more importantly the sound recording was once more a bit weird, and agressive to the ears. I didn't quite enjoyed it. Sorry Bob, but listening to this live wasn't a great experience. It was one I don't plan to reproduce any time soon. I'm sure we'll meet again on a studio album, and the ratings will be far better, but I genuinely don't understand why they put this album on this list.

It’s certainly mostly listenable

Høfligt nej tak til det her livealbum. Første halvdel var ok men anden halvdel lød virkelig dårligt optaget.

Som inkarneret livealbum hater vil jeg sige at disk 1 var lidt kedelig og disk 2 var komplet magisk. Ville have givet min arm for at være der dog.

Great songs. Pretty shitty recording.

omg this is so good

I just don't get Dylan. I imagine what he did was seen at the time as new and exciting, but playing this now it sounds to me like someone who can't really sing. And not in a good way. I thought maybe with a band behind him the songs might work a bit better (I love the Chocolate Watch Band's version of Baby Blue, for example), but Disc 2 disabused me of this notion. That's just as much of a racket, and with less space to think or breathe. I tried, but he's not for me.

He's doesn't half drone on at times.

No

OMG this ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Effing brilliant.

This made me sick with rage. I hate harmonicas

This wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected it to be, I think most people find to cool to dislike Bob Dylan since everything he did here was aped to oblivion by plenty of other popular musicians in the intervening years. I preferred the solo set, with its minimalist hypnotic vibes. I didn't really get much from the electric set, it just felt so generic. I started to finally understand and appreciate the vocal delivery near the end of the album. I do feel vindicated in knowing that I too can tunelessly dick around with a harmonica. Rating: 3.0

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

Better than I expected! Really enjoyed it!

Put the harmonica away bob

Having seen Bob Dylan live I'd rather just listen to the studio albums

This was a struggle for me. A lot could be said for vocal lessons. I am not a fan of Harmonica. Acoustic vs. Electric. Folk vs Rock. No winners here.

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

Pre: As always with many of these Dylan's an artist I've been meaning to listen to more of. I've mostly been a fan of what I've listened to at least. I've never been a huge fan of his singing though except for a few exceptions so we'll see if my opinions have changed. Post: Kind of insane to think of any way to judge it because it was 1966. I don't think the album stands up on its own nowadays really, but it is interesting as a piece of music history. It's funny how a lot of Dylan's music is timeless except this one highlight which is such a specific moment to capture. Maybe I would be one of those crazy booing people after all! Truth betold I'm not a huge fan of Electric Dylan, hell I can't stand Like a Rolling Stone, so this isn't much of a surprise. Maybe I would be one of those crazy booing people after all! I did go see A Complete Unknown yesterday though in fortuitous timing. Since then, and because of this album, I have been listening to more and more Dylan so maybe I'll come back to this album in a bit with a different view. No doubt my thoughts will vary heavily listen to listen and day to day, such is the obvious result of the album a day review. Highlight: Mr Tambourine Man

1. belongz - 1.5 2. time - 1.5 3. johanna - 2 4. baby - 2 5. dezolation - 1 6. uuoman - 2 7. tambourine - 1.5 8. momma - 1 9. believe - 1.5 10. follouu - 1 11. thumbz - 1.5 12. leopard - 1.5 13. morning - 1.5 14. thin - 2 15. rolling ztone - 2

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

Sounds like Mr Burns from The Simpsons

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

I don't think any other artist is so widely regarded that I think is so utterly shit. The vocals are so grating he's just mumbling along. The first half of this there's nothing much more than him, the guitar and the awful harmonica thing. Feel ashamed this was in the UK

Lättlyssnad och skön musik

A brilliant live performance from one of the best artists ever.

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.

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.

That first disc was tough to get through, and by itself I would've given it a 1. The second disc was more upbeat with a little less harmonica and more guitar.

I wanted to like this more than I did. So many classics and songs that were new to me. But the classics showed that over the decades, he really polished these rough stones, and that polishing was really necessary to what ultimately became timeless classics. I've been listening to The History Of Rock Music in 500 Songs podcast and recently learned a bit more about Dylan's early career (Episode on Song For Woody Guthrie), so it was educational and reinforcing to hear this album. I could imagine him in a Lower East Side coffee house playing this to a bored crowd wanting poetry, and then him getting better and the crowds flipping to people wanting this music and not the poets. Listen to that podcast series if it's not yet in your feed.

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

Another boring Bob Dylan record from this project. My third one so far? How many Bob Dylan records are on here? Why is every single one a 2/5 for me?

I can listen to this album on repeat.

A good album I liked Fourth Time Around the most

Excellent!

I don’t get it

I could not wait for the first half to be over. Too much fucking harmonica! I get he is a cultural icon, but I can not comprehend why. The second half, it was tolerable, even though according to the mythological tale that has grown up around that entire event, it was the hated portion. I sincerely hope that I am done with Bob Dylan on this list. I just do not get it.

Didn't finish it. I like Dylan, but not enough to listen to an hour and a half concert. I don't think concerts have their place on this list, really. Unless it it is really exceptional (this wasn't it)

Bien que j'apprécie beaucoup Bob Dylan, j'ai trouvé cet album un peu lourd. La principale raison est comment il étire beaucoup trop les chansons d'une façon qui ne rajoute pas tellement aux originales. Aussi, ses fluctuations de voix typiques sont beaucoup trop présentes et bien moins bien exécutées/incorporées aux chansons. 4/10

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.

horrible and annoying. 1 star for easy listening strumming.

I am admittedly not a Bob Dylan fan, but this album was better than most of his other albums I've heard. 3.5

Interesting

Too long

Sublime lightning in a bottle

I like Dylan, but didn't care for this live album.

Not bad for a brutal singer

I want to like Dylan but I do not like Dylan

God don’t he go on?! It’s ok but none of the versions really add anything to the existing studio cuts, so it’s a no from me dog!

The original songwriter, Dylan really took signwriting and gave them true meaning. Gone of the days of "I wanna hold your hand" and "She Loves You" Dylan wrote songs with depth which see him lauded as one of the GOAT's. His singing voice is however not seen in the same breath, a club singer with the writing talents of the finest storytellers. *Visions of Joanna*

Meh lol not a fan. Didn’t listen

Op track 1 begint ome Bob alweer te zingen als een totale, ik weet dat je het tegenwoordig niet meer mag zeggen maar ik kan even niet anders, mongool en na zo'n 2 minuten begint hij z'n mondharmonica bruut te verkrachten. Zoals altijd klinkt Bob alsof hij nog herstellende is van z'n zoveelste TIA danwel full blown beroerte en heeft 'ie als klap op de vuurpijl ook nog eens een verstopte neus. Ik kan niet genoeg benadrukken hoeveel ik me erger aan zijn manier van zingen. Ik weet inmiddels serieus niet meer of ik dit liever hoor dan Beach Samba en dat is echt bizar veelzeggend. Bob en z'n harmonica staan vrij hard en het gitaartje valt grotendeels weg, wat bij mij zorgt voor pure irritatie. De liveopname voegt dan ook weinig toe, behalve dat het me opvalt dat er dus blijkbaar mensen zijn die hier voor klappen. Ik ben op een punt in m'n leven dat ik geen anderhalf uur naar Bob Dylan ga zitten luisteren. Ik heb als onderdeel van deze lijst al drie albums van hem gehad en ik vond ze alle drie om te huilen. Dan gaat dit album m'n mening niet veranderen. Na zo'n 20 minuten heb ik het opgegeven. Het leven is te kort en te kostbaar. Dit album gaat me geen nieuwe inzichten geven. Niemand hoeft vier Dylan albums te luisteren voor het sterven. Niemand. Totale overkill. Fuck zeg.

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

Songs are great, still can’t abide his singing.

I do not like Bob Dylan’s style

Kakkososuus oli jepa

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

Classic live album.

First side is boring and cheeks. 2nd half is good despite being a DAMN dipshit live album.

I like Bob Dylan but this was cheeks. Singing was bad, and not even the good type of bad like on his studio albums. Like a rolling stone is one of my favorite songs and he absolutely butchered it. This live album has no business being in this list. What is special about this that i needed to hear this instead just listening to the far superior studio albums?

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

I really don't like Bob Dylan's voice. It's strained and whiney, and he slides his pitches all over the place. It just flat out does not sound good. When he doesn't strain, whine, or slide his pitch, it actually sounds pretty good. The issue is he slides his pitch at the end of every line and pushes his voice frequently for lyrical/musical emphasis. If his voice wasn't so bad, I would really like his music. He's an excellent guitar player and maybe an even better harmonica player. I also generally love music from this era (Peter, Paul, and Mary and The Mamas & The Papas being two of my favorite bands). The second half of the album helps a touch. The instrumental sections get even better and easier to listen to. Unfortunately, at this point I'm so sick and tired of Dylan's voice that I'm taping out. DID NOT FINISH

good live album. i like bob dylan as much as the next folk enthusiast, but i don’t want to listen to him for 90 minutes straight

Amazing! Favorite Bob moments.

This experience has provided me with vital information - that Bob Dylan is the measure of all music, as I don’t believe within infinite universes that there will ever be a professional musician as poor as Bob Dylan. I’d rather listen to the screeching of a thousand and one cats with constipation.

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

I liked the electric set. Was a good recording overall Will I listen to again: 25%

Oh my god. His voice is just terrible. From the first few seconds of the album all the way through minute 90(!!!!!). His nasality and generally lazy vocal delivery quash any chance his lyrical ability had at shining through. Also, the harmonica is at a level beyond grating, and the entire first half of the album is painfully driveling accoustic folk. The second half of the album finally shows some energy, but no amount of average rock can save the travesty that is the first half of this record. Overall, this album is pure torture; a test of endurance that only the most masochistic person would put themselves through.

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

Big meh

I really want to rate it higher, but it's just fine. Good. Mellow. Blends together

Absolutely not. An hour and a half of nasal Dylan abusing his harmonica? No. I'd rather pluck out every one of my nose hairs for the same time frame instead.

Take Bob Dylan out of a studio setting and make him live, and what do you get?! You get even more irritated, that's what. But seriously, unfiltered Dylan basically equates to even more nasal droning and even more harmonica, two of the qualities I can't stand in him. Enough is enough with all the fucking Bob Dylan on this project.

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

Bob Dylan

Boring

3 - not my favorite bob dylan, but its still decent, passable music

De los pocos artistas donde me gustan menos sus live versions

As a document of a musically important moment in time, it's quite cool. At least it would be if they hadn't edited out all of the abuse. I think I would have enjoyed that more. It's fine. I prefer electric Bob.

There’s the Bob Dylan I know. Not for me. It was pretty boring and sounded all the same. Did not like his vocals on this album at all. DNF.

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.

I can’t deal with that voice, I’m sure I’d really enjoy these songs if they were covered by talented singers. Unfortunately it was like listening to Johnny cash after a stroke in parts and the rest was reminiscent of a pissed bloke doing karaoke. It’s concerning that he was able to sing a disc worth of songs and they still allowed him to sing on disc 2. To top it off the average run time for each track felt like 10 minutes, I am angry that I had to endure 89 minutes of this shit

Truly horrible stuff, my heart sank when I saw the album, and I wish it had stopped whilst listening to it.

Give it a rest, Robert. (I feel like Bob is a name he would like fans, warm acquaintances and friends to use, I am quite literally none of those things) I'm struggling to find anything positive to say about this album, other than the fact it did eventually end. Robert's voice is something of an acquired taste, in the same way that mercury probably is- and it felt like it was being dripped into my system, one inane tune at a time. Despite sounding like a cross between a human groan tube and a plastic bag that was having the air squeezed out of it, you might think there was some solace to be had in the lyricism, for which I understand Robert is supposedly renowned. No. The lyrics for the most part were diffuse and without any obvious meaning.. and I'm not buying into this deeper meaning, or reading between the lines bollocks. I'm not listening to a man squeezing air out of his face for an hour and a half, to then be expected to do some DIY and build my own meaning out of the cheap, flat pack audible horseshit that has been slopped into my ears. Every now and then Robert, pick up your end of the couch and tell me what you're waffling on about. You'd think that was it.. but wait there's more! The final nail in the coffin for me, was the incessant use of the harmonica. There's a time and place for the harmonica, which for Robert would appear to be everywhere and all of the time on this album. There's a reason tramps, prisoners and those weird bumpkins that hang around in train carriages in the old west use the harmonica, it's not because it sounds fantastic, it's because it's easy to carry. Use a different instrument from time to time, Robert.. instead of just blowing air into a piece of shrapnel and setting my dog off howling for the best part of two hours. All in all I enjoyed the album and can't wait to not listen to it again. 1/5 stars

Wank. He's genuinely a terrible singer. He sounds as though he has one lung and is constantly holding in a sneeze at the end of every line. If this is what was considered good music in the 60s, no wonder JFK killed himself

Even a turkey with a harmonica stuck in it's wattle can write good songs. However the good ones didn't feature much on this, it was an incredibly tedious listen.

I know that Bob Dylan was great and influential but his music mostly feels a bit outdated nowadays. It's still good but I just feel like it was shadowed by more melodic. I enjoy "Like a Rolling Stone" but the majority of the songs from this album just felt a bit meh.

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

Hits different after watching A Complete Unknown

Sounds better than when I saw him live.

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

Disc 1 - I am not a massive fan of his voice and the songs can be a bit samey, he also really needs to use that harmonica less. Disc 2 - Much better and a lot more energetic, however the harmonica is still there in some songs. Overall I prefer disc 2 over disc 1.

Veers a bit too much in to quite annoying noise too often for me.

surely calm me down :) still, not a fan of country music

The fucking harmonica 🙉

Excellent stuff....huge Dylan buff.

Oh my! I know that this man is put right up there by some people but the voice and all the harmonica is just too much for me. That being said thought the 2nd half was better than the first as the instruments masked his voice a bit and the harmonica was not as prominent.

I am generally anti Bob Dylan singing. 2 stars because the guy knew how to write a song

Dylan is mid

I don’t dislike Bob Dylan but this felt superfluous and the live element didn’t add anything for me

A lot of songs that I liked with the element of a live album

Cool to hear the famous "Dylan Goes Electric" show. Can't say I loved his singing or rambling poetic lyrics. The Electric Half massively improved for me over the folk half. Could attribute a lot of that to the instrumentals of The Band.

It's 1.30 min of two songs, basically. If it was only one side, it would have been more enjoyable.

Both live AND Bob Dylan? Aww hell no.

Live albums don't really do it for me, but having seen Dylan live a few times myself this is by far the best I've ever heard. This does feel like a compilation album though which doesn't necessarily qualify it for this list to me.

OK

"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.

Can't fall asleep to this, because the 500dB harmonica could wake up an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh from his thousand year long slumber. Can't rock out to this, because it's 90 minutes of Bob Dylan mumbling about the time he got an extra chicken nugget in his Happy Meal or something. Can't have shit. Stuck in perpetual limbo. You've done it again, Robert Zimmerman - and by "it", I mean "me in"! Hey, that was pretty clever. Follow for more Simpsons trivia.

The musical content is just okay, but as a performer he's terrible.

++*: 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

I appreciated this more knowing it was a bootleg, but it's still way way too much Bob Dylan

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

I’m really not a fan of Dylan, I find his vocals flat out annoying, and every one of his songs sounds the same. However he can play the shit out if that harmonica, which I love. Great instrumentals, no denying that.

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.

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

Five albums heard of the seven (7) Bob Dylan’s included in this…liking him less and less

It's Dylan!

Låter ungefär som en Bruno K. Öijer som skitit på sig.

I do not like bob dylan. harmonica is not a good instrument

Ok, I know he's an amazing composer and all, but I really don't think he deserves that many spots on this list. He already has many albums on it, the last thing this list needed was a live record from him as well. Also, almost all the covers of his songs are better than the originals.

At first i thought : 1H and 30 minutes of Bob Dylan ? Please stop i'm not 60. And i was a right, fuck that harmonica. I was right until the ending with Ballad of a Thin Man and Like A rolling stone, (we can see how it influences hendrix). That ending was incredible. So it's two incredible songs vs a boring live album, i'll be nice and give 2 stars

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.

I like a bit of Bob, this is just very odd juxtaposition - accounts into electric - and bobs voice is not the best on this recording…..

Really can't stand Dylan's vocal. I'd rather listen to The Byrds singing his songs and Milltown Brothers do a great version of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" Disc 2 with the band is a hell of a lot better though so an extra star for that.

I just can’t get into Bob Dylan - as a songwriter he’s one of the best ever but as a singer he sounds like a drunk in a pub karaoke.

Not my style. Lyrically it’s amazing, it’s simple music and ultimately a bit boring.

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.

I need to relisten with more intent. I really enjoyed the second half with the band but I'm afraid I didn't give the lyrics the due that they deserve in the guitar half. And this album is all about lyrics, clearly. I enjoyed it but I think.i could have loved it.

I really love Bob but I don't feel this deserves to be here.

Dreadfully dull, can't sing, zero personality, and yet, I still prefer myself to Bob Dylan.

❤️/5

Bad album.

A live staple. Bob Dylan at his apex.

3.4

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.

Side one the harmonica was painful and there was an unnecessary amount of jamming at the end of some of the tracks. Side two was significantly better

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

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.

More of the same feeling as from Highway 61, except in Live form. Some of the songs felt so dragged out and lacked a bit of solid rhythm that would really elevate them. I can see Dylan’s influence on songwriting and guitaring but his contemporaries (Beatles etc) elevated his style by converting it into fully fledged songs with more enjoyable and rewarding structures for the listener.

I don’t like live albums. Harmonica was ear-piercing and too much of it. Annoying singing. Rudimentary, uninspiring guitar. Lyrics are good but not good enough to carry this ‘album’ for 90 minutes. A few songs are solid, like Desolation Row and I Don’t Believe You. But those were not written for this album specifically, and so this album doesn’t deserve credit for them. Which begs the question - what does this album in isolation offer? The answer is simple - very little. I’m aware I’m harsh on live albums but I see nothing wrong with that. I’ve loved Oasis’s entire discography for years but how many times have I actually sat down and listened to Knebworth 1966 (Live)? Maaaaaybe once? Studio albums are where it’s at, for this list anyway. My criticism isn’t purely because it’s a live album though. That slow, wailing rendition of Like a Rolling Stone at the end was frankly annoying to listen to. Bleh. Sorry Bob, this doesn’t do it for me.

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.

Torture. Over an hour! My ears were bleeding by song two! This dude sounds like a cat in heat. I was dragged to see this dude live in NYC in the 80’s. He was barely coherent and didn’t last long. That experience may actually have been preferable to this album.

Here’s my problem, I just don’t like Bob Dylan. I know he’s supposed to be a brilliant songwriter, but I don’t enjoy listening to him.

I like Dylan ok... In bite size doses. I literally could not get through this. 😮‍💨

V dylan

Quite liked this rendition of "Mr. Tambourine Man"

Look I liked this a lot, but if I'm honest I can't really get behind a live album that doesn't at least make an effort to sound like a live album. Where is the stage presence??? Was it a decision by the producer to exclude any interaction between Bob Dylan and the audience or did he just sit up on stage with his guitar and harmonica and not utter a single word?? My favourite thing about live albums is getting to hear the artist's engagement with the crowd. Otherwise it just sounds very clinical. That being said, it was still a nice album to listen to, but I'm a little confused as to why you'd include this album over one of Bob Dylan's studio recorded albums.

I just can’t stand Bob Dylan. And fuck harmonicas for real. Not poorly performed or written, but poison to me.

Acoustic -> electric Cool history Love diving into dylan

Decent album, but it goes on a little long and if you dont necessarily already like dylan when you start listening, then youre not guaranteed to like him when its done. 3/5

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

I didn't enjoy this at all. Least hated song: mr. tambourine man.

Always love.

Bruh 90 minutes of this dude I can't

Just brilliant!

JUDAS!

JUDAS!!!!

As a live album, it's pretty good. Live albums are usually terrible, to be honest. Whilst this is pretty good, it's still not great. The harmonica in particular sounds awfully piercing at times.

probably one of his bets live performances

I couldn’t get through it. Bob Dylan is the most annoying, overrated artist ever.

This live recording sounds raw and intimate. The setlist mixes acoustic simplicity with electric energy. It’s a bit like early Neil Young but less polished. The transition from folk to rock is jagged, but that’s the charm. The audience’s reaction adds a layer of tension that makes it more interesting. It’s a snapshot of an artist in flux.

to było nawet niezłe

I empathise with the people who hate Bob Dylan who had to sit through an hour and a half of his droning voice and ear piercing harmonica. I love Bob Dylan, but a live album? Really? That's like having a 'greatest hits' album on a greatest list, I don't really think it counts. I get that Bob Dylan of all artists sounds completely different pretty much every live performance, but I really didn't want my first Bob Dylan album on this list to be this - it just feels disingenuous to rate some of my favourite Bob Dylan songs all on one album despite them all coming from different places. Visions of Johanna is one of my favourite songs of all time, so it was nice to hear a true-to-record version of that live. I also appreciated the first disc of the album. Honestly, sitting there for an hour and a half got pretty tiring listening to this. I really don't think a bootlegged live recording is a 'must-listen', but it's still enjoyable nevertheless. Tossed between a 3 and a 4 (I'd give this a 7/10 if it were on a 10 scale), but I think there's better Bob Dylan records out there to listen to, nor is this essential, so I'm gonna go with a 3.

I think the novelty of this album is lost on me. Without the story and the legacy attached to this event this is kind of a failure of a live album. I'd say historically I don't mind Bob Dylan, he's got a funny way of singing that is good for a laugh but I don't think I would change stations on the radio if he came on. I can see why people get annoying at the abundance of the harmonica but it never really bothered me. But this really is a piss poor excuse for a live album. I am sure they worked the best magic they could in 1998 to salvage a live recording from 1966 to some extent but the quality is mediocre at best and feels very flippant with what audio is received/how it is balanced. During the acoustic section in the first half his voice is captured at its clearest. But the guitar is much quieter, making it feel insignificant to the performance. Then the harmonica will come in and seemingly top out whatever microphone Bob is blowing it into. If this album is what has frozen a majority of listeners into suffering PTSD from his harmonica I honestly wouldn't blame you. Secondly, on how it feels like a failure of a live album. I don't think this is their best performances. Bob is fine during the first half, but the poor mixing of his guitar and the lack of any other performers other than him make this section feel like one long drag. The electric portion was better on average in my opinion. The addition of new elements sets the songs apart more and his band 'The Hawks' felt like they put a lot of energy into their performance. My biggest gripe with that half is the vocals, I don't know if it is the fault of the recording, or if Bob was exhausted or just pissed off (more on that in a moment) at this point in the show but he was a lot less intelligible in this half. During the final performance with 'Like a Rolling Stone' it almost felt like he was trolling the crowd with how he was dragging out the chorus. Lastly, for a live performance. There isn't really much that is showcased outside of the songs. You get a bit of the crowds reactions between songs in the acoustic section and the jump between songs on the album seems pretty seamless, which I am not sure if it is just an editing thing which this album clearly underwent. Or that the performers were just going through their songs like a shopping list so they could get out of there. That is until the electric section. Where the transition between songs is a lot more abrupt. You will get a small snippet of cheering at the end of a song, before a harsh cut into now crowd noise for their next song. That would be because these geniuses thought they could just carefully edit around the songs to try and hide the fact that the crowd for whatever reason turned against this concert during the electric portion. Reportedly, in the original audio there is a lot of booing and heckling between songs in the 2nd half. Were the audience misled into thinking they were just getting a traditional concert with just Bob? Was this protest against the more rock & roll focused 2nd half in contrast to his more folk music beginnings? Either way it is a bitch made thing to do, especially when trying to present this as a legacy recording of a live event. I was initially considering being more generous and giving this a 3 considering my enjoyment of the 2nd half, but them tampering with one of the live elements of the show (which should be half the justification for why the recording sounds the way it does n the first place) doesn't sit right with me. This also has me wondering how I will enjoy Bob Dylan albums further into this list. Because while I may like him here and there I could see his style getting on my nerves if I have to sit down and listen to it for upwards of an hour.

Disk 1 Fourth Time Around - really enjoyed the way this sounded. Visions of Johanna - really enjoyed the lyrics on this one in particular, stopped me in my tracks to listen to the end of the verse lmao. Quality dips severely at the end which is unfortunate. Just like a woman - this one was great all around. Mr. Tambourine Man - Dylan really needed a lozenge at this point in the set. Some of the harmonica and vocals are a bit rough around the edges. The nature of the album is that it has some rough parts in recording quality. The harmonica parts were really rough on the first track in particular but got better as the album went on. Disk 2 Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat - the guitar solos in this were pretty terrible Ballad of a thin Man - really liked this track, shame about the audio quality. I must check out the studio version Like a Rolling Stone - I really like the studio version of this tune, instrumentally and vocally. This live version is very rough, audio quality is grim, and Dylan REALLY needs a lozenge his voice is blown out for 8 whole minutes. Tough to enjoy. Standard blues rock fare overall on this disk. Decent album overall, songs are a bit hit or miss for me. Not sure why a live album needs to make the shortlist. I prefer studio Dylan

i cannot tell you how much i fucking despise live albums. i really don't get what human being out there would rather listen to a live album. i can understand maybe right after it came out, giving it a listen once or twice if the performer tends to play unique renditions or is a real performer, but how can you prefer this to studio quality performings. this actually pisses me off that its on the list noone ever 'needs' to listen to a fucking live album, what they need to do is watch the fucking aritst live lazy cunts anyway its bob dylan so its still great, i refuse to write My Comprehensive Bob Dylan Opinions on a fucking live album so im gonna save that

Bob Dylan is one of those musicians who I’ve never understood why they were ever popular. He sounds like an antisemitic stereotype. I was surprised their were no songs written about his allergies or overbearing mother. I went into this thinking I’d give it a shot and I might find some way to enjoy an element of it. Nope. Shitty ass folk music for lead paint eating retards. I stopped listening after the second track and I’m not going back to listen again. It would only be a 1 so I’ll spare the group average by just marking this did not listen. Bob Dylan should have been on that plane instead of Jim Croce. REVISION: I went back to this album after extensive psychiatric intervention and also several recommendations that the second disc is good. I stand by side one being utter horseshit low quality poorly mixed garbage, however I will say the second side is quite good once the fella gets electric.

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

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

A minute into the first track I really thought to myself “fuck me dead, an hour and a half of this shit”. To preface, I like Bob Dylan. The first song on my giant playlist is The Man In Me, I think a lot of his songs are great. However he usually performs the worst version of the songs he writes. Anyway fuck my life the harmonica really hits badly on this first track and i was glad to see the mix in Fourth Time Around was a lot more forgiving on the ears. Thankfully so was the rest of this song: light and airy guitar work, great lyricism from one of the best to ever do it, so-so lyrics and unfortunately an annoying fucking harmonica. I don’t know what level of heavy metal poisoning you need to have to enjoy Bob Dylan fuckin annihilating your ears but I’m sure the dickheads clapping at the end of this track can let me know what the appropriate level of mercury PPM in your bloodstream allows you to enjoy it. Visions of Johanna, absolute classic. But that harmonica sneaks in and forces me to quickly hit the volume down button. It’s quickly becoming clear to me it’s going to be hard to give an album that has this and Like A Rolling Stone a 3 because of this annoying fucking harmonica. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue is a song I first heard covered by Marianne Faithful and then The Animals and then Graham Bonnett. All of these artists did it better than Bob Dylan. Desolation Row was alright, the mixing here is a bit shit but whatever it’s a bootleg. My thoughts about Just Like A Woman are the same as many of Dylan’s songs: “great lyrics, so-so vocals and instrumentals”. Mr Tambourine Man is where I really started to lose it with this album. These songs are long, Bob Dylan sounds like he is parodying himself and it honestly is disappointing given how great of a writer he is. Wow the second half of this shit really picks up. I’ll summarise my thoughts instead of wasting mine and everyone else’s time by trying to pad out my review. There is a special place in hell for those who said Bob Dylan sold out by going electric. At a concert someone called him a sellout and he called that audience member a Judas and told his band to crank up the volume. And thank fuckin god cause this shit is WAY better. This half would be a 4 or a 5 if it was its own thing and not burdened by side one which sounds like it was made by the USAF psyop guys who were too privileged to get sent to Vietnam. Closing thoughts on this half is that this version of Ballad Of A Thin Man rivals Kula Shaker’s cover which has always been my favourite. Like A Rolling Stone is a very special song to me and always makes me think of my father, if side one had not pissed me off so much it would have been enough to give this a 5.

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

very, very boring. Some hits bring it up from a one star rating

Historically notable but practically unlistenable.

This is the seventh Dylan album I've had to listen to and it's still a complete fucking mystery to me how anyone can listen to this guy and receive enjoyment.

The first half of this album is the version of Dylan I just can’t do. It all sounds the same and his vocals are hard to handle, let alone understand. The electric half is more my speed, he seems to benefit from playing off of other musicians to keep more structure and pace. So it was nice to hear both and pin point that difference.

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.

Again: more poetry than music. I cannot Imagine that old Folks DON‘T get the cringe listening to these crooked metaphors.

I’ve got mixed opinions. He’s a great songwriter but just can’t get past that voice. Fortunately the band played the last half and made the album worth the bus ride it took to listen. If I had been anywhere else I would have found something worthwhile to do instead. 11 minutes of Mr Tambourine Man with a lengthy harmonica solo consisting mostly of the same 8 notes? I agree there’s a lot of creativity in his songwriting and I get that he’s been a great influence on a lot of bands that came afterwards - some who are my all-time favorites. But I would rather listen to covers of his songs instead of him.