Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

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.

Half boring, half badly recorded. Get this off the list.

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

пока не научилась различать песни Боба Дилана. этот экспириенс пока не помог

Ei iske. Sattumalta joku coveroi tätä Helsingin juhlaviikoilla Huvila-teltassa ja luin tästä. Toka puoli on paljon parempi mut ei ehkä mun juttu sekään.

Its Bob Dylan…his Voice, his Instruments, not mine…but fhe second part of the album is okay 5/10

This is another category of live albums that "work" (other options are heavy improvisation, a simplistic style and great performance chops, and incorporating the live audience with the work). this one "works" because Dylan's voice and performance is just as bad live as in the studio. I want to like Dylan, his lyricism is legitimately great. When I can understand what he's saying. But he's not a good musician. He can't sing well, he's not a good guitarist. he's not even very good at writing music. I get why people like bob Dylan, but I have yet to find a work of his that I like as a piece of music.

I had no idea Dylan has such an awful voice. Not being familiar with his work I was quite looking forward to this, but it’s almost unlistenable.

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.

Not my favorite of his! Still pretty good

This is too long

Had to wade through too many poor live versions of good studio slow songs before a few good jams.

I wish this included the heckling that was apparently happening. It must have taken some guts to go electric and keep performing when people are mad at you. I don’t like live albums and Dylan’s voice was extremely Dylan here but I thought the electric part was fun. High 3.

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

This album is likely on here more as a historical artifact than for the music itself. It’s not bad I just prefer the studio versions of these songs. I’d go see Dylan live if this was the setlist rather than Frank Sinatra songs sung badly.

Bob Dylan’s vocals are like a roller coaster that isn’t fun. Otherwise his music would be great

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.

Fare la prima metà dell'album acusticamente è una scelta coraggiosa quando hai una delle voci più fastidiose di tutti i tempi, quindi complimenti. Scherzi a parte, sono affezionato a Bob grazie ai miei genitori quindi sentirlo mi fa sorridere a prescindere. Sono anche andato a un suo concerto. Detto questo, un album live? Era davvero necessario? Forse è qui per i litigi tra Bob e il pubblico ma a quanto pare sono stati tagliati, quindi a cosa serve? E poi non so cosa aveva la folla da lamentarsi, la seconda parte con gli strumenti è molto meglio. Bah. Comunque, album live è un automatico turn off, è lungo, Bob sei un tesoro e ci sono delle hit assolutamente ma non si può andare oltre al 3

Oof

Best Song: Like A Rolling Stone. I just like the song, even if this isn't the best rendition. Worst Song: Just Like A Woman. Absolutely hate the infantilizing nonsense of the lyrics here. "You make love like a woman, but you break just like a little girl"? Sure it's got this "Catcher in the Rye", "There's a bluebird in my heart..." kind of quality to it, and had the song been gender neutral I could have maybe accepted that, but the choice to specifically gender the lyrics brings in a bunch of weird baggage. Creepy. Overall: Oh he's real mumbly here. Every vocal phrase sounds like it starts with someone physically squeezing all the air out of him. The album also does not benefit from the live setting in any way. Not sure why someone would choose this form to listen to these tracks.

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.

This guy has never been my thing, but at least in the early days his voice still sounded nice.

Another truly overrated performer. Fu**ing awful vocal

My expectations were low but this was actually good. It being live helped a lot, he did some interesting things with his songs.

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

Good. But I think Bob Dylan, despite being objectively good to great, may be the most overrated artist of the last 60 years.

me and solo acoustic bob dylan do not vibe. second disc with the band was much more bearable

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.

I have a lot of respect for Bob Dylan. But also, I kinda can’t stand him. It’s a weird dichotomy, but I’ll try to explain. The first half of this record, the acoustic set, was incredibly off-putting to me. His acoustic songs often feel like these amorphous blobs of music, without many changes or points of demarcation musically. He sings over his gently strummed songs and the melodies, if you will, don’t really make a lot of sense with what he is playing instrumentally. But then, on the second half of this record, the electric set, Dylan is forced into a box. He has a constraint on him in the form of a backing band (The Band, as it were) and fuck me if it isn’t 1000 times more interesting than the acoustic blobs on the first disc. Going electric is the smartest move Dylan ever made.

It's fine, but not sure why it is an album I must hear before I die. 3/5

I have gone from a seminal album to an entire generation to a Bob Dylan bootleg album. This is the most Boomer thing ever to include a bootleg album that includes songs already included on albums in this book by Bob Dylan. There are already six other albums by Bob Dylan in this book, so it's not like this album has to be heard because it is by an artist who isn't sufficiently represented in this book. I like Bob Dylan! I like these songs! Many are already available on this list already and there is not anything here totally different from what is presented on Dylan's albums. It's really good and it's Dylan live. I can't figure out what is represented here that isn't already represented in this book, other than "Dylan live." If we are going to include official bootleg albums by artists then this needs to be a much longer list. Just can't get behind this one.

Great stuff, long but almost two separate albums

I rolled a Nat 1 on the generator today. Not only am I cursed to listen to Bob Dylan wail for an hour and a half, it's a live album so the audio quality/production value is trash. Guitar riffs are simplistic and slow. I think the only positive for me on this set is a handful of mildly interesting harmonica parts. The main issue with these singer/song writer albums is that if you don't like the singer, it doesn't have any other legs to stand on. That's the case for me here.

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.

Dolor de cabeza. Y eso que me gusta Dylan. Pero en concierto parece que le están pisando el dedo meñique del pie.

Not a lot of variety.

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

Tale of two halves. The first one was more a poetry session, which is great for some but not me, and things picked up a lot in the second half when the band came in. Averages out to average

From the first few words of the first song I thought to myself "damn this will be a LONG 1 and a half hour". Then the super loud harmonica started playing. Jokes aside yes this was long and tedious but side 2 was better at least so I will give it 2.5-3

Too long. First (acoustic) half was a bit disappointing. The second (electric) half was more enjoyable. A good version of "Ballad of a Thin Man".

Historic and sounds great too

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

Live albums are cheating. They're just greatest hits most of the time. Except there actually aren't enough Dylan hits on this live album. It was, however, my first exposure to Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man," because we haven't listened to "Bringing it All Back Home" yet. Or "Highway 61 Revisited." Because we're on #995 but still have two more Dylan albums! Anyway, Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" is terrible. Glad The Byrds' version is the one that got famous. Some of his most annoying enunciations. Maybe 1966 was peak overindulgent Dylan.

This is somehow both peak Dylan songwriting but also the peak of the spoken word poetry delivery that I hate. Two discs = too many = two stars.

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

I liked the second disc or the other concert. Some good songs on there. Rounding down.

durante la prima metà dell'album avrei voluto frantumargli l'armonica in mille pezzi, ma poi grazie al cielo entrano gli altri strumenti e tutta l'esperienza prende un'altra piega. bello, ma non troppo, anche se Bob mi sta sempre molto simpatico

Sono tornatoooooooo

Fare la prima metà dell’album acusticamente è una scelta coraggiosa quando hai una delle voci più fastidiose di tutti i tempi, quindi complimenti. Scherzi a parte, sono affezionato a Bob grazie ai miei genitori quindi sentirlo mi fa sorridere a prescindere. Sono anche andato a un suo concerto. Detto questo, un album live? Era davvero necessario? Forse è qui per i litigi tra Bob e il pubblico ma a quanto pare sono stati tagliati, quindi a cosa serve? E poi non so cosa aveva la folla da lamentarsi, la seconda parte con gli strumenti è molto meglio. Bah. Comunque, album live è un automatico turn off, è lungo, Bob sei un tesoro e ci sono delle hit assolutamente ma non si può andare oltre al 3

Too much harmonica, there's a reason most albums don't have harmonica solos on every track.

This is embarrassing. I think I prefer studio Dylan over live Dylan. I wasn't able to get into a groove with this album. I like Dylan. I just did not enjoy this live recording like I have enjoyed so many other artists' live albums.

I don’t like most live albums. This was no different. Live Dylan is not for me.

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

Oh this was intolerable. So much meandering harmonica

Love this era of Dylan

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

I like Dylan, but he is awful live

2 Stars. (5/15)

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

I appreciate and acknowledge the songwriting ability of Bob Dylan, but man I quickly lost interest here. Majority of the songs and performances sound way too similar to each other, especially in the first half. There just wasn't that much energy despite being a live recording. His signature, nasally delivery takes a lot of getting used to as well. The second half, while having a bit more energy, wasn't enough to save the overall album experience for me.

Fairly poor recording of an OK set of live songs. My general problem with live albums is that unless they are uniquely interesting it's just a fancy greatest hits album. So I mark them down accordingly.

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

not a huge fan of live records

Too bad his voice doesn't match his songwriting skills. I heard my cat make nicer sounds when I stepped on his tail.

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

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

I really enjoyed this one.

I like Bob Dylan, but ig I don't like this album

Ick, his voice

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.

Bob Dylan is great/transcendent/legendary/eternal. I think if I saw him live I would be transfixed for the first few songs, and then after that I might wander around and get a beer and a hot dog while he does his thing. There's certain parts of his sound that aren't pleasing to me; like his vocals here are a little grating and the harmonica can be very off and very forward in the mix and they both hit me pretty hard on this recording. I find it funny that the second half of this made people upset and was met with heckling and shouting during the performance. People were apparently saying that Bob Dylan had "sold out". I think the second half is what elevates the album and keeps me interested in the whole listen.

I’d give it a 0 if possible

nice time capsule and historic recording, not exactly my cup of tea

To this day, one of the worst concerts I have ever been to. Not this one but Dylan in general.

didn't really get into it. too much harmonica

Between the quality of his voice and they screeching of that harmonica I couldn't even listen to this to try to figure out why people like Bob Dylan

hans röst låter ondskefull bästa låt: just like a woman

Vissa låtar är jättefina som Mr. Tambourine Man, It’s all over now baby Blue o Ballad of a thin man 🧍‍♂️ Men asså ibland vill man ju bara hoppa nerför ett stup när munspelet kommer in eller när han sjunger😁

Asså lite svårt att ratea som album eftersom det e ett liveframträdande, men det var iallafall väldigt bra o mysigt Bästa låtar: Ballad of a thin man, Like a Rolling stone, Mr Tambourine man

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

I am definitely not the biggest fan of his music, but I admit that he was visionary at times. I hardly understand any of his lyrics by listening, but reading them makes me even hold out his singing. And he wrote some great iconic songs Unfortunately, this record ist overshadowed byba mistuned acoustic guitar and a brain melt inducing terrible harmonica. The second disc does not provide enough relief from the first one then. But that is just taste, and therefore as a document of boldness I give it a two and will never again listen to it.

That was awful. It's utterly flat and lifeless.

Meh - the usual Dylan. I never understood the hype

I cannot understand choosing this over Desire, which in my opinion is Dylan’s best front to back record. When you compare that album to the quality of this recording it’s night and day. The only thing noteworthy about this record is that he got heckled for playing electric. I feel like every song is a subpar version compared to the album. This is no Allman Brothers Fillmore East or 4-Way Street, just a wasted pick.

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

Somehow I've never listened to Bob Dylan sing before now. I've heard plenty of covers of his songs. I know he's a phenomenal writer. But I've never heard his voice. I've been told by people that have seen him live recently and they've commented on how awful he sounds NOW.... I've never known how awful he sounded 60 years ago. Wtf??? Why did anyone bother listening to this guy? Did anybody ever sit him down and say, "Bobby, just stick to writing songs"???? And who the hell gave him a harmonica??? I just listened to muddy waters and the harmonica on that album was crisp, clean, and smoking. This was trash

It's Bob Dylan I don't want to give it less than a 3. It really doesn't need to be here though. There's some great albums missing from this list and we really don't need a bootleg that offers nothing special taking up a space.

didn't know his voice was so annoying

Kind of a sneaky way to insert a Greatest Hits compilation. I'm sure it won't be the last live album to serve this purpose.

Bob Dylan is certainly talented but his vocal style and harmonica playing isn't something I want to listen to for over an hour. Thankfully the b-side kicks in with a full band to mix things up. Interesting that a bootleg made it on the list.

Ehtaa sikstaridylania. Vaikken välitä kauheesti näistä livelevyistä oli tää parempi kun ajattelin. Hauska kokonaisuus kun jakautuu kahteen erilaiseen puoleen. 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 do not understand the need to include a live album of Bob Dylan. The quality of his live performances is not that consistent (drunk, high, forgetting lyrics) to act as if this is his standard.

He's just too much some times, and this recording seems to highlight it...

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.

Funny story, my wife, back in the late 1990s almost ran over Mr. Robert Zimmerman when he jaywalked into the traffic of our small town in Oregon. So, I've heard Bob Dylan live and almost heard him dead. Where to begin. He can't sing, his guitar strumming is tedious, and his harmonica sounds like it is in a life and death struggle to liberate itself from him. He wrote a few standards that over the decades have lasted the test of time and has been overrated ever since. His lyrics are supposed to be masterful but often just sound like pedantic moon June spoon simplicity. Lyrics: A song does not make. This live double album was a complete waste of listening time. It is at times like this that the list strains credulity.

I deeply respect Bob Dylan but man... some of his live stuff is hard to listen to

Dylan's poetry is unmatched. But his voice is really tough to listen to on this album - the inflection is a bit much. I also feel that Live album's can be incredibly difficult to listen to and appreciate unless you already have strong familiarity with a band, and their inclusion on this list is often questionable when better albums are relevant and accessible.

I do not like Bob Dylan

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.

God this was a real slog. Vocals so nasally they were sometimes akin to a slowly deflating balloon. The novelty of the harmonica wore off real fast, it’s a fine instrument to introduce but every damn song? Absolutely unnecessary. I already don’t like live albums and this was painful to work through. I gather the second half is better with the introduction of a band but by the time I got to the end of the first my patience had worn out.

I'll be contrary, Side A sucks, solo Bob Dylan with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica is a blight on humanity. Side B is literally electric in comparison and the (as yet not named) Band are tight and being a judas never sounded so good.

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

I'm not a big fan of Dylan--I don't like his voice. However, I recognize that he has cast a long shadow across popular music. Hearing him at this turning point, I'm sure glad he picked up an electric guitar, because just imagine how insufferable the rest of the 60s and most of the 1970s would be if he had stayed entirely in the all-acoustic "pure folk" camp. Ugh. Anyway, I definitely prefer the electric stuff on this album, mostly because The Band (aka The Hawks) could play the ever-loving shit out of their instruments and worked so well as a unit. I still can take only so much of his voice. This is a good album if you can get past that.

5/15/24. Enjoyable live album, but admittedly not a big Bob Dylan guy due to his vocals. I won't say he's a bad singer, just not a fan. The second half heavier set was also so-so.

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

No doubt that was Dillon.

Such a unique story teller.

A good collection of Dylan songs with some interesting history. Not sure if I’ll ever particularly seek out the bootleg live album though.

Meh, I do not like listening to the rambly man. 3/5

Better than the last Dylan record I got. I found it hard to pay attention to his 10-minute long songs. I can list to a long song, Rush has done great ones, but these were pretty hard to get through. The guy still sounds like a homeless guy rambling and blowing a harmonica with his nose on occasion.

Bob has a certain twang live, it is unmistakably Bob.

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

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.

Excellent!

2.5 It's fine but it's just not that interesting

The funny thing about this record is that, although labeled as having taken place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, it was actually recorded at a concert at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. Apparently it was a mislabeled bootleg that had been released, so when the record label released it as an album, they kept the Royal Albert Hall name. It's a double album. Disc 1 was an acoustic set that Dylan did, Disc 2 was an "electric" set played with his band, The Hawks. I had a hard time getting through this double record. I love Dylan's music, but can only take his voice in small doses. My fuck he has an irritatingly nasally voice, and live is worse, because there is no vocal editing that has taken place. It was hard to rate this record because he has a run of insufferable moaning, followed by an absolute banger like Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat. I enjoyed the electric set much more than the acoustic one. Favourite songs: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, Mr. Tambourine Man, Desolation Row, Like a Rolling Stone, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down", One Too Many Mornings, Fourth Time Around, Visions of Johanna, "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" Least favourite songs: She Belongs to Me, I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) 3/5

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

- Ich finde Bob Dylan total toll, finde es aber immer schwer Live Alben hier zu bewerten - kriegen konnte mich das Album nicht, wirklich viel vom Live-Album-Charakter merke ich nicht, könnte auch elne Live Session sein… - Like A Rolling Stone, wirklich einer meiner absoluten Lieblingsklassiker, finde ich auf dem Album echt grenzwertig nah an der Vergewaltigung des Stückes. Viiiieeel zu langsam und als ob alle Musiker komplett voll gewesen wären. Hat für mich alles nochmal weiter runtergezogen und ich war eh nicht super begeistert Rating: gut gemeinte 2/5 (und auch nur weils Bob Dylan ist, sonst vielleicht auch nur 1,75)

- Gesanglich gefällt es mir irgendwie nicht so gut, mag aber auch einfach an der Qualität der Aufnahmen liegen - Werden ja sicherlich noch andere Alben kommen, also vielleicht überzeugst du mich ja beim nächsten Mal @Bob

I didn't expect to enjoy this, not generally a fan of live albums, but this one had the right combo of mixing, sound quality, and choice tracks. I could have cut the set down though, it was a bit too long.

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

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

No. Fuck you, Bob.

Disc 1: I think we as a society gave Bob Dylan too much credit. We put him on this pedestal of music genius and lyrical God. I know he has some good material. This live album is just God awful. It's the cliche Dylan voice. With the unnecessary inflections. Every line sounds like a question. His Harp playing isn't good at all. In fact it's drawn out and takes away from the songs. I had an opportunity to see Dylan a few years back but declined as I'm not really a fan, but I contemplated because "it's Bob Dylan!" and because we, as a society, but him on top... I almost fell for it. I'm happy that I didn't go see him as I heard the show was disastrous. At that time, he was already a frail old man. Father time is a bitch. But hearing this live album from 1966 - one could argue this may be him in his prime - I wouldn't want this either. It's annoying. I hope he had in between song banter to shake up the stupid sound of his singing. His singing is so bad that you can't even really enjoy what he is saying. Dylan and an acoustic guitar is a combination I don't want to order. Disc 2: Having a full band behind Bob Dylan is a much needed saving grace. His voice is still annoying but the fullness of a band almost drowns that annoyance out. But in the same breath, they compliment one another when theyre rockin out. On the slower jams... I'm left with PTSD from Disc 1. Despite the 2nd disc sounding a lot better, and I can actually tolerate it compared to the 1st. I'm still left watching the songs go by, waiting for the next song, and then the next, thinking and asking myself "when will this be over?" Disc 1 was enough to give me Dylan fatigue for years. I almost wish I was told to listen to this in reverse order. Perhaps it wouldn't have been as bad? Ahhhh,who am I kidding. Disc 2 really saved this from being a 1/5

Je öfter ich Bob Dylan höre, desto weniger gefällt mir seine Stimme ...

Pretty good

A live album of a bunch of songs that are already on this list. Not sure why this qualified, there wasn’t much energy or anything. It just sounded like Bob Dylan singing Bob Dylan which is exactly what it was

Didn’t feel like a live album tbh. Harmonica was a little overplayed but pretty standard bobby D tbh. It’s good, not great

The first half is a boring acoustic set that feels like Bobby D’s reciting his unedited lyric notebook and busting it down sexual style on his harmonica. It’s the kind of thing you either love or hate. And listen, I like Dylan, particularly folk Dylan, but this is exactly where I jump off the Bobby D express train. This set is mostly meandering moaning. So yeah, Disc 1 isn’t for me. Now, as for Disc 2? Honestly, it justifies not only why Bob went electric, but the sheer ✨energy✨ that must’ve filled the room once he did. It still suffers all the same issues as Disc 1 — unedited lyrics, sprawling jams, harmonica galore — but a backing band really numbs those nuisances, and makes Dylan fun to listen to, even more fun to listen to live than on his albums. This bootleg makes that contrast really clear, and you get the sense that it truly must have felt like a revelation to hear these two sets back-to-back. You can complain about the validity of including a bootleg, a live album, even another Dylan album, but honestly? It feels more necessary to include this than the two studio albums that originated most of these songs. Listening to this makes the electric controversy clear, and this feels like an appropriate historical document. That said, do I actually enjoy it? Well, yeah, half of it, but it’s still not an all timer favorite, either. Its contrast may have historical value, but my ears are inverted from the ears who initially heard this performance; the acoustic set is still boring, and so I inevitably dislike half this album. Meanwhile, while the electric disc made the controversy click, it still sounds like, well, a bootleg — peaking levels and all. While I would put this above Blood on the Tracks, it’s still not fully “there” for me. And maybe that’s because, nearly 60 years later, Dylan’s not all that exciting to hear, and the things that made him a musical god are now par for the course. And this feels extremely par for the course, no matter how much historical framing I place around it.

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 can take or leave Bob, but this seems like a good snapshot of him in the day.

First listen Saved 0/15

It's so hard to get past his "singing" style sometimes. I enjoyed the full-band stuff on the 2nd disc a bit more.

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.

This seems like a weird choice for a Bob Dylan album for this list. I mean yeah he should absolutely have an album or two on the list, but this one? I mean it's a good live album but if there are one or two other Dylan albums on this list I don't know why this would be included. Anyway, never been much of a Bob Dylan fan. I appreciate that he was an icon of folk music (for whatever reason) and a good lyricist, I wouldn't go as far as calling him a poet. I was ready to be done with this after just a few songs. And I hate the folksy harmonica, it's just not my thing. I feel like if you were really into Bob Dylan then you'd love this. Everyone else is going to be a little bored with at least the first half of this record. I mean really the first half just drags on and is basically close to an hour of the same thing over and over. The second half picks up a bit when the full band comes in and it starts to hold your attention a little better. But the dude just can't sing. I mean slurring words and tones doesn't cover the fact that he just can't do it. I've always found him to be supremely overrated and this record shows exactly why. 2/5

Great Album 4 stars

I was not impressed by this. First Bob Dylan album. I liked the second half with the band a bit more.

bob sucks

I don't like Bob Dylan and I was tired of this after two songs

Historically significant, but very dated quality-wise Definitely one you listen to once before you die, but not gonna be in my rotation.

In couldn’t make it through

not a huge fan of his and the fact it's a live album distorts his voice even more, I guess it's supposed to be raw, but just can't stand this, tried several songs and can't get very far 1.3

Nicht meine Richtung aber gut

I don't like long albums, I don't like live albums, and (all due respect) I'm not a particularly big fan of listening to Bob Dylan. I kept putting this one off, but I was hoping to like it honestly. But I was over it by the end of like track 3. 2.5/5

A game of two halves. Literally :)

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

This is substantially worse than the studio albums these songs are on.

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 like this better than I thought I would. While I doubt I will seek it out again in the future, it wasn't a bad background listen.

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

overdone live stuff

Look, if I were smarter I’m sure I’d appreciate the hell outta Bob Dylan’s lyrics but if I listened to music for lyrics then I’d read a book or some poems. I do not hear a cat in a blender as my inner voice while reading so why subject myself to that in music?

I was already tired of it by the end of the first song, and then it just kept going. This is the first time I've refused to listen to a whole album from this list.

Great live performance.

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.

Meh! He’s kinda annoying

Meh. Bob Dylan live sucks compared to his albums

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.

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

Odd, very formal live album. I'm not huge on Dylan. The Dylan songs I like are the ones other artists cover. I wouldn't really seek thus out or leave it on if it was on the radio.

She Belongs To Me – 2.5 Fourth Time Around – 3 Visions Of Joanna – 3 Its All Over Now, Baby Blue - 2 Desolation Row – 2 Just Like A Women – 3.5 Mr. Tambourine Man - 3 Couldn't be asked with the second half - 2 Average - 2.62 I like getting High and listening to Bob Dylan at a campfire or the lake. I can't see how anyone under 80 years old would go to see Bob Dylan Live let alone listen to the shitty live version after the fact and get ear raped by Harmonicacore.

What a coincidence this album showed up now. My friend was planning on coming to town next month and one of the few concerts during that time was Bob Dylan. I'm sure 1966 Dylan is no comparison for 2024 Dylan but at least it helped me definitely say that I'm not interested in seeing Bob live in present day. I've always known I didn't really care for his singing, but I thought maybe as a bucket list to see a legend it would be cool. I can't do it. I respect his writing and legacy, but the nasally, meandering vocals are like nails on a chalkboard for me. I took pride in being able to make it to the second 'Jingle Jangle' of tambourine man as that was the longest I lasted for a song before skipping up to that point. Somehow something changed in the album during "I don't believe you" that made the rest of the album tolerable. When the full band is in gear and it takes a more rock style the vocals also take it down a notch. It almost became enjoyable for the second half. Did my tolerance level up or did it really change? Who knows, but it's over now and that ma just be an unsolved mystery. Favorite track "I don't believe you" 2/5

Den mærkelige stemme med masser af harmonika og klaver

Tedious. No joy. I know its good music, it just sounds bad to my ears.

Typical Dylan fare

Più che ascoltare la musica, con Dylan si tratta di comprendere i testi, cosa che per un italiano non è sicuramente facile. Quando ho bisogno di musica del genere scelgo De André.

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

I think if you're a Bob Dylan fan you will enjoy listening to this. However I am not very familiar with him so the first half of this was very boring. I enjoyed the second half more but I still hate listening to clapping in albums.

I like Bob Dylan, but this was too much Bob Dylan for me.

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

Can hear so many other recent songs in their melodies

I’m no Bob Dylan fan - and this album doesn’t help - over 1.5 hours of Dylan is not for the faint hearted. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong but it’s essentially greatest hits album but recorded live and a live album that doesn’t really make you feel you’re part of the audience. It’s not particularly very good at either of the things it is. And if I’m going to dedicate 1.5 hours to a Dylan record - they could have been spent listening to his best ones, not this.

The second, electric, half is better than the first accoustic half.

It's good for a bootleg, and it captures a moment that's historic in some sense (although I'd think the Newport Festival rock set is where it really started, and, consequently, I wish Maggie's Farm was on this too). More curiosity with it for me than feeling like it's essential Dylan

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.

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

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”

Fantastic

1966 Live at the Albert Hall offers a unique snapshot of Bob Dylan's iconic transition from acoustic troubadour to electric rock star. Divided into two parts, the album captures the essence of both styles, showcasing Dylan's versatility and evolution as an artist. One of the highlights is the intimate atmosphere, where listeners can almost hear the hecklers in the background, adding a sense of raw energy to the recordings. However, it's worth noting that despite the album's title, it was actually recorded at the lesser-known Free Trade Hall in Manchester, a fact that adds an interesting layer to its historical significance. While both acoustic and electric sets are featured, some listeners may find the acoustic portion monotonous compared to the electrifying energy of Dylan's electric performances. Nevertheless, the album serves as a testament to Dylan's willingness to defy expectations and push musical boundaries, solidifying his status as a groundbreaking artist. Overall, 1966 Live at the Albert Hall offers a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of one of music's most influential figures, showcasing both the brilliance and complexity of Dylan's artistry. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 10 STAND OUT TRACK - Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

Didn't lsten

Excellent. Desolation Row is stunning.

Soft 5

I’ve never liked Bob Dylan, purely because of his voice - WHY DOES HE SOUND LIKE THAT??? I tried to listen to this album.. at least the songs Emily rated that she likes, but oh my god. I don’t think anything can change my hatred for this man literally because he sounds like THAT. *puking emoji*

Abysmal. I know it's an unpopular opinion but I can't stand Bob Dylan.

I wanted to like this more than I did. The songs that I knew still slapped (Like a Rolling Stone, Mr. Tambourine Man, Just Like a Woman). But the rest didn’t stand out to me.

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

How is this guy so popular? I just don't get it. I'm really considering abandoning this list project.

Good. Little too much harmonica in my opinion but good.

Bob im bored

Even less articulate than normal, Dylan is not for me.

Raw and ragged live early electric Dylan

Good stuff playing the intricate acoustic stuff first to get all these English folkies or whatever comfortable then an absolute onslaught of loud noise unlike anything they've ever heard. Dylan didn't give a fuck that they hate it and that his vocals are pitchy and terrible. This is rock n roll unleased upon an unsuspecting world that was not at all ready. If I was in the audience would I have been yelling at the stage in anger or happiness? No idea but I love hearing this today

The only good bits were the bits that he wasn’t singing

Great show

I can not be the only one who thinks he sounds like a pussy in this one The music is genius but I don’t get it, I hate to do this but I wanna give bob Dylan a bad score Second half is so much better than the first 2.9/5

please god not bob dylan again every song sounds the same his voice is dumb and i couldnt finish the album

I get why Dylan is considered a great songwriter. You can see it on this album from one of the most important phases of his career. Songs such as "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "Just Like a Woman", and "Like a Rolling Stone" are classics of folk and folk-rock. They are intense, insightful, and beautiful all at once. What I don't get is why anyone wants to listen to Dylan sing these songs. On display here is his terrible vocal quality. He is offkey, nasal, monotone, and as grating as nails on a blackboard. Listening to Dylan, even at his height, is an exercise in self-loathing. Why would you torture yourself this way? He's just a terrible singer. Not "unique" or "special", just bad. You can talk about his depth, pathos, whatever but you can't deny he's a lousy singer. He takes a perfectly great song and makes it sound like cats fighting. I love Dylan's songs, but only when someone else sings them. This album showcases just how true that statement is.

Mais que quelqu'un bouche son nez par pitié...

Fouts toi ton harmonica au fond du nez Bob on en peut plus

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.

Grew up with Bob Dylan, but was never a huge fan of his voice. That being said, not bad.

I'm honestly a little confused about why Bob Dylan is so popular. He can't sing very well, he's a mumbly wierdo, his harmonica skills are middle tier. I guess he has interesting lyrics, but they're also just kind of stream of consciousness gibberish. I don't hate this album per se, but I'll never listen to it again by choice.

Didn't hate it by any means, and while I recognize Dylan's genius and influence, I don't particularly care for it. It's fine. Just don't feel strongly one way or the other.

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

I have never enjoyed anything about Dylan. I'm at a complete loss as to why anyone wants to intentionally listen to him. His voice is like gravel scraping the bottom of a dirty pot.

Solidly Dylan, with all of the vocal inflections that we made fun of for many years. Some of them are actually pretty annoying. But the songwriting is what we come for.

This man is a talentless scrotum and a live album is not an album.

Just not really a fan of bob Dylan's voice

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.

First few songs were definitively meh. The lyrics felt clunky and a bit like gibberish, and the instrumentals felt monotonous. Some of the songs feel sexist or abusive, like Just Like a Woman or You Belong to Me. It does pick up quite a bit in the back half, which makes sense for a live show. Mr. Tambourine Man fuckin' slaps, and Like a Rolling Stone is huge. Would go with 2.5 ⭐️ if possible.

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

I mean, the history of this performance is fairly interesting, but I don't think that's a good enough excuse to put this on a \"Must Listen To Album\" list, especially because it's just a worse quality version of songs already *on* this list. That's like putting a mediocre book on a \"Must Read\" list because the pages were printed with marinara sauce instead of ink. Sure, the making of the album was interesting, but that doesn't supersede the averageness of the book itself.

Good Bob, but I don't love live albums

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

6/10

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!

Not my favorite, but he's a musical genius, right?

I KNOW that Bob Dylan is a fantastic and important musical figure and he laid a lot of groundwork for one of my favorite genres of music, but I gotta admit I wasn’t sold in the first half of the album. It really picked up in the back half though, which saved the album in my opinion.

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

Second half of the album really picked up and was enjoyable. First half… not so much.

Good, too short!

A majority enjoys lyrics the most. I am not part of that majority and that's why this becomes kinda repetetive for me. I also don't enjoy the harmonica that sounds like a child who just found one laying around and starting blowing. I like a bit of Bob Dylan, this was more than a bit.

I absolutely hate the first half (acoustic, solo|) of this. It's so dull and the singing through his nose is appalling. To be fair, Side 2/Disc 2 (the electric side, with band) is more interesting (although apparently a lot of the audience didn't approve). I still don't like his delivery or subject matter, even on Side 2. It's a bit of a mess.

Он смешно поёт. Напоминает моего друга сашку. Но что-то как-то никак.

Have to admit that a one time hater of Bob Dylan has come around recently, and grown to respect and enjoy much of his work. Really enjoy the electric blues albums as they provide a rich sound Tapestry. This bootleg, however is what the haters hear in their head as they deride Bob as overrated and untalented. This solo act only highlights his whiny voice, absent guitar, and overused hatmonica.

I have my struggles with bob dylan yet. but lets see howthis album affects my opimion to him. Live Album are always a bit more harder to rate for me. Disc 1 Raiting 1/5 had almost nothing to offer to me and felt sometimes boring. Disc 2 Raiting 3/5 Finally more energy starting with "tell me, momma" and kept goin. Definetely the better side of the album. Had my attention back and got me likin few songs.

Mr. Sinus Infection

I can only take Dylan in small doses. Album was just too much.

Dylan es Dylan...

Dolor de cabeza. Y eso que me gusta Dylan. Pero en concierto parece que le están pisando el dedo meñique del pie.

enjoyed this one a lot

disc 2 puno drazi

Pjesme su dobre, ali ovo izvođenje je u rangu Kinokluba na ferovoj brucosijadi. Možda mi je ovo i gore. 😢

C+ She Belongs To Me 2 Fourth Time Around 3 Visions Of Johanna 3 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue 3 Desolation Row 2 Just Like A Woman 2 Mr. Tambourine Man 3 Tell Me, Momma 3 I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) 3 Baby, Let Me Follow You Down 3 Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues 3 Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat 3 One Too Many Mornings 3 Ballad Of A Thin Man 4 Like A Rolling Stone 3 Dylan is massively overrated, but Ballad Of A Thin Man... that boy knew what he was doin'.

As much as I admire Dylan, I'm not sure why this live record exists on this list. Notable in live performance for his compulsion to deviate drastically from studio arrangements, Dylan really lets loose with his own tunes here, dragging them out and around (especially on the electric side). It's long and sloppy and not so satisfying. Nevertheless, the only one that stirred me personally was this gentle rendition of 'Just Like A Woman'.

2.5

Listened 2x. 4.5

Livelevy, blääh. Mutta yllätyin, että Bob Dylan toimii myös livenä suhteellisen ok. Varmaan kun levyversioissa myös hyvin pelkistetty mies+huulihappu/kitara. Löytyihän tuolta kaikki hitit ja upeat lyriikat.

I get it, he's a storyteller, but far too repetitive for me.

nice live album. Old Dylan for those who enjoy.

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

I don't get it. Who cares how great the lyrics are if you can't stand how the man sings?

One of the best songwriters, but I can't forgive his "singing voice"

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

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

Dolor de cabeza. Y eso que me gusta Dylan. Pero en concierto parece que le están pisando el dedo meñique del pie.

I always find Bob Dylan a bit hit or miss. I didn’t enjoy the first half of this, but the second was a bit better. Wouldn’t listen again

The switch to electric saved this for me

Man...do I like Bob Dylan? I think his poetry is fantastic, but his music can be a little grating, particularly live. The first half of this performance, an acoustic affair, features Dylan solo, delivering his phenomenal lyrics with his trademark nasally snarl and blowing away on his harmonica every few seconds. The back half goes electric, which I much preferred, but this still felt like a rather long 90 minutes. I can't say I was super into it. I recognize Dylan's status as a music legend, but I think I prefer his music condensed into a 40 minute album -- or even better, a lyrics booklet.

There's some good stuff here. Obviously, Like a Rolling Stone stands out. And Dylan sounds good. I want to rate this higher but it's *** 1/2

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.

There is no doubt in my mind that he is a masterful song writer. I just hate his singing voice.

Bob Dylan can write one hell of a song…but he can’t sing it…and shouldn’t.

i get his contributions & if one listens closely so much poetry in his lyrics but it’s hard to listen closely

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

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

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.

Music is great, voice is.. unique (sorry!!!!). Really good cozy background music

Disc 2 was way better than disc 1. 3

I think, knowing how awful Bob Dylan is live for so many years, Bob Dylan has been spoiled for me. I found this to be an arduous and tedious listen. The first in the list that I have almost resented having to listen to. I used to love Dylan, back in my Uni days, enjoying his songwriting and recordings. But I don't find him appealing anymore and it feels disingenuous now that I listen with my oder, wiser, ears. Finally, this audio recording is important because of the duality and provocation of Dylan's set on the evening. The recording here has been sanitised so that the negative audience reaction to the latter half of his set has been removed. This, in my mind, completely removes the most valuable and interesting aspect of this document - and instead we are left with a single, manipulated perspective of the events. It just doesn't sit right and reams of the undermined stance Dylan and his label etc now occupy. This album has been a real bummer for me.

For a bootleg this sounds pretty great. I just don't care for live albums unless it's something truly special

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 just do not get it with Dylan at all

She Belongs to Me - 1 Fourth Time Around - 2.5 Visions of Johanna - 2 It's All Over Now - 2 Desolation Row - 2 Just Like a Woman - 2 Mr. Tambourine Man - 2.5 Tell Me, Momma - 3.5 I Don't Believe You - 2.5 Baby, Let Me Follow You - 3 Just Like Tom - 2.5 Leopard Skin - 2.5 One Too Many Mornings - 2 Ballad of a Thin Man - 3 Like a Rolling Stone - 2

11/29/23 10:02 S Tier————————— A Tier————————— Mr. Tambourine Man Like a Rolling Stone Tell Me, Mama Baby, Let Me Follow You Down B Tier————————— One Too Many Mornings Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat I Don’t Believe You Just Like a Woman Fourth Time Around Ballad of a Thin Man C Tier————————— It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue Desolation Row Visions of Johanna D Tier————————— She Belongs to Me

Wednesday 11/29/2023, 10:00, office A Tier———————— Tell Me, Momma B Tier————————— Baby, Let Me Follow You Down Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat Mr. Tambourine Man Just Like Tom Thumb’s blues One Too Many Mornings C Tier————————— Ballad of a Thin Man I Don’t Believe You Fourth Time Around Just Like A Woman Like A Rolling Stone D Tier————————— Visions of Johanna It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue She Belongs to Me Desolation Row

Amazing beginning to end!

Live album

I respect Dylan as a songwriter, but the actual album is just alright. It was good background music for the morning.

This one is a tough call for me. On the one hand, the lyrical storytelling is fantastic. I can tell because I found myself actively listening to the lyrics, which is extremely rare for me. On the other hand, Bob Dylan’s vocal is lazy, almost drunken-sounding in this double album, and overall the sound is less refined than the studio versions of these songs. Even with the storytelling element being a big positive, the first disc is still a slog to get through, and the highlight is Mr. Tambourine Man simply because it’s the most famous song on the disc. Disc 2 is better, incorporating some electric guitar, drums, bass, and other instruments to create a fuller, more interesting texture.

Not a big Dylan fan. I think his voice is annoying and his harmonica playing is dreadful. That said, this is a pretty good album. No doubt about his songwriting. He can write.

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.

Marvellous !!!

It was long and alright. It is famous for the crowds reactions, but they are not in the recording...

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

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

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

Over the course of a few listens this grew on me. As I became accustomed to the quirks, the underlying qualities emerged. Like your eyes upon entering into a dark place.

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

As a proud Manc, I resent that they didn't take the opportunity to correct the title of this bootleg. As usual with Dylan, great songs, terrible singing, playing a harmonica like it's an inhaler. Didn't really have a problem with either the acoustic or the electric portions of this album. Don't think any of the recordings improve on the studio versions.

The more I listen the more the album unfolds. Dylan’s writing is genuinely dense and each line affords a myriad of interpretations. I like the folkier disc one better than the electric disc 2 as of now. Visions of Johanna, it’s all over now, just like a woman, tambourine man especially are fantastic. One too many mornings from disc two is great. Like a rolling stone is a stunning closer to the album. I need more time with it but it’s a 3 as of now because disc 2 hasn’t resonated me much and it’s a 90 minute album and I’d like to enjoy it more than I do now.

Didn't like

Few artist are able to pull off a change from acoustic to electric in the same show. Dylan can’t either. I understand why Dylan was a folk icon but I still have trouble with the over use of harmonica. He is a much better poet. 2 stars

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

Bob “Judas” Dylan puts on the show of a lifetime in this legendary era of his career between his folk origins and going electric. The same people that are booing at the end of what is essentially one of the greatest live albums of all time are the same people scolding people for listening to modern music today and insisting that everything Dylan touched turned to gold. It’s a funny thing, retrospect. My new favorite pastime activity is watching old clips of those 1966-era 4chan users losing their minds from Dylan having the audacity of being within 10 feet from anything electrical. It’s just hilarious.

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

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.

I have such a love/hate with Dylan. Brilliant lyricist and songwriter but a vocalist he damn sure ain't. +1 for The Band carrying the second half of this performance despite the wailing off key vocals