Thanks for this comment. I felt much the same way when I first heard this. It was my introduction to the early Dylan. The next album he release was "Blood on the Tracks" and I was forever his.
It should be said how Tour '74 was an emotional experience for Dylan's fans. Very few of them had probably ever seen Dylan perform live. They simply knew him from his classic mid-60's albums. Dylan really didn't tour or perform that much during the 60's, having quit touring in mid '66. By the time of Tour '74, more U.S. fans had personally seen The Beatles live than had seen Dylan and The Fab Four hadn't existed as a band in four years. So, when you hear bootleg recordings of Dylan's acoustic set during '74, you hear ecstatic fans cheering between verses of songs like The Times They Are A-Changin'. Very few in the audience had ever seen Dylan onstage. His late 60's, early 70's performances were mostly guest slots in NYC. No one knew if Dylan would ever tour again. And when he returned, it was a catharsis for fans who only knew Dylan from his records. Hard to believe, nowadays, but it was a rare occasion for Dylan to play live. Since, he's played thousands of shows. But that was many years away from '74 when the 60's dream seem to have died, often literally in the wake of political and rock star deaths, and the end of The Beatles. So, for Dylan to return to the stage, was a BFD!
This was the first Dylan LP I bought when it was new. Listening to it made me a lifelong fan. At first, I gravitated to The Band side(s), but soon would adapt to the wild untamed Dylan/Band sides which remain the best rock performances I have ever heard.
Hi James:
Thanks for this comment. I felt much the same way when I first heard this. It was my introduction to the early Dylan. The next album he release was "Blood on the Tracks" and I was forever his.
It should be said how Tour '74 was an emotional experience for Dylan's fans. Very few of them had probably ever seen Dylan perform live. They simply knew him from his classic mid-60's albums. Dylan really didn't tour or perform that much during the 60's, having quit touring in mid '66. By the time of Tour '74, more U.S. fans had personally seen The Beatles live than had seen Dylan and The Fab Four hadn't existed as a band in four years. So, when you hear bootleg recordings of Dylan's acoustic set during '74, you hear ecstatic fans cheering between verses of songs like The Times They Are A-Changin'. Very few in the audience had ever seen Dylan onstage. His late 60's, early 70's performances were mostly guest slots in NYC. No one knew if Dylan would ever tour again. And when he returned, it was a catharsis for fans who only knew Dylan from his records. Hard to believe, nowadays, but it was a rare occasion for Dylan to play live. Since, he's played thousands of shows. But that was many years away from '74 when the 60's dream seem to have died, often literally in the wake of political and rock star deaths, and the end of The Beatles. So, for Dylan to return to the stage, was a BFD!
This was the first Dylan LP I bought when it was new. Listening to it made me a lifelong fan. At first, I gravitated to The Band side(s), but soon would adapt to the wild untamed Dylan/Band sides which remain the best rock performances I have ever heard.