Live Performances 1975-1976
A CS production, August 2013
1. If You See Her, Say Hello (April 18, 1976)
2. Abandoned Love (July 3, 1975)
3. One More Cup Of Coffee (April 22, 1976)
4. Spanish Is The Loving Tongue (May 11, 1976)
5. Deportees (May 16, 1976)
6. Dink's Song (April 25, 1976)
7. Railroad Boy (May 16, 1976)
8. Wild Mountain Thyme (April 18, 1976)
9. Isis (May 16, 1976)
10. Hurricane (September 10, 1975)
11. Never Let Me Go (October 31, 1975)
12. Seven Days (April 22, 1976)
13. Rita Mae (May 3, 1976)
14. Simple Twist Of Fate (September 10, 1975)
15. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (May 16, 1976)
16. Oh Sister (September 10, 1975)
17. Tangled Up In Blue (May 23, 1976)
These come primarily from the Rolling Thunder Revue, though "Abandoned Love", "Hurricane", "Simple Twist of Fate" and "Oh Sister" narrowly pre-date it. All original songs were composed in the same mileu, a tempestuous maelstrom of creativity that the singer experienced from 1974 to 1976. The traditional songs and covers, too, reflect this theme. Many songs were reinvented on the Rolling Thunder Revue, but these songs are products of that era rather than rearrangements of earlier material.
"If You See Her, Say Hello" appears with dramatically re-written lyrics, and serves as an introduction to the pained ballads of this CD. "Abandoned Love" is similar to the recorded take that was published on Biograph, but the intimacy of the club performance is startling. The laughs during the phrase ìI love you but you're strangeî offer some levity to this otherwise grim meditation on a broken relationship. "One More Cup of Coffee" is a duet of singer and violin, and is the only solo performance of this song available. "Spanish is the Loving Tongue" is easily one of the most agonizing vocals committed to the stage by this performer, as he breathes out this passionate but doomed romance. "Deportees", "Dink's Song", "Railroad Boy", and "Wild Mountain Thyme" are all duets with Joan Baez, and rarely have the two complemented each other so well. In particular, "Dink's Song" is as excellent a rendition as it is poorly recorded, though the beauty shines no less brightly. "Wild Mountain Thyme" offers a surprising contrast to its 1969 guise.
And then we are on to the electric side of the set. "Isis" leaps and bounds off the tape, as the band revs up on a take rather different from the previous year. "Hurricane" is a masterfully restrained trio performance. "Never Let Me Go" is longer and more passionate than the recording released as a Renaldo and Clara promo. This version of "Seven Days", used to copyright the song, moves a more relaxed, reggae-like pace than the version that appears on The Bootleg Series Volume 2. "Rita Mae" is another surprise, as it is the only live rendition of the song. On "Simple Twist of Fate", Bob Dylan's harmonica and Scarlet Rivera's violin weave around each other in a not-entirely-successful duet, but the mood is just right. "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" is a very jaunty take on the Blood on the Tracks classic. It marries the country twang of the original with a start-stop arrangement typical of the Rolling Thunder Revue. Dylan's cryptic introduction to "Oh Sister" kicks off my favorite performance of this song, and the smaller ensemble befits the conversational tone this song deserves. Finally, we end with the famous off-the-rails 1976 electric "Tangled Up In Blue". This performance is legendary, and it's only a pity I was not able to do more to improve the quality of the tape. Still, it stands as a testament to the wild feeling of the Rolling Thunder era, and a fitting conclusion to this set.
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