Average Rating: 
Rating: - This deserves 6 stars.
1975, most Dylan bores would more than happily inform you, was a fine vintage amongst the man's embarrassingly frequent career peaks. This, after all, was a year in which he released one of his greatest albums, 'Blood On The Tracks', and recorded another, the criminally underrated 'Desire'. The famously chaotic Rolling Thunder Revue from which these recordings are taken defines the character of the latter album: some of Dylan's most artfully crafted and controlled songs performed by a troupe of 60s casualties with a collection of instruments and styles culled from several lifetimes worth of globetrotting. A collective of musical gypsies, prone to line-up reshuffles at a moment's notice, the Revue was something that Dylan had long harboured an ambition to drag around America. United behind the cause of the wrongfully imprisoned boxer and civil rights spokesperson, Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, a band was assembled that, at various points numbered Roger McGuinn, Mick Ronson, frequent Dylan collaborators Joan Baez and Rob Stoner as well as occasional guests like Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell. The whole thing was directed with wayward flair by writer and theatre director Jacques Levy, who also helped Dylan bring the vivid imagery and elemental power of 'Desire' to fruition. The madness can be measured by Dylan's insistence on performing the tour behind a mask of white face paint and by the inexplicable omnipresence of the quintessential hippy, beat poet Allen Ginsberg. That this belated issue from the many bootlegs in circulation should be so incomparable with the live album that Dylan released in the wake of the tour (1976's 'Hard Rain') is an indication of the diversity of sets played on the Rolling Thunder Revue. And, by some distance, this is the better of the two albums. 'Live 1975' captures the collective that created 'Desire' playing most of these songs about as faithfully as Dylan live ever gets. The deceptive breeziness that characterises the bittersweet charm of 'Mozambique' runs throughout the interpretations of classics like 'I Shall Be Released', 'Love Minus Zero/No Limit', 'Tangled Up In Blue' and 'Just Like A Woman'. But it's the painfully beautiful and uncharacteristically honest lament of 'Sara', the Hebrew incantations of 'One More Cup Of Coffee', the enraged 'Hurricane' and other offerings from 'Desire' that make this album such a perfect companion piece to that endlessly engaging record. Unusually for this sort of catalogue trawling exercise this album is utterly essential: it captures arguably the most influential figure in the history of popular music at one of his thrilling creative peaks. And it's packaged with the love and care that has marked all Columbia's previous Dylan Bootleg releases.
Rating: - Glad it's out officially for everyone to hear
Had Dylan taken the Rolling Thunder Revue through the midwest instead I would have been lucky enough to hear this music live as a college kid. Instead I heard "Mama, You Been on My Mind," "The Water is Wide," and the intense live versions of "Romance in Durango" and "Isis" on a vinyl bootleg a friend turned me on to the following spring. That was just the beginning. A few months later I picked up another bootleg which contained for me the definitive versions of "It Ain't Me Babe," "Just Like a Woman," and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Providence, R.I.) CDs brought along CD bootlegs and later I got a great two-CD set from the Boston Music Hall (from which several songs for this new official release are drawn). For years I've made tapes of this sweetly magical gypsy-circus rock and roll music for friends, and am glad now everyone can hear it so easily (and in such powerfully clear sound). In response to the reviewer critizing bootleggers for muddy sonics, I'd just say, at least they didn't wait 27 years to put it out! If you like this record, I'd encourge folks to seek out songs left off: "When I Paint My Masterpiece," "Never Let Me Go," "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine," "Dark as a Dungeon," and "This Land is Your Land," among others. Still, the sound here is revelatory - three-dimensional at times, especially Scarlet's violin on "Durango." Other highlights include "Mr. Tambourine Man," maybe Dylan's best version ever of this song, (and muffled on my bootleg) "Love Minus Zero/No Limit," one of Dylan's most tender ballads, rendered beautifully here, and "One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)," reminding us what superb album Desire was (strange how these songs have vanished from Dylan's current repertoire). To CBS: how about something from 1997-2002 next? The current piano/covers tour is fantastic. Will we have to wait until 2029 for that one? (Bootlegs available now.) Or how about a complete issue of the basement tapes (most of the songs still unofficially released after 35 years). Thanks, though, for this one. It'll be in my player for a long time.
Rating:  - Must own for Dylan Fanatics like me
Im not afraid to admit that my favorite Bob is the electric Bob. Yes I appreciate and respect the importance of Dylan's pre electric folk/protest output. I just dont dig it. I have always found the idea of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour interesting without really knowing much about it apart from the 'Hard Rain' lp/cd and the few live cuts to be found on releases like 'Biograph' ANyway there are a number of interesting bits on this one. A great solo version of 'Simple Twist of Fate' A very nice version of 'Tonight Ill Be Staying Here With You' as well as 'Romance in Durango'(different from the Biograph version), 'Hurricane', 'Oh Sister', duet with Joan Baez on 'I shall be released'. Also there is a DVD included with video performances of 'Tangled up in Blue' and 'Isis' as well as an audio version of 'Isis' mixed for Dolby 5.1 The 2 videos are nice to have but nothing great. The Tangled up in Blue bit is the same video from 'Renaldo and Clara' that has recieved alot of airplay on MTV/VH1/VH1 Classics for years. You know the one with a closeup of Dylan's painted face flooded in blue stage light. The camera never moves off of Dylans face. The same is true of the Isis performance. Anyway its nice to have and the 5.1 version of Isis sounds great. I wish the whole thing ws in 5.1 it sounds that great. Anyway if you like Dylans live work or his stuff on the 'Hurricane' LP/CD then get this. Its well worth it.
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