The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Live 1966: The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert

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

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

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

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

Vähän tämmönen greatest hits-kimara, joka hyvin demoaa Dylanin eri genrekiinnostuksia. Kiinnostava tarina myös sähkökitaroiden hapatuksesta! 4/5

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.

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.

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

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

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

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😊

I don't think live albums should be on the list. However, if a case could be made for a single exception, this might be it. Dylan going electric, and breaking people's brains in the process, is absolutely historic. A shame that streaming services cut out the interaction with the crowd in between songs. It is critical to the experience. Do yourself a favor and track down the CD version, or at least make sure you search a little deeper on YouTube: https://youtu.be/c2SWyTuJiEYsi=LtIzsmoJaAZ1IAG6 and play it fuckin' loud!

I'm still not convinced live albums merit a place on the list, and bootlegs even less so, but as a record of a moment when everything changed, this one maybe does.
Bob still can't sing, but he can certainly write. I liked the "electric" set more, but the first half was also good.

Oh Bob. His lyrics are pretty comprehensibile on this record so I get to have the full Bob experience. I guess I can see how someone can get swept up in his lyrics, but his vocal delivery is just not my thing. Desolation Row being goddamn 11 minutes long is a workout. and a whole 95 minutes of uncut Bob is a lot to take. I don't like how his songs feel without dynamic structure. Everything feels so..... uniform? It feels like all his songs are the same chord loop, alternate A and B style lyrics, harmonica solo, repeat for however long it takes Bob to read you The Grapes Of Wrath, and then do it all over again. The second side has more promise with an actual band with him. Nah, its more of the same with a blues band. god im not going back to this one.

HL: "Visions of Johanna", "I Don't Believe You", "Ballad of a Thin Man"

Alright. If I saw this show live it'd be an easy 5

June 19, 2023

I don't get why this album is on the list. What is special about Dylan's live performance? I just don't feel it. I like his studio albums, this is just fine.

I saw Dylan live last year, some 56 years after this was recorded. Nice to have another live album to compare and contrast with; his voice may be a little more crinkly and he spent most of his time hiding behind his piano, but it was still undeniably Dylan and brilliant.
This album is also great.

Onmogelijk om hier naar te luisteren. De kinderen schreeuwen er steeds door heen. Of die man met die verschrikkelijke stem uit mag. Kan hen geen ongelijk geven. Moet er niet aan denken dat ik hier bij zou zijn.

Interesting to have a bootleg on the 1001 album list

Now besides Dylan being overzealous on the harmonica, this is a great time piece of Dylan live.

Live. Buff. Me sorprende la cantidad de discos en directo que hay en esta lista de los 1001. Pues bastante aburrido o tranquilo no sé cómo calificarlo. El "Mr Tambourine man" y luego "Tell me, momma" es lo mejorcito que tiene, amen de terminar con "Like a rolling stone". Le voy a dar 2 estrellas, por que no es un disco imprescindible en mi opinión.