Bob Dylan & The Band
The 1974 Live Recordings: The Missing Songs From Before The Flood
****and1/2 out of *****
The 61st release from Third Man Records Vault Series is a doozy, a triple vinyl collection The 1974 Live Recordings: The Missing Songs From Before The Flood from Bob Dylan and The Band. The title says it all as these are the songs that did not make the classic 1974 live album but were played live that tour. Each show was professionally taped so the quality and performances are top notch throughout.
One of the takeaways from this 1974 Tour is how hard, and at times angry, Dylan sings these songs; there is a fire burning in him that didn't always show up live. This was the overarching vibe this tour in fact Dylan stated in 1985:
"I think I was just playing a role on that tour, I was playing Bob Dylan and the Band were playing the Band. It was all sort of mindless. The only thing people talked about was energy this, energy that. The highest compliments were things like, 'Wow, lotta energy, man.' It had become absurd."
That is fair, but having it now as just one of his many live albums to compare it to, Before the Flood sure sounds a hell of a lot better than say Live at Budokan.
This collection of unreleased live tracks starts with that energy cutting quick as "Something There Is About You" is played fluidly and like the other Planet Wave songs on this collection seems to be more fresh and alive as The Band and The Bard were in sync for the new songs. "Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat" finds Dylan playing with the words as things can get 'explosive' while Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson highlight "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)" which is played well, but doesn't hit the Live in 1966 heights.
The stomping electro-blues of "Hero Blues" closes the A side while "Tough Mama" expertly blasts out the B side. Perhaps the highlight of the whole collection "Maggie's Farm" takes that much talked about energy and filters it through Levon Helms pumping drums in proto-punk rock fashion; a stunner of a take on the number. The bass groove of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is pushed along by the bubbling lines of Rick Danko on the low end.
The C and D sides focus on the solo acoustic songs from Dylan that didn't make Down in the Flood and some are just as strong as the ones that made the cut. The highlight efforts being an amazingly breathy recording of "Song To Woody" which puts you in the front row and "The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll" which funnels that energetic rage into a workable area. Some of Dylan's more love leaning songs come off a bit rushed like "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" and "Mama, You've Been On My Mind" but the newer "Wedding Song" is played expertly and is a soaring treat.
The only downside to this release is the lack of songs from The Band proper as they also did a set at these shows. Perhaps it is a licensing issue with Third Man, but the E side acoustic numbers suffer from that extra energy and had they been substituted with tunes like "Rag Mama Rag" and "This Wheels On Fire" (both played on tour and not released) it would have better captured the overall feeling of the 1974 tour.
That said, the release is still fantastic and ends on a strong note. A hard and slicing version of the "Ballad Of Hollis Brown" again fits Dylan's angry tone perfectly before the record wraps up with one more Planet Waves number as "Forever Young" closes this excellent archival release. Kudos to the team that delivered the dynamite sound, packaging and crisp vinyl that only enhances the original Before The Flood double album. This Vault edition is a prize to Dylan nerds (like RtBE) and new fans alike.
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