Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series Volume 4: The 'Royal Albert Hall' Concert

I’m a fan of live albums. I may be in the minority, but I come from an era (the 1970’s where live records were a rite of passage for suburban boys. Kiss Alive, Peter Frampton Frampton Comes Alive, and Cheap Trick At Buddakon, etc., all became concert souvenirs of shows that the vast majority of us weren’t able to attend.
A lot of these live documents were pointless, many of them were unnecessary but great performances nonetheless, and a few others were vitally important as they managed to document an important transition or event in the artist’s career.
Bob Dylan’s “Royal Albert Hall” performance is one such event. Aside from a previous appearance at the Newport Folk Festival, the one where Pete Seeger pulled the plug on Bob’s set, there is no better document of the hostility that Dylan faced from fans as he transitioned from “folkie” or rock star.
I don’t know if a commercial recording of that ill-fated performance exists but I do know that the “Royal Albert Hall” performance finally received a legitimate release a few years ago and immediately became one of those un-arguable classic records that’s deserving of its legendary stature.
And not merely on the incident alone; The Bootleg Series Volume 4 contains a perfectly sequenced set of Dylan’s show at the Manchester Free Trade Hall, incorrectly identified as the Royal Albert Hall performance when it was originally released as a bootleg in 1971.
The show begins with a traditional acoustic set, set apart by Dylan’s bitter enunciation, either prompted by having to cater to the folkies with his more familiar garb or by the beating that he’s going to receive from the crowd in mere moments. Whatever the cause, Bob delivers an ornery first set before retiring briefly for the beat down that’s coming.
The second set starts with a brutal version of “Tell Me Momma,” a rendition so fierce that it sends a clear message to anyone not ready for the new era of Dylan’s work: leave now while you have a chance.
Of course, those who stayed were motivated by the opportunity to boo and heckle Dylan after each song. Bob responds with gibberish. The idea being that they’ll be quiet enough to try to make sense of what he’s saying.
They don’t, in fact, it gets worse. Finally, a lone heckler yells “Judas!” while another screams “I’m never listening to you again…EVER!” Dylan responds with “You’re a liar” before turning to the band, ready to attack again with one final attack.
“Play fucking loud” he instructs the band, before slamming into one of the most aggressive versions of “Like A Rolling Stone” ever set to tape.
This is a magical record, one that transcends its original intent and one that remains a vital link in rock music. This is a record that not only documents one of Dylan’s best performances ever, it’s a record that documents one of the most important events in rock history.
The 'Royal Albert Hall" concert originally took place on this day in 1966.
Play it fucking loud.