The 1974 Live Recordings

It's taken me a while to write my review on this huge box set as I wanted to listen to all 27 discs before committing to it. I think it's best if I quote rock critic Dave Marsh, who, upon reviewing the Before The Flood double album in 1974 said "Dylan reinterperets all his old material drastically, singing the lyrics as though they mean nothing at all or something very different from what we've always understood them to signify". When I first heard Before The Flood I found it quite discomforting as Bob was really snarling out the lyrics. Now fast forward 50 years and we get the whole of the 74 tour in excellent quality. Time has got me rather more used to Bob's rougher style and it immediately struck me as how very similar his vocals are to the Blood On The Tracks sessions later in the year. Of course this is a lot to listen to and I'm sure very few fans would listen to all 27 discs in one session (would take a whole day!) It's all at a very reasonable price really and my only slight gripe is that some of the discs are rather short in length. It would have been nice to include some of the Band's tracks without Bob "The Night They Drove Old Dixe Down" for example but I'm still awarding the set 5 stars. Take your time, listen and enjoy.

I am working my way through these 27 discs and it is a wonderful journey! This is my 60th anniversary of first hearing Bob Dylan and he had been with me all those years. I have a significant number of his recordings so buying this set was essential for me. As with the 1966 tour set there is much repetition here but that is not a problem for me. He is one excellent form and the backing from The Band is second to none. Robbie Robertson shines out like a beacon in the night. Whilst Tom Petty did a great job backing Dylan, The Band are, in my opinion, by far the best. At £96.12 this set is a gift. It is true that the packaging could have been a bit more robust. Something like the 1966 tour set would have been better but I am more than happy with this set and know that I will get many, many hours enjoyment out of it. Very highly recommended indeed if, like me, you are a Dylan fan. For those who are not so addicted a smaller dose than 27cds may be better but after an eight year break Dylan makes up for lost time so listen to at least some of it and enjoy!

Bob Dylan and The BandThe 1974 Recordings.I have listened very closely to about six of the discs so far on the 1974 box set.and I have been really taken aback by how much I am enjoying this experience.Lots of different performances with different nuances from night to night.Dylan's vocals are particularly fine on the first half of the tour, reaching many high peaks on the great acoustic sets.The Band supports Dylan with amazing dexterity, and Robbie Robertson is on fire on just about every song I've heard. His playing is an absolute highlight of the box.I think Sony got it right on all scores.Not only am I very grateful that they have put this tremendous material into the public domain, but it is a very fine release.The quality of the box may be slightly poorer than say the 1966 box set, but I believe it fits in well with the intent of the release.A copyright dump consisting of 27 discs packed with amazing music for £80-90 is truly outstanding value.A compromise was made and the outcome is a win win situation for all Bob Dylan and The Band fans and collectors.

I imagine that only Dylan fanatics will buy this set. It’s not for the causal listener. I imagine people who buy this already own the Bootleg series, swerved the ridiculously priced Complete Budokan and like The Band.As with More Blood, More Tracks, when I considered Live in 1974, my question was , do I really need so many versions of the same songs.As with MBMT, it turns out I do. It’s a fantastic set at a great price which is achieved by minimal packing and no perfect bound book, which is fine by me as I never read those things.The sound quaility is varied, I believe the sources are sound board, which means no audience whooping and hollering, which annoys the #%% out of me when on live recordings.As you get deeper into the set, the band get better and better. It’s not the kind of box that I will play over and over, but I’m happy to have it