Boston 1975 Complete (Screamer-04024-026)
Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA – November 21st, 1975
Disc 1 Intro, Guam: Good Love Is Hard To Find, Sleazy, Hula Hoop, Don’t Blame Me, Too Good To Be Wasted, Is There Life On Mars?, Alabama Dark, Need A New Sun Rising, Cindy, Mercedes Benz. Joni Mitchell: Edith & The Kingpin, Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow. Guam: Ramblin’ Jack. Ramblin’ Jack Elliot: Muleskinner Blues, Grand Coulee Dam, Talking Blues, Salt Pork West Virginia, I’m A Rich And Rambling Boy
Disc 2 Bob Dylan: When I Paint My Masterpiece, It Ain’t Me Babe, Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, It Takes A Lot To Laugh, Romance In Durango, Isis. Bob Dylan & Joan Baez: Blowin’ In The Wind, The Water Is Wide, Mama You Been On My Mind, Dark As A Dungeon, I Shall Be Released. Joan Baez: Wonderful World, Diamond & Rust, Do Right Woman Do Right Man, John Reilly, Love Song To A Stranger, Long Black Veil, Please Come To Boston
Disc 3 Roger McGuinn: Eight Miles High, Chestnut Mare. Joan Baez: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. Bob Dylan: I Don’t Believe You, Tangled Up In Blue, Oh Sister, Hurricane, One More Cup Of Coffee, Sara, Just Like A Woman, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, This Land Is Your Land
Boston 1975 Complete was released by the Screamer people simultaneously with the Cambridge show from the previous day. This release of the better known evening show from November 21st uses an excellent stereo audience recording that captures the performances and atmosphere perfectly. There is minimal audience interference (the taper speaks about the “fucking balloons” in the introduction) and this is a fun show to listen to. There are several minor cuts between songs but the tape is musically complete. A recording from the soundboard first surfaced many years ago and has appeared on several vinyl boots. Concert for Sam & Larry (Frog BO 1/2/3/4) is a European two LP set with the entire set from the soundboard. The first pressing also came with a 45 with two 1975 studio outtakes, “Oh Sister” and “Abandoned Love”.
Nothing’s Like a Woman (MIW records, MIW 13) is a vinyl release with Dylan’s full set from the soundboard. This is a three LP set issued in 1985 and is one of the more beautiful Dylan boots in existence and the two LP set Sink Or Swim contains the entire Dylan tape. Various tracks from an audience recording appear on the first side of Believe What You Heard (Zap 7850), and f our songs, “Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll”, “Isis”, “The Water Is Wide”, and “Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind” are on the first side of the two LP set Could You Start Again Please? On compact disc “Dark As A Dungeon”, Dylan’s duet with Joan Baez, appears on Be My Guest (Blue Eyes /005). A line recording of Dylan’s set was issued on the well known Get Ready! Tonight Bob’s Staying Here With You (Great Dane 9010 A/B) interspersed with tracks from the two Toronto gigs. Great Dane was partially copied a decade later on Poets & Players (TMOQ Japan). Dylan’s complete set also appears on Cowboy Angel Blues (Q Records QR-21/22).
A lot of material from this show has been utilized on official releases. “It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry” and “Tangled Up In Blue” were released in the movie Renaldo And Clara (25 January 25th, 1978 (long version) and late 1978 (short version)). “The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll”, ” It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry”, “Isis”, “Blowin’ In The Wind”, “The Water Is Wide”, “Tangled Up In Blue”, “Oh Sister”, “One More Cup Of Coffee”, “Sara”, “Just Like A Woman” released on The Bootleg Series, vol. 5 – Bob Dylan Live 1975: The Rolling Thunder Revue (Columbia 510140 3/Col. 510140/3000, 26 November 2002). It is good that Screamer issue the entire Rolling Thunder Revue set with all of the sets instead of the temptation of releasing the Bob Dylan shows only. Hearing this tape offers a greater scope of the concert and the charm pouring out.
Also there are many noteworthy performances that deserve to be heard. Bob Neuwirth again mcs the show and begins by telling the audience “welcome to our living rooms…just sit back and relax and we’ll get to the end” before dedicating “Sleazy” to their hotel room. Mick Ronson plays the bizarre “Is There Life On Mars?” which really stands out from the other material. Joan Baez is in a great mood throughout. The audience responds to “Diamond & Rust” and to “Love Song To A Stranger”. She asks for Roger McGuinn’s bracelet back which fell off his wrist in the afternoon show before “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”. This is a really nice production from Screamer who have really produced a good catalogue of releases this past year. These Rolling Thunder Revue shows were among the first and are easily the more impressive. (GS)
