Rating: 5/5 stars

Bob Dylan and The Band have released an assortment of tracks from their iconic two-month tour across North America from 50 year ago. “The 1974 Live Recordings Sampler” is the second album the tour has produced, the first being “Before The Flood,” which featured 15 live performances from the New York and Los Angeles legs, released just a few months after the tour concluded.

“Sampler” has 20 tracks of classic Dylan songs. The album opens with a passionately electrified rendition of “Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine).” Dylan’s iconic pinched voice sails smoothly over the backings of The Band. The quickened beat contrasts the original from Dylan’s infamous 1966 album “Blonde on Blonde” with its sharp departure from the sluggish folk-rock startling listeners and older lovers of Dylan. The rock ‘n’ roll burst pulls fans in from the very start and does not let go until the album’s final track.

Before their commercial success in 1968, The Band served as Dylan’s backing band in the mid-’60s. Most notably, they contributed to the controversy among fans of the folk-rock singer as his first electric band. Once Dylan was deemed “the songbird of his generation,” he began experimenting with electric-based backings for his originally acoustic work. This caused outrage from fans, claiming he was abandoning his roots and political songwriting in favor of the glitz and glamour of rock music. However, both styles were featured during the 1974 tour. An example of this is Dylan’s solo performance of his touchingly profound hits, “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,” “The  Times They Are A-Changin’” and “Gates of Eden.” 

Dylan keeps the fire throughout the recordings, regardless of the style. Besides the acoustic hits, the highlights of the album are consecutive through tracks 15-20. Each is a song previously criticized for electric performances. Like those stand-out performances, these are given a new life with the unique touches contributed by The Band. Most iconic are “Maggie’s Farm,” “Like A Rolling Stone” and “All Along The Watchtower,” which stand the testament of time with their themes of societal oppression and bitter realities.

The release of this album comes at the perfect time- right before the U.S. election- introducing younger generations to the riveting music of Bob Dylan and his meaningful muses. In today’s current social climate, his themes of civil unrest, ruthless politicians, violence, oppression and the ever-continuing struggles of young people in America.

 The conclusion comes with Dylan posing a slew of questions to his listeners, including “How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man?” and “How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see?” The answer: well, Dylan says it is “Blowin’ in the Wind.” The songbird closed out with a striking rendition of the iconic hit, Levon Helms’ sweet Southern twang echoing on the chorus and providing a delicate, yet powerful touch to the beloved classic.

Just as it was in 1962, later on in 1974 and now in 2024, Dylan’s music continues to be a powerful testament to social awareness and activism during times of political instability. The release of “The 1974 Live Recordings Sampler” could not have been better. The enthusiastic performances from 50 years ago remain timely and are a beautiful showcase of the talents of Dylan and The Band.

Image by Francisco Antunes via Wikimedia