Compiled by Tony Attwood
This is number 21 in this series which selects Dylan concerts from the internet, puts them in chronological order, and gives a link to them. And this time I’ve picked the concert that is said by many to be the worst ever Dylan performance.
I’m not going to agree or defend the concert – this series is simply about making it easier to find concerts from across the years in order to be able to consider the way performances have changed. But I would say that if you have a moment, have a listen to “Shelter from the storm”. For me this version offers another insight into the song that I hadn’t gained before.
One other point I would add: in this case though I am not at all sure that the opening track is “New Morning”, but I have left it listed as such as that is what the source says. If you have a different idea please do write in; I’m not sure what it is.
But, to get back to the main point, the aim of course is to have at least one recording of a gig from each year that Bob has been touring. So a list of the concerts to which we’ve already put links is given below.
If there are any concerts you would particularly like to recommend and which are freely available on-line, please do write to me: Tony@schools.co.uk with the details.
- 1. New Morning????
- 2. Lay Lady Lay
- 3. All Along The Watchtower
- 4. Shelter From The Storm
- 5. Gotta Serve Somebody
- 6. Wiggle Wiggle
- 7. When I Paint My Masterpiece
- 8. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
- 9. Trail Of The Buffalo
- 10. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
- 11. Mr. Tambourine Man
- 12. Bob Dylan’s Dream
- 13. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
- 14. Everything Is Broken
- 15. I Believe In You
- 16. Highway 61 Revisited –
- 17. What Good Am I?
- 18. Ballad Of A Thin Man
Here is the list of concerts so far is given below. If by any chance you go to look at one and find the link does not work, I’d be very grateful if you could email Tony@schools.co.uk with not only the link, but also where you are in the world. Thanks.
- 2025: April 2025, Iowa
- 2024: Erfurt 8th October 2024
- 2024: The Mountain View, California concert in full on 3 August 2024.
- 2024: What Dylan played on 7 July 2024, and how it sounded.
- 2021: The Beacon Theatre NYC, 21 November 2o21
- 2019: 14 October Palo Alto.
- 2009: Paris, 8 April 2009
- 2002: 9 February 2002: Atlanta. Sublime
- 1999: April 7 1999 Lisbon
- 1995: Brighton (“The Brighton Centre”)
- 1992: Bob Dylan, Little Moses and the complete March 1992 concert
- 1991: Stuttgart. The worst show ever?
- 1988: 30 June. New York.
- 1986: The concert in full on 3 August 2024.
- 1980: 15 January Seattle
- 1978: Earls Court 1978
- 1976: Fort Collins 23 May 1976
- 1976: January 1976: the rehearsals
- 1974: Largo, Maryland; 15 January 1974
- 1969: The Isle of Wight (four songs).
- 1966: Manchester 1966, the full concert.
- 1961: The Carnegie Chapter Hall concert in full: 4 November 1961
Bob’s band are playing ‘New Morning’ as the first song. Bob is suffering from a ‘haze of substance abuse’ during this song. I do not think this is the worst Bob Dylan show – Munich one week later was pretty consistently dreadful – but certainly the worst opening to any Bob Dylan show. I saw twelve shows in July 1991. Bob was pretty out of it at four of them but even then, he was capable of delivering good performances of songs later in the show (usually ballads) as Bob sobered up during the show.
Rather:
Lyrics are something like this:
I feel indeed that I might need some girl/
To be alive, for having fun/
Underneath the forest, I love you/
On a new morning with you
The above lyrics are just my first attempt at cracking them, and are by no means to be considered anywhere near correct
Second attempt – closer:
I feel indeed that I might need something/
To be alive and having fun/
On a new morning/
On a new morning with you