4 Essential Tracks from Bob Dylan and The Band

Fifty years ago, Bob Dylan returned to touring after an eight-year hiatus.

Dylan broke his neck in a motorcycle accident in 1966 and his return reunited him with The Band for 30 concerts. The historic 1974 arena tour has been captured in a sprawling 431-song box set collection, The 1974 Live Recordings. It arrives September 20 with a colored vinyl version available via Jack White’s Third Man Records.

In anticipation of this massive box set, here are four essential tracks from Bob Dylan and The Band.

“Tell Me, Momma” from The Bootleg Series, Vol 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966 (1998)

In 1966, Dylan toured with The Hawks before they became The Band—with Mickey Jones on drums—shocking the folk world by plugging in. “Tell Me, Momma” opens Disc 2 following Dylan’s solo acoustic set. It’s defiant and noisy, showcasing the early power of his touring band.

America’s poet bled the ears of those in attendance at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England. Culture-shifting moments are most often recognized with hindsight. However, Dylan’s live bootleg captured the shift while many of his fans protested against it.

“Like a Rolling Stone” from The Bootleg Series, Vol 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966 (1998)

Displeased with Dylan’s turn to rock and roll, an audience member shouts “Judas” to which Dylan responds, “I don’t believe you. You’re a liar.” He turns to The Hawks and says, “Play it f—–g loud” before ripping into “Like a Rolling Stone.” The incident became a turning point for ’60s culture, proving the audience often doesn’t know what they want until you give it to them.

Dylan’s six-minute studio version became a radio hit in 1965. Fans were divided by Dylan’s amplified sounds on Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited. Meanwhile, the 1966 live version of “Like a Rolling Stone” with The Hawks became a blueprint for the Americana genre.

“You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” from The Basement Tapes (1975)

Following Dylan’s 1966 motorcycle accident, Dylan and members of The Hawks recorded prolifically at Big Pink, a house near his Woodstock, New York, home. Levon Helm returned to the group and Columbia Records eventually released the tapes in 1975, eight years after the sessions were completed.

After the sessions with Dylan ended in 1967, the then-nameless band began writing their own songs, leading to their touchstone debut, Music from Big Pink (1968). Dylan’s backing band soon agreed on a fitting and economical name, The Band.

“Tears of Rage” from The Basement Tapes (1975)

While other artists indulged in psychedelia, Dylan and The Band kept things modest and earthy, unlike The Beatles’ experimentations on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Here, Dylan focused on songs, not production. Also, the house they worked in shaped their sound. The sessions were loose and the musicians held their volume low as the structure of the basement’s cement walls at Big Pink forced them to manage the sound so they could hear themselves sing.

The Band recorded a gospel-tinted version of “Tears of Rage” for Music from Big Pink with Richard Manuel singing. However, on Dylan’s version, you can hear the musicians still feeling their way through the arrangement.

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