The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down... the 1974 Tour Anthology

I can't say I remember a whole lot about 1974 ...  Nixon was gone.  Ford inherited an unpopular war raging in Laos and Cambodia.  The nation was in recession and people felt, what some people might describe, a hangover from the '60s.  Music was what had been for some time....  deeply divided along socio and economic lines.  Somewhere in there, Bob Dylan continued to be an inspiration and was making some of the finest music of his career during his collaboration with Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Richard Manuel who were simply known as The Band.  For them, it had been quite a journey from humble beginnings in the US and Canada and as a backup band, known then as Hawks for outlaw singer Ronnie Hawkins.  Woodstock, NY became a haven for Dylan, joined by most of the members of the band following Dylan's now famous motorcycle accident, where over a period of time they laid down what for what became known as The Basement tapes.  The Band would go on to record 2 incredibly important records, The Band and Songs from the Big Pink (a former whorehouse), and become an important fixture in American roots music.  By 1974 Dylan and The Band were again joined and recorded the somewhat luke warmly received Planet Waves before launching a huge tour.

What I am presenting for your pleasure what became known in trading circles as the 1974 Tour Anthology.  A collection of the best recordings of every available song played by them from various locations.

Disc 1

1. Stage Announcements [Bill Graham] (Ann Arbor, 2/2)
2. Most Likely You Go Your Way (Uniondale, 1/29)
3. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Uniondale, 1/28)
4. Tough Mama (Chicago, 1/4)
5. It Ain't Me, Babe (Fort Worth, 1/25)
6. One Too Many Mornings (Largo, 1/16)
7. I Don't Believe You (Montreal, 1/11)
8. LeopardSkin PillBox Hat (Philadelphia, 1/6E)
9. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (New York City, 1/30)
10. Ballad Of A Thin Man (Toronto, 1/10)
11. Mr. Tambourine Man (Los Angeles, 2/14E)
12. Something There Is About You (Fort Worth, 1/25)
13. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Uniondale, 1/28)
14. As I Went Out One Morning (Toronto, 1/10)
15. Forever Young (Boston, 1/14A)
16. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, (Toronto, 1/9)
17. Like A Rolling Stone (Uniondale, 1/29)
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (Montreal, 1/11)
19. Taper And Friend (Largo, 1/16)

Disc 2

1. Times They Are A-Changin' (New York City, 1/31)
2. Blowin' In The Wind (Montreal, 1/12)
3. Don't Think Twice, (Uniondale, 1/28)
4. Visions Of Johanna (Denver, 2/6A)
5. It's All Over Now Baby Blue (Uniondale, 1/29)
6. Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (St. Louis, 2/4A)
7. She Belongs To Me (Los Angeles, 2/14E)
8. Love Minus Zero (Toronto, 1/10)
9. Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll (Seattle, 2/9A)
10. Mr. Tambourine Man (Philadelphia, 1/6E)
11. Nobody 'Cept You (Philadelphia, 1/6E)
12. Wedding Song (Largo, 1/15)
13. Just Like A Woman (Fort Worth, 1/25)
14. Gates Of Eden (Montreal, 1/11)
15. Fourth Time Around (Memphis, 1/23)
16. Girl From The North Country (Philadelphia, 1/7)
17. It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (New York City, 1/30)

Disc 3

1. Stage Fright (Fort Worth, 1/25)
2. Holy Cow (Chicago, 1/3)
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Uniondale, 1/29)
4. When You Awake (Ann Arbor, 2/2)
5. King Harvest (Uniondale, 1/28)
6. Goin' Back To Memphis (Memphis, 1/23)
7. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (Largo, 1/15)
8. Share Your Love [w/Dylan harmonica] (Chicago, 1/3)
9. Long Black Veil (Philadelphia, 1/6E)
10. This Wheel's On Fire (Uniondale, 1/28)
11. The Weight (Fort Worth, 1/25) * Soundboard Bonus Tracks *
12. Most Likely You Got Your Way (Los Angeles, 2/14E)
13. It Ain't Me Babe (Los Angeles, 2/14E) [Asylum mono mix]
14. Ballad Of Hollis Brown (New York City, 1/31A) [Before The Flood rough mix]
15. It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) [Dylan] (Los Angeles, 2/14E)
16. Highway 61 Revisited (Seattle, 2/9E) [Before The Flood rough mix]
17. Forever Young (Los Angeles, 2/14E)
18. Blowin' In The Wind (Los Angeles, 2/14E)

Sometime in the late '90s i developed an obsession collecting Dylan shows as the result of my discovery of the now defunct trading site, dylantree.com.  If there was a Dylan show you wanted, this was the place to go.  This is an incredible set and my tribute to the late Levon Helm, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko and the indomitable spirit of The Band.  You can find it here.