Bob Dylan - Folk Rogue 1964 - 1965

This CD is one to grab for several reasons. First of all, Newport shows are essential both to any serious Dylan collection, as well as to any music historian. This set compares the sublime acoustic folk '64 show to the infamous 'Electric' '65 show that forever changed the face of folk, rock, and folk-rock music. The entire CD is soundboard recordings, and this is the best sounding Newport recordings ever. The filler material is of fascinating historical importance as well. The two missing songs from the newly discovered Hollywood Bowl show (with Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson) are also included. Finally, the aesthetics are nice, the venue information is complete, and the period photos are vibrant.

--Craig Pinkerton, bobsboots.com

In the span of exactly 365 days, from his July 26, 1964, appearance at the famed Newport Folk Festival to his return on July 25, 1965, Bob Dylan rocketed from folk luminary to lightning rod. After first abandoning the protest themes of his classic early anthems to focus on more poetic, personal subjects, Dylan next forsook the rigid traditions of roots music to go electric, drawing on the spirit of rock & roll to forge a revolutionary and controversial sound all his own. The must-have bootleg release "Folk Rogue 1964-1965" contains both Newport sets in their entirety, and the contrast is extraordinary: while the 1964 audience treats sublime, introspective songs like "It Ain't Me, Babe" and "All I Really Want to Do" with reverence and awe, the 1965 crowd seems poised on the brink of anarchy, and regardless of whether the catalyst was the elemental ferocity of the music, the inadequate sound system, or the brevity of the three-song set, the tension is palpable, and it elevates Dylan and his band to remarkable heights. Adding a pair of songs from Dylan's September 3, 1965, show at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl for good measure, "Folk Rogue 1964-1965" remains the definitive single-disc presentation of this landmark material. Soundboard-quality fidelity and tasteful packaging complete an essential collection, although Dandelion's two-disc "From Newport to the Ancient Empty Streets in LA" adds the Hollywood Bowl show in its entirety while subtracting "It Ain't Me Babe" from the 1964 Newport appearance, so comparison shopping is recommended.  - allmusic.com


Tracklist:

1. It Ain't Me Babe *
2. All I Really Want To Do
3. To Ramona
4. Mr Tambourine Man
5. Chimes Of Freedom
6. Don't Think Twice **
7. All I Really Wanna Do *(afternoon workshop)
8. Maggie's Farm
9. Like A Rolling Stone
10. Phantom Engineer
11. Tombstone Blues ***
12. It Ain't Me Babe ***
13. We Want Bobby
14. It's All Over Now Baby Blue
15. Mr Tambourine Man

Newport Folk Festival, RI July 25, 1965 Except:
* Newport Folk Festival, RI July 26, 1964
** Newcastle, UK City Hall May 6, 1965
*** Hollywood Bowl, LA, CA September 3, 1965

Bob Dylan - Folk Rogue 1964 - 1965
(192 kbps, cover art included)