Before the Flood
I have somewhat mixed feelings about this record.
On the negative side is the fact that Dylan and the Band recorded this in front of large, stadium-sized audiences. That gives it a strange kind of antiseptic quality, where musicians and audience feel separate from one another. This is a big reason why I generally don't go to big arena shows, and I count it as a debit on Before the Flood.
But this has to be balanced against some huge credits. For starters, there are no horns. For some reason, Robbie Robertson felt compelled to flesh out Rock of Ages and the Last Waltz with a horn section, which only has the effect of trampling all over Richard Manuel's piano and, more importantly, Garth Hudson's organ. Both Manuel and Hudson are all over this record, which makes it much more enjoyable, and a more accurate sense of what the Band actually sounded like on your typical night in the early 70s.
Second is Dylan's reworking of all his old tunes. Nothing is revelatory, but it is interesting.
Third is just the high-quality musicianship of the Band. I mentioned Hudson and Manuel above, but you can also hear Rick Danko bouncing all over the bass in his usually interesting way, and Robertson is doing his typically amazing bending of notes. I still have never heard anybody do what Robertson does.
When push comes to shove, Dylan's Bootleg Series, Volume 4 (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1966) is basically similar to this record -- Dylan and the Band playing his mid-60s hits. But while the Royal Albert Hall record is a more important document in rock history, I think Before the Flood one is more enjoyable.
On the negative side is the fact that Dylan and the Band recorded this in front of large, stadium-sized audiences. That gives it a strange kind of antiseptic quality, where musicians and audience feel separate from one another. This is a big reason why I generally don't go to big arena shows, and I count it as a debit on Before the Flood.
But this has to be balanced against some huge credits. For starters, there are no horns. For some reason, Robbie Robertson felt compelled to flesh out Rock of Ages and the Last Waltz with a horn section, which only has the effect of trampling all over Richard Manuel's piano and, more importantly, Garth Hudson's organ. Both Manuel and Hudson are all over this record, which makes it much more enjoyable, and a more accurate sense of what the Band actually sounded like on your typical night in the early 70s.
Second is Dylan's reworking of all his old tunes. Nothing is revelatory, but it is interesting.
Third is just the high-quality musicianship of the Band. I mentioned Hudson and Manuel above, but you can also hear Rick Danko bouncing all over the bass in his usually interesting way, and Robertson is doing his typically amazing bending of notes. I still have never heard anybody do what Robertson does.
When push comes to shove, Dylan's Bootleg Series, Volume 4 (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1966) is basically similar to this record -- Dylan and the Band playing his mid-60s hits. But while the Royal Albert Hall record is a more important document in rock history, I think Before the Flood one is more enjoyable.
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