Bob Dylan and the Band Announce Massive 27-Disc Box Set Chronicling 1974 Reunion Tour

Andy Greene
·17 min read
10
Photo of Bob DYLAN performing live onstage at the benefit for ousted Chileans: Felt Forum, New York - Credit: Steve Morley/Redferns
Photo of Bob DYLAN performing live onstage at the benefit for ousted Chileans: Felt Forum, New York - Credit: Steve Morley/Redferns

Fifty years ago, Bob Dylan reunited with the Band for an arena tour where they performed 40 shows in just 42 days, often playing two gigs a night. The double live LP Before The Flood featured recordings from their concerts in New York and Los Angeles, but that represented just a tiny fraction of what they captured on tape throughout the run.

The rest is finally coming out September 20 on the 27-disc, 431-track box set Bob Dylan—The 1974 Live Recordings. It features newly mixed recordings of Dylan’s complete set at 27 concerts, along with liner notes by Elizabeth Nelson. (The Band’s own songs are excluded from this package.) Check out a preview of “Forever Young” from the February 9th, 1974, show in Seattle, Washington.

More from Rolling Stone

There will also be a 3-LP highlights box set released by Third Man Records in September centered around songs that didn’t appear on Before The Flood entitled The 1974 Live Recordings — The Missing Songs From Before the Flood.

The tour marked Dylan’s return to the road following an eight-year hiatus. During that time, the Band went from Dylan’s anonymous backing group to one of the most successful rock acts in America, landing hits on the charts like “The Weight,” “Up On Cripple Creek,” and “The Night The Drove Old Dixie Down.”

The feverish demand to see them back together was unlike anything seen since the height of Beatlemania a decade earlier. Promoters received 5.5 million ticket requests. As rock historian Clinton Heylin pointed out in his Dylan biography Behind The Shades, that was nearly 4 percent of the entire population of America.

This was near the height of the Watergate scandal and the waning days of the Vietnam War. A weary America was anxious to look backward to happier times in the past, as evidenced by the huge success of the George Lucas 1962 throwback movie American Graffiti, the Beach Boys hits collection Endless Summer, the Broadway musical Grease, and the new sitcom Happy Days.

Few cultural figures embodied the prior decade more than Dylan. “I was looked upon as a songwriter of a generation or mouthpiece of a generation,” he told Robert Hilburn in 1992. “That was the slogan put on me at the time. I had to meet that head-on. When I went back [to touring], nothing was working right for me. I had lost my raison d’etre. I didn’t know what I was doing out there, people throwing flowers and whatever. I didn’t know who they expected me to be. It was a crazy time.”

The tour started on January 3, 1974, at Chicago Stadium. Dylan kicked it off with the wildly obscure 1963 studio outtake “Hero Blues,” and later in the night broke out “All Along The Watchtower” and “Forever Young” for the first time in a concert setting. He also sat in with the Band while they played many of their original songs, a practice he abandoned at the second show later that evening, and never returned to throughout the rest of the tour.

Tapes were rolling throughout much of the tour in preparation for Before The Flood, which hit stores on June 20, 1974. All 40 shows were captured on tape by audience members, but the 27 professional recordings have sat in the vault for the past 50 years. They are coming out now due to a quirk of European copyright law, which stipulates that all recordings enter the public domain if they remain unreleased 50 years after their creation. This has caused the Dylan camp to release several copyright protection releases throughout the past decade. The 2016 box set The 1966 Live Recordings utilized audience recordings when a soundboard didn’t exist. This 1974 collection, however, relies solely on professional recordings.

Here is a complete track listing for Bob Dylan – The 1974 Live Recordings (which you can pre-order now):

DISC 1
January 3, 1974 – Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL

  1. Hero Blues

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Tough Mama

  4. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  5. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

  6. All Along the Watchtower

  7. Song to Woody

  8. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

  9. Nobody ‘Cept You

  10. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  11. Forever Young

  12. Something There Is About You

  13. Like a Rolling Stone

  14. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 2
January 4, 1974 – Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL

  1. Hero Blues

  2. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  3. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  4. Tough Mama

  5. Ballad of a Thin Man

  6. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

  7. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  8. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  9. Love Minus Zero/No Limit

  10. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

  11. Nobody ‘Cept You

  12. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  13. Maggie’s Farm

DISC 3
January 6, 1974 (Afternoon) – The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA

  1. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  5. Tough Mama

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. To Ramona

  11. Mama, You Been on My Mind

  12. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

  13. Nobody ‘Cept You

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)

  16. Forever Young

  17. Something There Is About You

  18. Like a Rolling Stone

DISC 4
January 6, 1974 (Evening) – The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA

  1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  5. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

  12. Song to Woody

  13. Mr. Tambourine Man

  14. Nobody ‘Cept You

  15. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  16. Forever Young

  17. Something There Is About You

  18. Like a Rolling Stone

  19. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 5
January 7, 1974 – The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA

  1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  5. I Don’t Believe You
    (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. Just Like a Woman

  11. Girl from the North Country

  12. Wedding Song

  13. Nobody ‘Cept You

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 6
January 9, 1974 – Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada

  1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  5. It Take a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. Just Like a Woman

  11. Girl from the North Country

  12. Wedding Song

  13. Nobody ‘Cept You

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 7
January 11, 1974 – Montreal Forum, Montreal, Canada

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  12. Gates of Eden

  13. Nobody ‘Cept You

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 8
January 14, 1974 (Afternoon) – Boston Gardens, Boston, MA

  1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  5. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  12. Gates of Eden

  13. Just Like a Woman

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 9
January 15, 1974 – Capital Centre, Largo, MD

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  12. Wedding Song

  13. Just Like a Woman

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 10
January 16, 1974 – Capital Centre, Largo, MD

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. One Too Many Mornings

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  12. Gates of Eden

  13. Nobody ‘Cept You

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 11
January 17, 1974 – Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  12. Gates of Eden

  13. Just Like a Woman

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 12
January 19, 1974 (Afternoon) – Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL

  1. All Along the Watchtower

  2. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  3. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  4. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  5. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  6. Gates of Eden

  7. Just Like a Woman

  8. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  9. Forever Young

  10. Something There Is About You

  11. Like a Rolling Stone

  12. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 13
January 21, 1974 – The Omni, Atlanta, GA

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  12. Gates of Eden

  13. Just Like a Woman

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 14
January 22, 1974 – The Omni, Atlanta, GA

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  8. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  9. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  10. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  11. Gates of Eden

  12. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

  13. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  14. Forever Young

  15. Something There Is About You

  16. Like a Rolling Stone

  17. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 15
January 26, 1974 (Afternoon) – Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, TX

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  12. Gates of Eden

  13. Just Like a Woman

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 16
January 26, 1974 (Evening) – Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, TX

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  12. Gates of Eden

  13. Just Like a Woman

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Something There Is About You

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

DISC 17
January 30, 1974 – Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. All Along the Watchtower

  5. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  6. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – released on Before the Flood

  7. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  8. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  9. Gates of Eden

  10. Just Like a Woman

  11. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) – Incomplete

  12. Forever Young

  13. Something There Is About You

  14. Like a Rolling Stone

  15. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  16. Blowin’ in the Wind

DISC 18
January 31, 1974 (Afternoon) – Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

  1. All Along the Watchtower

  2. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  3. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  4. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  5. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  6. Gates of Eden – Incomplete

  7. Forever Young

  8. Highway 61 Revisited – released on A Musical History (The Band)

  9. Like a Rolling Stone – Incomplete

DISC 19
January 31, 1974 (Evening) – Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower – Incomplete

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  12. Gates of Eden

  13. Just Like a Woman

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Highway 61 Revisited

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  19. Blowin’ in the Wind

DISC 20
February 9, 1974 (Afternoon) – Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. All Along the Watchtower

  5. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  6. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  7. She Belongs to Me

  8. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  9. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

  10. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  11. Wedding Song

  12. Forever Young

  13. Highway 61 Revisited

DISC 21
February 9, 1974 (Evening) – Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA

  1. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  2. Just Like a Woman

  3. Wedding Song

  4. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  5. It’s All Right, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  6. Forever Young

  7. Highway 61 Revisited

  8. Like a Rolling Stone

  9. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  10. Blowin’ in the Wind

DISC 22
February 11, 1974 (Afternoon) – Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA

  1. All Along the Watchtower

  2. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  3. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  4. She Belongs to Me

  5. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  6. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

  7. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  8. Wedding Song

  9. Forever Young

  10. Highway 61 Revisited

  11. Like a Rolling Stone – Incomplete

  12. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  13. Blowin’ in the Wind

DISC 23
February 11, 1974 (Evening) – Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  11. Just Like a Woman

  12. Gates of Eden

  13. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Incomplete

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Highway 61 Revisited – Incomplete

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Maggie’s Farm

  19. Blowin’ in the Wind

DISC 24
February 13, 1974 – The Forum, Inglewood, CA

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay – released on Before the Flood

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – released on Before the Flood

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man

  7. All Along the Watchtower

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. She Belongs to Me

  11. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  12. Love Minus Zero/No Limit

  13. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

  14. Just Like a Woman

  15. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  16. Forever Young

  17. Highway 61 Revisited

  18. Like a Rolling Stone – released on Before the Flood

  19. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  20. Blowin’ in the Wind – released on Before the Flood (first two verses only)

DISC 25
February 14, 1974 (Afternoon) – The Forum, Inglewood, CA

  1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

  2. Lay, Lady, Lay

  3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

  4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe

  6. Ballad of a Thin Man – released on Before the Flood

  7. All Along the Watchtower – released on Before the Flood

  8. Ballad of Hollis Brown

  9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

  10. She Belongs to Me

  11. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

  12. The Times They Are A-Changin’

  13. Just Like a Woman

  14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

  15. Forever Young

  16. Highway 61 Revisited

  17. Like a Rolling Stone

  18. Blowin’ in the Wind – released on Before the Flood (last verse only)

DISC 26
February 14, 1974 (Evening) – The Forum, Inglewood, CA (Pt. 1)
Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine) – released on Before the Flood
Lay, Lady, Lay
Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
It Ain’t Me, Babe – released on Before the Flood
Ballad of a Thin Man
All Along the Watchtower
Ballad of Hollis Brown
Mr. Tambourine Man
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

DISC 27
February 14, 1974 (Evening) – The Forum, Inglewood, CA (Pt. 2)
She Belongs to Me
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Just Like a Woman – released on Before the Flood
Gates of Eden
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – released on Before the Flood
It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) – released on Before the Flood
Forever Young
Highway 61 Revisited – released on Before the Flood
Like a Rolling Stone
Maggie’s Farm
Blowin’ in the Wind

Best of Rolling Stone

Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next