BOB DYLAN - The FAR EAST TOUR 1978

And here is another curiosity, another compilation, another set of His Bobness exploring the work he did whilst touring the Far East for the year 1978

Now this is a real mixed bag in terms of quality and style of rehearsal or concert and recording values but it truly is worth exploring and digging around in for the curious and the avid fan alike . . . . . . . the premise is that a fan has chosen tracks that are chosen for a range of reasons so there are re-arrengements of classic Bob songs like you have never heard before. From rehearsal tapes of 'Forever Young', rearrangements of rock versions of 'It's All Right Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' to complete re-writes of 'Most Likely You Go Your Way' as a twelve bar blues (sic!) piano rehearsals of 'It's All Over Now Baby Blue', the slowest blues version of 'You're A Big Girl Now' as if worsen by Tom Waits in a smoke filled bar-room that you will ever hear. Dylan re-finding himself and rediscovering his back catalogue for himself, can I do this and still make it interesting? To highlight but a few but believe me it is well worth exploring. Extraordinary document and with extensive notes per album the first half at least is selected from the legendary Rundown Rehearsals Winter of '77 into '78 from Rundown Studios in Santa Monica with Jesse Ed Davis and Jerry Scheff on bass and the notable backing singers Helena Springs, Jo Ann Harris, Debbie Dye (background vocals)  and starting with Wings' Denny Sewell on drums but finally the touring band made up of  Billy Cross (lead guitar), Alan Pasqua (keyboards), Steven Soles (rhythm guitar, backup vocals), David Mansfield (violin & mandolin), Steve Douglas (horns), Rob Stoner (bass), Bobbye Hall (percussion), Ian Wallace (drums) but with the remainder from the tour underway in February of that year and ending in Australia 

It is a massive project and well worth it for the text alone, from Nellie at 'Pink Panter' and available on the always exceptional 'Expecting Rain' here it has been posted links from the wondrous Midnight Cafe 

Bob Dylan - Far East Tour 1978 compilation

As Midnight Cafe say to summarise:

71  tracks
45 different songs
12 concerts are represented here (from a total of 23 concerts) 

plus 5 Los Angeles pre-tour rehearsals.
5 hours & 20 minutes of music
1 Bobby