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Rating: On the evening of May 17, 1966, in Manchester, a large crowd was taking seats at the Free Trade Hall, a historic theater in the English city, to attend the concert of a young American musician, who was about to conclude his umpteenth European tour in the continent's major cities. The audience settles in, the lights go out, and on stage appears a thin, slight young man in a jacket and shirt buttoned at the collar, with thick, curly, and tousled hair, carrying behind him a faded and time-worn acoustic guitar; the crowd greets him with a great applause, and he, perhaps intimidated or uninterested (knowing the type, probably more the latter), makes a small gesture with his hand in return.
This musician was Bob Dylan, the "minstrel" of Duluth, Minnesota, who was about to perform one of his most memorable concerts, which entered history as the "The Royal Albert Hall" Concert, erroneously of course, due to a mistake in attributing the event's location by fans who passed the bootleg of the event over the years. Born to a middle-class family of Polish immigrants, young Robert Allen Zimmerman grew up in cold Minnesota, a quiet place, far from the spotlight and the bustling metropolises he had dreamed of since he was a child. After studying in the Twin Cities, he ran away from home in search of fortune, determined to visit his musical idol, the folksinger Woody Guthrie, who had long been suffering from an incurable disease. After roaming the States as a wanderer, he arrived in New York, where he made a name for himself in the Greenwich Village clubs, playing every night for a few cents or for a hot meal, being hosted by friends or acquaintances, dreaming one day of becoming famous and wealthy. Luck was on his side, and after signing a contract with Columbia, he released his first records, where his protest folk songs quickly became anthems for young Americans, and his fame grew exponentially, leading him to perform numerous concerts first in the United States, then in the rest of the world. By 1966, Dylan, just twenty-five years old but with six albums to his name, was already a celebrity worldwide, thanks to songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" or "The Times They Are a-Changin'," true protest anthems against the powerful, racial discrimination, wars, and corrupt politicians sending so many young people to die in unjust wars.
The first part of the concert was acoustic, with Dylan playing seated on a stool, just him with the guitar and his inseparable harmonica, moving the enthusiastic audience with various songs performed in a bare, simple way, but with intense depth and impressive confidence. The first song is "She Belongs to Me," taken from the great '65 album "Bringin' It All Back Home," arguably the album marking the American singer-songwriter's "electric turn," and from the start, his performance captivates those present. Following is "Fourth Time Around," a track that, upon release, annoyed John Lennon quite a bit due to its resemblance to his "Norwegian Wood" included in the Beatles' "Rubber Soul" album. In fact, both in terms of content and musicality, the two songs are very similar, but it was never known who influenced the other. Wonderful is the long and poetic "Visions of Johanna," a lengthy and surreal track with a contrast between two distinct women, Louise, more carnal and vicious, and Johanna, elected by Dylan as a symbol of absolute purity. Dylan's lyrics, especially in the songs from the latest albums, were characterized by surreal and visionary themes, thanks also to the use of amphetamines and his friendship with Beat poets and writers like Allen Ginsberg, who greatly influenced his way of thinking and writing at that time.
Sweet and delicate is the next "Desolation Row," one of the great masterpieces of the minstrel, played with exceptional transport, concluding with a standing ovation from the audience in the hall. "Just Like a Woman" and "Mr. Tambourine Man" conclude the first part of the concert; Dylan stands up, thanks, and retreats backstage for a few minutes. Great amazement among those present is seeing him return to the stage with an electric guitar in hand and followed by a full band; some are astonished, some are ashamed and angry, shouting betrayal. How dare their idol play like electric rock 'n roll bands? Where is the folksinger they love and have listened to until then? In fact, after some songs, Dylan and his band (The Hawks, who made history not only for accompanying Dylan in his concerts for many years but also for their glorious solo career as "The Band") were attacked by the present audience with boos and jeers. A man in the hall called the singer-songwriter a "Judas," another shouted that he would never attend one of his concerts again; Dylan replied tersely, "I don't believe you!" turned to his group, and yelled, "Play it fuckin' loud!!" decisively launching into "Like a Rolling Stone," whose firm and energetic performance nonetheless calmed the audience.
Dylan was used to similar situations; in fact, already at the Newport Festival the previous year, he had appeared on stage with electric equipment, and the audience's reaction was furious. A few months after the concert in Manchester, he had a motorcycle accident that caused vertebral damage; the accident, though less severe than reported by the international press, was an opportunity for the singer-songwriter to retreat from the scene for a long period, retiring with his wife and young children to their estate in Woodstock. Dylan was tired of the media pressure, world concert tours, and the frenetic life that was overwhelming him, dedicating himself fully to family and painting, enjoying some well-deserved rest and ending the first phase of his career, which resumed in the early seventies.
Dylan was never a great instrumentalist, nor did he have a beautiful voice, yet his work fascinated a loyal and numerous audience over the years, influencing the works of many prestigious artists, thanks especially to an extraordinary writing ability and an enormous charisma that made many people fall in love with his songs. This live album, especially the acoustic part, highlights perhaps more than any other album the innate abilities of this eclectic and refined artist, rightly entering the history of rock.
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