Bob Dylan and The Rolling Thunder Revue – Days Before Hard Rain Review

Clearwater cannot be the sole reason Bob Dylan and the Rolling Thunder Revue takes on a boggy, slowed tempo. Rehearsals in the lead-up to that magnificent set of performances, the Hard Rain live release, can be found on Days Before Hard Rain. A run-through of songs which would soon appear on the official album release of this tour, a criminally underrated part of the Dylan discography which holds its own next to his all-time great album releases. Days Before Hard Rain is the story behind the album, the long road to forming these classic tracks into a contemporary, rock-led sound. It was a masterstroke from Dylan at a time when he was facing some of his toughest days, as both an artist and a person. That at least offers a fresh and daring layer to some of his best-known songs. This unofficial bootleg captures those anxieties, those feelings of animosity.  

Tackling those heady days on the fearsome Rolling Thunder Revue meant finding a softer touch for the songs. A blues-like I Threw It All Away is a welcome change to the Nashville Skyline classic. Adapting and re-adapting those countrified songs from the past became a staple of Dylan’s set on this massive tour. Many of the songs featured here would be performed by Dylan and the band. The similarity is clear; these are the moments which lead to some all-time great live versions. Idiot Wind and Lay Lady Lay are highlights here, brutal and moving pieces with some new instrumental context. Those songs which never made it onto the Hard Rain performance are just as brilliant, though. Days Before Hard Rain is an exceptional predecessor to the official release. More of one of the best live albums around is a treat. Even the passing Dylan fan will find something to love in this unofficial compilation.  

Part of the brilliance of Days Before Hard Rain and the tour as a whole is the instrumental work. Dylan has never been backed by such confident rearrangements of his material before. That harder rock sound, which dominated the mid-to-late 1970s, is unavoidable. Everyone was trying their hand at it, and best of all was Dylan. Going, Going, Gone and One More Cup of Coffee are stellar examples of this. A thick and loud bass riff punctuates the staggered vocal delivery, the pauses from Dylan giving the guitar and percussion plenty of space. It makes all the difference when it is taken to the stage, but hearing it away from rapturous fans is quite the experience. A selection of groovy masterpieces is what Days Before Hard Rain offers. Here is a collection of moments where Dylan reconnects with the very heart of his best works.  

Hearing that is a brilliant occasion. These soundboards are, for the most part, very well preserved. A little heavier on the bass than the live performances would ever offer, but the likes of Lay Lady Lay are in complete form on Days Before Hard Rain. A compilation of finishing touches is what you get here. A nice selection of slightly alternate moments to the monumental live shows to follow. One Too Many Mornings is still a spectacle on this tour, far stronger here than it was on The Times They Are A-Changin’. Hearing the variation, how far Dylan can take and rework a song, is brilliant. Days Before Hard Rain is an essential listen for those wanting to see the blueprints of these overhauled classics, the notes which led to some vastly different, and often superior, live versions.