Just two years after the live album, Before The Flood, Bob Dylan released Hard Rain in 1976. Recorded at two of The Rolling Thunder Review shows in May of that year, the Fort Collins and Fort Worth concerts, the album came out to mixed reviews at the time. Listening 50 years later, this is not greatest hits live album, but instead focuses on an assorted batch of songs to make for a good 50 minutes of music.
A rousing country version of “Maggie’s Farm” starts off the album that dips into various albums in the Dylan catalogue. The band eases into “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again” that is a solid toe tapper, “Shelter From The Storm” has some great guitar playing and really gets things moving. Dylan’s single “I Threw It All Away” appears towards the end before a ten-minute version of Blood On The Tracks’ song “Idiot Wind” closes out the short live album. Those wanting more from this tour can seek out the two disc Bootleg Series Vol. Five or the whopping 14 discs of The Rolling Thunder Revue released in 2019.
7/10
The Light Appears 