![]() At points throughout Before the Flood, Dylan concedes the stage and lets The Band steal the show. "It Ain't Me, Babe" takes on a whole new life as it is turned into a jangly upbeat rocker filled with bluesy licks, and soulful touches of Hammond organ all set to Levon Helm's driving syncopated drum beat. When relegated to a backing position they run with a loose, free-flowing, almost improvisational sound that brings the slight bluesiness in Dylan's original compositions to the forefront. The Band also take part in transforming Dylan's classics. On "Its Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" the thoughtful sarcasm of the original has been transformed into a jarring sense of rage that makes the version on Bringing It All Back Home seem timid in comparison. This new found bellow breathes new life into old classics. Instead of the nasally speech of his albums, Dylan's voice on Before The Flood commands attention with its thunderous presence and bluesy grit. Just as Dylan's pairing with The Band rekindled the flame of his career, it also sparked a new found sense of urgency in his live show. Comprised mostly of recordings from the tour's final nights at the Los Angeles Forum, the track list of Before the Flood reads like a greatest hits compilation of the decade past with the inclusion of such favorites as "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", "Like A Rolling Stone" and "Rainy Day Women # 12 and 35". The 1974 live album Before The Flood captures Bob Dylan and The Band at their best. While their collaboration on the album Planet Waves was only a sign of things to come, its subsequent tour has become a thing of legend. Luckily for the beloved singer-songwriter he was primed for a fantastic turnaround, all starting with his recruitment of The Band as his backing band. Comprised of outtakes from the New Morning and Self Portrait sessions, Dylan was seen as Colombia's one last chance at a cash in on Bob Dylan's name. In 1973 his former label, Colombia records, released the much maligned Dylan without the consent of the singer. After unintentionally rising to become the voice of the decade prior, the quality of his output took a steep decline starting with 1970's painfully average covers album Self Portrait and the lackluster keyboard experimentation on New Morning. Review Summary: The Band joins Bob Dylan for a legendary moment in Rock & Roll.
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