Bob Dylan
Rundown Studios
Santa Monica, CA
Jan - April, 1978
Darkness At The Break of Noon

Source: Razors Edge label original silver disc/lifted using Nero/wav files converted to Flac using Traders Little Helper.

These are some of the Dylan rehearsal tapes in preparation for his 1978 tour. Now wait just a doggone minute -- I know what you're thinking -- rehersals are often unpolished fragments and rough run throughs but that's not the case with these exceptional sessions. They are fully realized songs -- very polished, very interesting, very tight. Studio quality work that easily could have been commercially released with a little more work. What makes this collection intriguing is that many of the songs have different lyrics or interpretations or arrangements --- like Dylan was experimenting to find the right mix before hitting the road. But these are not experimental mistakes - the lyrical and arrangement transformation of some of the songs will amaze you if you're at all familiar with Bob's traditional road material.  This is yet another of those (how many are there?) essential, must-have Bob boots!

Supposedly, these sessions were recorded directly from the soundboard on reel to reel. The Jan and Feb sessions are excellent. The April is a bit different without the excellent separation on the Jan-Feb sessions.  Still, vocals and instrumentation are very good throughout.

30 Jan 78
  1. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight - short static at ~00:24 mark
  2. The Times
  3. If You See Her, Say Hello
  4. The Man In Me
  5. I Don't Believe You
  6. Tomorrow Is A Long Time
  7. You're A Big Girl Now
  8. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
  9. It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
10. Forever Young //

1 Feb 78
11. Repossession Blues (Billy Lee Riley lyrics)
12. One Of Us Must Know
13. Girl Of The North Country

April 78
14. We Better Talk This Over
15. Coming From The Heart
16. Simple Twist Of Fate
17. If You See Her Say Hello
18. I Don't Believe You

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