It was hurricane season on the Gulf Coast leg of the tour and many concerts were rained out giving the album it's name:Įverybody's soaked, the canopy's leaking, the musicians are getting shocks from the water onstage. Highlight is a vitriolic Idiot Wind directed towards his soon to be ex-wife apparently standing side stage (Bob and Sara Dylan divorced in 1977 after 12 years of marriage):īlowing through the letters that we wroteīlowing through the dust upon our shelves The pace is breakneck from the off with a rollicking Maggie's Farm, and Dylan, sometimes made up with a whited out face and dark eye liner (checkout the haunted look on the cover), sometimes wearing a hanky over his head, sometimes his flowered-up Desire stetson, barks his anger.Īlways one to alter songs live Dylan provides some shambolic yet exhilarating electric versions of One Too Many Mornings (unrecognisable from the gentle solo version on The Times They Are a-Changin'), the brilliant Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (one of my favourite ever Dylan songs), and especially Shelter From The Storm which is given new momentum with Dylan's screeching slide guitar over a grinding guitar riff. The guitars are loud ((and sound out of tune in places (as are the backing singers) - you can hear the musicians tuning between tracks)). Once you appreciate the circumstances and accept the roughness of the sound you can enjoy the pure energy and passion in these performances. But don't expect polished renditions of the album tracks - here Dylan is angry, the band are jamming, and the versions are fast and furious. Touring with a ramshackle and varied collective of musicians from these album sessions, including the amazing gypsy violinist Scarlet Rivera, and various guest appearances from the likes of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Allen Ginsberg and even more surprisingly Mick Ronson from Bowie's Spiders From Mars, Dylan had a wealth of current material to draw upon. But over the years it has become an important document (along with a film) of this mythical tour.Ī masked Bob Dylan with Mick Ronson (centre)ĭylan was at the time going through some personal issues most significantly the break up of his marriage which he had written extensively about on two powerful albums of the period - Blood On The Tracks (1975) and Desire (1976). It's very rough and on initial listening one may be forgiven for wondering why it was released in such a state. Tracks like Easy Livin' and Stealin' continue to receive air time in both the UK and US.Ī Hard Rain Fell Hard Rain is a live album taken from Dylan's celebrated Rolling Thunder Revue tour of 1975/76. They then drifted on in relative obscurity, and through the usual personnel changes, while continuing to appear at festivals and play numerous shows to a loyal fan base each year. Their trajectory was typical with a gradual watering down of their rock (and sometimes goblins and wizards flavoured prog) towards the late 70s before a brief revival in the early 80s when heavy metal became popular. Uriah Heep are still going and have actually just released a new album Living The Dream this month although guitarist Mick Box is the only founding member remaining. The album is characteristic of Hensley's heavy organ but also note the melodic bass playing from the late Gary Thain (heroin overdose 1975).

Uriah heep albums