Hard Rain

This is the most intense live show I have ever seen on film. When I first saw this around 1977 or so, I couldn't stop watching, my eyes were fixed on Dylan who was full of vibrating energy. Any moment, I felt, something extraordinary was about to happen. Dylan would dissolve into light, or cause an earthquake, or shoot to the stars, or the power of his presence suddenly would attract all matter and condense it to become a black hole and swallow everything. You get the drift: I've been a fan ever since. Never mind the technical quality of the film; it's ok, but nothing spectacular. The music and the performance tell the story, the cameras simply bear witness.

The best moments are the duets Dylan/Baez:"deportee" is the best version I have ever heard of this Guthrie warhorse;"Blowin in the wind " is given a stunningly new arrangement;"I pity the poor immigrant" becomes a flamenco-rock (it does!);there's also a more obscure number "railroad boy" in which the two voices superbly mingle. The rest is enjoyable too,and some of them have been included on the eponymous album which was released early fall 1976: particularly "one too many mornings " the treatment of which nearly cuts the Albert Hall 1966 famous rendition;"shelter from the storm" is impressive too,transforming an acoustic ballad into a furious heavy metal stomp;"I give it all away relinquishes "Nashville skyline" sweetness for another burst of anger.

The title track (a hard rain's gonna fall) features also Baez for the backing vocals.Roger McGuinn is on stage too,but he 's got nothing to do.

Too bad CBS never released the entire show on CD.