There are a number of firsts here, such as the earliest known recording of Emmett Till and the rare performances of Smokestack Lightning and Roll On, John. Material wise, there are better tapes around (such as the excellent Minnesota Hotel Tape), and the few originals here don't show much promise, but Dylan is very relaxed and in excellent voice throughout.
The show is hosted by Cynthia Gooding and features an interview interspersed with songs. The tape was apparently recorded not long after the tape recorded at her apartment (known as the Cynthia Gooding Tape). She is obviously taken with the young Bob and he seems to feel at ease in her presence. One particularly funny exchange occurs when Dylan finishes a song with lots of harmonica and Gooding asks if he's just recently started playing harmonica. She's surprised to hear him say that he's played for a long time. His harp style was so crude at the time, and has never improved (thankfully!) over the years, that it sounded like a first time player. Dylan doesn't seem in the least embarrased by the exchange.
Bring It All Back Home
Back to Tape Index