One of Dylan’s best love songs, co-written with backing singer Helena Springs. It was performed only once, at a concert in October 1978. It would be left to the Searchers to put it in the public domain.
-Clinton Heylin (The gems that Bob Dylan discarded – The Telegraph)
On the 15th, Dylan plays his first London concert in 12 years, enough of an event to warrant TV coverage on both the ITN and BBC News. He plays a standard set, with “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” in the “variation slot.” The reviews, though, are anything but standard. The Daily lvlail headline says “The Greatest Concert I Have Ever Seen,” the London Times reviewer writes, “One of the best [concerts] to happen in London for years,” and even The Sun admits, “Dylan lives up to his legend.” In its next edition, Melody Maker includes an eight-page pull-out special comprising four reviews of the show.
~Clinton Heylin (Bob Dylan: A Life in Stolen Moments Day by Day 1941-1995)
Earls Court
London, England
15 June 1978
Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
Billy Cross (lead guitar)
Alan Pasqua (keyboards)
Steven Soles (rhythm guitar, backup vocals)
David Mansfield (violin & mandolin)
Steve Douglas (horns)
Jerry Scheff (bass)
Bobbye Hall (percussion)
Ian Wallace (drums)
Helena Springs, Jo Ann Harris, Carolyn Dennis (background vocals)
“On this album, I took a few steps backward, but I also took a bunch of steps forward because I had a lot of time to concentrate on it. I also had the band sounding like I want it to sound. It’s got that organ sound from ‘Blonde on Blonde’ again. That’s something that has been missing.”
~Bob Dylan (to Robert Hilburn – May 1978)
Jonathan Cott interview – Sept. 1978: Jonathan Cott: What do you think of all the criticisms of Street Legal? Bob Dylan: I read some of them. In fact, I didn’t understand them. I don’t think these people have had the experiences I’ve had to write those songs. The reviews didn’t strike me as being particularly interesting one way or another, or as compelling to my particular scene. I don’t know who these people are. They don’t travel in the same crowd, anyway. So it would be like me criticizing Pancho Villa.
First of all… “Street-Legal” is a fantastic album. I have never “understood” all the criticism it got.. and still gets, and I even dig the original overall sound & production.
Dylan prepares for his first European tour in 12 years with the first of seven dates at the Universal Amphitheatre. Dylan introduces two songs from his forthcoming album, “Baby Stop Crying” replacing “I Threw It all Away,” and “Senor” replacing “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright, Ma” Also introduced are the two arrangements that come in for such critical praise on his European visit, the torch ballad version of “Tangled Up in Blue” with just guitar, saxophone, and keyboard; and the hard-rock version of “Masters of War,” the fury of the backing for once matching the venom of the words. “Tangled Up in Blue” replaces a similar arrangement of”Girl from the North Country,” “Masters of War” replaces “Oh Sister.” The set’s finale is condensed down to: “The Man in Me,” “It’s Alright, Ma,” “Forever Young,” and a single encore, “The Times They Are a-Changin’.”
~Clinton Heylin (Bob Dylan: A Life in Stolen Moments Day by Day 1941-1995)
Universal Amphitheater Los Angeles, California 1 June 1978
Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
Billy Cross (lead guitar)
Alan Pasqua (keyboards)
Steven Soles (rhythm guitar, backup vocals)
David Mansfield (violin & mandolin)
Steve Douglas (horns)
Jerry Scheff (bass)
Bobbye Hall (percussion)
Ian Wallace (drums)
Helena Springs, Jo Ann Harris, Carolyn Dennis (background vocals)
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