Notes

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The first CD opens with an arrangement of Like A Rolling Stone that's quite different from the one utilized on the tour itself, before introducing a first ever CD transfer of the complete December 30th 1977 tape. This particular rehearsal comes at a time when the touring band was still in a state of flux, with Denny Siewell on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar and Katie Segal and Debbie Dye Gibson on backing vocals. It also features Dylan figuring out a piano arrangement of It's all over now baby blue, as well as versions of three songs that failed to appear on the tour; Most likely you go your way, Leopard skin pill box hat and If not for you. Though this is a first generation digital transfer of the cassette master, this is one recording not from the mixing console, but recorded by one of the musicians with a boom box. (hence the slightly recessed vocals). However, it remains a fascinating insight into the embryonic stage of rehearsals at this point.

Tracks 15-17 on the first CD gain come from a first-gen digital transfer of a tape that has generally only circulated in mediocre quality, from high generational recordings. This session featured a different drummer, (Bruce Gary), as well as a unique 1978 arrangement of the Blood On The Tracks classic You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go. Finally, the CD concludes with a teaser of the goodies to be found on CD2... a previously uncirculated take of the old blues standard My Babe.
The second CD continues in the same vein, and features a full disc worth of uncirculated gems (save for versions of Blowin In The Wind and Ballad Of A Thin Man previewed on the legendary Genuine Bootleg Series: Third One Now set. Every song is presented complete, with false starts kept to a minimum, and a number of outstanding arrangements from the early 1978 shows are first realized here (notably I Threw It All Away, The Man In Me and If You See Her Say Hello. The latter is a magnificent arrangement that, thankfully, is represented in three separate guises on this collection (given the paucity of actual live performances)... it never made it past the first four gigs!!). These recordings feature the backing vocalists Helena Springs and Jo Ann Harris, although the drummer(s) is unknown.

The third CD concludes these new recordings with fully realized versions of I Don't Believe You and Going Going Gone. These are followed by what many Dylan fans choose as their favorite Dylan rehearsal recording, bar none... the January 30th 1978 tape. Again, it has been transferred from the master cassette direct to DAT. It has never before sounded this good! Continuing with some important arrangements discarded early in the tour; Tomorrow Is A Long Time, and Knockin' On Heavens Door receive their definitive renditions. A lovely play-through experience which concludes, fittingly, with a new transfer from a first generation cassette of the equally renowned three song tape from two days later that Dylan personally gave to a reporter who was interviewing him for a cover story on Renaldo and Clara. The February 1st rendition of Repossession Blues is another holy grail recording for the bobcat fraternity, here transferred in all of its' pre-Dolby, original, expansive glory.

The fourth CD jumps ahead to the end of the first leg of the tour, and the recruitment of a new bass player/ bandleader, Jerry Scheff. (of Elvis Presley fame). Scheff replaces a disenchanted Rob Stoner. This so called Scheff Audition tape appears here in a new transfer from a first generation cassette, and features two new Dylan compositions in incomplete but fascinating versions. We'd Better Talk This Over will appear in a matter of days at the Street Legal sessions, but with some subtle lyric changes. Coming From The Heart will have no such luck, despite being the best of the songs co-written with backing singer Helena Springs. However, just to show the song in all of its stages and splendor, at the end of the audition tape is a complete recording from the Rundown made immediately after the Street Legal sessions. Along side it are two distinctly different recordings of the Dylan-Springs unreleased original Stop Now.

The Bonus Tracks rounding out this overview of the Alimony Tour Rehearsals are three notable forms of Dylan originals debuted on the American leg of the tour. Do Right To Me Baby
and Coming From The Heart are one-off 1978 debuts. Do Right, would of course, would be the first public performance of a Slow Train song. Finally, there is a soundboard recording of Am I Your Stepchild? from the Oakland show. This particular performance, which is quite different from the version on Genuine Bootleg Series Vol.1, was apparently used for copyright. More Than Flesh And Blood (Written By Dylan/Springs) is the final track, but it's not listed on the package. It's a studio recording, unknown date (post 1978) and location. Performed By Springs.

So there you have it. Songs and arrangements are raw and reborn from one of Dylan's most overlooked years -- when he played to something close to 3 million people in a single year, and wowed just about every one of them. Oh..., and then found Christ....

Musicians:
30 December 1977: Bob Dylan (vocal, guitar & piano), David Mansfield (mandolin, guitar), Steven Soles (guitar), Alan Pasqua (organ), Rob Stoner (bass),Danny Siewell (drums), Frannie Eisenberg, Katie Segal & an unidentified woman (backgrouns vocals)

late December 1977 (Dundas) or early January 1978 (Olof): Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar), Billy Cross (guitar), David Mansfield (mandolin, guitar), Steven Soles [or Jesse Ed Davis] (guitar), Andy Stein (sax & violin), Alan Pasqua (organ), unidentified female piano player, Rob Stoner (bass), Bruce Gary or Danny Siewell (drums), Frannie Eisenberg, Katie Sagal, [possibly Debbie Dye] (background vocals)

January 1978: Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar), Billy Cross (guitar), David Mansfield (mandolin, guitar), Steven Soles (guitar), Andy Stein (sax & violin), Alan Pasqua (organ), Rob Stoner (bass), [Ian Wallace (drums)], Frannie Eisenberg, Katie Sagal, [or Jo Ann Harris and Helena Springs] (background vocals)

30 January 1978 & 1 February 1978: Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar), Billy Cross (guitar), David Mansfield (steel guitar and violin), Steven Soles (guitar), Rob Stoner (bass), Alan Pasqua (piano and organ), Ian Wallace (drums), Andy Stein [or Steve Douglas] (saxophone), [Bobbye Hall (percussion)], Frannie Eisenberg, Katie Sagal, [or Jo Ann Harris, Helena Springs and Debbie Dye] (background vocals)

April 1978: Bob Dylan (guitar & vocal), Billy Cross (guitar), Steven Soles (guitar & vocals), David Mansfield (violin & mandolin),
Steve Douglas (saxophone), Alan Pasqua (keyboards), Jerry Scheff (bass), Ian Wallace (drums), Bobbye Hall (percussion),
Helena Springs, Jo Ann Harris, Carolyn Dennis (background vocals).

1 May 1978: Bob Dylan (guitar & vocal), Billy Cross (guitar), Steven Soles (guitar, vocals), Steve Douglas (tenor saxophone), Alan Pasqua (piano, organ), Jerry Scheff (bass), Ian Wallace (drums), Helena Springs, Jo Ann Harris, Carolyn Dennis (background vocals), Bobbye Hall (tambourine), David Mansfield (mandolin, violin)


Disc one

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); January 1978
Rehearsals

1. Like A Rolling Stone (1) [11 seconds of silence at end]

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); December 30, 1977
Rehearsals; most tracks cut at start/end

2. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (1)
3. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (2)
4. Blowin' In The Wind [left channel volume drop 0:08>0:20]
5. Maggie's Farm
6. Like A Rolling Stone (2)
7. The Man In Me
8. To Ramona [misalligned sample left channel @ 2:54:650]
9. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
10. Simple Twist Of Fate
11. Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat
12. If Not For You
13. I Threw It All Away
14. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); late December 1977 (Dundas) or early January 1978 (Olof)
Rehearsals for the Far East Tour

15. Going Going Gone
16. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome
17. Simple Twist Of Fate

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); January 1978
Rehearsals for the Far East Tour

18. My Babe [snippet of Just Like A Woman at start]
19. Like A Rolling Stone (3)


Disc two

1. Just Like A Woman (1)
2. Just Like A Woman (2)
3. Blowin' In The Wind (1)
4. Blowin' In The Wind (2)
5. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
6. The Man In Me
7. You're A Big Girl Now
8. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
9. I Threw It All Away [duplicate of d4t03]
10. Love Minus Zero/No Limit [duplicate of d4t10; tape bump @ 0:06]
11. Maggie's Farm [duplicate of d4t04]
12. Ballad Of A Thin Man [duplicate of d4t05]
13. Simple Twist Of Fate [duplicate of d4t06]
14. To Ramona [duplicate of d4t07]
15. If You See Her, Say Hello [duplicate of d4t08]


Disc three

1. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) [duplicate of d4t09]
2. Going Going Gone

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); January 30, 1978
Rehearsals for the Far East Tour

3. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
4. The Times They Are A-Changin'
5. If You See Her, Say Hello
6. The Man In Me
7. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
8. Tomorrow Is A Long Time
9. You're A Big Girl Now
10. Knockin' On Heavens Door
11. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
12. Forever Young [cut at end]

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); February 1, 1978
Rehearsals for the Far East Tour

13. Repossession Blues (Roland James)
14 One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)
15. Girl Of The North Country


Disc four

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); April (?) 1978
Rehearsals for the European Tour
[t03>t10 duplicate d2 material; same source, different copy/mastering, better sound]

1. We'd Better Talk This Over [fragment, cut at start]
2. Coming From The Heart (The Road Is Long) (Bob Dylan/Helena Springs)
3. I Threw It All Away [tape gap @ 4:09; edit @ 5:05]
4. Maggie's Farm
5. Ballad Of A Thin Man
6. Simple Twist Of Fate
7. To Ramona
8. If You See Her, Say Hello
9. II Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) [cut/edits @ 2:09]
10. Love Minus Zero/No Limit [tape bump @ 0:04]

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); June 8, 1978

11. Stop Now (Bob Dylan/Helena Springs) (1)

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); May 1, 1978
5th Street-Legal session, produced by Don DeVito.

12. Stop Now (Bob Dylan/Helena Springs) (2)
13. Coming From The Heart (The Road Is Long) (Bob Dylan/Helena Springs) (2)

Bonus Live Tracks

Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland, CA); November 13, 1978 (line)

14. Am I Your Stepchild? (Bob Dylan/Helena Springs) [Special Rider demo]

Hollywood Sportatorium (Miami, FL); December 16, 1978

15. Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others)

Civic Center (St. Paul, MN); October 31, 1978

16. Coming From The Heart (The Road Is Long) (Bob Dylan/Helena Springs) (3)

Rundown Studio (Santa Monica, CA); September 1979
(not listed on artwork tracklisting)

17. More Than Flesh And Blood (Bob Dylan/Helena Springs)