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Review
Praise for Sid Griffin's other book in this series, "Million Dollar Bash"
"If you don't have the bootlegs in full already, Griffin's sharp, witty analysis and articulate passion will get you hunting." "Rolling Stone"
"Griffin tells a thorough, entertaining tale in a style that's part conversation, part journalism, part heroically detailed liner-note." "Mojo"
"A working musician's sensibility is just what's been needed to bring clarity to this much-mythologized musical encounter." "American Songwriter"
"Page-turning stuff." "Dirty Linen"
"Admirably forensic detail." "Q"
"300+ pages of densely-researched and intelligently opinionated Basement Tape unravelling." "Shindig!"
""""""""""""
"If you don't have the bootlegs in full already, Griffin's sharp, witty analysis and articulate passion will get you hunting." "Rolling Stone"
"Griffin tells a thorough, entertaining tale in a style that's part conversation, part journalism, part heroically detailed liner-note." "Mojo"
"A working musician's sensibility is just what's been needed to bring clarity to this much-mythologized musical encounter." "American Songwriter"
"Page-turning stuff." "Dirty Linen"
"Admirably forensic detail." "Q"
"300+ pages of densely-researched and intelligently opinionated Basement Tape unravelling." "Shindig!"
""""""""""""
Product Description
In fall 1975 and spring 1976 Bob Dylan led a travelling retinue of musicians around America on the two legs of the Rolling Thunder tour. Along for the ride were Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, David Blue, Kinky Friedman, T-Bone Burnett, Allen Ginsberg, Sam Sheppard, Mick Ronson and dozens more musicians, friends, family and hangers-on. The circus was documented in the film "Renaldo and Clara", the live album "Hard Rain" and a TV concert special of the same name, while in between the two legs of the tour Dylan released the classic Desire album. It is this period of heightened creativity and personal drama that Dylan authority, author and musician Sid Griffin, examines in "Shelter From The Storm".
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the third book to my knowledge which takes as its primary subject Dylan's Rolling Thunder review tour of 1975/76. Shortly afterwards (77)Sam Shepard's RT logbook hit the shelves and in 78 Larry Ratso Sloman put out 'On the road with Bob Dylan'. Both of these guys have the advantage on Griffin in that they were attached to the tour as respectively official and unofficial chroniclers. Shepard's book is in the form of an early blog, scattered with poems and prose of varying quality whereas Sloman tells it from the viewpoint of the hard pressed rock journalist, used and abused at times but ultimately a fan. Sid Griffin, primarily an excellent musician with the Long Ryders and now the Coal Porters, has a second crack at adding to the Dylan bibliography after his Basement Tapes chronicle -Million dollar bash.
The results are mixed. Its by far the easiest read of the three books. It has a wider focus and attempts to cover the art Dylan produced between planning the tour in the bars of Greenwich Village in the summer of 75 up until the last gig in the Bicentennial spring of 76. This takes in two officially released albums of the time,the studio release Desire, the live album Hard Rain(76) and the later release of the fall 75 part of the tour (live -75). In addition two TV specials are covered (Clearwater and Fort Collins) both 76 as well as Bob's appearance on the John Hammond TV tribute. To my knowledge none of the movie footage has had an official DVD release, although the Fort Collins show aired on the Old Grey Whistle test back in 76.
(All of it is absolutely prime Dylan)
Consequently Griffin's book has the same problem as his earlier one in discussing at length material which may be unknown to many unfortunate souls who haven't acquired it from unofficial sources. That said his enthusiasm for all of the above comes through well and he does add material from his own interviews which is both illuminating and entertaining.
He takes more of a risk in including a transcript of a tape made on the tour bus by Roger McGuinn. This is mainly drunken rambling-all 19 pages of it- (Bob is wisely not around so its not even his drunken rambling)-and is a step too far for even me. In addition a further 40 odd pages comprises his analysis of the film made on the tour , Renaldo and Clara. My heart initially sank here, (I've seen both the 4hr version and the 2hr) but this is actually more successful, although again you have to have seen it to get the most out of it.(You have to have seen it to believe it, and not in a good way). Effectively Griffin's view can be condensed to that of most fans, the concert footage on it is incredibly brilliant, the spectacle of soon to be ex-wife Sara, improvising (acting?)with ex-lover Baez has a car crash quality, and the rest......
All in all Dylan fans will lap this up. It could have been improved with a tour map/itinerary and especially a tip off on the best gigs to seek out on bootleg, or at the very least a list of all the songs covered. Still well worth the 4 stars. .
The results are mixed. Its by far the easiest read of the three books. It has a wider focus and attempts to cover the art Dylan produced between planning the tour in the bars of Greenwich Village in the summer of 75 up until the last gig in the Bicentennial spring of 76. This takes in two officially released albums of the time,the studio release Desire, the live album Hard Rain(76) and the later release of the fall 75 part of the tour (live -75). In addition two TV specials are covered (Clearwater and Fort Collins) both 76 as well as Bob's appearance on the John Hammond TV tribute. To my knowledge none of the movie footage has had an official DVD release, although the Fort Collins show aired on the Old Grey Whistle test back in 76.
(All of it is absolutely prime Dylan)
Consequently Griffin's book has the same problem as his earlier one in discussing at length material which may be unknown to many unfortunate souls who haven't acquired it from unofficial sources. That said his enthusiasm for all of the above comes through well and he does add material from his own interviews which is both illuminating and entertaining.
He takes more of a risk in including a transcript of a tape made on the tour bus by Roger McGuinn. This is mainly drunken rambling-all 19 pages of it- (Bob is wisely not around so its not even his drunken rambling)-and is a step too far for even me. In addition a further 40 odd pages comprises his analysis of the film made on the tour , Renaldo and Clara. My heart initially sank here, (I've seen both the 4hr version and the 2hr) but this is actually more successful, although again you have to have seen it to get the most out of it.(You have to have seen it to believe it, and not in a good way). Effectively Griffin's view can be condensed to that of most fans, the concert footage on it is incredibly brilliant, the spectacle of soon to be ex-wife Sara, improvising (acting?)with ex-lover Baez has a car crash quality, and the rest......
All in all Dylan fans will lap this up. It could have been improved with a tour map/itinerary and especially a tip off on the best gigs to seek out on bootleg, or at the very least a list of all the songs covered. Still well worth the 4 stars. .
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm a life-long Dylan fan, & (with a few unfortunate & notable exceptions) have at least "liked" if not quite "loved" most of his albums. But for me, the albums released in the early & mid 70s are by far & away the most compelling & I never grow tired of hearing them. After "Blood on the Tracks" was released, Dylan assembled a motley group of musicians & performers, (including Joan Baez, Bob Neuwirth, Allen Ginsberg to name just a few!) to tour in late 1975 & that tour has become legendary. The Rolling Thunder Revue. Until CBS started releasing "official bootlegs", the only official live album from that time was "Hard Rain" and all of the tracks were taken from the second "incarnation" of the Rolling Thunder Revue in 1976. By then, Joan Baez & others had left the tour, the venues had become larger & Dylan's private life was in turmoil. That album is pretty dire. Dylan's film "Renaldo & Clara" was released in 1978 & it received a hostile reception from the critics & even some Dylan fans were far from impressed. It is a long, free-form, complex film, with footage of live performances from the first Rolling Thunder tour in the fall of 1975, some documentary style scenes & some convoluted, vaguely scripted, semi-improvised "side-story" as well! However, there is no denying that the live footage from the shows are evidence that Dylan was at the top of his game & it's worth watching the film just for the performances! I loved "Renaldo & Clara" & I have read as much as I can find about the film & the first Rolling Thunder Revue tour. "Renaldo & Clara" & the bootlegs from that tour show reworkings of old songs, the first performances of the songs that eventually became the album "Desire" & if you factor in Dylan & Baez onstage together, (after 10 years of "communicating" with each other only by writing songs about their relationship & it's demise) you have a rich & heavy brew. This book is a detailed & fascinating one, & if you love Dylan's music from that era & want to know how certain songs or lyrics evolved (the story behind the songs), then this is a book you'll love. Along with Sam Shepherd & Larry Sloman's books about the Rolling Thunder tour, this book provides a "behind the scenes" account of the magic & mystery of Dylan's music & tours in the 1970s.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Shelter From The Storm...a terrific read!
19 July 2010
Format:Paperback
Once again, noted author (and fine musician in his own right), Sid Griffin, has delivered another gripping take on the curious but celebrated Rolling Thunder Revue, Bob Dylan's brief but historic journey with his traveling music troupe back in 1975/1976. Sid has a knack for telling the tale as if he and the reader were right there on the bus and on the various stages in the Northeast US, Florida and Colorado with such luminaries as Joan Baez, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Roger McGuinn, Mick Ronson and the rest of Dylan's rag-tag gypsy gang. It is factual and well-researched and is another jewel in the Jawbone Press collection, as was Sid's previous novel Million Dollar Bash about Dylan, The Band and The Basement Tapes. I HIGHLY recommend this book as a fascinating artifact of the times and yet another critical glimpse into the life of one of the most gifted, yet enigmatic poets and musicians of our generation. Included are revelatory takes on Dylan's strange and spooky Renaldo & Clara movie and the two (different) US and Japanese Hard Rain televison specials during that brief period. You will not be disappointed and Shelter From The Storm would make a wonderful gift for the Bob-ophile in your life!
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Another great read from Sid Griffin
19 July 2010
Format:Paperback
Sid Griffin writes with the assuredness of the quintessential insider and yet with a smart and folksy angle that illuminates where the spotlights don't shine. He spares no-one - praiseworthy or otherwise - while maintaining an audacious objectivity. Neither party-liner nor mudslinger I can only surmise to say that if Mark Twain was alive today and writing about Bob Dylan (which I'm sure he would be) this would be that book. Great read and a wonderful companion to Million Dollar Bash.
Simple Telling Of Fate
26 Feb 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
On a purely personal level, I am indebted to this book. In it the author recounts the entire concert that took place in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, on December 4, 1975. It was the first time I ever saw Bob Dylan. However, as far as being the authorative account of the Rolling Thunder Review, it falls a bit short, reaching the 'red zone,' but failing to cross the goal-line. It's biggest credit, in my view, is avoiding the more gossipy aspects of the tour, and focusing on the music. It's biggest failing, again in my view, is a maddening lack of clarification on some matters. For instance, the author claims that not all of the songs on the "Hard Rain" album were recorded at Fort Collins, Colorado, but, instead, at Fort Worth Texas. He clearly identifies two out of three of these songs. He also could have cleared-up a question that exists about the different versions of the song "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" that were released on the "Hard Rain" album and as the b-side of the "Rita May" 45-RPM single: was the time difference an edit, or were they recorded at different shows? I realise that this is nit-picking, but explains the football metaphors I used above. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read, and should be very welcome by those who love the Mojo Magazine stories about Bob Dylan. I found it hard to put down, and easy to pick up again. It is a welcome addition to my vast library about Bob Dylan, and will serve well as a source of reference. The revelation about the background singing on the "Hard Rain" album alone was quite enticing and entertaining, causing me to listen to the album very closely afterwards. It also made me play the Rolling Thunder Review Bootleg Series CDs, and helped me relive those heady times.
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