Dylan Unveils 39-Disc Rolling Thunder Archive
Columbia and Legacy Records release 381 tracks from the 1976 tour on November 6, including 371 previously unheard performances.
By Robert Ward ·
Bob Dylan's 1976 Rolling Thunder Revue tour remains a defining moment in his career, and new archival releases will document the second leg of that journey in detail. Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings will issue The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1976 Live Recordings on November 6.
The 39-disc box set contains 381 tracks from the 27-date spring tour. Of those, 371 performances have never been officially released. The tour began on April 18 in Lakeland, Florida, and ended on May 25 in Salt Lake City. The collection captures professionally recorded audio from these dates.
Dylan performed with an ensemble that included Joan Baez, bassist Rob Stoner, violinist Scarlet Rivera, and drummer Howie Wyeth. Guitarists Mick Ronson, Steven Soles, David Mansfield, and T Bone Burnett also joined the band. Baez sang duets with Dylan on songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Railroad Boy." The set also includes material connected to the Fort Collins, Colorado, show that served as the basis for the Hard Rain television special and album.
Music journalist Mikal Gilmore wrote the liner notes for the included booklet, which also features rare photographs. T Bone Burnett described the tour's impact in a statement, calling it the first national punk rock tour.
A separate three-LP vinyl release titled The Rolling Thunder Revue: Fort Worth, TX 1976 will arrive the same day. It contains the complete May 16 concert from the Tarrant County Convention Center Arena. The audio was newly remixed from original multitrack tapes. Dylan previewed the release with a performance of "Going, Going, Gone" from that specific show.
This release follows the 2019 box set covering the 1975 tour leg. The 2026 collection expands the official archive with performances that had remained unreleased for five decades.
