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In 1965 and early 1966, Bob Dylan rode high in the music world, selling out concerts everywhere, not just in the US but everywhere he went.
He recently turned the music world upside down, becoming the first folk artist to use amplified instruments in live performances and recordings. Thus, he single-handedly created a new genre, folk rock.
His popularity was soaring.
However, all of this came to a screeching halt when, on July 29, 1966, he crashed his Triumph motorcycle in upstate New York.
Wild rumors spread about his health. For reasons only Dylan knows, the accident resulted in him disappearing from the public eye. All concert tours were canceled. It would be eight years until he went on tour once again.
However, after an initial post-accident recovery and rest, the poet laureate of his generation began composing new material, which he recorded largely with The Band in the basement of a house that came to be known as “Big Pink,” located in West Saugerties in upstate New York.
The sound quality of his new songs wasn’t like studio recordings. However, he was having a lot of fun creating new material in a relaxed atmosphere. He could record whenever he felt the urge, no matter what hour of the day or tight, as long as the rest of the guys were willing. Plus, since they were in a private home, there would be no studio charges.
It was a perfect recipe for letting it all hang out and being as creative as possible without the nagging studio directors yelling, “Do it again!”
To be continued……
Everything else is just history
