Bob Dylan in Concert: Brandeis University 1963

Recorded in May of 1963 and was essentially unheard for almost forty-seven years, Brandeis University 1963 offers the final glimpse of an unknown Bob Dylan just weeks before he became a pop culture icon with the release of The Freeeheelin’ Bob Dylan, sending the young singer on a musical journey that would lead him away from performances in college gymnasiums to the public and alienating concert halls.

At this point in Dylan’s career, he was in his early twenties had released a self-titled record, which hadn’t sold as well. What makes this one of the most important recordings of the period between 1962-63 is that it is one of the few surviving recordings of a pre-famed Dylan who strikes a chord with his audience that is well balanced. The set opens with the incomplete recording of “Honey Just allow me One More Change,” a song where Dylan’s vocals are fill with intensity showcasing his enjoyment in his performance, followed by an eruption in applause from the audience. “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues” features flavorful lyrics that jeer at the anti-communist scaremonger and war profiteer, provoking Dylan’s audience to laugh at his bold satire. These same issues once again are tackled in a more serious manner on “Master’s of War” and “Bob Dylan’s Dreams,” where the solitude of his strumming and mournful cries of his harmonica provide a small sense of hope for a society that has been consumed by madness.

While some would claim this set-list to be lackluster at best, it however should not be taken in this light. This is an artist who is in the early stages of his career, speaking of the issues that are plaguing his society at that particular point in time: the supposed threat of communism and the after effects of the Cuban missile crisis. While each one of the songs that were included in Dylan’s set would now be considered as deep cuts, the fact that they survive in a live medium should not be taken lightly as they are a important part of folk music history and are just as relevant today as they were back in 1963.