Just before he released The Freewheelin' in May 1963, Bob Dylan performed a seven-song set at Massachusetts' Brandeis University“- a tape of which sat in the archives of Rolling Stone editor emeritus Ralph Gleason until two years ago. Dylan is as warmly engaging as ever on "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues" and "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues," which remains one of his funniest songs. The only bummer? The tape doesn't start until partway through the opener, a rewrite of Henry Thomas' "Honey, Won't You Allow Me One More Chance?"
Early Bob Dylan: Classic Shots of the SingerPerforming with Joan Baez, Hanging with Allen Ginsberg and More
This story is from the April 28th, 2011 issue of Rolling Stone.
