Street Legal (1978)

1. Changing of the Guards
2. New Pony
3. No Time to Think
4. Baby Stop Crying
5. Is Your Love in Vain?
6. Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)
7. True Love Tends to Forget
8. We Better Talk This Over
9. Where Are You Tonight (Journey Through Dark Heat)

Notes and Reviews

The musicians:

Electric Rhythm Guitar & Lead Vocals -- Bob Dylan
Drums -- Jan Wallace
Bass Guitar -- Jerry Scheff
Lead Guitar -- Billy Cross
Keyboards -- Alan Pasqua
Percussion -- Bobbye Hall
Tenor and Soprano Saxophone -- Steve Douglas
Rhythm Guitar (Background Vocals) -- Steven Soles
Violin & Mandolin -- David Mansfield
Background Vocals -- Carolyn Dennis, Jo Ann Harris, Helena Springs
Trumpet (“Is Your Love in Vain?”) -- Steve Madaio

Reviews:

From The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia by Michael Gray:

"Street Legal [1978] Released around the time of Dylan’s first London concerts for 12 years, this is
Dylan’s 20th album and for a minority it is, after Blood on the Tracks, arguably Dylan’s best record of
the 1970s: a crucial album documenting a crucial period in Dylan’s own life. Every song deals with love’s betrayal, with Dylan’s
being betrayed like Christ, and, head on, with the need to abandon woman’s love. Street Legal is one
of Dylan’s most important, cohesive albums: and it warns us, as pointedly as art ever should, of
what is to come. It prepares us for Dylan’s conversion to Christianity just as plainly as the end of
John Wesley Harding prepares us for the country music of Nashville Skyline, and just as plainly as
Bringing It All Back Home signals what is just around the corner on Highway 61 Revisited.
It is of astonishing complexity and confidence, delivered in one of Dylan’s most authoritative
voices, and extremely badly produced."

From Folkrockman:

"I agree with Michael Gray completely on this one. This is an outanding album! As always, Bob puts together some great musicians. A bit of that gospel sound mixed with some nice songs. “True Love Tends to Forget” is a beautiful love song. I like the beat of “We’d Better Talk This Over”. I also think this is some of Dylan's best singing supported by some excellent backup vocals. The rhythm and percussion on "Where Are You Tonight" is excellent. "Changing of the Guards" is a sweet and powerful song with great backup vocal and a driving beat. "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) is a fantastic song. I love the sax solo and the musicianship in general. The lyrics are great as well. Overall, this is a terrific and misunderstood record."

Best Song:
"Changing of the Guards"
According to Alias

I agree with Alias on this. I also think "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)" is an outstanding song. -- Folkrockman

Favorite Lyric:
"There's a long-distance train rolling through the rain, tears on the letter I write.
There's a woman I long to touch and I miss her so much but she's drifting like a
satellite"
According to Alias

This has got to be Bob's most misunderstood album. And, according to the review above, on of his 1970's best.