Firing up the waaaaaayback machine today and travelling to Newark State College on May 15, 1971, so we can catch Dr. Zoom and The Sonic Boom performing Bob Dylan’s bluesy “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.”
It’s a great recording for its age, and you can even hear Steve introduce the song, and Bruce and Garry banter after it.
Bruce’s version is decidedly fiercer than Dylan’s 1965 original:
Performed just twice by the band in May 1971–as far as we know, Bruce hasn’t played it publicly since.
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
First performed: May 14, 1971 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: May 15, 1971 (Union, NJ)
