Key developments
Rolling Thunder tape reveals Rita May debut
A Flagging Down the Double E's post on the New Orleans Rolling Thunder Revue tape says the soundboard is among the best captured so far and highlights "Rita May" as the show's live debut and only live performance. The article traces the song from the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid sessions and a 1973 copyright outtake to later versions by Brenda Patterson and Donna Weiss, who sang it at this show.
Why it matters
It adds a documented live-only performance to the Rolling Thunder archive and clarifies the song's lineage.
Sources & driving stories
FLAGGING DOWN THE DOUBLE E'S · Ray Padgett
Flagging Down the Double E's coverageEssay links handwriting to Dylan comeback
In The Ruffian, Ian Leslie argues that Dylan's creative rebound began in 2018 when he rediscovered "When I Paint My Masterpiece" and turned it into a nightly fixture, playing it at all 77 concerts in 2019. Leslie also points to the 2018 Halcyon Gallery exhibition of handwritten lyric sheets and drawings in London as a possible trigger for the run that fed into Rough and Rowdy Ways in 2020.
Why it matters
It offers a concrete narrative for Dylan's late-career resurgence, centered on performance practice and handwriting.
Sources & driving stories
THE RUFFIAN · Ian Leslie
The Ruffian coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Tulsa Dylan Center draws 75,000 visitors
The Arizona Republic says attendance rose after A Complete Unknown, reinforcing Tulsa's position as a Dylan tourism hub.
WORTH NOTING
Graham Nash calls Hollies album cheesy
Far Out recaps Nash's view that the Hollies' Dylan covers project was a "hatchet job" that helped push him out of the band.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will more Rolling Thunder tapes surface?
The New Orleans concert is described as one of two that day and among the best captured, suggesting more archival material could still emerge.
OPEN QUESTION
How strong is the handwriting-comeback link?
Leslie's argument connects the 2018 exhibition, 2019 setlist shift, and 2020 album, but the causal chain remains interpretive.