On July 29 1966, Dylan suffered a mild concussion and cracked vertebrae when he crashed his Triumph motorcycle near Woodstock, New York. While he was recovering, Dylan reviewed a preliminary cut of D. A. Pennebaker's documentary of the 1966 world tour. Dissatisfied with Pennebaker's results, Dylan re-edited the footage into a surrealistic film, titled Eat the Document.
Dylan spent this time thinking a lot about the direction he had been going, in which he felt exhausted from non-stop touring. Dylan later recalled, "The turning point was back in Woodstock. A little after the accident. Sitting around one night under a full moon, I looked out into the bleak woods and I said, 'Something's gotta change.'"
According to the late Rick Danko, he, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson joined Robbie Robertson in West Saugerties in February 1967. Sometime between March and June (the date is uncertain) Dylan and the Hawks began a series of informal recording sessions. These sessions eventually moved to the basement of Big Pink. Garth Hudson set up a recording unit, using two stereo mixers and a tape recorder borrowed from Grossman, as well as a set of microphones from Peter, Paul and Mary. Dylan would later say "That's really the way to do a recording-in a peaceful, relaxed setting-in somebody's basement with the windows open ... and a dog lying on the floor."
In a matter of months, Dylan would record at least thirty new compositions with the Hawks, including some of the most celebrated songs of his career: "I Shall Be Released," "This Wheel's On Fire," "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)," "Million Dollar Bash," "Tears of Rage," "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," "Going To Acapulco," "I'm Not There (1956)," "All You Have To Do Is Dream," "Apple Suckling Tree" and others. Eventually, rumors of Dylan and The Band's enormous stash of unreleased recordings began to circulate.
Disc 1
01: All You Have to Do Is Dream
02: I Can't Make It Alone
03: Down on Me
04: Bonnie Ship the Diamond
05: One Man's Loss
06: Baby Ain't That Fine
07: Rock Salt and Nails
08: (Now And Then) A Fool Such as I
09: (Be Careful of the) Stones That You Throw
10: The Hills of Mexico (On the Trail of the Buffalo)
11: I'm Alright
12: Try Me Little Girl
13: One For The Road
14: I Don't Hurt Anymore
15: People Get Ready
16: Baby, Won't You Be My Baby
17: Don't You Try Me Now
18: All You Have to Do Is Dream
19: You Say You Love Me
20: Young But Daily Growin'
Disc 2
01: Odds And Ends #1
02: Nothing Was Delivered #1
03: Odds And Ends #2
04: Get Your Rocks Off
05: Clothes Line Saga
06: Apple Suckling Tree #1
07: Apple Suckling Tree #2
08: Going To Acapulco
09: Gonna Get You Now
10: Tears Of Rage #1
11: Tears Of Rage #2
12: Tears Of Rage #3
13: Quinn The Eskimo #1
14: Quinn The Eskimo #2
15: Open The Door, Homer #1
16: Open The Door, Homer #2
17: Open The Door, Homer #3
18: Nothing Was Delivered #2
19: Nothing Was Delivered #3
20: I'm Not There (1956)
21: Don'tcha Tell Henry
22: Too Much Of Nothing #2
Disc 3
01: Million Dollar Bash #1
02: Yea Heavy And A Bottle Of Bread #1
03: Million Dollar Bash #2
04: Yea Heavy And A Bottle Of Bread #2
05: Please Mrs. Henry
06: Crash On The Levee #1
07: Crash On The Levee #2
08: Lo and Behold #1
09: Lo And Behold #2
10: Ferdinand The Impostor (Cut)
11: Tiny Montgomery
12: This Wheel's On Fire
13: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
14: I Shall Be Released
15: Too Much Of Nothing #2
16: Even A Tomato (Intstrumental)
17: Santa Fe
18: Silent Weekend
19: Too Much Of Nothing #1
20: Sign On The Cross
Disc 4
01: You Ain't Going Nowhere #1
02: Bourbon Street
03: All American Boy
04: Wildwood Flower
05: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
06: Comin' Round the Mountain
07: The Flight Of The Bumblebee
08: Confidential To Me
09: I'm a Fool For You
10: Next Time On The Highway
11: The Big Flood
12: Don't Know Why They Kick My Dog
13: See You Later, Allen Ginsberg
14: The Spanish Song #1 & #2
15: I Am A Teenage Prayer
16: I'm in the Mood
17: Belchezaar #1 & #2
18: Bring It On Home
19: The King Of France
Disc 5
01: Four Strong Winds
02: The French Girl #1 & #2
03: Joshua Gone Barbados
04: I Forgot To Remember To Forget
05: You Win Again
06: Still In Town
07: Waltzing With Sin
08: Big River
09: Folsom Prison Blues
10: Bells Of Rhymney
11: Nine Hundred Miles
12: No Shoes On My Feet
13: Spanish Is The Loving Tongue
14: On A Rainy Afternoon
15: I Can't Come In With A Broken Heart
16: Under Control
17: Ol' Roison The Beau
18: I'm Guilty Of Loving You
19: Johnny Todd
20: Cool Water
21: Banks Of The Royal Canal
22: Po' Lazarus
