On the second part of the legendary Rolling Thunder Revue tour, Dylan invited a number of old friends and collaborators onto the stage. Among others, he was reunited with Joan Baez, and at several concerts, they performed together as a duet with songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Railroad Boy".

Dylan's band consisted of bassist Rob Stoner, violinist Scarlet Rivera, and drummer Howie Wyeth, all of whom had participated in the successful album Desire, as well as guitarists Mick Ronson (known from David Bowie's Spiders from Mars), Steven Soles, David Mansfield, and T Bone Burnett.