Desire (Bob Dylan album) McGuinn, Joni Mitchell, and Joan Baez who not only contributed during Dylan's set, but also played mini-sets of their own. Bruce Springsteen was invited to perform, but declined when Dylan informed him that he could not use the E Street Band to back him. The fall of 1975 would ultimately produce a widely criticized film, "Renaldo and Clara", but the concerts themselves were well received. Often regarded as one of Dylan's finest series of shows, this first leg of the tour was eventually documented on "". On January 5, 1976, "Desire" was released, garnering a fair share of critical acclaim.
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan marked the beginning of a romantic relationship between Baez and Dylan, the start of what Dylan biographer Sounes termed "one of the most celebrated love affairs of the decade". "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" was released at the end of May. According to Scaduto, it was an immediate success, selling 10,000 copies a month and bringing Dylan an income of about $2,500 a month. An article by Nat Hentoff on folk music appeared in the June issue of "Playboy" magazine and devoted considerable space to Dylan's achievements, calling him "the most vital of the younger citybillies". In July, Dylan appeared at