After showing a bunch of Simpsons outtakes, animated
host Troy McClure notes sarcastically, "If that's what
they leave out, then what they leave in must be pure
gold."
In the case of Bob Dylan, it had always been rumored
(and proven through bootleg tapes) that much of what he
"left out"--the unreleased outtakes and
rarities--actually rivalled or even surpassed his
greatest official work. Finally, Columbia substantiated
this by releasing three CDs of these undiscovered gems.
The fact that over three hours' worth of quality
music--often superb music--had never seen the (official)
light of day is remarkable. Clearly, Bob Dylan is more
talented in performing and creating music than he is at
evaluating it.
This collection opens with Dylan in his original
new-Woody form. "Hard Times in New York Town" is a
defiant and determined statement that foreshadows his
domination of the Greenwich Village folk scene. "He Was
a Friend of Mine" and "Man on the Street" are poignant
hobo laments straight out of the Guthrie school. "No
More Auction Block" is a traditional slave's song of
freedom, made famous by Paul Robeson among others.
Next we have 10 outtakes from the Freewheelin'
sessions. The original record is one of Dylan's
greatest, but amazingly, many of the outtakes are just
as memorable. "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Blues"
displays Dylan's sardonic humor while "Quit Your Lowdown
Ways" touches on the Delta blues idiom. "Let Me Die in
My Footsteps" is one of his most potent folk songs and
"Rambling Gambling Willie" shows his penchant for vivid
storytelling.
The hysterical "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues"
and the sober "Who Killed Davey Moore?" come from a 1963
Carnegie Hall date. "Only a Hobo" and "Moonshiner" are
brooding outtakes from The Times They Are
A-Changin' while "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" is
a poem recited at Town Hall. From the Bringin' It All
Back Home sessions, Dylan delivers the simple love
song "Mama You Been On My Mind" and the mystical
"Farewell Angelina," plus a rare acoustic reading of
"Subterranean Homesick Blues." 1965 brought a few of his
sarcastic blues romps and a rehearsal version of "Like a
Rolling Stone" with Dylan on waltzing piano. Richard
Manuel's haunting harmony graces "I Shall Be Released"
while George Harrison adds fluid guitar to "If Not for
You."
Dylan's second "classic" period, 1974-1975, is also
well represented. Four alternate versions from Blood
on the Tracks are culled from the original New
York sessions. Dylan would re-record these in Minnesota
for the official release, but his New York versions are
much more sensitive and subdued than his angrier and
more emphatic official renditions. "Golden Loom" and
"Catfish," about Yankee free-agent pitcher Jim Hunter,
are outstanding numbers that were somehow left off Desire
while the raucous "Seven Days" (boasting five
guitarists) comes from a 1976 live date in Tampa.
Of the 58 songs included, only 11 emanate from
Dylan's 1980s work. The buoyant "Need a Woman" and
plaintive "Angelina" come from the Shot of Love
period. "Blind Willie McTell," recorded at the 1983
Infidels sessions, represents a high point of
this collection, and indeed, of Dylan's entire recorded
output. Dark and deep, it is his homage to a blues
legend and simultaneously, an expression of his
insecurity about picking up the blues mantle. Dylan, of
course, sells himself short because his reading here is
powerful and piercing.
The Bootleg Series succeeds on many levels: As
a whole, it brilliantly shows Dylan's numerous stages
and reinventions of himself--from neo-folkie to
psychedelic blues rocker to country crooner to
singer-songwriter and so on. For the uninitiated, it
serves as a useful career overview, if not a
lesser-known greatest-hits collection. In addition, it
fills in the gaps for the diehards who longed for these
rarities. Without question, the oddities, novelties, and
masterpieces found here only add to Dylan's incredible
legacy.
If you like Bob Dylan, check out:
Bob
Dylan Blonde On Blonde
Bob
Dylan Blood On The Tracks
Bob
Dylan Desire
Bob
Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob
Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
Bob
Dylan Infidels
Wilco
Summer Teeth
Sandy
Denny Gold Dust - Live At The Royalty
Woody
Guthrie ...Sings Folk Songs
Van
Morrison Tupelo Honey
Johnny
Cash The Sun Years
Dave
Swarbrick Rags, Reels and Airs
The
Byrds Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
Lucinda
Williams Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Shirley
Collins and Davy Graham Folk Roots, New
Routes
The
Clash Combat Rock
June
Tabor A Quiet Eye
Neil
Young Comes A Time
Beth
Orton Central Reservation
Elvis
Costello King Of America
Vic
Chesnutt The Salesman and Bernadette
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-- Marc Greilsamer
