Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series

Judging by descriptions of the music on this new box, guess it maybe wasn't as monochromatic/reductive as I once thought, but have to wait for a nice-priced Used to find out for sure.

As I once suspected, I should say, cos still haven't listened to Slow Train Coming or Saved or Shot of Love, or Infidels, for that matter, not all the way through any of those, just enough of 'em (along with the crazier songs on Street Legal)to get a whiff of that already-familiar xpost Cali street preacher, only with Big Money, hurrah ("Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes"). Political avatar.

But his specific xpost inward-turning politics only surface occasionally--like when he told that French interviewer that God cursed America for its involvement with slavery, from the beginning.

So: political symptom, I should have said about the eccentric rich man's righteous caravan bit.

But his specific xpost inward-turning politics only surface occasionally--like when he told that French interviewer that God cursed America for its involvement with slavery, from the beginning.

― dow

the guy who gave the world "tarantula" and "renaldo and clara" was never going to fit comfortably in the long term as a born-again christian; revivalist movements tend not to differentiate strangeness and moral deviancy. the crusade, the promise of liberation, all the great gospel music he grew up on, may have drawn him to the movement but to stay as a white evangelical he would have had to, for instance, abandon his anti-racism (pace nugent). i've never known white evangelicals to say that america was cursed by god for being founded on slavery. i've known a lot who say that america was divinely ordained by god.

I dunno, some of the stuff on this is the only time outside of idiot wind and a few parts of blood on the tracks that Dylan turns his vitriol on himself as well, like I Ain't Gonna Go to Hell For Anybody

when are we gonna get the BOTT set anyway?

I thought there was some talk about that prior to this, tylerw might know

would be cool to hear the complete Minneapolis and New York sessions

how much from those sessions hasn't already been bootlegged? just wondering if I should get my hopes up, or if it'll just be better sounding version of what's long been available.

i'm not a dylan expert but my impression is basically none of it has been bootlegged? the original new york acetate has been bootlegged but aside from that i think all that's out there is stuff from earlier volumes of the bootleg series.

Oh wtf are yall talking about now? My poor wallet can't take no more (well not much more)

some of the stuff on this is the only time outside of idiot wind and a few parts of blood on the tracks that Dylan turns his vitriol on himself as well
Get thee behind me Satan, now I gotta hear it! You're also making me think of the confessional ending of "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" (to the tune of the pure-minded "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night") and the upfront warning in "I Pity The Poor Immigrant", "who turns his back on me", despite the more sympathetic or empathetic lines that follow---not so far from "Dear Landlord"'s "Every one of us can fill his life up with things he can see but he just cannot touch." Empathy takes some turns in the musically attractive, otherwise sometimes repulsive American cultural tradition, which incl. complicity and business-minded post-betrayal.
Also, in the version of "Ballad of A Thin Man" on Before The Flood, he sounds like he is Mr. Jones, lost and trapped, ditto (lost and trapped in knowledge of self and another, of a fucked relationship which will go on a while)in "Dirge" on Planet Waves.
And yeah, "Idiot Wind" hadda happen: after being on his best, sympathy-seeking behavior all through Blood On The Tracks, he lets the mask slip (maybe the divorce is finally a done deal). Go, Idiot Bob!

Slow Train Coming is the only ostensibly major Dylan I don't own, so I look forward to entry greasing my entry. I was mightily impressed by his vocal on "When He Returns" when I streamed the track a few months ago.

" i've never known white evangelicals to say that america was cursed by god for being founded on slavery. i've known a lot who say that america was divinely ordained by god."

those types say america is cursed for tolerating abortion and homosexuality very very often…

whatever god you pray to Jim Keltner and Tim Drummond are a hot shit rhythm section

those types say america is cursed for tolerating abortion and homosexuality very very often…

― veronica moser

or taking the bible out of schools. it has strayed, they will tell you, from the True Path of the sainted Founders - they wish to Restore America as a Shining City on a Hill.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DN6DVHWUEAEK9V3.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DN40EipUQAAyYTS.jpg:large

look at those upstanding young Christian gentlemen

I am so in love with this set, so funny (and weirdly typical Dylan) that this constitutes his Xtian period, cuz if you aren't listening close to lyrics, the music is fun, coked-up 70s rock. The band is awesome as has been mentioned but man props to the backing vocalists who are fucking great and couple times someone is busting out their best Roky Erickson scream.

yeah, i'm not sure who the raspy backup singer is, but she brings it ... totally into this set. I was a believer before, but the cleaned up live stuff (especially 79-80) is sounding so righteous. what a band! Drummond / Keltner are clearly really enjoying themselves.

Which version of this have people gone with? Would ideally like the big box, especially with the documentary, but don’t have the $ right now. Wondering if the 2CD set brings the cream and the rest would be overkill/diminishing returns?

Still haven’t bought the Cutting Edge in hopes of getting the unauthorized Japanese full set that was briefly around. Probably time to move on and “settle” for the 6 disc.

My soul wont let me get anything but the most complete version. My wallet says that shit is offensively overpriced, so just like the last few bootleg releases i won't be paying for any of em :-(

yeah, i'm not sure who the raspy backup singer is, but she brings it ... totally into this set.

is it Helena Springs?

she's up there, just not sure if she's the one who's belting out her vocals on things like "pressing on" ... will have to watch the doc at some point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K01EAM2TtD4

haha that guy at 4:23 is having such a good time

who's with dylan in those photos?

Keltner and Drummond (drummer and bass player, respectively)

Just got the 2-disc version. I've never really got into this stuff on the studio albums. Curious

here, take a brochure, it has the words to today's hymns in it

Jesus....rocks

have you heard the good news?

santana's solo on "the groom's still waiting at the altar" really goes in

https://image.spreadshirtmedia.com/image-server/v1/mp/compositions/P1001859509MPC1003190313/views/1,width=300,height=300,appearanceId=70,backgroundColor=E8E8E8,version=1468495391/jesus-rock-and-roll-men-s-ringer-t-shirt.jpg

the "Blessed by the Name" on disc 2 of the 2CD set is so nuts, just a freight (not slow) train of a groove

sometimes it's so over the top with the fervor and the backup singers i wonder if nick cave had heard some of these boots when he was making lyre of orpheus/abbatoir blues

(or henry's dream)

Consideringg what a "Street-Legal" fan Cave is I am guessing he most have, I was thinking the same thing over the wknd but yeah this live band is totally a Lyre of Oh/Abby Blues template

From Mojo magazine, January 1997:
MOJO: What, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite album?
CAVE: I guess it's Slow Train Coming by Bob Dylan. That's a great record, full of mean-spirited spirituality. It's a genuinely nasty record, certainly the nastiest 'Christian' album I've ever come across.

esp. the more gospelly they get (away from the apex of 'slow train' sleaze), i think the band often sounds not far from what you can often hear on like those 'fire in my bones' comps, church bands playing, don't see why cave couldn't have heard some of that sort of stuff the normal ways back in the day (or since)

Reminds me: wonder if he ever heard this, before doing all that? Originally released in 1969, so maybe---see for yourself which songs, several I wouldn't have thought of for this, but I like it (also might have been an influence on New Morning, a little bit*, though not sure when that was recorded):
https://lightintheattic.net/releases/1007-dylan-s-gospel

*Also maybe the black gospel-associated harmonists x white country-associated steel guitar [before most of us listeners knew about the black church communities documented much later in Sacred Steel) on the chorus of "George Jackson" ( a rare if not unprecented musical move at the time, and taken as standing for solidarity): https://revolutionaryfrontlines.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/george-jackson-a-song-by-bob-dylan-1971/ Not great, but very much to the point, and unabashedly related then to some events still controversial in some respects (incl. Jackson's whole life, as well as death, and the Marin County Courthouse shoot-out afterwards)
(Also "Property of Jesus" etc. got covered later.)

In case that won't play, here's a key line: "Sometimes I think this whole world/Is one big prison yard/Some of us are prisoners/The rest of us are guards."

^^ has "George Jackson" ever been reissued? great tune.

think it was only included the mid-1970s Masterpieces comp (I might be wrong though ...)

the acoustic version is on this

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/615D-Rvn6eL._SX355_.jpg

xp that's the (edited) "big band" version from the A-side, Number None's link is the acoustic B-side

so I guess it has been reissued, buried in two separate 3LP/2CD comp sets

on the plus side the starting Discogs price is $3

BS13 is mighty good

Finally listened to the sampler on Spotify last night---17 tracks, 76 minutes---and maybe it's an unfortunate choice of tracks, compared to the actual (2-disc standard, 8-disc/1 DVD etc. box) releases)--but, despite a few engaging cuts ("I can manipulate people as well as anybody!" Sounds even happier when he combines this with "I ain't gonna go to hell for anybody!" Not even victory over family is worth that!), I found much of this increasingly oppressive, especially on headphones. Like locking myself in the basement with something dead and rotting, someone else's reeking, blood-soaked dreams of vengence on shadows of will, bulletproof suits with flys open, tantalizing, do-wrong women---many of whom seem like shadows, projections of his own insatiable, paranoid drive, maybe xpost cocaine dreams and then some.
Yes, the performers, including him, are putting out, but so far, most of the time, just doesn't seem worth it. What I get for going once more into the charms of Spotify (b-but it's never been like this---at least the commercials brought fleeting relief)

"Everytime I say 'You' I mean 'I'," he once said in an interview, and he seemed to live that self-awareness in some writing, some performances, as I mentioned above--but he seems to have forgotten it here, and this phase went on for years---wonder how he came out of it, as the songs gradually got better (maybe he just decided to keep some shit to himself, but that seems like a major achievement, after hearing this).

I don't find this stuff to be less hectoring or joyless or whatever than most of his best stuff. I guess I can see for listeners sensitive enough abt being proselytized to that the condemned "you" scans as you the listener, it could make you feel like Sara Dylan w/ front row seats for Idiot Wind

Personally I could give a shit. This is hands down his best band. He's in peak voice, the energy is often up there w/ the best Rolling Thunder nights. The songs are by and large really good.

The Toronto discs 5-6 are just amazing