Not per say new music again but I wrote about my fave comp album from last year just the other day and this would be my fave boxset too. Maybe I should included them in my list of albums of 2017 post but didn’t!
Anyway this is my first ever Dylan blog post today, he’s co-starred and been here before but this is all him today on this Saturday morning. Not doing any Bob before kind-of because of the mountain of stuff already written about how can I add anything new at all? But you can’t write about music and not talk about Dylan! So here goes, this is my most enjoyable Dylan for a while now. If you’ll like my opinion about his new-ish three kind-of Sinatra cover albums will the last one with 30 songs and on triple album is a total waste of time, his worst stuff ever. All two boxsets for his 1965-66 period released last couple of years, the studio and live recordings which one set was part the official bootleg and other not, don’t ask me why? Seem to me total overkill. Off course, 66’s Blonde On Blonde was his greatest from the 60’s and then closely following and I mean very closely by 64’s Another Side of Bob Dylan then both 65’s Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited plus the Bootleg Vol. 4 Live 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” finally released in late 90’s would be his best live album ever for me. How can you top those? You just can’t, you’ll have to be a very hard-core fan to buy all those boxsets from 2015-16, in my little opinion the best did ended up on the original albums in the 60’s.
Now most likely you have to be hard-core fan to buy this even newer one too. Seems I just name his best 60’s and got to be my top five, here’s my fave albums in the next decades with the 70’s Desire but Slow Train Coming as a very, very close second then fave 80’s has to be Oh Mercy, 90’s is Time Out Of Mind, 2000’s is Love & Theft and sorry to say but Tempest was OK but a bit boring too so not great. He’s yet to make one great album in the 2010’s, he’s got a little bit more time to come up something great but is he going too? I’ve yet to put any of his albums in my CA list at all but I guess got to pick out one so it’s going my all-time fave at some point in the near future.
Vol. 13 is the newest in his official Bootleg series, him and his label Columbia have been bootlegging the bootlegs or that’s the idea but I would say a lot of those are way better then his real records, sometimes. These would follow the above list like the Vol. 5 Live 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue be third in his 70’s stuff for me. Maybe half this new one would will be up there now? Most likely the early 80’s recording here on Trouble No More would easy top the album released at the time. Now some are not better so it’s a gamble, like I was saying above Vol. 12 1965-66 The Cutting Edge and then The 1966 Live Recordings boxsets were not, all a little pointless. Then say Vol. 11 The Complete Basement Tapes was way better then the double mid-70’s album of almost the same name. I found Vol.10 Another Self-Portrait and then 1971 album Self-Portrait almost the same in total lack of quality control but I think that was the point so his worst time period until his 2010’s cover albums which totally dislike the most. Vol. 9 Witmark Demos 1962-64 are better than any albums he did in his early years exempt Another Side Of… which is one of his most epic for me at least. Vol. 8 Tell Tale Signs 1989-2006 would be in second place in all the time periods it covers. I bloody love that and those ones because it seems some best stuff never made on to albums of the time, unbelievable but true. Vol. 7 No Direction Home Soundtrack 1959-66 to Scorsese doco is great so is the Vol. 6 Live 1964 Philharmonic Hall. Then the very first one Vols. 1-3 Rare & Unreleased 1961-91 is just as great as any of his greatest hits comp albums he put out at any of the years, a lot of songs have now ended up on the best of’s because they’re his best!
So all that takes us up to Trouble No More The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 1979–1981 now. That’s my very quick run down of all Dylan after not blogging about him before. I totally love this and I even got the huge nine disc version of this too. Now I do love the 1979 Slow Train Coming album, some or a lot total hated it because they say it’s over produced crap, lead guitar player Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits is shit and off course Dylan become a born again christian too. I liked it for the same reasons most people hate it for plus for me it’s some of Bobby’s best writing if you can just get past his over the over the top Jesus theme. My dad does love Dire Straits and Mark’s solo stuff but I never really like it but listen anyway, on Slow Train Coming he’s great. Then next album called Saved I always think it did have good and even great songs but I did find the over the top Gospel production too much this time around and by this third album Shot Of Love in the set he lost all that inspired him in the first place, had maybe only a couple of great songs on it. The unreleased songs here are better than some on those albums, once again. He’s done this I don’t know how much?
The live recording are epic here in this boxset and even having the some same members at time as in the studio, well on those albums but live they just cut sick way more if not all the stuff is picked for that very reason. Him live is almost complete different in some way, it’s the same songs but somehow in the studio he kind-of killed the tracks but brings them back to life on the stage. Maybe he’s the one nailing them to the wooden cross in the studio and he’s the one giving them mouth to mouth and resurrect them each night live at stage. Or do I just enjoy his live recordings than his studio albums?
I pre-ordered this boxset I can’t remember from who now but when it came, I had to pick it up for the petrol station down the not the post office for some reason I didn’t really understand? It was totally bizarre! The disc number nine, a DVD of Bobby’s crazy movie from early 80’s and it’s just mad as any of his movies from any period of his career, they’re all bizarre/crazy/mad! Only watching it for the very first time last night. The preacher bits are intense, live stuff is wicked, the backstage songs are great with Bob on Bass playing old Traditional song Jesus Met The Woman At The Well is the best. The books full of photos, essays, writings etc. are very cool too. The end!
Trouble No More The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 1979-1981 Deluxe Edition track listing:
Disc 1: Live
1. Slow Train (Nov. 16, 1979)
2. Gotta Serve Somebody (Nov. 15, 1979)
3. I Believe in You (May 16, 1980)
4. When You Gonna Wake Up? (July 9, 1981)
5. When He Returns (Dec. 5, 1979)
6. Man Gave Names to All the Animals (Jan. 16, 1980)
7. Precious Angel (Nov. 16, 1979)
8. Covenant Woman (Nov. 20, 1979)
9. Gonna Change My Way of Thinking (Jan. 31, 1980)
10. Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others) (Jan. 28, 1980)
11. Solid Rock (Nov. 27, 1979)
12. What Can I Do for You? (Nov. 27, 1979)
13. Saved (Jan. 12, 1980)
14. In the Garden (Jan. 27, 1980)
Disc 2: Live
1. Slow Train (June 29, 1981)
2. Ain’t Gonna Go to Hell for Anybody (Unreleased song – Apr. 24, 1980)
3. Gotta Serve Somebody (July 15, 1981)
4. Ain’t No Man Righteous No Not One (Unreleased song – Nov. 16, 1979)
5. Saving Grace (Nov. 6, 1979)
6. Blessed Is the Name (Unreleased song – Nov. 20, 1979)
7. Solid Rock (Oct. 23, 1981)
8. Are You Ready? (Apr. 30, 1980)
9. Pressing On (Nov. 6, 1979)
10. Shot of Love (July 25, 1981)
11. Dead Man, Dead Man (June 21, 1981)
12. Watered-Down Love (June 12, 1981)
13. In the Summertime (Oct. 21, 1981)
14. The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar (Nov. 13, 1980)
15. Caribbean Wind (Nov. 12, 1980)
16. Every Grain of Sand (Nov. 21, 1981)
Disc 3: Rare and Unreleased
1. Slow Train (Soundcheck – Oct. 5, 1978)
2. Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others) (Soundcheck – Dec. 7, 1978)
3. Help Me Understand (Unreleased song – Oct. 5, 1978)
4. Gonna Change My Way of Thinking (Rehearsal – Oct. 2, 1979)
5. Gotta Serve Somebody (Outtake – May 4, 1979)
6. When He Returns (Outtake – May 4, 1979)
7. Ain’t No Man Righteous, No Not One (Unreleased song – May 1, 1979)
8. Trouble in Mind (Outtake – April 30, 1979)
9. Ye Shall Be Changed (Outtake – May 2, 1979)
10. Covenant Woman (Outtake –February 11, 1980)
11. Stand by Faith (Unreleased song – Sept. 26, 1979)
12. I Will Love Him (Unreleased song – Apr. 19, 1980)
13. Jesus Is the One (Unreleased song – Jul. 17, 1981)
14. City of Gold (Unreleased song – Nov. 22, 1980)
15. Thief on the Cross (Unreleased song – Nov. 10, 1981)
16. Pressing On (Outtake – Feb. 13, 1980)
Disc 4: Rare and Unreleased
1. Slow Train (Rehearsal – Oct. 2, 1979)
2. Gotta Serve Somebody (Rehearsal – Oct. 9, 1979)
3. Making a Liar Out of Me (Unreleased song – Sept. 26, 1980)
4. Yonder Comes Sin (Unreleased song – Oct. 1, 1980)
5. Radio Spot January 1980, Portland, OR show
6. Cover Down Pray Through (Unreleased song – May 1, 1980)
7. Rise Again (Unreleased song – Oct. 16, 1980)
8. Ain’t Gonna Go to Hell for Anybody (Unreleased song – Dec. 2, 1980)
9. The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar (Outtake – May 1, 1981)
10. Caribbean Wind (Rehearsal – Sept. 23, 1980)
11. You Changed My Life (Outtake – April 23, 1981)
12. Shot of Love (Outtake – March 25, 1981)
13. Watered-Down Love (Outtake – May 15, 1981)
14. Dead Man, Dead Man (Outtake – April 24, 1981)
15. Every Grain of Sand (Rehearsal – Sept. 26, 1980)
Disc 5 – Live in Toronto 1980
1. Gotta Serve Somebody (April 18, 1980)
2. I Believe In You (April 18, 1980)
3. Covenant Woman (April 19, 1980)
4. When You Gonna Wake Up? (April 18, 1980)
5. When He Returns (April 20, 1980)
6. Ain’t Gonna Go To Hell For Anybody (Unreleased song – April 18, 1980)
7. Cover Down, Pray Through (Unreleased song – April 19, 1980)
8. Man Gave Names To All The Animals (April 19, 1980)
9. Precious Angel (April 19, 1980)
Disc 6 – Live in Toronto 1980
1. Slow Train (April 18, 1980)
2. Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others) (April 20, 1980)
3. Solid Rock (April 20, 1980)
4. Saving Grace (April 18, 1980)
5. What Can I Do For You? (April 19, 1980)
6. In The Garden (April 20, 1980)
7. Band Introductions (April 19, 1980)
8. Are You Ready? (April 19, 1980)
9. Pressing On (April 18, 1980)
Disc 7 – Live in Earl’s Court, London – June 27, 1981
1. Gotta Serve Somebody
2. I Believe In You
3. Like A Rolling Stone
4. Man Gave Names To All The Animals
5. Maggie’s Farm
6. I Don’t Believe You
7. Dead Man, Dead Man
8. Girl From The North Country
9. Ballad Of A Thin Man
Disc 8 – Live in Earl’s Court – London – June 27, 1981
1. Slow Train
2. Let’s Begin
3. Lenny Bruce
4. Mr. Tambourine Man
5. Solid Rock
6. Just Like A Woman
7. Watered-Down Love
8. Forever Young
9. When You Gonna Wake Up
10. In The Garden
11. Band Introductions
12. Blowin’ In The Wind
13. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
14. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Disc 9: Bonus DVD
Trouble No More – A Musical Film
DVD EXTRAS:
Shot of Love
Cover Down, Pray Through
Jesus Met the Woman at the Well (Alternate version)
Ain’t Gonna Go to Hell for Anybody (Complete version)
Precious Angel (Complete version)
Slow Train (Complete version)
I’ve mostly not added anything new here to the Dylan mountain but I guess it’s my two cent on him but I will add my fave album of all-time to my CA list sometime soon too! Do wanna say anything about him or this now?
a1000mistakes 