Bob Dylan: "Trouble No More 1979 - 1981" - The Bootleg Series Vol. 13

Nothing so far.

 

I would love to hear the Knocked Out Loaded sessions, Al Kooper said there was tons of great stuff recorded, I love the feel of that album even if 'minor classic' is probably as high as you could go on a very generous day.

Bromberg sessions, didn't they release some of that already? I'd love to hear a good quality version of Julius & Ethel or Clean Cut Kid from 83. Also, I think there's supposed to be a Bob version of Mr Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

 

Relax it's early morning I bet the Sony offices are not even open yet...

 

Obviously my application wasn't successful:-

UC Santa Cruz music alumnus lands job as head archivist of Bob Dylan Archive

 

Is there such a thing as a good version of "Clean Cut Kid"? Who knew?

 

Oh come on, it's 5:11 AM in New York.

As a French I am deeply disapointed by the lack of work ethic in the US.

 

I believe it was Ronnie Wood who called it "mind-bending stuff."

 

I'm glad it isn't just me. That's exactly where I got to when my brain froze. I knew the 18 CD set would be a strict no-go for me as I've heard most of this before and invariably I always want to hear the masters instead of the earlier run-throughs. I bought the 6CD set as you did but even that has proved to be a difficult slog for me. I also think having had the three mid-Sixties albums seared into my brain at an earlier age has made the experience of hearing multiple versions of the same songs all over again little more exciting than watching paint dry. The Sixties was unquestionably Bob's best and most important decade but most of us are now overly familiar with the material at this point and there isn't enough variation between early takes and final takes to make out-takes from the period all that interesting. TTS was a different matter altogether and is probably the best set after the first 3 volumes. I welcome BS 13 as it is likely to be more like BS 8 and 10 as a listening experience. The people behind BS even hinted at the issue when they referred to "hearing process" in their assessment of Blood On The Tracks sessions compared to the Gospel period which they appear to suggest is more interesting due to a wealth of rare songs and great (live) performances etc.

Some people have already mentioned a "clone" of TTS 8 Deluxe 3rd disc. I found a double LP on Discogs which contains all this material plus many more excellent period out-takes / live cuts. It's also mastered identically to the official 3 LP set of the 2 CD set so it therefore plays out like a continuous 5LP set of TTS, not dissimilar to Biograph or Vols 1-3. I bought it before I even recognised that it wasn't 'official'. However when Sony are milking the fans in such a grotesque manner you can hardly fail to understand why other organisations jump in to exploit their failure / greed. I'm very pleased to have a further extended "deluxe" TTS on LP, even if the last two discs are a sickly green!

 

The main problem of TTS Deluxe Edition was the useless book of a (not even exhaustive) selection of single covers.

Looking at the books provided with BS10, BS11 & BS12, I regret the non-inclusion ont 1989-2006 pictures of Bob.

But hey, the best version of Mississippi was on disc 3, so I had to purchase it.

 

Jumping on the TTS discussion, I was lucky enough to snag the third disc when it was available on iTunes. I think it was available for about a year before being removed. There was also a 2001 live version of 'Love Sick' that was a bonus track.

The poorly conceived deluxe edition (book of single covers, really?) has prevented me from hunting down the physical version despite experiencing the same OCD regarding having all the deluxe sets lined up on the shelf.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled anticipation of an announcement.

 

Talking of OCD, I HATE having BS9 in the middle of the 4 deluxe boxsets. Can't accept to break the numerical order though.

 

Wow, that's some next level stuff - the power of competing OCDs.

 

How's this OCD for not being competition worthy then?
My BS collection thus far contains the following unmatching odds and sods:

1. Vols 1 -3 on 5LP box set (1991 version)
2. Vol 4 on 2CD set (1998 version)
3. Vol 5 on 2CD set (2002 version)
4. Vol 7 on 2CD set (2005 version)
5. Vol 8 on 2 CD set PLUS Vol 8 on 3LP Sony set PLUS 'unofficial' 2LP set of "Disc 3" from TTS Deluxe (plus many extras!)
6. Vol 9 on 2CD set (when was this released as I've never played it!!!)
7. Vol 10 on 2 CDset (2013) PLUS 3 LP Sony set
8. Vol 11 on 6CD box set (2014)
9. Vol 12 on 6CD box set (2015) - at the very least it matches Vol 11!

So I'm missing Vol 6 but I already have a fantastic sounding 2 LP boot (from 1988) of that so passed on the CD.
The 'Deluxe' Vol 10 contained a remastered Self Portrait but I already have the Kevin Gray Sundazed LP (2nd improved mastering). Isle Of Wight concert? No thank you, I'll happily pass!

 

I got myself a slipcase exactly the size of the deluxe cases, put the BS9 CD set inside a cutout that slides in, and then stuffed the rest of the slipcase with printouts of web forum posts anticipating the release of BS9, plus a couple of never before seen photos of Bob for reference. I gave myself producer credits to help pay for the thing.

 

You can start filling the gaps in your collection with my deluxe version of Volume 9, described above.

 

Get yourself an ISBN no., get it on Amazon and I'm in!

 

You don't have to feel so all alone, Sean; I have all three sets of BS12 too, and a second Big Blue (but that's another story). Interestingly, your additional purchases may not have been entirely in vain, depending on how you view or value these thing. There is artwork in the 2CD set which doesn't appear on the 6CD set or on Big Blue, and there is artwork on the 6CD set which doesn't appear on Big Blue - and by "artwork" I'm talking about the facsimilies of session sheets, Artist Contract Cards and the like, as well as photos. I still haven't got round to putting all the variations down on paper. (Kind of hoping someone else had done that sleuthing...)

The BS11 2CD set also contains paperwork not included on the 6CD set.

 

I know Mark. Great choice. Smart guy. Music archivist.

 

A proper collection needs the principal antecedents (what?) to the official BS series. Of course, this would mean a true first edition of "The Great White Wonder", and the vinyl box set "Ten of Swords". There are other milestone bootlegs of course, but I'll leave those to be named in other posts.

I will define myself as obsessive, meaning I have all of the series in their most complete edition.

"Compulsive"? That means you collect EVERYTHING that has the word "Bob" printed somewhere, not necessarily just Bob Dylan.

Those who have three sets of BS 12 and doubles of Big Blue are just folks who believe in having back-ups, something to bring to a picnic or in the car, and loaner copies

 

Most? The original albums and singles, other previous official releases and bootlegs accounted for less than half of what's on the 18-CD set...

 

A true obsessive is someone who kept buying copies of the deluxe Big Big Blue 18 CD set until he got a film strip that he was satisfied with. He is not compulsive if he stopped when satisfied.

Myself, as I reported two years ago, got a film strip that showed Al Grossman's rear end (with pants). I was not satisfied, but stopped there, though I did try to swap it with someone who admired Grossman. (The fellow did not make it to age 60, poor soul)

 

So true. The security on those tape vaults for nearly 50 years was intense. No one could be bribed to leak them (the likely source for most other session tape leaks).

 

In term of numbers of tracks, you are absolutely right.

In terms of distinct artistic renditions, that's less true. I think the 6 CD edition + 3 Albums + BS7 & other releases cover about 95% of what was achieved on an atristic level during thoses sessions.

 

Okay, perhaps a "large enough" quota of sample material in order to make a decision I'm happy with whilst nothing heard on the 6CD set leads me to believe I made a mistake. That's a bit of a mouthful but if it helps you........

 

^^^^^^^