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

Our favourite movie, «Masked and Anonymous» (2003), written by Dylan and Larry Charles, takes place in a war torn USA. Imprisoned folk singer Jack Fate (played by Dylan) is released from jail in order to headline a benefit concert. Fate travels the country and observes a poor, corrupt and destitute society. In one scene, a radio preacher says the following:

«The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, you make them. You make so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? You pass laws that can't be observed or enforced or even objectively interpreted. You create a nation of law-breakers and then you cash in on the guilt. That's the system, that's the game. Once you understand that you'll sleep a lot easier».

However, in Atlas Shrugged, written by free marketeer and atheist Ayn Rand, she lets dr Ferris (one of the bad guys) say the following to Hank Rearden:

«The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted—and you create a nation of law-breakers—and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system. Mr.Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.»

These passages are somewhat similar.

 

Wow, thank you for sharing this! That certainly lays the "Did Dylan read Rand?" question to rest. And perhaps raises the "Did Rand's Estate sue Dylan?" question.

 

I'll take the challenge (without a net) and see if I screw it up.

Live, BS13, Biograph, GBS

 

Well, the subject of "Like A Rolling Stone" threw the bums a dime early on in the song so there's certainly a possibility that Bob read at least the first page of "Atlas Shrugged"

Edit: posted before I read the post by @vegard martinsen which proves that he read more than the first page.

 

The BS13 take preceeds the live performance, right?

 

Yes, not even close (9/23/80 vs 11/12/80).

So much for the top-of-my-head challenge.

 

I can't see 1965 Dylan going near "Atlas Shrugged". He'd hardly be drawn to Rand, and I doubt he'd have the attention span for such a lengthy book, especially one that stands in fairly direct opposition to the political philosophy he had previously embraced.

Post-conversion Bob is a bit tricky as well - devoting hundreds of reading hours to a book not only NOT about Jesus but written by one of the most prominent anti-theists the world has ever known (before the term was even coined). Somewhere in that pocket between conversion and the denied "move to the Right" of "Infidels" probably lies "Atlas Shrugged". Of the 4 versions of "Caribbean Wind" that we have, the "man who invented iron" only appears in the "Biograph" version. That may pinpoint the time frame. Or not.

 

In Chronicles, Dylan says that his favourite politician was the ultraconservative Barry Goldwater, republican candidate for president 1964.

As for reading Atlas Shrugged, perhaps it was Larry Charles who read Rand.

 

I have no idea regarding Rand, but doesn't Dylan claim in Chronicles that he read Byron's Don Juan in 61-62? That one runs to 500-600 pages I believe. So I think he was an avid reader early on.

 

Considering Goldwater's "appearance" on "Another Side", perhaps Bob was pulling our collective leg?

Charles may have read "Atlas Shrugged" as well, but Dylan sure seems to reference it in "Caribbean Wind". How many other people, fictional or otherwise, invent "iron" and disappear so mysteriously???

 

I made m'self a nice little disc 9 from the DVD audio.

1. Jesus Met the Woman at the Well [traditional] [rehearsal edit, presumably Rundown 1980, from Trouble No More DVD]
2. Are You Ready? [live 1980, exclusive version from Trouble No More live DVD]
3. Solid Rock [live 1980, exclusive version from Trouble No More live DVD]
4. Slow Train [live 1980, exclusive version from Trouble No More live DVD]
5. When He Returns [live 1980-04-20, Massey Hall, Toronto, ON - same as version on disc 5]
6. Precious Angel [live 1980-04-19, Massey Hall, Toronto, ON - same as version on disc 5]
7. Saved [Dylan/Drummond] [live 1980, exclusive version from Trouble No More live DVD]
8. Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others) [live 1980, exclusive version from Trouble No More live DVD, possible edit or composite]
9. Ain't Gonna Go to Hell for Anybody [live 1980, exclusive version from Trouble No More live DVD]
10. What Can I Do for You [live 1980, exclusive version from Trouble No More live DVD]
11. Pressing On [live 1980, exclusive version from Trouble No More live DVD, possible edit or composite]
12. Abraham, Martin & John [Holler] [rehearsal, presumably Rundown 1980, from Trouble No More DVD]
13. Shot of Love [live 1981-07-25, Palais des Sports, Avignon, France - same as version on disc 2]
14. Cover Down, Pray Through [live 1980, exclusive version from Trouble No More live DVD]
15. Jesus Met the Woman at the Well [traditional] [rehearsal alternate take, presumably Rundown 1980, from Trouble No More DVD]

Track 1 was taken from the full movie. Tracks 2-11 were taken from the "music only" running option, which essentially removes the need for the "unbanded" full edits from the bonus features (although those feature a few extra seconds of applause each). Track 12 also from the movie. Tracks 13-15 were taken from the bonus features, obv. I wavered on whether to include tracks 5, 6 and 13, 'cause they're earlier in the box set too, but I included them for flow. I took performance info from @mikeja75 notes on page 331 of this thread (if any of that has changed, let me know. And if any of the takes on here have been identified as specific Jan. 1980 nights or dates, that'd be great to know too!). To rip the audio, I simply took stereo audio out of a DVD player into a Zoom H4N and then amplified it slightly and chopped it up in Audacity.

 

So that was after he was on the road with the carnival after he ran away from home?

 

Point taken. I personally don't think that is the sort of thing he would make up 40 years later. I think he takes and took poetry very seriously. But sure it could be total fiction, like certain parts of Chronicles likely are.

 

I can't imagine the Dylan embraced by the folk movement reading "Atlas Shrugged". If Pete Seeger saw Bob with a copy, he might have gone for his axe! The often drug-addled post-electric Dylan didn't seem to have the attention span to read a book JACKET.

 

I do recall this now (I am a "one and done" reader of "Chronicles"). It's possible that Dylan's mention of Goldberg in "I Shall Be Free #10" was a sly comment on the Left being as exclusionary as the Right. That here was someone he admired, despite the difference in politics, that "liberally-minded" people would summarily reject. Or not.

 

GoldWATER, not GoldBERG.

 

Very nice! I suggest a DVD Video edit as welll because it eliminates fussing with the menu

 

Just one out of many curious omissions! You won't hear me complaining too hard though. BS13 is monumentally great. And it wouldn't be a Bootleg Series if there weren't something to quibble about!

 

Would that I knew how to do that!

 

I find this version rather clunky. The rehearsal with pedal steel may be dated earlier, but, IMO, it is much more assured, musically and vocally.

Not a massive fan of the live version, either. Too rushed.

In order of preference:

Rehearsal with pedal steel
Biograph version
Bootleg “rattlesnake” version
Live version

Just one fan’s opinion. YMMV.

 

I'm almost the precise opposite

Live
Still Unreleased Version
Pedal Steel
Biograph

The live version is certainly imperfect, but they all are!

 

Freeware DVDShrink, you can learn how to edit. For most DVDs

 

Where did that circulate before? Was it on the bootleg called "From Saved to Shot"? I have that somewhere.

It appears that it is also on Genuine Bootleg Series (Take 1) and Hard to Find. I have those.

 

You are Clinton Heylin and I claim my £5.