Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes - where we're at currently...

This is a fantastic observation.

 

That's okay. I've been meaning to dig back into the Griffin book again. Suspect the answer is there. And if not, revisiting GetRhythm's posts will be no hardship.

 

It was a fun read, but I didn't see anything about the overdubs there in my initial perusal (but I could easily have missed it). Thanks, though!

 

Do folks think this is complete?

 

"I don't come to you with my problems"!

 

That's still my favorite Dylan story.

 

Maybe add Apple Suckling Tree?

 

Thanks. P.S. I feel negligent not mentioning Levon Helm too regardless of his absence/presence during the recordings.

 

Well, it's got "Odds and Ends" wrong. It credits Dylan with the piano and fails to note it's a 1975 overdub. Or at least it did have it wrong... I just fixed it.

 

Thank you!

 

True mono is rare on the 1975 album. There are many narrow stereo tracks, however.

 

You were faster than me; I didn't want to appear to be niggling...

It's a fantastic quote, classic Zimmerman. He's weird, but I love the guy...

 

Doing one disc at a time, I tried to match up some of the track times on the new box set with the versions that have long been in circulation.

Unless the first four tracks on disc 1 (which remain unheard by the public at large) are lengthy pieces, this disc will probably clock in under an hour.

These title/times/notes are an amalgamation, cobbled together from various sources:

Basement Tapes Complete - CD 1
1. "Edge of the Ocean" [previously unreleased]
2. "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" (written by Clarence Williams) [previously unreleased]
3. "Roll on Train" [previously unreleased]
4. "Mr. Blue" (written by Dewayne Blackwell) [previously unreleased]

5. "Belshazzar" (written by Johnny Cash)
BELCHAZAAR (I) (False Start :18) / (II) (3:09)

6. "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" (Charlie A Feathers and Stanley A Kesler)
I FORGOT TO REMEMBER TO FORGET (3:17)

7. "You Win Again" (written by Hank Williams)
YOU WIN AGAIN (2:42)

8. "Still in Town" (written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard)
STILL IN TOWN (3:05)

9. "Waltzing with Sin" (written by Sonny Burns and Red Hayes)
WALTZING WITH SIN False Start ( :31) / (2:50)

10. "Big River (Take 1)" (written by Johnny Cash)
11. "Big River (Take 2)" (written by Johnny Cash)
BIG RIVER (I) & (II) Take 1 ( :50): Take 2 (2:30)

12. "Folsom Prison Blues" (written by Johnny Cash)
FOLSOM PRISON BLUES (2:43)

13. "Bells of Rhymney" (written by Idris Davies and Peter Seeger)
THE BELLS OF RHYMNEY (3:12)

14. "Spanish is the Loving Tongue"
SPANISH IS THE LOVING TONGUE (3:57)

15. "Under Control"
UNDER CONTROL(2:51)
"Under Control – Untitled Instrumental":
There is an untitled instrumental right before "Under Control."
On most bootleg copies the tape stops and "Under Control" begins immediately,
suggesting that the instrumental may have erased the opening bars of "Under Control".
Just before "Under Control" begins, Dylan can be heard saying that his guitar is
not suited to that kind of instrumental music.

16. "Ol' Roison the Beau" (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)
OL' ROISON THE BOW (4:49)

17. "I'm Guilty of Loving You"
I'M GUILTY OF LOVING YOU (1:06):

18. "Cool Water" (written by Bob Nolan)
COOL WATER (3:00)

19. "The Auld Triangle" (written by Brendan Francis Behan)
THE ROYAL CANAL (5:41)

20. "Po' Lazarus" (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)
PO' LAZARUS ( :57)

21. "I'm a Fool for You" (Take 1)
22. "I'm a Fool for You" (Take 2)
I'M A FOOL FOR YOU (3:57) intro cut, key changes, restarts before bridge

 

Also extra piano, drums and backing vocals on TWOF, the most overdubbed track.

 

So Mr. Wikipedia and I have something in common.

 

This is SPECTACULAR! Looking forward to future updates!

 

Anybody planning to jump to a specific track when they finally get their hands on this, before listening through the entire set properly?

 

By the way, iTunes and Amazon have put up a few track times.
"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" (Take 1) 2:45 (4 seconds shorter than the one on TWR - at least it is on mine)
"Odds and Ends" (Alternate Version, Take 1) 1:49
"One Too Many Mornings" 3:22
"Ain't No More Cain" (Alternate Version, Take 2) 1:57
"Dress It Up, Have It All" 2:52

Times are consistent on both sites (except for the ones that are only listed on iTunes, of course).

 

Basement Tapes Complete - CD 2


1. "Johnny Todd" (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)
JOHNNY TODD (2:02)

2. "Tupelo" (written by John Lee Hooker)
THE BIG FLOOD (2:19) M-i-s-s-i-s-i-p-p-i John Lee Hooker style

3. "Kickin' My Dog Around" (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)
YOU GOTTA QUIT KICKIN' MY DOG AROUND (2:47)

4. "See You Later Allen Ginsberg (Take 1)"
5. "See You Later Allen Ginsberg (Take 2)"
SEE YOU LATER ALLEN GINSBURG (I) ( :45) / (II) ( :50)

6. "Tiny Montgomery"
TINY MONTGOMERY (2:54)

7. "Big Dog"
[FRAG?]

8. "I'm Your Teenage Prayer"
I AM A TEENAGE PRAYER (I) ( :22) cut / (II) (3:30)

9. "Four Strong Winds" (written by Ian Tyson)
FOUR STRONG WINDS (3:39)

10. "The French Girl (Take 1)" (written by Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson)
11. "The French Girl (Take 2)" (written by Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson)
THE FRENCH GIRL Initial Tuning" ( :22): Take 1 (2:11) Take 2 (2:55)

12. "Joshua Gone Barbados" (written by Eric Von Schmidt)
JOSHUA GONE BARBADOS (2:44)

13. "I'm in the Mood" (written by Bernard Besman and John Lee Hooker)
I'M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (1:53)

14. "Baby Ain't That Fine" (written by Dallas Frazier)
BABY AIN'T THAT FINE (2:08)

15. "Rock, Salt and Nails" (written by Bruce Phillips)
ROCK SALT AND NAILS (4:35)

16. "A Fool Such As I" (written by William Marvin Trader)
A FOOL SUCH AS I (2:50)

17. "Song for Canada" (written by Pete Gzowski and Ian Tyson)
ONE SINGLE RIVER (4:22)

18. "People Get Ready" (written by Curtis L Mayfield)
PEOPLE GET READY (3:22)

19. "I Don't Hurt Anymore" (written By Donald I Robertson and Walter E Rollins)
I DON'T HURT ANYMORE (2:25)

20. "Be Careful of Stones That You Throw" (written by Benjamin Lee Blankenship)
BE CAREFUL OF STONES THAT YOU THROW (I)( :19)/ (II)(2:58)

21. "One Man's Loss"
ONE MAN'S LOSS (3:50)

22. "Lock Your Door"
LOCK YOUR DOOR ( :19)

23. "Baby, Won't You Be My Baby"
BABY WON'T YOU BE MY BABY (2:47)

24. "Try Me Little Girl"
TRY ME LITTLE GIRL (1:37)

25. "I Can't Make it Alone"
I CAN'T MAKE IT ALONE (3:31)

26. "Don't You Try Me Now"
DON'T YOU TRY ME NOW (3:11)

 

Yeah, I mean, I have to imagine that we will be getting so many more complete takes and full versions than what's been available unofficially in the past. iTunes doesn't list the new track times yet, but I have a feeling many of these fragments and abruptly cut off or opened songs are going to blow everyone away in their full glory. The fragments and abrupt edits just don't make sense in the context of how and why they would have originally recorded the songs. This mid-late 60's era is one of the creative high points for all involved, who are some of the great musical geniuses of the modern age, and they would have, at least, understood when to press "record" and "stop." I hope.

 

Wow -- I'm re-listening to: Kickin' My Dog Around...See You Later Allen Ginsberg...Spanish Song...Teenage Prayer...what were these guys smoking?

 

Yes, we have to hope that some of the "fragments" exist in more complete versions on the new box.

 

(To feed my ego, I'm gonna keep replying to Dee's "spectacular" comment.)

Basement Tapes Complete - CD 3

1. "Young but Daily Growing" (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)
YOUNG BUT DAILY GROWIN' trad.(5:36)

2. "Bonnie Ship the Diamond" (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)
BONNIE SHIP THE DIAMOND (3:33)

3. "The Hills of Mexico" (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)
THE HILLS OF MEXICO [BUFFALO SKINNERS] (2:43)

4. "Down on Me" (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)
DOWN ON ME ( :40)

5. "One for the Road"
ONE FOR MY BABY, ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD (4:48)

6. "I'm Alright"
I'M ALRIGHT ( :59)

7. "Million Dollar Bash (Take 1)"
8. "Million Dollar Bash (Take 2)"
MILLION DOLLAR BASH (I)(2:34): Guitar and banter": After Take 1 ends,
there is some additional, barely heard talking, some guitar tuning, and then
a low voice saying “Bash".
MILLION DOLLAR BASH (II)(2:34)

9. "Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread (Take 1)"
10. "Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread (Take 2)"
YEA! HEAVY AND A BOTTLE OF BREAD (I)(1:52)
YEA! HEAVY AND A BOTTLE OF BREAD (II)(2:13

11. "I'm Not There"
I'M NOT THERE (1956) (5:08)

12. "Please Mrs. Henry"
PLEASE MRS. HENRY (2:33)

13. "Crash on the Levee (Take 1)"
14. "Crash on the Levee (Take 2)"
CRASH ON THE LEVEE (DOWN IN THE FLOOD) (I) (2:11)
CRASH ON THE LEVEE (DOWN IN THE FLOOD) (II) (2:06)

15. "Lo and Behold! (Take 1)"
16. "Lo and Behold! (Take 2)"
LO AND BEHOLD (I) (2:53)
LO AND BEHOLD (II) (2:45)

17. "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (Take 1)"
18. "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (Take 2)"
YOU AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE (I) (2:45) "feed the cat" [agrees with iTunes, per Bubbly Waves]
YOU AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE (II) (2:47)

19. "I Shall be Released (Take 1)" [previously unreleased]
20. "I Shall be Released (Take 2)"
I SHALL BE RELEASED (3:56)

21. "This Wheel's on Fire" (written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko)
THIS WHEELS ON FIRE (3:58)

22. "Too Much of Nothing (Take 1)"
23. "Too Much of Nothing (Take 2)"
TOO MUCH OF NOTHING (I) (2:40)
TOO MUCH OF NOTHING (II) (2:53)

 

Saves me from having to repeat it each time you update!

 

Po' Lazarus would be especially great...I'm not banking on "extended" takes, though, it almost seems like too much to ask.