Bob Dylan - After The Empire & 1985 Rehearsals

Are we allowed to talk about this? Nothing says 'Father's Day' like newly-surfaced 80s Dylan!

I am truly amazed that there are still completely unheard Dylan things still out there that are still surfacing. Case in point, two new "dubious releases" which were "dubiously leaked" today... The first called After The Empire, which seems to have been a post-Empire Burlesque demo session recorded at Cherokee Studios in May 1985. It's obviously a woodshop session, but it's a full-band recording with guitar, bass, drums, keys, backing singers, and of course Dylan's rough-but-not-yet-demolished early 80s voice. All completely unheard song ideas, although much of it is mumbled verses and a singular-phrase chorus. Sound quality is spectacular, sounds soundboard. No glossy 80s production.

The second release is a 2CD set called The 1985 Rehearsals, and apparently feature Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers!

Anyone listening to this or have any more info?

 

Bob Dylan – After The Empire (Rattlesnake RS 288) »

 

Ah someone upped the whole After The Empire disc on youtube. Not sure how long it'll be up there though.

Is it possible the next Bootleg Series covers his mid-80s material, and that these tapes are sourced from that archival project?

 

We can talk about and review bootlegs however we can't discuss where to buy them.

 

Ya guys are gonna get this closed...careful.

 

Oh man, the 1985 Rehearsals are great.

Tracklist:
1-01 I Shall Be Released (I)
1-02 Gotta Serve Somebody
1-03 Across The Borderline (I)
1-04 Senor (Fragment)
1-05 Trouble
1-06 Clean Cut Kid
1-07 I'll Remember You
1-08 That Lucky Old Sun
1-09 Maggie's Farm
1-10 In The Garden (I)
1-11 Shot Of Love
1-12 Sing Me Back Home
1-13 Union Sundown
1-14 Come Together (Long Version)
1-15 This Was My Love (I)
1-16 Lonesome Town
1-17 License To Kill
1-18 I Shall Be Released (II)
1-19 Lenny Bruce
1-20 Rocky Road Blues
1-21 Never Gonna Be The Same Again
1-22 Baby Please Stop Crying (Fragment)

2-01 Shake
2-02 Across The Borderline (II)
2-03 Tight Connection To My Heart
2-04 Dead Man Dead Man (I)
2-05 Heart Of Mine (I)
2-06 Baby Please Stop Crying
2-07 Come Together (Short Version)
2-08 This Was My Love (II)
2-09 Red Cadillac & A Black Mustache (I)
2-10 Under The Boardwalk
2-11 Seeing The Real You At Last
2-12 Dead Man Dead Man (II)
2-13 Emotionally Yours
2-14 I And I (I)
2-15 Heart Of Mine (II)
2-16 In The Garden (II)
2-17 Under The Boardwalk/Save The Last Dance For Me
2-18 Heart Of Mine (Instrumental)
2-19 I And I (II)
2-20 Trust Yourself
2-21 This Was My Love (III)
2-22 Red Cadillac & A Black Mustache (II)
2-23 Red Cadillac & A Black Mustache (III)
2-24 I Shall Be Released (III)

 

Thank you. Was not aware of this. Mods can delete my post if they wish.

 

Hey @RayS Check this out!! Whoa!

 

Okay, so these performances would make a pretty outstanding next Bootleg Series!

Sing it, Queens of Rhythm!

 

Imagine some of the other things in the well we are totally unaware of. Can't wait to check these out!

 

Thanks for the heads up!

 

These tracks are much more developed than I anticipated that they would be. And the sound quality is great. Definitely worth multiple listens. Sounds like "Ain't Nothin' Here Worth Dying For" could have really been developed into a strong track.

 

i got the After The Empire set today...WOW! i had heard about these for the last few weeks and been really excited - i must say that i also am pleasantly surprised at how developed these song "ideas" are...i didn't expect anything nearly this good! this is like getting a surprise/unannounced mini-Bootleg Series release!...i'll be listening to this more than Fallen Angels, something tells me! ;-)

 

unheard songs from the greatest (imo) writer of our generation just pop up out of nowhere. crazy, but cool

 

This an excellent demo session, strangely non followed by further sessions for the recording of a new album. I think that it's likely the 31st October session. I don't know if Sony Records didn't like this direction or Dylan simply changed mind.

 

Me thinks someone leaked this on purpose.

Joe: 'Hey Boss, I found this tape of 1985 rehearsals for our next Bootleg Series!'
Boss: 'Forget it Joe, that stuff doesn't sell. Keep looking for that Buckets of Rain demo'
Joe: 'But Boss, would you at least listen to it..'
Boss: 'Joe... I could hire any of those crazy s&$% from the SH forums to do your job for free, now get to work'
Joe 'Yes Boss...you'll listen to this you will see'

 

That sad thing is I'd accept that job offer, at that wage, my only qualification being that I'm a crazy s&$% from the SH Forum.

 

Some songs have excellent sound, others have much more hiss. My impression is that these tapes are from a leaking from the recent digitalization of the Dylan Archives. Just a theory naturally.

 

1985 Rehearsal Tape

 

"Baby Coming Back From The Dead" is both an great phrase and amazingly catchy.

 

It's funny how poorly documented this period was. One of the reasons an 80's themed BS release could be one of the most promising concepts for an official release.

 

"Nothing Here Worth Dying For" sorta reminds me of "Someone's Got A Hold of My Heart/Tight Connection to My Heart" without the 80's artifice (but also woefully incomplete).

 

This tape is clearly not a "Great Lost Album" but it is a genuinely major discovery. And it might have the raw material, if developed, could have far outshined the other albums from the era.

 

I'm still only part way through listening to this set. But gonna back track a bit. It's better than Empire Burlesque. Might turn out to have the advantage over a couple of the other later albums, too.

Still not under any illusions these are complete songs.