Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series Volume 15 (Travelin’ Thru 1967-1969 (1st November 2019) *

I have no problem with the design of the BS15 cover. Is it really that far removed from the work by the Columbia Records team that designed the (never released) In Concert cover from 1964?

 

I mean, each to their own and all that, but the dismissal of Bible Bob, well, you’re missing out - far and away the best entry in the series- absolutely revalatory

 

It's a combination of design and just really, really poor execution of digital editing and layout. This isn't 1964 anymore. It appears done by someone with little, if any experience doing professional design work. Far below the standards of a major record company, which means, like always, the Dylan camp probably insisted on doing it themselves. Pure hack.

 

You missed my point. You say "This isn't 1964 anymore" but Bob has been using ancient Columbia labels on his CDs and deliberately retro cover designs for over 20 years now. Leaving aside whatever happened with the bottom of the guitar in the photo, the cover of BS15 looks very much like something that could have been designed in 1969 -- and I think that was what Bob wanted. BS14 was much more of an anomaly, with the wacky script font, and looked nothing like a 1970s album cover. But hey, to each his own -- it's all very subjective, and personally not worth getting worked up over. I just think the "hack job" accusation (along with the usual "my two-year-old could have done that" hyperventilating) is a little over the top. Whoever designed this was definitely a professional, and was also definitely working according to the instructions of the client. Maybe he or she came up with something that was overflowing with "professional design work" but after Bob and/or Rosen turned it back five or six times it ended up like we see it? To me, complaining about the cover art is just a (tiresome) annual ritual now -- something to pass the time for a few weeks until release day. After November 1st, who will care about the cover? We'll be listening to JWH outtakes for the first time...

 

Couldn’t agree more. I initially bought just the 2CD version, but the Aussie amazon had the box set for a crazy price and it’s absolutely blown me away!
The band of that era has become my favourite live outfit of Bob’s entire career!

 

I can see why they went with the take on the album, but this is charming:

Tell Me That It Isn't True - Take 2

 

Doesn't Bobdylan.com charge any shipping costs ? I was about to paypal my order and they didn't appear to charge anything but the 47 EUR for the vinyl box (i am in Europe)

 

At 4:22 I think it has to be a slower version.

 

I Pity the Poor Immigrant (Take 4)

 

Wow.
Who will pass on this??

 

I welcome the far more affordable price for this addition to the Bootleg Series, but the packaging looks really ropey. All the 2CD versions have a great little booklet in them, this one appears to have a crummy 8 page insert with very little info and few pictures from the era. In that respect it reminds me of the odds and sods Live 1962-66 collection issued for Copyright reasons. That really goes against the whole spirit of the Bootleg Series. Of course I've already ordered it because I have all the others, but I feel a little cheated even at the low price. If that makes sense?!

 

I agree. You would think there would be more to say since Johnny Cash is involved.

 

That album cover is sh*thouse, how could anybody at the Dylan camp think it was good enough?

 

Exactly. In the past any addition to the Bootleg Series felt like an event because of the amount of love put into them. This feels like, get it out there because we can.

 

It looks like one of the numerous unofficial, cheap box sets you can pick up on Amazon. Not good enough.

 

I would think the John Wesley Harding BS would be exciting (or at least interesting) maybe I missed an earlier comment? Please go easy on me, I did in fact spend over 3 hours reading parts of this past string.

Trying to determine what "scraps that were passed over for Another Self Portrait"? Maybe I'm misinterpreting, but were n't there just two songs written by Johnny Cash ( Ring of Fire & Folsom Prison Blues), which to tie into the the Country-Western/Johnny Cash theme that was goin' on? I'm excited to hear these two being a Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan fan, and just because they were passed over originally for highly regarded Another Self Portrait set (ASP) is no shame. Bob passed on The Basement Tapes for how many years?

On a serious note, I'd wager there are further items that can be brought to light from the Self Portrait era as I think they had just enough songs for ASP already to match a 2 CD set with 3 LP's time & fidelity wise. I know there were two additional CD's in the deluxe version but those had borders clearly defined as a straight remaster of the original LP, and the other being a straight the Isle Of Wight recording.

 

more 'have to' than 'can', but that's the gist of it, yeah

 

Excited about the JWH material above all else on this release.

 

Couldn’t agree more. His band is fierce and backing singers are impressive as well. IMO best sounding bootleg thus far. I get the Bible Bob stuff , you don’t have to adopt the doctrine just enjoy the music. Just Bob being Bob.

 

This!

 

I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but I would have preferred if the John Wesley Harding sessions be left off this release and any future releases. With the countless outtakes and alternate takes available spanning Dylan’s entire career, it affects how we see the original albums. We can’t think of Desire without Abandoned Love, Time Out of Mind without Red River Shore, we all have a favourite version of Blood on the Tracks, and the many versions of the cutting edge sessions. But for over five decades, John Wesley Harding was just ‘John Wesley Harding’. It was perfect, and all we needed was the originally released vision, free from the endless perspectives we can take of Dylan’s work.

 

all that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned

 

You're right, it is an unpopular opinion but only amongst die-hard music COLLECTORS like we have here, not so much in the wider music listening world though.

I, for one, agree with you. You can't unhear something you've heard. It changes your whole perspective of the original artists' work. Some demos and sketches are better left unheard.

 

And still touring - North America Fall/Winter tour