Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol.16: Springtime In New York (1980–1985) (Content & Sound Quality)

Sound quality between tracks

 

I got the 5 disc set - which is perfect. I also have the 4LP Third Man set on the way, stuck in Media Mail purgatory. I received the 2LP set as well, and although I have yet to listen to the 2LP set (I finished the 5 CD set), the LPs in that set have to be the dirtiest and terrible looking vinyl pressings I have come across in recent memory. Pressed at MPO, which can be hit or miss. The real end to the story will be when I actually listen to the LPs.

 

I am on disc 3. So far, my impressions are that this is one of the best Bootleg Series ever. Very well curated collection, as opposed to others, I can see myself playing this over and over again throughout the years.

On the other side, I am concerned that the discs are not PACKED to the limit with all the material they could fit like they used to. They could have included more. They are seem to be going the route of the Beatles and Stones camps of giving us just enough to justify the price and saving some stuff for the year 2058 or something.

 

As I said upthread, according to iTunes, my 5 CDs of Springtime In New York tops out at 261 minutes. So that leaves 139 minutes free, well over 2 hours.

 

Thanks for clearing that up

 

My Third Man 4LP set arrived safe and sound today. No problems with the sleeves or pressings.

For the sake of documentation, here are the dead wax messages etched into the vinyl:

LP1, Side A: WELL, GOD IS IN HIS HEAVEN
LP1, Side B: AND WE ALL WANT WHAT’S HIS

LP2, Side A: BUT POWER AND GREED AND CORRUPTIBLE SEED
LP2, Side B: SEEM TO BE ALL THAT THERE IS

LP3, Side A: I’M GAZING OUT THE WINDOW
LP3, Side B: OF THE ST. JAMES HOTEL

LP4, Side A: AND I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING
LP4, Side B: NOBODY CAN SING THE BLUES LIKE BLIND WILLIE MCTELL

 

I think it's been established that lack of room was not the reason.

 

That’s cool. Is any of the artwork unique?

 

Right, which is why I wondered if there was another reason. Even before I really became a big fan of Bob's era around this release, that "Jokerman" performance was one of my go to favorites.

 

I agree with both points. It’s one of my favourite periods and I’ve been hoping for much of this material for years. As I and others have mentioned, it feels like an expansion of BS disc 3, probably my favourite disc of the first set. It just needed to be expanded to around 75 mins per disc.

 

You'll get a better response but perhaps it's just to leave us wanting more. Or Sony has stock in YouTube?

 

I *think* so, but I don’t have time to sit down and make notes at the moment. You might want to have a look at one of the unboxing videos on YouTube to answer that question.

 

Actually, this is probably closer to the truth. I can imagine Jeff Rosen simply saying that the performances are all on YouTube so they didn’t need to put it all on bs16.

 

My two LPs were terrible too. Easily some of the most grisly looking new records I’ve ever received.

 

It might have worked better as a DVD, like with Live 1975

 

But then why include one track, arguably the least compelling one, and then give it such a lifeless mix?

 

Bob Inc's efforts in restoring his visual archive seem to have been fairly lacklustre!

The dvd with the Trouble No More set was really frustrating. They could have included the full 1980 Toronto concert and I would have been happy. I watch the bootleg dvd more frequently than that dvd they included.

We all know that priceless footage exists from the 1965 and 1966 tours. To rub the salt in the wounds they show some of it in some convention that most of us can't get to.

When they get a chance to release a much needed documentary of the Rolling Thunder Revue, they wrap it in some silly fictional narrative!!

 

Yeah. I have had numerous audio copies (off VHS presumably), and this official track sounds about the same as the best one of those.

 

Yes, and that (i.e. wrapping in silly fictional narratives) had already been done, back in the day, with Renaldo and Clara. Yet the critics lapped that ridiculous Rolling Thunder 'fever dream' film up like milk.

 

He was reported to be pissed about the "New Dylan"s that cropped up in the 1970s. I remember a story of him hearing Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" on the radio and yelling "That should be MY song!". Also "while imitators steal me blind" in "Idiot Wind". Yes, I think it's a metaphor for the young gunslinger/songwriters challenging him.

 

I've just got my 4 LPs copy, going through it at the moment. All looking (and sounding) very good so far.

Just one question, there was a piece of high quality paper inside the shipper which looks like it's been teared. Seems like an advertisement of the Vault itself, or anything like that, but the bottom half has been removed -and not very carefully, so to say. Am I missing anything important? Has anybody received a copy with the complete version of this?

Apologies if this has been discussed already, couldn't find any post about this.

 

I just put on a compilation I made of my favourite Infidels outtakes, which ends with the 3 Letterman songs. After days of listening to BS 16, it's interesting to note that Blind Willie McTell (Take 5) sounds strangely flat on the bootleg. It also takes over 30 mins to fade out. Jokerman sounds good on the bootleg but muddy in comparison to the slightly muddy mix on BS 16. Someone's Got a Hold of My Heart sounds less cluttered on the bootleg - no additional fuzzy guitar - and takes longer to fade although this time the fade seems right. I miss this mix. And the Letterman songs really need to be heard together - picking one on it's own just makes you want to listen to all 3. And what they lack in a little clarity they make up for in bass. I think I prefer the bootleg.

 

Mine’s the same. From what I’ve seen online, they all have this. I see it as a compliment slip.

 

Their not all that way, my 2LP set arrived yesterday from amazon. The first LP had a slight warp, nothing to up riled up about, they arrived looking good, and after cleaning both they sound great, I'm very happy with this release.

 

Assorted notes and opinions —

1) A curated release is a good thing.

2) It's possible for a collection to be too aggressively curated.

3) The weakness of the Infidels material here is mostly in the (questionable) mixing choices, not in deficiencies of the source tapes.

4) The most exciting-sounding mix isn't even included on the deluxe set — Blind Willie McTell, take 1.

5) A collection of five half-filled CDs somehow seems far less potent—and less worthy of spending money on—than two that are packed to bursting point.

(How many of us actually bought the deluxe set this time for the CDs, and not for the packaging, book etc?).

A first attempt at a rule:

The more excess blank space there is on a CD, the less stature the disc seems to have. This becomes increasingly obvious to the listener as the amount of discs goes up.