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

I love Dylan, but I'm more a big Mick Taylor fan.
I have a number of bootlegs from the Infidels/ Real Live tour, and I have a few different bootlegs of studio work - alt takes, outtakes - from the Infidels sessions.
When I saw that this set was coming out, I LEAPT on it as a Mick Taylor fan. While Mick overplayed at times on the live stuff in ways that did not synch with the songs' intentions or Dylan's head, he was still serving up gorgeous stuff, so I dig it overall. Mick Taylor was certainly playing sharper in 1983-1984 (and playing on better songs) than on much of his subsequent solo stuff.

However, I jumped on it SO QUICKLY that I ordered the 2-CD set NOT REALIZING that there was a larger 5-CD set. This bothers me, because I would want to hear any and all of the Mick Taylor goodness from this time.
However, it looks like the Taylor tunes are only on discs 2 and 3, and I think I might have most if not all of that already.

What can a poor boy do? Does a Mick Taylor fan gain a lot by grabbing the 5-CD set rather than the 2-CD set?

 

Although fans lament the decisions made with Infidels, the fact is that it was, as released, a solid album. Empire Burlesque, on the other hand, is a much bigger missed opportunity, both in terms of track selection and production. This new set goes a long way to revealing what a great record it could have been

 

I can see that point of view with relation to production for sure, but track selection?
I dont see how you could create a much better Empire Burlesque album by shuffling the available tracks/outtakes etc.

The blaze of creativity that fired the SOL sessions, was flickering by the end of the Infidels sessions and was going out by the time Empire Burlesque came along.
There is some good stuff there of course, but nothing to match what had gone before, in my opinion.

 

Infidels is one of my favorite Dylan albums - actually, maybe even my favorite. something about the band he was playing with at the time, something about the production, the music, the lyrics, the front and back album cover.
anyway, I wish there was a new deluxe issue of this album alone - with all the related tracks gather together.

 

Get the high res digital download, it's far cheaper and anyway those 5 CDs are very sparsely populated. And, Mick Taylor or no Mick Taylor, a great many of the tracks are pure filler.

 

Never heard of it...a rough mix but of the finished tracks? Good sound too?

 

Anyone want to take a shot at answering this I would find this answer helpful

 

This box set is the gift that keeps giving. Great stuff indeed.

 

I would never discourage anyone from getting this complete set. It is great Dylan.

But, if you are relatively new to Dylan, or if you do not already have a fairly broad collection of Dylan, there are many recordings that I would suggest getting first, from all eras and both from the "official" LPs & CDs, and the "bootleg series" sets.

Those "get these first" recordings are so plentiful, I would not pick just one or even several.

You can tell just with a bit of study. You cannot go wrong.

Anyone who considers themselves a Mick Taylor fan should still get into the full history of Dylan.

 

The 5 CD set has about twice as much material from the Infidels sessions as the 2 CD set, so as a Mick Taylor fan you need the 5 CD set. I love Taylor's work with Dylan. "Infidels" is one of my favorite Dylan albums and I think that Taylor's playing on the 1984 tour with Dylan is some of his best.

 

As long as one also buys at least a dozen other Dylan titles in due course.

 

I see an album with earlier versions of "Someone's Got a Hold of My Heart", "When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky" and "New Danville Girl" as its centerpiece.

 

You ain't kiddin'.
A missed opportunity there, big time.
A total whiff not including that tape of the EB album on cd in this set.

 

I am still hoping they will release the Special Rider publishing tape (rough mix) of "Empire Burlesque" on vinyl for Record Store Day, just like "The Basement Tape" (the original 1968 acetate) and the "Blood On The Tracks" test pressing, which also were not included with the respective box sets.

 

Having lived with this set a little longer now, and feeling I really needed a 2 disc version but that I just cannot live with some of the choices on the official 2 disc set, I have made my own and I think this is now, for me, pretty definitive. So fwiw I am sharing it here. I have tried to stick with the Infidels songs wherever possible (with one unstomachable exception) because I like the songs, but also wanted to squeeze in the Letterman tracks plus the single version of Blind Willie. So here it is, all thoughts welcome:

Disc 1

01-01 Angelina
01-02 Need a Woman
01-03 Lets Keep It Between Us
01-04 Mystery Train
01-05 Dont Ever Take Yourself Away
01-06 Baby What You Want Me to Do
01-07 License to Kill (Letterman)
01-08 Don't Start Me Talkin' (Sonny Boy Williamson, Letterman)
01-09 Jokerman
01-10 Dont Fall Apart On Me Tonight
01-11 To_Ramona
01-12 Senor_Tales_of_Yankee_Power
01-13 Blind Willie McTell (Rough-Mix)
01-14 Too_Late_Acoustic_Version
01-15 Too Late (Band Version)

Disc 2

02-01 Foot of Pride
02-02 Sweetheart Like You
02-03 Someones Got a Hold of My Heart
02-04 I and I
02-05 Union Sundown
02-06 Jokerman (Letterman)
02-07 This Night Wont Last Forever
02-08 We Just Disagree
02-09 I_Wish_It_Would_Rain
02-10 Is It Worth It
02-11 Tight Connection To My Heart
02-12 Ill Remember You
02-13 Blind Willie McTell [take 1]
02-14 When the Night Comes Falling From the Sky (Fast Version)
02-15 New Danville Girl

I haven't done the math, but I think that's still fairly close to what I thought the 'keepers' were, back in October. I like the sequencing of the offocial 2CD, so I have copied it up until whatever point I start to diverge from their choices, meaning track 4 on Disc 1 and track 5 on Disc 2. Union Sundown was a very late swap for Lenny Bruce, and I'm still not sure about that one. As I say, I have included the 3 Letterman tracks. I have used the 'Rough Cuts' bootleg version of the alt Blind Willie because I don't like the official mix. Same for Letterman Licence to Kill. Senor and Ramona don't really fit, but they are very nice rehearsals and surely worth including. Whereas, on the official 2 disc set, it baffles me that space would be given to Fur Slippers, Yes Sir No Sir, Enough is Enough, Emotionally Yours, Enough is Enough, or Clean Cut Kid, when so many other, much better tracks are available. Tell Me is such an inferior version to a beloved BS I to III song that I don't care to ever hear it again. I've never liked Dark Eyes. New Danville Girl is a much better set closer. Price of Love I liked initially but it's not a long-term listen.

My God I hope they make a better job of the Time Out of Mind set.

 

Beyond the hits and various famous covers this box was actually my intro to Dylan as I get the vault sets regardless of my general interest in them.

I enjoyed it enough to grab the 2lp set when it was a shocking 18 dollars on Amazon.

I’m kinda tickled to have gotten the 6 lps for 78 bucks when the cd set is quite more expensive (yes I know of the 4 tracks). Was wondering does the cd set have significantly more writing? I do like the included notes we got with the vinyl set helps out this novice, but questioning the value of the cd set.

ended up getting some tickets to his upcoming show and the new album so guess job accomplished putting it in the vault to get some new ears on Dylan. Did it go the other way? anyone stick with the vault after getting this as their first try? (side note don’t think I’m gonna like the upcoming sleep set near as much)

 

Really weird place to start but I am glad you liked it enough to get into Dylan. The new album is one of his best and the live show with the songs from it is excellent. Enjoy.

 

Glad that it got you into Dylan! Huge world of his music to explore.
I cancelled my vault subscription, just not financially an option for me to have that reoccurring payment. I’m a huge fan of Jack’s work though and always get his new releases.

 

One example is that the larger 4-lp set has "Enough Is Enough" which was recorded during the 1984 tour with M. Taylor. This tune was only played during that tour and doesn't appear on any of Dylan's studio albums. I love it, but YMMV.

 

It is worth keeping the boots, but you gain the quality of a professionally mixed recording that you did not have already.

 

The 2-CD set does have "Enough is Enough" - because a dollar is a dollar! It's blistering.

 

A 1984 set would be sweet! REAL LIVE is too little.

 

I’d love a live box set spanning from 1984 up to and including the Temple in Flames tour in 1987

 

About 15 years ago I interviewed Mick Taylor and I asked him what he was most proud of in his career, his work with John Mayall, The Stones, or his solo work. He said none of them, the highpoint for him was the 1984 tour with Dylan!

 

IMO it features his best playing, too.