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

"time is a jet plane. it moves too fast"

 

Agreed this is an excellent and convincing post. Nice job. But I remain believing that if this release is from the 1980s, it will be only the Infidels material treated as a discrete and separate unit. While I found Terry Gans’ book on the Infidels period Surviving in a Ruthless World, Bob Dylan’s Voyage to Infidels, a pretty tough slog (his research from the archives was really quite good, but the writing felt really leaden), I agree with his fundamental thesis about how this period has such a contained and unified feel in terms of the production, band, themes, moment in Bob’s life, etc, making Infidels feel of one piece that warrants a release of this singular focus. The archives demonstrate there’s more than enough material for this kind of Infidels focused release, and it’d be pretty compelling. Perhaps this could include a full 1984 tour show or one that grabbed the best takes in a more substantial tour highlights couple of CDs in the set. I’d really welcome this kind of Infidels release very much—though I do hope we one day also get the release you describe.

 

Six CDs of Infidels would be an easy pass for me. IMHO it's one of his weakest albums. The best songs not released on it make up one of the most compelling parts of BD 1-3 though. Or at least they did used to.........its all sounding very 80s now and dated.

I'd much prefer a broader 80s alternative look over 6 CDs, much like has been mentioned in this thread already. Now that one show me the pre-order for.

After Oh Mercy I consider EB his best 80s album, albeit way down in second place. The godawful Arthur Baker remix kills it though. Hearing this material "raw" would be fantastic.

 

I will testify as to the accuracy of the post by Keef285.

 

The 1991 Bootleg Series was compiled from tapes accessed in 1983-1984 in preparation for “Biograph”, hence almost nothing after that period of time.
One of the great oddities was the inclusion of “Seven Days” from Tampa 1976. The whole Tampa soundboard tape must’ve been accessed at some point in the early to mid 1980s for unknown reasons that have never become clear.

 

I’ve always loved “Seven Days” since I first heard it. I’m glad that Bob’s version didn’t languish for half a century or so like “Long Distance Operator” and whatnot. This one only had to wait 15 or so years.

 

It truly isn't, and I will eat my hat if it is.

 

Wasn't that Seven Days tape used for copyrighting the song originally?

 

No the copyright tape came from Clearwater.

 

A while back, I jotted down a few notes while reading the Gans book, trying to isolate which takes might be most likely to make the cut for an hypothetical future release. All but one of the tracks here are complete takes. I apologize that some of my notations might be overly brief or cryptic, but they weren’t originally prepared with the thought they’d be shared.

In some ways, “Tell Me” was the most vexing track, as there were several complete takes but none that really seemed to stand out based on Terry’s descriptions. That isn’t inconsistent with my personal experience with the two circulating takes: they are each clearly distinct but I seem to have no real opinion as to which I prefer.

Did I miss any other takes Gans described in his book that caught people’s attention?

1. Blind Willie McTell “electric” bootlegged
2. Blind Willie McTell “reggae” take 2
3. Blind Willie McTell alternate acoustic “poignantly sung”
4. Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight take 1 “very slow, almost majestic pace”
5. Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight 4/12 reggae “hot”
6. Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight in E
7. Jokerman 1st complete take, no harmonica
8. Jokerman bootlegged take
9. Jokerman final take “great” no harmonica break, no end solo
10. Clean Cut Kid 1st take “shuffle beat”, Dylan preferred
11. Clean Cut Kid “Brooklyn Anthem” w/music box intro 2/4 time
12. Clean Cut Kid “Chuck Berry” guitar, sing-song vocal, Johnny Johnson piano
13. Clean Cut Kid final take “Baby Cortez” organ
14. Man of Peace false start, unique verse
15. Someone’s Got A Hold of My Heart 1st take, gentle vocal
16. Someone’s Got A Hold of My Heart uptempo (2 takes, 2nd bootlegged)
17. Sweetheart Like You master take, original vocal bootlegged
18. Neighborhood Bully first take “wonderful guitar & piano” (w/Clash intro edit?)
19. Tell Me ?
20. Too Late first take outstanding “a little frantic for the tune”
21. Too Late “Get Back” beat “good feel”
22. Too Late acoustic version
23. Too Late “rockin” “best tempo”
24. Too Late “slightly faster” Bob: “keep that one” reggae?
25. Foot of Pride 4/25 first take
26. Foot of Pride 4/29 first take
27. Union Sundown unique final verse “the one”
28. I&I final take slightly faster, organ instead of piano
29. Julius & Ethel (only 1 complete take)
30. Lord Protect My Child- choppy but “fine version”
31. Death Is Not The End- unedited “increasingly passionate delivery”
32. This Was My Love
33. Across The Borderland
34. Choo Choo Boogie (perhaps also “Cold Cold Heart” & “I’m Moving On?”)
35. Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground
36. Green Green Grass of Home

 

By the way, that’s a cute hat.

 

My instinct is that we will get more than Infidels era if it’s 5-6 discs. I think when we are talking 65-66, or Blood on the Tracks, these albums have the aura that allows for multiple, multiple takes… the fan base can believe and buy into five CDs covering one or two albums. But my sense is that Infidels does not meet that high bar and I think we are more likely to get something closer to the Gospel years set, where we had three albums’ coverage. YMMV.

 

at this point, the number of cds have to be settled.
if its 6 cds it better be more than infidels or im passing on it.
no more listening to 20 takes of the same song.

 

You’d better get the salt & pepper.

It’s the Infidels sessions.

 

It’s the Infidels sessions and sorry but your sense is incorrect.

 

Always ready to be corrected! Thanks. Hopefully the later 80s material will be revisited before the Bootleg series runs its course.

 

Well, that's a bummer, but thanks for clarifying...

 

I have a question to 'Seven Days' from BS 1-3. I knew the song before from bootlegs. If I remember well the bootleg versions have been in E minor and the BS version was in E flat minor. Everytime I heard the BS version, I thought it was slowed down. Even Bob's spoken intro sounds unnatural.

 

Oooh 5-6 discs of Infidels outtakes is exciting! I really like the recent ‘deep dive’ sets. The only disappointing aspect of any BS set, to me, has been exclusions. I’ve never felt disappointed that they gave me too much.

 

If it's all Infidels, the bootleg series has obviously and most definitely already run its course!

 

All I can say is, Trouble No More gets far more spins on my system than Cutting Edge or More Blood…

 

(And I bet it was far greater fun to compile…)

 

Listen, people said the Self Portrait stuff would be disappointing because there can’t be anything interesting there. That there wasn’t enough to do a multi-box of Blood On The Tracks - that it should include Planet Waves and Desire; that there was no value to multiple takes on The Cutting Edge because we ‘have all this stuff on bootlegs’ and there weren’t any ‘new’ songs; the ‘Gospel’ set isn’t interesting because it’s ‘Gospel’ songs...etc...etc...

The Infidels sessions will be a great release. There’s loads of great, interesting stuff there and more than enough great material to do a really compelling multi-disc set.

As with all this stuff, wait until you hear it.

 

It's an unseasonable hat...

Change of plan since last year, then?

 

Same here. I've never played Cutting Edge in 6 years. TNM is great. MBMT is too repetitive to pull out and just leave on play although I really do like a lot of it.