FOLKSINGER'S CHOICE
Yellow Dog 017 [T-200]

Cynthia Gooding Radio Show (New York, NY); February 1962

Tracklist: Lonesome Whistle Blues, Fixin' To Die, Smokestack Lightning, Hard Travelin', Death Of Emmett Till, Standing On The Highway, Roll On John, Stealin', Long Time Man Feel Bad, Baby Please Don't Go, Hard Times In New York

rmd: An absolutely delightful disc! Great performances of (mostly standard) songs interspersed with a conversation with Cynthia Gooding. Bob's bashfulness is very endearing. The sound quality is excellent; this is a must-have disc.
 

GASLIGHT TAPES
Laser 76025 [T-104]

Gaslight Cafe (New York, NY); October 1962

Tracklist: Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Black Cross, No More Auction Block, Rocks and Gravel, Don't Think Twice, Barbara Allen, Moonshine Blues, Motherless Children, Handsome Molly, John Brown, Ballad Of Hollis Brown, Kindhearted Woman Blues, See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, Ain't No More Cane, Cocaine Blues, Cuckoo Is A Pretty Bird, West Texas (cut)

NOTE: The first unauthorized Dylan CD to surface. It has been regularly re-released under other labels with packaging variations. The sound quality is reportedly inferior to the better circulating tapes.

rmd: Mostly traditional blues and folk material. Sound quality is not very good. A good look into his early stage presence. Several songs feature simple but very good guitar arrangements. Vocals are clear and phrasing is interesting. I've never been a huge fan of his earlier work but I like this disc more the older I get.
 

THE FREEWHEELIN' OUTTAKES
Vigotone 115 [T-304]

Freewheelin' Bob Dylan sessions (New York, NY); April- November 1962

Tracklist: Baby Please Don't Go, Corrina Corrina, The Death Of Emmett Till, Mixed Up Confusion, Lonesome Whistle Blues, Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues, Milkcow's Calf Blues, That's Alright Mamma, Rocks And Gravel, Going To New Orleans, Let Me Die In My Footsteps, The Ballad Of Hollis Brown, Wichita, Sally Gal, Whatcha Gonna Do, Mixed Up Confusion, Rocks And Gravel, That's Alright Mama, Rocks And Gravel, Corrina Corrina, Milkcow's Calf Blues, Wichita, Whatcha Gonna Do, Baby I'm In The Mood For You, Sally Gal

rmd: A great sounding CD. The studio tracks are all excellent; The acetates are very good but sound like acetates. The artwork, including an alternate picture from the Freewheelin' cover shoot, is excellent too. If you like this era, this is the best that's out on CD that I'm aware of. (Arnie Stodolsky)

AMG: A superb 25-song compilation of the best unreleased material from the '62 studio sessions, including interesting originals, a bunch of solid folk and blues covers, alternates of a few tracks that were released, and, most fascinating of all, several tracks featuring electric band accompaniment.
 

BOB DYLAN AT TOWN HALL -- THE COMPLETE CONCERT
no label 1CDR

(1) Town Hall (New York, NY); April 12, 1963
(2) Carnegie Hall (New York, NY); October 26, 1963
(3) Town Hall (New York, NY); April 12, 1963
(4) Blonde On Blonde session (Nashville, TN); February 15, 1966
(5) from a British radio commercial, reportedly 1963

Tracklist: (1) Rambling Down Through the World, Bob Dylan's Dream, All Over You, Bob Dylan's New Orleans Rag, Masters Of War, Walls Of Redwing, Hero Blues, Who Killed Davey Moore?, With God On Our Side, Dusty Old Fairgrounds
(2) Seven Curses
(3) John Brown, You've Been Hiding Too Long, Tomorrow Is A Long Time, Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie
(4) Keep It With Mine
(5) With God On Our Side (fragment)

NOTE: This CD does not contain the complete Town Hall concert; although it includes all the commonly circulating tracks, it omits "Hard Rain" and "Hollis Brown."

rmd: A waste of money. The concert is not in sequence; the sources vary from good to indifferent quality, and are often clipped; and the liner notes are nonexistent. (GL)
 

IN CONCERT
Capricorn 2025 [T-455]

(1) Town Hall (New York, NY); April 12, 1963
(2) Carnegie Hall (New York, NY); October 26, 1963

Tracklist: (1) Ramblin' Down Though the World, Bob Dylan's Dream, Tomorrow Is A Long Time, Bob Dylan's New
Orleans Rag, Masters Of War, Walls Of Red Wing, Hero Blues, Who Killed Davey Moore, With God On Our Side,
Dusty Old Fairgrounds, John Brown, You've Been Hiding Too Long
(2) Lay Down Your Weary Tune, When The Ship Comes In, Percy's Song, Seven Curses

EDLIS: This CD is worth having. Despite its packaging, though, this is not the CD of the tracks from the unreleased
LP. The unreleased album is available on other CDs, including "Talking Too Much" and the Wild Wolf disc titled "In
Concert."
 

THE EMMETT GROGAN ACETATES AND OTHER RARITIES
Gunsmoke GSR 3 [T-079]

(1) Columbia Records Studio A (New York, NY); June 9, 1964
(2) Newport Folk Festival (Newport, RI); July 26, 1964
(3) City Hall (Newcastle, UK); May 6, 1965
(4) Don't Look Back soundtrack
(5) Odeon (Liverpool, UK); May 14, 1966
(6) ABC Theatre (Edinburgh, UK); May 20, 1966
(7) Disco Teen '66

Tracklist: (1) I Don't Believe You, Chimes of Freedom, Motorpsycho Nitemare, Mr. Tambourine Man, All I Really I Want To Do, Black Crow Blues, I Shall Be Free #10
(2) All I Really Want To Do
(3) Don't Think Twice
(4) Love Is Just A Four Letter Word (Joan Baez), It's All Over Now Baby Blue, To Sing For You (Donovan), Talking World War III Blues
(5) Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
(6) One Too Many Mornings
(7) Positively Fourth Street (variant mix)

CDG: The meaty stuff from the Grogan Acetates, including the earliest known recording of "Mr Tambourine Man." The rest of the acetates are rough versions of the official tracks, sometimes including moments edited out for the album, and an extra verse in "All I Really Want To Do." The filler is mostly common material.
Review:
The 'Grogan' material is good, solid, historically important, and of great quality. The original demo of "Mr Tambourine Man" with Ramblin' Jack Elliot is what was sent to the Byrds.  Most of the other acetate recordings are more or less unedited versions of the official releases. The most notable difference is in "All I Really Want To Do", which contains an extra verse. There is little rhyme or reason to the choice of the filler material. Mostly snippets from venues that have been booted, and/or officially released  for quite sometime.

ALL HALLOWS EVE & MORE
Midnight Beat 079/080 [T-067]

(1)Philharmonic Hall (New York, NY); October 31, 1964 (line)
(2)Broadside Radio Broadcast (WBAI-FM, New York, NY); May 1962

Tracklist: (1) The Times They Are A-Changin', Spanish Harlem Incident, Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues, To Ramona, Who Killed Davey Moore?, Gates Of Eden, If You Gotta Go, Go Now, It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding), I Don't Believe You, Mr. Tambourine Man, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Talking World War III Blues, Don't Think Twice, The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, *Mama You've Been On My Mind, *With God On Our Side, *It Ain't Me Babe, All I Really Want To Do (* duet with Joan Baez)
(2) Ballad Of Donald White, Death Of Emmett Till, Blowin' In The Wind (w/Pete Seeger et al)

DEEP: A major release by Midnight Beat that, IMO,  improves upon all of the previous CD releases of this legendary show. The quintessential Dylan concert up to that point in time and as important to 1964 as the Manchester broadcast is to 1965 or "Guitars Kissing" to 1966. The sound is much smoother, fuller and has more "punch" than previous CDs I've heard of this show, which were characterized by a flat, tinny sound. This one is pristine, with Dylan's voice more natural and the the guitar/harmonica eliciting a much richer tone. Since everyone has this show in one format or another (RIGHT?), no need to list the tracks. All I'll say about the show is that it is Dylan at his early best - humorous, charming and witty in-between songs and strong, confident and defiant during them. He sounds great, and the 3 duets he does w/Joan Baez are a delight (especially when his phrasing (deliberately?) screws her up during "MamaYouBin"). This is a must have no matter how you look at it and a real joy to listen to. As a bonus, you get the WBAI-FM "Broadside" radio show from '62 in superb quality, w/3 entertaining interview segments and 3 early gems: Ballad of Donald White, Death of Emmitt Till and Blowin'InTheWind w/Gil Turner, Pete Seeger & Sis Cunningham.  The double-jewel packaging is superb, w/ a classy black and gold color scheme and vintage Bob&Joan b&w photos on the cover, in the booklet and gracing the actual CDs, which look phenomenal. Best thing is, they sound as good as they look. Essential listening for everyone.

CDG: A classic performance in excellent quality, in part due to some digital filtering to remove tape hiss.
 

FOLK ROGUE
Wild Wolf 6965 [T-628]

(1) Newport Folk Festival (Newport, RI); July 26, 1964 (line)
(2) City Hall (Newcastle, UK); May 6, 1965 (line)
(3) Newport Folk Festival (Newport, RI); July 25, 1965 (line)
(4) Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles, CA); September 3, 1965 (line)

Tracklist: (1) It Ain't Me Babe. All I Really Want To Do, To Ramona, Mr Tambourine Man, Chimes Of Freedom (2) Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (3) All I Really Wanna Do (workshop), Maggie's Farm, Like A Rolling Stone, Phantom Engineer, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, Mr Tambourine Man (4) Tombstone Blues, It Ain't Me Babe

DEEP: Terrific quality performances from Newport '64 and '65, some only recently circulating. No need to mince words - if you like early acoustic Bob in '64 and '65, you'll love this disk. The electric Newport has never been heard in better quality, at least by these
ears. Mind-blowing stuff. The 2 "missing" tracks from the "first" Hollywood Bowl 9/1/65 tape are plugged in here - Tombstone Blues/It Ain't Me Babe. The entirety of the Newport 65 - acoustic and electric - is presented. All told, the entirety of the Bob sets at Newport in '64 and '65 - workshops and all (including an amazing live debut of Chimes of Freedom) - are presented in superb sound. Not to be missed. Newport '64: It Ain't Me Babe/All I Really Want To Do/To ramona/ Mr T Man/Chimes.  Newcastle '65 UK: Don't Think Twice.  Newport '65: All I Really Wanna Do (workshop), electric set: Maggie's, LARS, Phantom Engineer (Lot To Laugh), Baby Blue/Mr T Man. Hollywood Bowl 9/1/65: Tombstone Blues/It Ain't Me Babe.  Essential.

ISIS: A thoughtfully arranged compilation vividly documenting Dylan's shuffle from acoustic to electric. At Newport in 1964, his vocals are crystalline, strained almost to the point of shattering and yet at the same time, confrontational and defiant. The performances are fresh and unhurried, majestic and captivating. One year later, Dylan plugs in and the world shifts a little on its axis - except that it all seems so innocent when you listen to it now. Astounding music, not fully polished; but that adds rather than detracts from its appeal. The Hollywood Bowl recordings are strangely delightful to listen to - full of light and space. A pleasant listen and momentously historical.
 

NOW'S THE TIME FOR YOUR TEARS
Wanted Man WMM 061 [T-447]

Free Trade Hall (Manchester, UK); May 7, 1965

Tracklist: The Times They Are A-Changin, To Ramona, Gates Of Eden, If You Gotta Go Go Now, It's Alright Ma, Love Minus Zero/No Limit, Mr Tambourine Man, Talkin' World War III Blues, Don't Think Twice, It's Alright, With God On Our Side, She Belongs To Me, It Ain't Me Babe, The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, All I Really Wanna Do, It's All Over Now Baby Blue

rmd: There is perhaps no better bootleg available then this one. This could easily be a commercial release. (Anthony Kapolka)

rmd: The Wanted Man release "NOW's The Time For Your Tears" sounds good to me. It is reportedly much better than the Swingin' Pig release "Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears."
 

BACK IN THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL 1965
Bell Bottom 36 1D

Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles, CA); September 3, 1965 (line)

Tracklist: She Belongs To Me, To Ramona, Gates Of Eden, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, Desolation Row, Love
Minus Zero, Mr. Tambourine Man, I Don't Believe You, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, From A Buick Six,
Maggie's Farm, Ballad Of A Thin Man, Like A Rolling Stone
 

LONG DISTANCE OPERATOR

Wanted Man WMM001 [T-218]

Berkeley Community Theater (Berkeley, CA); December 4, 1965

Tracklist: Tombstone Blues, I Don't Believe You, Baby Let Me Follow You Down, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Long Distance Operator, It Ain't Me Babe, Ballad Of A Thin Man, Positively Fourth Street, Like A Rolling Stone

Heylin: Although only an average audience tape, its historical import as the only substantial Dylan/Hawks tape from 1965 outweighs any sonic reservations.

rmd: Despite the vintage of the source tape, the sound quality is surprisingly listenable. Dylan and The Hawks sound noticeably different here than they did during the 1966 England tour -- not as fiery or intense, but that's not to say not as good. In some ways, the performance here might be musically superior to the ones from England, but that is hard to tell from a 1965 audience recording. For me, the three songs that stand out are the three songs not performed in England. "Long Distance Operator" is the only surviving performance of this song by Dylan...and it's quite good. "It Ain't Me Babe" is an electric arrangement unlike any other Dylan has played -- much different and much better than the one from 9/3/65 Hollywood Bowl. And, finally, "Positively 4th Street" is, I believe, the best quality 1960's performance of this song...and easily the best live version I have heard. So, while the sound quality may be a tad rough, this CD is still a most thrilling listen.

BOB'S BOOTS: The quality of this CD is well below average by today's standards, but for a 1965 audience recording, it's not bad at all. Get over the low fidelity buried sound, and you'll be rewarded with a gem whose historical value cannot be overstated. It's a great performance, to start with. Very unlike the raw power that was to follow in the coming year.. but just as good in it's own rights. Consider it being the only recording of any substance of Dylan & The Hawks (The Band) of that year,... consider that it contains the only know version of the title track,... consider that some of the arrangements are like no other known recording, .... and this CD becomes a masterpiece

				Notes on this concert from Sounes' Down the Highway: The show could hardly have been more bizarre. Despite her recent humiliating experience in London, Baez trilled along with Bob from her seat during the acoustic half. (Allen) Ginsberg screamed the line "Two-wheeled gypsy queen" in unison with Bob during "Gates of Eden." Things turned weirder still when the curtains parted for the second part of the show to reveal not only Bob and The Hawks on stage, but two giant teddy bears. The bears were propped up as sentries on the amplifiers.
				During the maelstrom of sound that followed, one disgruntled fan threw a boot. The solitary boot landed on the stage, joining Bob and the teddy bears as a piece of absurdist art. As Baez later said, Bob had become "The Dada King." The beat poets were enchanted. (Michael) McClure still talks with wonder about the stage presence of Dylan, as he interacted with Robertson: "The dance that Bob did with Robbie was an extraordinary thing.... It was right on the edge of being something you would think of as being homocrotic, but it wasn't at all. It was a very, very handsome and very daring thing, that went with his daring use of electric music." Well, I guess that says it all...
		Above: Robbie Robertson, Michael Mclure, Bob, and Allen Ginsburg, behind the City Lights Bookstore, December 1965 SF CA

THIN WILD MERCURY MUSIC
Spank 105 [T-350]

(1) Bringing It All Back Home sessions (New York, NY); January 14-15, 1965
(2) Hawks session (New York, NY); November 30, 1965
(3) Highway 61 Revisited sessions (New York, NY); July 30, 1965
(4) Bringing It All Back Home sessions (New York, NY); January 14, 1965
(5) Hawks session (New York, NY); October 5, 1965
(6) Blonde On Blonde session (Nashville, TN); February 15, 1966
(7) Bringing It All Back Home sessions (New York, NY); January 14, 1965
(8) Highway 61 Revisited sessions (New York, NY); June 16 - July 30, 1965
(9) Hawks session (New York, NY); October 5, 1965
(10) Hawks session (New York, NY); January 21, 1966
(11) Hawks session (New York, NY); October 5, 1965
(12) Highway 61 Revisited sessions (New York, NY); July 30, 1965
(13) Hawks session (New York, NY); November 30, 1965
(14) Hawks session (New York, NY); January 21, 1966
(15) Levy's Recording Studio (London, UK); May 12, 1965

Tracklist: (1) If You Gotta Go Go Now, She Belongs To Me
(2) Visions Of Johanna
(3) From A Buick 6
(4) It's All Over Now Baby Blue
(5) Medicine Sunday, I Wanna Be Your Lover
(6) Keep It With Mine (instr)
(7) Love Minus Zero
(8) Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window
(9) Number One
(10) She's Your Lover Now
(11) Jet Pilot
(12) Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window
(13) Visions Of Johanna
(14) She's Your Lover Now
(15) Miami Sales Message, If You Gotta Go Go Now

EDLIS: EDLIS has recommended "Thin Wild Mercury Music" over "The Lonesome Sparrow Sings" for years now, but only by a whisker...

rmd: Though most of this material has circulated in various forms for years, it is very welcome to have all of these studio tracks collected on a single, well-engineered disc. The packaging is quite nice. The overall sound quality is very high. Some of the information on sources is inaccurate. (Dan Brazeale)
This is an excellent, well-packaged disc. It brings together some of the rarer material from 1965 and 1966, when Dylan was going for that "thin wild mercury sound." Several rarities are included. Sound quality for all of these tracks is as good as any I've ever heard and the selections are well thought out; however, the track order is more random than chronological order. (John Howells)

AMG: A very interesting compilation of Dylan's best rare/unreleased material from the mid-'60s. In most cases you can hear why these were rejected for his '65-66 albums; but there are very good, substantially different alternate takes here.
 

HAPPY DYLENNIUM
Rattlesnake 009/010 2D

The Stadium (Sydney, Australia); April 13/16, 1966

Tracklist: She Belongs To Me, Fourth Time Around, Visions Of Johanna, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, Desolation Row, Just Like A Woman, Mr. Tambourine Man, Tell Me Momma, I Don't Believe You, Baby Let Me Follow You Down, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat, One Too Many Mornings, Ballad Of A Thin Man, Positively Fourth Street

rmd: The packaging is awesome, with lots of 1966 photos, and the music is incredible.
 

THE LIVE DYLAN WITH THE BAND
Bulldog [T-279]

Free Trade Hall (Manchester, UK); May 17, 1966

Tracklist: Tell Me Momma, I Don't Believe You, Baby Let Me Follow You Down, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat, One Too Many Mornings, Ballad Of A Thin Man, Like A Rolling Stone

Heylin: Lifted directly from a vinyl copy of "In 1966 There Was," complete with pops and clicks.

Superseded by official release.

NOTE: Now only a footnote to the official release, but the variant mix on the electric set still gives this material limited appeal -- after you've bought Bootleg Series 4.

			The sound of the Basement Tapes songs is the sound of the unconscious (musical, verbal) mind brought forward into the world of conscious, touchable reality in a very calm, aware, marvelously unselfconscious fashion, with more than a touch of the collective unconscious-the group mind-thrown in to sweeten the sauce. Say what? I said, the sound of the Basement Tapes is the sound of deep inside dancing openly around the living room with simple outside, while everyone involved including the TV audience stamps their feet and cheers them on and becomes part of the show.
		(In 1967) the unexpected happened. In letting go of all that baggage, indeed in the very process of exorcising it, "vomiting" it out in a typed catharsis, a space was created in Dylan for an even grander form of his ambition to assert itself, the long-repressed desire to speak through the airwaves in the tongues of rock and roll, not a style of music but something experiential, felt and intuited and desired since childhood, playing with a band, creating and projecting (on stage too; especially on stage) a sound, a very personal sound-this desire had its secular side, to conquer that territory, to join not only Little Richard but Elvis, but even more it had a spiritual and artistic side.
		And so the Basement Tapes may be considered the first Dylan performances not driven by the particular ambition or ambitions that made Bob Dylan who he was (and, given the immortality of myth, who he always will be seen to be). No doubt he had some new ambitions (more modest ones, for example to amuse and impress and be accepted by his companions, Danko, Robertson, Hudson and Manuel), but they weren't continuous with what had gone before. That wheel had exploded. Goodbye. What follows the crash defies explanation. The rich creativity of the Basement Tapes ohn Wesley Harding period unquestionably reflects a great healing taking place. Dylan was rediscovering the joys of music-old songs, improvised songs, crafted songs, they all provided him with evident satisfaction and pleasure as he performed them. It was a time when the distinctions that divide musical categories seemed to melt, and widely diverse realms such as traditional folk, country, rock and roll, blues, rockabilly, gospel, pop all became contiguous and Dylan and the Band could move from a boisterous sea chantey to an Elvis Presley pop ballad without missing a beat or shifting realities. You are what you feel like singing and playing, and you can sing and play anything you like. - Paul Williams, Bob Dylan Performing Artist: The Early Years 1960-1973

THE GENUINE BASEMENT TAPES VOL 1

Scorpio BD 200-2 [T-186]

Basement Tapes (West Saugerties, NY); April-October 1967

Tracklist: All You Have To Do Is Dream, I Can't Make It Alone, Down On Me, Bonnie Ship The Diamond, One Man's Loss, Baby Ain't That Fine, Rock Salt And Nails, A Fool Such As I, Stones That You Throw, Hills Of Mexico, It's Alright, Song For Canada, Try Me Little Girl, One For The Road, I Don't Hurt Anymore, People Get Ready, Lock Your Door, Don't You Try Me Now, All You Have To Do Is Dream, Young But Daily Growing

BIAB: Volume one consists entirely of songs discovered about ten years after the release of the "official" Basement Tapes album. Some of these songs feature Dylan on 12-string guitar and others feature him on piano. All are very impassioned performances.

AMG: Mainly traditional material, some of it superb.


THE GENUINE BASEMENT TAPES VOL 2

Scorpio BD 200-2 [T-187]

Basement Tapes (West Saugerties, NY); April-October 1967

Tracklist: Odds And Ends, Nothing Was Delivered, Odds And Ends, Get Your Rocks Off, Clothes Line Saga, Apple Suckling Tree, Apple Suckling Tree, Going To Acapulco, Gonna Get You Now, Tears Of Rage, Tears Of Rage, Tears Of Rage, Quinn The Eskimo, Quinn The Eskimo, Open The Door Homer, Open The Door Homer, Open The Door Homer, Nothing Was Delivered, Nothing Was Delivered, I'm Not There (1956) Don't Ya Tell Henry, Too Much Of Nothing

BIAB: Volume two consists mostly of those songs available in 1967 and subsequently released on the official Basement Tapes album, but many of these versions have never been heard before by the general public, even though they have been known of for years. This is the core of the Basement Tapes. The nice thing about this disc is that is tends to present the multiple takes more or less in order, so that for the first time we actually have both versions of "Quinn the Eskimo" and all three takes of "Open the Door Homer" on one disc. Also, the multiple versions present further evidence that these songs were probably intended to be released as part of an album at one time or another.

AMG: Although half the material is included on official releases, the other half makes this disc essential.


THE GENUINE BASEMENT TAPES VOL 3

Scorpio BD-SC-1900 [T-222]

Basement Tapes (West Saugerties, NY); April-October 1967

Tracklist: Million Dollar Bash, Yea Heavy And A Bottle Of Bread, Million Dollar Bash, Yea Heavy And A Bottle Of Bread, Please Mrs Henry, Crash On The Levee, Crash On The Levee, Lo and Behold, Lo And Behold, Ferdinand The Impostor, Tiny Montgomery, This Wheel's On Fire, You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, I Shall Be Released, Too Much Of Nothing, Even A Tomato, Santa Fe, Silent Weekend, Too Much Of Nothing, Sign On The Cross

NOTE: Volume 3 now circulates in stereo as well as the mono version described in comments on the first circulating CD. "After The Crash vol 1," which is in stereo, is preferred by some to the mono, but not the stereo, version of this CD. BIAB: Volume three features more of the "original" songs, but with a few extra newly discovered songs thrown in for good measure. Despite the wealth of wonderful material, this disc is the one I like the least, primarily because of the poor sound. Whether by design or accident, the entire disc is in mono and features a lot of hiss at times. I know that there are stereo versions of some of these songs available, and so the decision to master them in mono makes for some pretty poor mixing results. Garth Hudson can't be heard as he should and some of the harmonies are buried. Still this disc is essential because of the material presented.

AMG: Despite the relatively low fidelity, the quality of the music shines through.


THE GENUINE BASEMENT TAPES VOL 4

Scorpio BD-SC-80-07 [T-223]

Basement Tapes (West Saugerties, NY); April-October 1967

Tracklist: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, Bourbon Street, All American Boy, Wildwood Flower, See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain, Flight Of the Bumblebee, Confidential To Me, I'm A Fool For You, Next Time On The Highway, The Big Flood, Every Time I Come To Town, See You Later Allen Ginsberg, The Spanish Song, I'm Your Teenage Prayer, I'm In The Mood, Belshazaar, Bring It On Home, The King Of France

BIAB: Starting with volume four, the rest of the unreleased basement tapes began to go public. What we have here are some of the most entertaining songs in the whole collection. They're also the poorest sounding with lots of distortion and occasional drop outs from time to time. Still, there is some very good material here. In fact, I would have to say that volumes 4 and 5 are my favorites of the series. Bob and the Band are having a lot of fun here. The fun is contagious.

AMG: The loosest set of tracks, including some fairly goofy material.


THE GENUINE BASEMENT TAPES VOL 5

Scorpio BD-SC-80-06 [T-224]

Basement Tapes (West Saugerties, NY); April-October 1967

Tracklist: Four Strong Winds, The French Girl, Joshua Gone Barbados, I Forgot To Remember To Forget, You Win Again, Still In Town, Waltzing With Sin, Big River, Folsom Prison Blues, Bells Of Rhymney, Nine Hundred Miles, No Shoes On My Feet. Spanish Is The Loving Tongue, On A Rainy Afternoon, I Can't Come In With A Broken Heart, Under Control, 0l' Roison The Beau, I'm Guilty Of Loving You, Johnny Todd, Cool Water, Banks Of The Royal Canal, Po' Lazarus

BIAB: This is my favorite of the five volumes, mainly because everyone seems to be having so much fun. Like volume 4, this one contains some of the more obscure outtakes from the basement tapes sessions.

AMG: Mostly traditional songs, leaning heavily on Dylan's folk and country influences.