‘Bootlegging’ Bob coming up with lost recordings from classic album
Legendary singer and songwriter Bob Dylan will release for the first time the studio outtakes from his classic 1974 album Blood on the Tracks, which have long been coveted by collectors.
The latest historical project by rock’s Nobel Laureate, the collection — titled Bob Dylan — More Blood, More Tracks — The Bootleg Series Vol. 14 — will come out on November 2 on one CPs or two LPs, his label announced on Thursday. Released to mixed reviews initially, Blood on the Tracks has nevertheless made it to critics’ greatest album of all time lists. Written when Dylan was splitting from his first wife Sara, Blood on the Tracks offered forthright personal reflections from a singer who had already been in the public eye for a decade, although in his characteristic style Dylan declined to reveal the songs’ origins.
Bootlegs from the New York sessions have become prized among collectors. The collection, for the first time, will feature all of the recordings from New York — including false musical starts and in-studio banter.
And as was typical in the age before advanced studio effects, the album’s producers sped up the recordings slightly to give the music more urgency. Unlike the bootlegs that have previously circulated, the collection will feature the sessions are initially recorded.
The performances are “in the purest state we’ve ever experienced them,” rock historian Jeff Slate said in the liner notes, saying the songs will “thrill you when they’re supposed to and break your heart when they need to.”
The 77-year-old Dylan, who has released a slew of “bootleg” collections including a box-set of his live performances, remains a constant presence on the road, devoting much of his spare time to preserving his music for historical record.
[The performances are] in the purest state we’ve ever experienced them. [The songs will] thrill you when they’re supposed to and break your heart when they need to. JEFF SLATE MUSICIAN AND ROCK HISTORIAN