SPRINGTIME IN NEW YORK: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 16 1980-1985 - DELUXE EDITION

Discussing the merits of Bob Dylan’s ’80s output is a lightning rod for even his most ardent fans. Yet there are those who would agree a good portion of the first half of Dylan’s MTV Decade output ranks among his strongest mid-period songwriting efforts— even if some of what appeared on the original wax was not always supported by the best choices for backing tracks, final takes, and/or arrangements.

Good thing we have Dylan’s absolutely sweet Bootleg Series to bring some of his figurative basement tapes to the surface. As curated by ace Dylanologists Jeff Rosen and Steve Berkowitz, the aptly, albeit somewhat breezily named Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 1980-1985 5CD box set includes 57 outtakes, alternate versions, rehearsals, and live readings of songs culled from the better half of Dylan’s ’80s output. Springtime centers around the sessions held for the three studio albums Dylan released during that time window: August 1981’s Shot of Love, October 1983’s Infidels, and June 1985’s Empire Burlesque. I can neither confirm nor deny whether I own bootleg vinyl and/or CDS containing a number of these and other of-era selections. That said, if I did have access to any of those boots, I could indeed confirm the vast majority of their contents most certainly do not sound as good as these Springtime mixes do. (Or so I’ve heard.)

As is typical with many modern multidisc boxes, Springtime is available in multiple physical configurations, namely: 1) a 5CD box set with all 57 tracks; 2) 2CD highlights set with 25 tracks; 3) 2LP highlights set with 11 tracks; and 4) limited-edition 4LP colored-vinyl box with 42 tracks. I’ve purchased three of the four, but here, I’ll focus on the 5CD release in order to achieve—to borrow a phrase from Elmore Leonard—maximum Bob.

First, I must applaud Legacy for replicating the sturdy, 9 x 8.5-inch hardbound format that exactly mirrors four previous multidisc Dylan box sets in this historical Bootleg Series. On behalf of shelving-challenged audiophile collectors everywhere, I thank the creative braintrust for recognizing the steadfast need for maintaining size uniformity.

The box’s open left side enables easy slide-out removal of two hardbacks. One features 108 pages of studio track sheets, picture sleeves, and photos galore, not to mention extensive historical essaying and trackby-track analysis by Damien Love—albeit with the caveat that certain pages with black type on dark charcoal-gray backgrounds are truly challenging to read. The other hardback contains five reinforced cardboard sleeves sporting die-cut mid-page halfslots for each disc.

And now, to the empire of Bob’s early-’80s music. Shot of Love alt-selections spill all over Discs 1 and 2, and, truth be told, I wasn’t expecting much—but this is where the expertise of Rosen and Berkowitz come into play, since they pre-sifted

The Bard’s vaults for us. Among my Shot- period faves are the pleading, propulsive groove of “Need a Woman (Rehearsal)” and the almost-realized “Yes Sir, No Sir (Outtake),” featuring a “hallelujah” refrain as joyful as any church revival.

My affinity for all the Infidelsrelated outtakes on Discs 3 and 4 was clear from the get-go, and while I was certainly familiar with some, most are revelations to my ears in their much-bettermastered form. Each Infidels sessions track also reinforces how cagily producer/guitarist Mark Knopfler was in coaxing Dylan into cutting definitive best takes for the songs that ultimately made the final album, whereas much of what’s heard here would be good enough final masters for many an artist. Rather than deploying look-at-me histrionics, Knopfler shrewdly plays a supportive role throughout, with his signature guitar tone on cuts like “I and I (Alternate Take)” falling mainly into a late-’70s

Dire Straits mashup style I’ll dub “Where Do You Think You’re Going Down to the Waterline.”

“Jokerman (Alternate Take)” is indeed riveting, and though Dylan bares his teeth more and more intently during the latter half, the unrelenting vocal sneer that keeps building and building in the Infidels version isn’t quite in full effect yet. Meanwhile, a different choice for a previous Bootleg Series favorite, “Blind Willie Mctell (Take 5),” proves once again why this haunting blues rambler should not have stayed on the cutting room floor.

Finally, Empire Burlesque- era cuts consume the balance of Disc 5, reminding us how Dylan really did hit a fine mid-decade stride. “Clean Cut Kid (Alternate Take)” pivots from the Chuck Berryesque vibe of its Infidels incarnation to benefit from guest twang guitar wrangling from Ron Wood, while all 12 minutes of “New Danville Girl (Outtake),” co-written with noted playwright Sam Shepard, serve as a cinematic masterstroke that ultimately morphed into “Brownsville Girl,” the acknowledged magnum opus from July 1986’s Knocked Out Loaded.

Considering just how good Springtime 1980-1985 is at mining this semi-lost half-decade in the Dylan canon, whichever era the no-doubt-ensuing Bootleg Series Vol. 17 deems worth tackling, I’ll be there to see more of the real Dylan at last—or at least as much as the fates allow.