I just picked up a copy of Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Volume 8. Not only is this a solid reminder that he's the greatest musician of all time, it's a good reminder of one of his most underrated contributions to music: the bootleg.
Over forty years after its release, mythical extended versions of the Basement Tapes are still being passed around somewhere. Now 8 double-disc releases have been released to commercially (and legally) document his greatest live moments as well as outtakes from his studio albums. Listening to "Series of Dreams" or "Dignity" makes me wonder how any musician can leave material this good in the editing room.
What's important about this volume is that it documents outtakes from a brilliant artistic revival he's had in the past eleven years that has given us three classic albums: Time Out Of Mind, Love & Theft, and Modern Times. This bootleg series fills the gaps we wait five years between albums and give some insight to his songwriting explosion during these years. Both discs start with alternate takes of "Mississippi", which might be his best song this decade. These takes are softer, less urgent, and more bluesy: either one could work and it would still be a classic.
What we need now is a late-era live album from Bob. I want to hear Bob put an new "Mississippi" take next to the 60s classics he's still reinventing at the age of 67. Give us more, Bob! Anything he puts out, I'm in.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment