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- 2. 32 | UNCUT | SEPTEMBER 2013 Forover40years,SelfPortrait hasbeenmisunderstood, neglectedandabused…Now, though,withthereleaseof BOBDYLAN’sBootlegSeries Vol.10:AnotherSelfPortrait,it’s finallypossibletoseethe wholepicture.Ina12-page exclusive,Uncut’seditor examinesthelatestrevelations fromtheDylanarchive. PLus:wetalktothekeyplayers ontheSelfPortraitsessions,find outthedetailsoftheBootleg Seriesteam’s“deepestever archaeologicaldig”andask GreilMarcuswhetherhestill standsbyhisinfamousreview oftheoriginalalbum: “Whatisthisshit?...” When Irestoremy masterpıece... bob dylan©Elliottlandy,landyVisioninc./gEttyimagEs Story:AllanJones Photograph:ElliottLandy ALsO: DYLAN LIVE IN DULUTH! Reviewed by Low’s Alan sparhawk
- 3. SEPTEMBER 2013 | UNCUT | 33 Dylanoutsidehis Byrdcliffehome, Woodstock,NY,1968
- 4. “Igotthistwo-tracktapemarkedMarch,1970,Nashville –whichstruckmeasodd,becauseIwasthinking,‘This wasrecordedinNewYork,wasn’tit?’Ithoughtitwas anoriginalmixof‘DaysOf49’.IputitonandI’m thinking,‘Greatthisisthemaster.Uh,waitaminute, where’severythingelse?Wherearealltheother instruments?’Becauseitturnsouttobejusttwo guitarsandvoice–yetit’sclearlynotademo,because it’sthemastervocaltake.Now,someDylanscholars wouldhaveknowninstantlythiswashowSelfPortrait 34 | UNCUT | SEPTEMBER 2013 wasdone:overaperiodoftime,fromthesebaresessionsin NewYork,thenoverdubbinglater.Butforme,thiswasthe beginningofafascinatingprocessofdiscovery. “Afterhearingthat,Iwaswondering,‘Howmuchdidthey dolikethis?’And,goingthroughthetapes,webegan unearthingtherealbreadthofmaterialthattheyrecorded backthen.Itturnedouttobeagoldmine.Listeningtothis stuff,withjustthetwoguitars,it’slikeaDocWatsonclinic. DavidBrombergplaysjustspectacularguitarandDylan singshisbuttoff.” ThisatilluminatinglengthisSteveBerkowitz,Senior VicePresidentofA&RatSonyandaveteranproducerand engineeronthemuch-hurrahedBootlegSeriesinitiated byDylan’smanagerJeffRosenin1991.He’sinNewYork, talkingtoUncutaboutDylan’sBootlegSeriesVol.10: AnotherSelfPortrait,whichattemptssomethingmany wouldhavesaidwasimpossible–thereclamationfromits dingyreputationofDylan’s1970album,SelfPortrait,oneof themostcriticallyderidedofallDylan’srecords,and perhapsalsothemostmisunderstood. O NRELEASE,SelfPortraitinspiredincritics notmuchmorethanhostility.“Whatisthis shit?”GreilMarcusbluntlyaskedinthe openinglineofareviewthatmightbebetter- recalledthanthealbumitself,althoughyoumay wonderhowmanypeoplecanrememberwhat furthertheoutragedMarcushadtosayaboutit. Whatever,hisassessmentgavecrudevoicetowhata ELLIOTLANDY/REDfERNS “T HIS WAS THE deepest archaeological tape dig we’ve ever done with regards to Bob Dylan: the most obscure, rockiest trail, trying to find the path back to how these albumsgotmade. “Whatreallystarteditwas,abouttwoyearsago,weweregoing to re-master Self Portrait, because it hadn’t been re-mastered since 1989, when it first came out on CD. When I went to look for the original tapes, you get reels A, B, C and D, and I discovered reelsCandDwerebadlydefective.Sowesetouttotryandfinda newsourceforthere-mastering,andorderedintapesbothfrom SonyandtheDylanVault. Keymoments:Dylan inhislivingroomat Byrdcliffe,1968 bob dylan
- 5. SEPTEMBER 2013 | UNCUT | 35 GRANTGODDARD/REDfERNS charlie mccoy TheNashvillestudiomulti- instrumentalistwhoplayedon everyDylanLPfromHighway61 RevisitedtoSelfPortrait W henDylanfirstshowed upinnashvilletorecord BlondeOnBlonde,he hadn’tfinishedwritingthefirstsong. Weendeduprecordingitat4am.and we’dallbeentheresince2pmtheday before.Dylan’sflightwaslate,and whenhearrivedhehadn’twrittenthe firstsonghewantedtodo.hesaid, “youguysjusthangloosetillifinish it.”sowesataroundwhilehewrote “sad-eyedladyOf thelowlands”. Dylanseemeda littleuncomfortable innashvilleatfirst, becausehewasina strangeplace,with strangemusicians, althoughhehadal Kooperandrobbie robertsononboardwithhim.Buthe neversaidanythingtousreally,soitwas hardtotelljustwhathewasthinkingor feeling.But,thenextday,wecame backtothestudio,andfromthereitwas businessasusual:imean,hestilldidn’t saytoomuch,buthestartedplayinghis songs,andwestartedrecordingthem. But,likeisaid,heneversaidanything. iwassessionleaderonthatrecord,and whenyou’resessionleader,you’relike themiddlemanbetweentheartistand theproducer.so,Dylanwouldpickup hisguitarandplayhissongtous,andi’d hearit,andi’dstarttogetsomeideas, andi’dsay,“Bob,whatwouldyouthink ifwedidthis…”andhe’dhavethesame answereverytime:“idunno,man. Whaddayouthink?”hewasstrangein thatway,veryhardtoread. WhenwedidJohnWesleyHarding,i didn’thaveanyinformationpriorto goinginaboutwhatitwasgoingtobe like.Butnashvillestudiomusicians,we gotoworkeveryday,usuallynever knowingwhatwe’regoingtobedoing. Wehearthemusicthefirsttimewe walkintothestudio.We’reusedtothat, it’sjustthenormalwayit’sdonehere. inoticedthattherewasadefiniteshift inthemusic,though,thestyle.after BlondeOnBlonde,Dylanhadthat motorcyclewreck.idon’tknowifthat hasanythingtodowithanything.Buti knowthatthatwasamajorhappening tohiminhislife,onethathadnothingto dowithmusic.BlondeOnBlondetook 391/2 hoursofstudiotimetorecord. JohnWesleyHardingtook91/2 hours. Ofcourse,thebandwasmuchsmaller. JustDylan,meonbass,KennyButtrey ondrums.therewassteelguitarona couplatracks,too,butthatwasit.Butas forDylanhimself,therewasnochange. thesamething:he’d playasongandnot sayanything. thenexttime roundwasNashville Skyline,whichagain wasashift,astep intocountry.John WesleyHarding, especiallythoselast twotracks,seemedakindofabridge towardsthatsound,andDylanhad formedafriendshipwithJohnnyCash, soitdidn’tsurprisemeatall.ithink Dylanhesitatedaboutcomingto nashville,asithasalwaysbeenknown asthecapitalofcountrymusic.Butwe wereknownasacountrymarket,and thiswastheheightofwhat,innashville, wecalledthehippyPeriod:thatsan francisco,haight-ashbury,whateverit wasscene.and,ofcourse,Dylan,1966, wasseenasthechampionofthatgroup, thekingofit.hetookaboldstepby cominghere.ButNashvilleSkylinewas thelasttimehecametonashvilleto record.SelfPortrait,hewasn’taround. Onsomeofthesongsforthat,Bob Johnstonjustbroughtusinrecordings ofDylan,justguitarandvocal,andhe askedKennyandmetooverdubbass anddrums.andthatwasdifficult, becauseDylan’stemposonthosetapes reallyweren’tsosteady.itwastough. lotofpeoplethoughtabout SelfPortrait.Intheopinion ofmany,thealbumwas embarrassingevidencethat Dylanwaswashed-up, creativelybereft.They rathergleefullyinsome instancespointedoutthat ofthe24songsonthe album,onlyeightwere creditedtoDylan– andtwoofthosewere instrumentals,theentire lyricofonewasatwo-line refrain,fourwererecorded atthe1969IsleOfWight festivalwithTheBand,and theotherwas“LivingTheBlues”,atepidre-writeof “SingingTheBlues”,a1956hitforGuyMitchellthatwasalso coveredinAmericabyMartyRobbinsandintheUKby TommySteele,thetoothsomeCockneyentertainer. fortherestofthealbum,Dylanwasapparentlyreducedto arag-bagofcovers,mostlyofcountryandwesternsongs, sunginthesuavecroonhehadfirstunsettlinglydeployed onNashvilleSkyline,anexcursionintomainstreamold schoolcountrywhosegeneralmawkishnesshadtwoyears earliersoappalledahugerumpofDylan’s1960s’ constituency.WhatmadeSelfPortraitevenworsewasthat thesecoversweresometimesdrenchedincloying “Going through thetapes, itwasa goldmine. Dylansings hisbuttoff...” SteveBerkowitz the players#1 “Dylanneversaid anything.he wasstrangeinthat way,veryhard toread…”
- 6. 36 | UNCUT | SEPTEMBER 2013 orchestrations,cooingfemalevoices, producerBobJohnstoncoatingthe wholethingwithasaccharinesheen sweetenoughtomakeyourteethhurt. WhatwasDylanthinking?Hadhe losttheplotcompletely?Washetaking thepiss?WasSelfPortraitsomekind offuckofftothefanswhosedemands uponhimDylanfoundtobeso intolerablehedidn’twantthemany moreasfans,MetalMachineMusic withpedalsteelandMantovani strings?It’sathoughtthathas prevailedforyearsthatDylan deliberatelysoughtwithSelfPortrait tosabotagehisowncareer,make himunlistenabletothepeoplewho hungonhiseveryword.Therehas equallybeenforyearsasuspicion thatthepointofthefirstDylan albumtogetsuchaunanimous pastingmaynothavebeenfullygrasped, thatitsoriginalintentionswere misunderstood.Inthisview,thealbumin itsoriginalincarnationwassomehow lopsided,mayhaveofferedonlya distortedreflectionofwhatDylanhad firstenvisioned,crucialelementsmissing thatotherwisewouldhavemademore senseofthealbumas,amongother things,acelebrationofAmericanmusic, Americansong,Americaitselfatatime whenthecountrywascomingapartat everynail,inNeilYoung’ssubsequent phrase.Thiswastheboldidea,perhaps, behindSelfPortrait,anambition eventuallybetrayedbyasuddenlossof confidenceorinterestonDylan’spart,or morelikelyjustapoorormisguidedtrack selectionthatfavouredtheschmaltzier endofthematerialhe’drecorded, ignoringwhatamountedtoverynearly anotheralbum’sworthoftracks.Thesegrittiercoversof mostlyoldfolkandcountrysongswereperformedina mannerwhosefamiliaritytoclassicDylanwouldsurely haveappeasedSelfPortrait’smanycritics,aswecannow tellfromtheirrediscoveryandreleaseontheBootlegSeries Vol.10.Heretheycanbeheardalongsidetracksthatdid makeitontotheoriginalSelfPortraitbutareblessedly strippedoftheoftensuperfluousandfloweryarrangements addedtotheminNashvilleafteroriginalsessionsinNew York,thebestofthemfeaturingDylanwithDavidBromberg onguitarandAlKooperonpiano. “It’sasetthat’srich,deepandveryreal,”saysBerkowitz. “Bobwasworkingthroughsomesongswithhisfriends. There’sareallyrelaxednaturetotheseperformances–I don’tknowhowmanyofthesewereintendedas‘recording sessions’,ontheclockallthetime.It’sDylanplayingwith peopleheknowsandseemingtoenjoyit–youknow,the trackswithhimandGeorgeHarrisonjamming,theyjust soundlikethey’rehavingareallygoodtimetogether.Skip thehistory,don’tworryabouttheoldreviews:thesearethe recordingsthatwereleftbehind,andwhenyougobackand hearwhatDylan,BrombergandKooperdidinparticular, peoplearereallygoingtoreassessthehistoryofthatperiod.” Berkowitzisright.Thenewlyrevealedtracksdomuch indeedtomakeusthinkagainaboutSelfPortraitandthe circumstancesinwhichitwasmade,andalsothealbum thatfollowed,NewMorning,whichDylanhadstartedbefore SelfPortraitwasreleased.Tofurtherappreciatebothandthe circumstancesinwhichtheyweremade,however,wemay needtorevisitWoodstock,whereinearly1969wewould DAVID BROMBERG Virtuosoguitaristandmulti- instrumentalistwhostudied hiscraftwiththeRevGary Davis,Brombergwasakey figureintheSelfPortrait sessionsandonNewMorning T heSelfPortraitsessions werethefirsttimeIplayed withDylan.Atfirst,whenIgot aphonecallfromhim–hecalledme himself–Ithoughtitwasajoke, somebodyplayingatrick.ButI realisedfairlyswiftlythatitactually wasBobDylanonthephone.he’d cometovariousclubsintheVillage whereIwasplayingguitarforJerryJeff Walker,andI’dalwaysassumedhewas onlytheretohearJerryJeff.ButIguess hewaslisteningtome,too. Thewayheputittomewasthathe wantedmetohelphim“tryouta studio”.Itbecamecleartomepretty quicklythatweweren’tjusttryingouta studio–wewererecording.ButIwas toomuchinthemomenttoworryabout whatwasgoingtohappeninthefuture. So“tryingoutthestudio”turned outtobemakingSelfPortraitandthen NewMorning. MostofwhatIrememberisthatitwas justBobandmein there.Forseveral daysstraight,maybe evenacoupleof weeks,justthetwo ofus,sittingacross fromeachother playingandtrying things.Ihadsome reallynastycold thinggoingonallthroughthat–Ihada fever,andI’dworkallday,comehome andfallasleepinmyclothes,wakeup, takeashowerandthenheadbackinto thestudioanddoitalloveragain.The songsthatIdidwithhim,asmuchasI canrecall,weremostlyfolksongs.I’m notsureIrememberseeinganySing out!magazines[seepanel,page39], butSingout!publishedacoupleof songbooks,andIrememberthatBob hadoneortwoofthose.Butheknew thosesongs.hemighthavereferredto theSingout!booksjusttogetalyric hereandthere,butheknewthose songs.Bob,asweallknow,cameup throughthefolkclubs,andhewasreally greatatsingingthismusic. Therewasnotawholelotof discussionordirection.Ithinkheliked howIplayed,andwantedtoseewhatI’d comeupwith.Thenhelistenedtothe results,andwhathereallylikedheused, andwhathedidn’t,hesaved. NewMorningwasquitedifferent. Therewerequiteafewmusiciansinthe studio,awholegroup.RussKunkelwas onthat,playingdrums,andplayingwith himwasabigthingforme,becauseI wasalwaysahugefanofthewayhe plays.Ofcourse,Bobdoesn’tpickany losers.RonCornelius,wasthere, afineguitarplayer.Ronplayedelectric onthatrecord,andIplayedacoustic anddobro. In1992,Iproducedanothersetof sessionswithBobinChicago,andthe greatmajorityofthosesongshaven’t beenheardyet,althoughacouple turnedupontheBootlegSeriesrecord telltaleSigns.Onthosesessions,I wouldhavelovedto havedonesome tunesthatBob wrote–buthedidn’t wanttodothose. And,infact,hedida fewtunesthatIhad written.Inastrange way,Iwasalmost relievedthatthey didn’tcomeout,becausepeoplewould haveaccusedmeofforcingBobtodo mysongs.Butletmejusttellyou:you don’tforceBobtodoanything. Recordingsessionsarealldifferent. Bobhashisownwayofdoingthings, andit’sonethatrequiresthemusicians tobeintuitive.And,inamusical sense,that’soneofmystrengths.Ina moreprosaicsense,it’soneofmy weaknesses:youknow,ifwe’regoingto dosomething,andI’mnottoldwhat we’redoing,Igenerallywon’tfigureit out.Butwhenitcomestomusic,evenif Ihaven’tbeentoldwherewe’regoing,I willfigureitout.I’llseeahead.And that’skindofwhat’srequiredonBob’s sessions.Perhapsthemostimportant aspectoftheprocesswithBobisthat, Bobisverycarefulnottoexhaustthe material.And,asaresult,there’sa spontaneitythat’spresentinallofhis work.You’lldoasongonceortwice,and that’sit:you’veeithergotitoryoudon’t. the players#2 DAVIDGAHR/GETTYIMAGES “Bobhashisown wayofdoingthings, andit’sonethat requirestheplayers tobeintuitive”
- 10. 40 | UNCUT | SEPTEMBER 2013 Dylanwas treatedasif he’dfallenin withSatan’s hordes… Country music,after all,wasthe musicof rednecks andtheKKK thearchivesthatfeatureonAnotherSelfPortrait, examplesofvintageAmericanaandtheUSfolktradition thatDylanholdssodearandcontinuestoinformmuchof whathedoes.Theyaresurelynotthekindofsongshewould wanttodemeanthroughparodyorreducetopastiche. B OBDYLAN’SBootlegSeriesVol.10:AnotherSelf Portraitisinoneversiona2CDsetfeaturing35tracks culledfromtheperiod1969-1971andcoveringthree Dylanalbums,NashvilleSkyline,SelfPortraitandNew Morning.Thereisalsosomeconvenienthouse-keepingwith thegatheringofthreestraytracksrecordingduringthe sameperiod. Theoldestofthemis“OnlyAhobo”,whichwasoriginally recordedin1963duringthesessionsforTheTimesTheyAre A-Changin’buteventuallynotused(itwouldlaterappearon 1991’sTheBootlegSeriesVolumes1-3).Dylanlater re-recordedthesongwithhappyTraumonbanjoand backingvocalsforBobDylan’sGreatestHitsVol.II,whenit wasdiscardedagainbeforebeingdisinterredfortheAnother SelfPortraitset,whereitremainsinferiortoRodStewart’s marvellousversiononGasolineAlley.Alsocollectedhereare theoriginalpianoandvocaldemofor“WhenIPaintMy Masterpiece”(abandversionappearedonGreatestHitsVol. II)andapreviouslyunheardversionof“Wallflower”with BenKeithonpedalsteel,discoveredduringthearchive searchforAnotherSelfPortrait. “FortheentireAnotherSelfPortraitset,wetookthe originaltapesanddidhigh-resolutiontransfers,not knowingtheconditionofthetapesandsonotwantingto playthemtoomanytimesbeforemixingincaseofdamage,” SteveBerkowitzsays.“Andatonepoint,completelyby accident,goingthroughthedigitalfiles,wediscoveredthis unknownversionof‘Wallflower’.Itshowedupasthis maroonblobonthescreenandwethought,‘What’sthat?’ Wehititandthesongstartedandwesaid,‘What?Wheredid thiscomefrom?’Idon’tthinkanyonehasheardthatsince thedaythatBobrecordedit.Idon’tthinkit’severbeen bootleggedorcopiedandit’saspectacularnugget.It’san amazingperformance,withreallyfantasticDylansinging.” TherearealsotwotracksfromDylan’sappearancewith TheBandattheIsleOfWight–arollicking“I’llBeYourBaby Tonight”andarevelatory “LikeARollingStone”.The entireconcertisreleasedfor thetimeonthefour-CD deluxeboxsetiterationof AnotherSelfPortrait,which replacestheIsleOfWight performanceof“Minstrel Boy”thatappearedonthe originalSelfPortraitwith awonderfullywoozy unreleasedversionrecorded withTheBandinthe basementatBigPink,on whichtheysoundlikea bunchofdrunkensailorsat closingtimeinawildoldbar. It’sentirelydebatable whethertheworldisin absoluteneedofanother versionof“CountryPie”– thoughtheonehereis spritelyenough–butthe unreleasedalternativetakeof “IThrewitAllAway”isvery welcome.Theversionon NashvilleSkyline,bysome distancethebestthing onanalbumnotexactly overflowingwithgoodsongs, waswonderfullypoised,almosthymnal,whosesepulchral echomadeitsoundlikeithadbeenrecordedinasmall chapel.Theversionhereismoresecular,ifyoulike,withthe reverbturneddown,makingitwarmer,evenmoreintimate, thekindofthingyoumighthearasmallcomboplayingina baratclosingtime,thelightsdownandlonelydrinkers givingthemselvesuptothenight’saccumulatingsadness. ThisneweditionofSelfPortraitdropsfromtheoriginal tracklistingDylan’squirkyreadingofSimon&Garfunkel’s “TheBoxer”(writtenbyPaulSimonwithDylaninmind, allegedly)andhisratherlovelyversionofGordonLightfoot’s “EarlyMorningRain”,asongforwhichhehadanevident fondness.Gone,too,arethecoversof“BlueMoon”,“LetIt BeMe”andotherstandardsthathadcausedbemusement andconsternationontheoriginalrelease.Itretains, however,seventracks,fromwhichtheoverdubssupervised byBobJohnstoninNashvilleandLAafterinitialsessionsin NewYorkhavebeenhappilystripped,includingtwoDylan compositions,“AllTheTiredhorses”and“Wigwam”. TheCharlieMcCoy/KennethButtreyrhythmsectionthat CuttingSelfPortrait withCharlieDaniels, May1969,Nashville BobwithJohnny Cashandproducer BobJohnston MIChAELOChSARChIvE/GETTYIMAGES;ALCLAYTON
- 11. SEPTEMBER 2013 | UNCUT | 41 hadcontributedsospectacularlytoBlondeOn BlondeandJohnWesleyHardingwereagainused byJohnstononthetrackshetookwithhimto Nashvilleforcompletion,replacingtheoriginal rhythmtracksrecordedinNewYorkthatfeatured StuWoodsonbassanddrummerAlvinRogers. ByMcCoy’sownadmission[seepanel,page35], thiswashardworkforhimandButtreyandtheir deletionfromthetracksastheyarepresented hereisnoconsiderableloss.Infact,wecan nowhearhowwhattheyaddedratherslowed thingsdown,madethemdragsomewhat, underminingthereforetracksthatoriginally wereclearlymuchmoredynamic. TherawNewYorkversions,forinstance,of “LittleSadie”anditscompanionpiece“InSearch OfLittleSadie”,nowfeaturingjustDylanand Bromberg,arefantasticallyspirited,thelatteralso bone-chilling.Thesheervitalityofthesetracks owesmuchtoBromberg’sinstrumentalgeniusand intuitiveinterplaywithDylanandtheyarefurther illuminatedbyDylan’selectrifyingsinging,ably supportedbyKooperonpiano.Thestripped-back versionoftheroistering“DaysOf49”isparticularly powerful,Dylanclearlyrelishingacolourfultale populatedbycharacterswhocouldhaveappeared inmanyofthesongsrecordedwithTheBandinBig Pink’sbasement,includingsuchcolourfulroguesas RagshagBill,NewYorkJake,PokerBillandoldTom Moorehimself.Thesoundisdriving,hardandasan evocationofabygoneeraislikeasepiaphotograph fromtheGoldRushcometovividandextraordinarylife. There’sapreviouslyunreleasedthirdversionof “Alberta”–twocoversofwhichhadalreadyappeared onSelfPortrait–thatpacksthesamegloriouswallop. TwoofSelfPortrait’smostsuccessfullyrealisedtracks aresimilarlypresentedwithoutJohnston’soverdubs,and thewonderfulmoonshinerballad“CopperKettle”is renderedyetmorebeautifulandtenderlyhaunting, fragileenoughtobeblownawaylikesmokeona breeze.Theversionof“BelleIsle”reducedtojustDylan andBrombergissimilarlyenchanting,withitsechoes of“GirlFromTheRedRiverShore”. T hEREALREvELATIONSforfans,however,will betheninepreviouslyunreleasedtracksculled fromtheoriginalSelfPortraitsessionsthat includelovinglyrealisedversionsofcountryand traditionalfolkfavouriteslikeEddieNoack’ssombre “Thesehands”,“RailroadBill”andaromping“This EveningSoSoon”.Evenmorenotablythere’s“house Carpenter”,avariationon“TheDaemonLover”,the Scottishballadthat laterinspired bob dylan UNCUT:Your RollingStone reviewsetthe paceforthinking aboutSelf Portrait.Butdo youthinkthe reviewitselfhas beenalittle misunderstoodovertheyears? GM:Tome,that’stheonlyway thatreviewcouldstart.Here’s BobDylan,it’s1970,andeveryone atthattime,anyoneremotely interestedinmusic,andlifeasit’s beinglived,wasstillhangingon BobDylan’severyword.Sohere comesthisalbum,ofmostly indifferentperformancesof,in manycases,verydodgysongs, whetherthey’reoldsongsby otherpeople,orhalf-orquarter- songsbyDylanhimself.And everyone’stalkingaboutit,onthe radio,onthestreet–andthat’s whateveryoneissaying:“Whatis thisshit?Thisisawful!”So,the piecewasmeanttocapturethis conversation,andenterintoit, aboutthewaypeopletalkabout Dylan–it’slong,anditincludes quotations,commentary,fromall sortsofdifferentpeople,from DJsontheradio,otherwriters, friends,my12-year-old nephew.And,yes,itstartsoff saying,“Whatisthisshit?”But then,theverynextthing,I’m talkingaboutthefirsttrack, “AllTheTiredHorses”,andI’m saying,“Thisislovely!Thisis beautiful.Icouldlistentothisall day!”Soit’sconstantlygoingback andforth.AtonepointIsay, “Maybethisrecordismeantto keepyouaway.”Youknow,putoff anyonewhowants“answers”.And inhisbook,Chronicles,that’s prettymuchwhatDylansaid himself:thathe putthisalbumout togetpeopleto leavehimalone. Andthenthat wouldgivehimthe freedomtofind outwhathe wantedtodo, withouttheprison ofexpectation surroundinghim atthattime. WereyousurprisedtohearSelf Portraitwastobethefocusfor thenewBootlegSeriesrecord? GM:WhenJeffRosen,Dylan’s manager,saidhewasthinking aboutputtingoutadifferent versionofSelfPortrait,ormusic drawnfromthatwholeperiod, 1969-71,andaskedifIwouldbe interestedinwritingaboutit,he startedplayingmesomeofthe Dylan-DavidBromberg collaborations.It’sjustthetwoof themplaying.Andimmediately, thosesongsjustleaptout,they leaptoutofallthe overcoatsthathad beendrapedover them.Youknow: yousuddenlysaw peoplerunning throughfields.It wasjustaliveina remarkableway. AndIsaid,“God.I havetowrite aboutthis.Thisis justterrific.” Therearetwoversionsof“Little Sadie”onthisnewcollection– thereweretwoversionsonthe otherone–butthesecondone herejustleapsout.Thesongis: guyshootsawoman,getscaught andgetsbrought back.That’sthesong. Thefirstversion,it’s like,yeah–whocares. Butthesecond,it’slike you’reinamovie,and there’sthischaracter, andyouseehowscared heis,andhedoesn’t knowwhyhedidwhat hedid.He’snot repentant,he’snoteven surethathewantsto getaway.You’rejusttrappedin thisconfusionofmotivesand desires–yetit’sjusttwominutes ofsomeoldfolksong.Butit becomesterriblygrippingand scary.Idon’tknowwhyremoving afewinstrumentsfromthemix doesthat,butitdoes.Someof thetracksonAnotherSelf Portraitwillberealrevelationsto people.Butit’snotjustmaterial fromtheSelfPortraitsessions–a lotoftheNewMorningsongs wererecordedatthesametime, indifferentversions.Also,there’s threeorfourtracksonthe originalSelfPortraitfromDylan’s ’69IsleOfWightperformance– andforsomereason,theypicked theworstones,thetotalduds. Thebestperformancethey didthatdaywas“Highway61 Revisited”,andthat’sonthisnew collection,andit’sjustunlikeany otherversionofthesongDylan everplayed.It’slikearacecar goingroundthetrack,almost spinningoffontwowheels,but somehowstayingonit. WhatIsthIsshIt? GreilMarcusonhisoriginalreview ofSelfPortraitandwhathethinks ofthenewBootlegSeriesversion “Dylan prettymuch saidhimselfthat heputthis albumouttoget peopletoleave himalone”
- 12. 42 | UNCUT | SEPTEMBER 2013 Dylan’s“ManInTheLongBlackCoat”onOhMercy. DylanblowsupaharmonicastormhereandKooper’s pianopartisterrific.Thereareversions,too,ofmore recentsongs–TomPaxton’s“Annie’sGoingToSingHer Song”andatrulymarvellousaccountofEricAnderson’s “ThirstyBoots”,whichbearsastrikingresemblanceto “Workingman’sBlues#2”fromModernTimes.Fromthe May3sessionsforSelfPortrait,there’salsoanoblesolo pianoversionof“SpanishIsTheLovingTongue”. What’ssogreataboutthesetracksisthewayDylanso fullyinhabitsthem.AlKooperrecallsDylaninthe studiobeingsurroundedbyoldcopiesofSingOut! magazineandvarioussongandlyricsheets,butyou’d havetosayDylandoesn’tsoundatalllikesomeone singingfromasongbook.Hesoundssoutterlyfamiliar withthesesongsyouwouldbesurprisedifnotentirely disbelievingifhehadtoberecentlyreacquainted withthem.The wholeheartednessof hisperformanceshereis sometimesbreath-taking, aclearrebuketothenotion thatSelfPortraitwas intendedasableakand bitterjokeattheexpense ofhisaudienceand reputation.Thisislifeor deathstuff,mostespecially onaversionofthe traditional“PrettySaro” thatmaybeamongthe finestvocalperformances Dylanhaseverrecorded. Thethingisfucking heartbreaking,certainlythemost effectivedeploymentofDylan’s softenedNashvilleSkylinevoice, whichheresimplyglidesthrough thelyric,smoothlyreachingtop notesherarelyvisits,rightatthe topofhisregister.It’senormously affectingandprobablyrecordedas atributetohiswife,Sara.Justas wonderfulisthequitemagicaltake on“TattleO’Day”,whichfeaturesa menagerieofwondrousbeasts, includingalittlebrowndogthat Bobhas“learnedhowtowhistle, singanddanceandrun”. Inwaysthatweren’tasapparent whenSelfPortraitcameoutin1970, thesetracksarethelinkbetween themusicDylanhadmadewith TheBandatBigPink,theso-called BasementTapes,andGoodAsI BeenToYouandWorldGone Wrong,thetwofinealbumsof bluesandfolkcoversthatushered inDylan’slatecareerrenaissance withagenuinemasterpiece,Time OutOfMind.Ifonlytheseearlier coverssessionshadsimilarly inspiredDylantosuchheights. W HENITFOLLOWED SelfPortraitwithinfour months,NewMorning wasassumedtobeareactiontothe criticalpoundingDylanhadso recentlytaken,thealbumseenas somekindofapology,anattempt tomakeupfortheperceived abominationofitspredecessor,prettymuch nowconfirmedasthelowestpointinDylan’s careertodate.ThefirstNewMorningsessions infactprecededthereleaseofSelfPortrait. OnMay1,1970,Dylanwasbookedinto Columbia’sstudioonEast52ndStreetwith GeorgeHarrisonforasessionthatproduced reportedlyhaplesscoversof,amongotherodd things,SamCooke’s“Cupid”,“AllIHaveToDo IsDream”andevenTheBeatles’“Yesterday”. DylanandHarrisonalsocameupwithapieceof extemporisednonsensecalled“WorkingOnA Guru”,includedhere.It’satriflingthing,I suppose,buttheybothseemtobehavingfun andHarrisonweighsinwithsomeexciting guitar.Onthesameday,withHarrisonagainon guitar,Dylanessayedaserviceablefirstattempt at“TimePassesSlowly”–there’sasecond treatmentfeaturedhere,fromasessionheldon June2,thatwasdescribedtomebyJeffRosenas “theMadDogs&Englishmenversion”,aroaring thing,withsurgingorganbyAlKooper,stridently supportedbyRonCorneliusonelectricguitar, CharlieDanielsonbassandRussKunkelondrums. Atonepoint,NewMorningwasgoingtobeamixof Dylanoriginalsandmorecovers,oneofwhichis includedhere,aversionofLeadBelly’s“BringMeA LittleWater”,thecoldthatafflictedDylanthrough theJunerecordingssessionsapparentinhis rheumyvocalwhichanticipatesbyoverfour decadesDylan’scurrentgravellyrasp. Thecocktailloungejazzof“IfDogsRunFree”is widelyregardedasanadirforDylan,butitalways makesmelaugh,usuallyoutloud.The Someofthis islifeor deathstuff... Aversionof “PrettySaro” isfucking heart- breaking! Dylan onstage at the Isle Of Wight festival, August 31, 1969 Dylan and wife Sara at Heathrow airport, September 2, 1969 DAvIDREDFERN/REDFERNS;GETTYIMAGES;ASSOCIATEDNEWSPAPERS/RExFEATURES bob dylan Guitar guru: Dylan collaborator George Harrison, 1970
- 13. reviewed by Low’s ALAn spArhAwk F ROMCENTRESTAGE,straight outandalittletotheleft,on thehillsidethatstretches downintoLakeSuperior,you canseetheboyhoodhomeofBob Dylan.“Surelyhe’llsaySOMETHING,” onelocalelderlyfanstammers.“It’sDuluth!”It’samuch anticipatedreturnforamanwhohasonlyplayedDuluth twicebefore.Iworkedbackstageatboth.AllIremember wasclangclangcrashscreech“shebreaks,justlikealittle girl!”ThistimeIknewenoughtolistencloser. Nestledbetweenapairofwhatcouldbedescribedas refrigerator-sizedopen-flamedpyres,avaulted,darkly scrimmedbackdropandgiant,hoveringHollywood-style canisterlamps,Dylanshines,inasuitthatseemsacross betweenDavidByrne’sfromStopMakingSenseanda classicNashvilleNudie–greyandboxy,withrhinestones. Leavingtheguitaronthebusprovestranscendent.He stands,defiantandsassy,lefthandonhiship,half scolding,half“Iain’tbuyin’it.”It’saconfidencethatcarries him.Hisvoicejumpsandtwistsbetweenawhisperedgrowl andintimatecoo.Onthesurface,it’safamiliargruff–one thathasdividedthepublicfordecades–buthere,as always,Dylaneludesandsurprises.Alwaysagreatsinger, evenhislatterdaybarkhastheagilityofanacrobat.Phrases ricochetandmoan,thensoarintotheetherwithhis punctuatedfalsetto.Fromtimetotime,Dylanfloatsover tohispiano,standing,handstillonhip,rattlingand bangingthroughboogieandballads. Dylan’sbandkepttheskeletal,nuancedgroove,while thenativesonledthemthroughasetthathaschanged littleoflate,enhancedprofoundlybytherecently leaving-then-returningCharlieSextononleadguitar, theirstrengthslaidbareandboldon“Duquesne Whistle”,“ThingsHaveChanged”,andmostheavilyon “BlindWillieMcTell”,takingadvantageofthesong’s uniqueturnondeeprhythmandblues.Heshimmies, smiles,andplaysalotofharmonica.Notmanypeople intheworldtodayhaveplayedasmuchharpasDylan, anditshows.He’samaster,mostobviouslyon“Simple TwistOfFate”. Heneverspeaks,anencorewithasublime“Blowin’In TheWind”beingtheonlydeviationfromrecentform. Wasthishismessagetothehometowncrowdorjustthe 51-yearanniversaryofthesong’srecording?It’senough. Thisishisgift;heneverletsyouknowthatheknowsyou knowhim…becauseyoudon’t.Intheend,Dylantakesa finalposewiththegroup,andlikethewavesthatriseand dissipate,he’soffandawayfromusagain. 1 Things Have Changed 2 Love Sick 3 High Water (For Charley Patton) 4 Soon After Midnight 5 Early Roman Kings 6 Tangled Up In Blue 7 Duquesne Whistle 8 She Belongs To Me 9 Beyond Here Lies Nothin’ 10 A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall 11 Blind Willie McTell 12 Simple Twist Of Fate 13 Summer Days 14 All Along The Watchtower EncorE: 15 Blowin’In The Wind sEtlist l i v e review PRESSASSOCIATION;PIETERMvANHATTEM bob dyLAn And his bAnd BAyFRONTPARK|DULUTH, MINNESOTA|JULy9,2013