Reviews

1. Ultralight7 – November 30, -0001

   This is arguably one of the finest packaged sets of Bob Dylan’s “Bootleg Series” thus far. The deluxe version arrives in a beautiful slipcase that houses two gorgeously designed hard cover books. The first includes detailed liner notes on each and every song in the collection along with each CD and the DVD, and the second is chock-full of fantastic written musings about the time period and photos to accompany them. At first, I thought $130 was steep. In hindsight, it’s a relatively low price tag for how much you’re getting. In the shadow of Dylan’s $600 “deluxe” bootleg series releases in recent years, this pricing is a blessing.The actual music is top notch, including better remasterings of a few live shows that have made the bootleg circuit for decades now. The new content, specifically on discs three and four, is the meat of the selections here. Most of those cuts are studio takes of established songs and unreleased songs in both live and studio form. There are few things more haunting in Dylan’s catalog than hearing him solo on piano performing “When He Returns,” which is included twice in this series – once in the studio and once live.The DVD, while only an hour, is beautifully remastered, too. To clarify a confusion another reviewer had: the sermons in between songs are designed to create the atmosphere of what these concerts were actually like. Dylan would often have someone go out and provide a sermon several times in the show. These sermons on the DVD, performed wonderfully by Michael Shannon, can sometimes be a bit of a drag, but in truth, often lots of compelling nuggets of wisdom that tie directly into the songs they precede. You can skip them in the DVD menu, but in your first run-through, I’d recommend watching them for the full experience.Dylan’s gospel period, while not to everyone’s taste, was a period of immense passion and experimentation. Dylan would often reshape these songs night after night, session after session, in search of some sort of mystical brilliance. Quite often, he succeeds in that search, and the recordings are magical. His vocal performances are exceptional here, too, bringing incredible vigor into each piece.If you don’t like Dylan’s gospel albums, skip this release. It’s eight CD’s and a DVD that deep dive into it to an absurd degree. If you’re a fan, though, they’re essential. This is the release this period of Dylan’s music has so long deserved.

2. Wayne Randall Morrison – November 30, -0001

   This is arguably one of the finest packaged sets of Bob Dylan’s “Bootleg Series” thus far. The deluxe version arrives in a beautiful slipcase that houses two gorgeously designed hard cover books. The first includes detailed liner notes on each and every song in the collection along with each CD and the DVD, and the second is chock-full of fantastic written musings about the time period and photos to accompany them. At first, I thought $130 was steep. In hindsight, it’s a relatively low price tag for how much you’re getting. In the shadow of Dylan’s $600 “deluxe” bootleg series releases in recent years, this pricing is a blessing.The actual music is top notch, including better remasterings of a few live shows that have made the bootleg circuit for decades now. The new content, specifically on discs three and four, is the meat of the selections here. Most of those cuts are studio takes of established songs and unreleased songs in both live and studio form. There are few things more haunting in Dylan’s catalog than hearing him solo on piano performing “When He Returns,” which is included twice in this series – once in the studio and once live.The DVD, while only an hour, is beautifully remastered, too. To clarify a confusion another reviewer had: the sermons in between songs are designed to create the atmosphere of what these concerts were actually like. Dylan would often have someone go out and provide a sermon several times in the show. These sermons on the DVD, performed wonderfully by Michael Shannon, can sometimes be a bit of a drag, but in truth, often lots of compelling nuggets of wisdom that tie directly into the songs they precede. You can skip them in the DVD menu, but in your first run-through, I’d recommend watching them for the full experience.Dylan’s gospel period, while not to everyone’s taste, was a period of immense passion and experimentation. Dylan would often reshape these songs night after night, session after session, in search of some sort of mystical brilliance. Quite often, he succeeds in that search, and the recordings are magical. His vocal performances are exceptional here, too, bringing incredible vigor into each piece.If you don’t like Dylan’s gospel albums, skip this release. It’s eight CD’s and a DVD that deep dive into it to an absurd degree. If you’re a fan, though, they’re essential. This is the release this period of Dylan’s music has so long deserved.

3. Kirk A Kubicek – November 30, -0001

   WOW!! I have NEVER been happier about spending over $125 on a cd set in my LIFE!!! This is an absolutely AWESOME collection. I’ve never heard Bob sound more engaged and committed to live performances before. The passion and intensity of the vocals and backing vocals are just stunning. The different styles and tempos employed during these tours make these songs sound new again, the variety is awesome!!! Beautiful packaging and so worth the money to me. I usually just buy the abridged bootleg collections, and I’m sorry I have not invested in a few of these expanded versions before, especially “Tell Tale Signs” – which I personally consider the BEST period of his original output. I came to Dylan late, first being so impressed with “Love & Theft” so discovering this era of awesomeness has been a joy. NOT “religious” but very much enjoying these performances. I have not seen the DVD yet, just went out and bought a player for it and can’t wait!!!