| I received some MP3 downloads from Amazon and decided to blow them on Bob Dylan’s newest, Tell Tell Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8. The early signs point to this being an album I’m glad I didn’t shell out any cold hard cash for. The one “tell tale sign” I can identify is that the music company is happy to slap together a bunch of songs and outtakes, put Dylan’s name on it, call it one of the bootleg series, and watch the money roll in. |  |
It’s not that it’s bad per se, it’s just not something I can imagine coming back to. It’s much like The Vanilla Tapes CD that accompanied the re-release of London Calling. Interesting, yes. Worthy of repeated listens? No.
The first five volumes of the bootleg series were all great but volume 6, which was live in 1964 at the Philharmonic Hall, didn’t give me any new insights into Dylan as performer. I don’t know how they can call volume 7, which was the soundtrack to No Direction Home, one of the bootleg series with a straight face. It’s another greatest hits collection with a few rare tracks thrown in to make sure those of us with his entire collection have reason to shell out for it.
There are plenty of folks on Amazon who seem awfully satisfied with this release but I’m on the side of the two-star reviews, who say pretty the same as the above. Maybe I’m biased, but this feels more like “let’s make some more money by packaging up some old mediocre stuff” rather than “let’s give the Dylan fans yet another side of their favorite artist.” But maybe I’m just jaded…
Current Mood: Feh | 
Currently Listening To – Bob Dylan – “Tell Tale Signs – The Bootleg Series Vol. 8″
2 Comments
I’ve only listened to my copy a couple of times (not nearly enough to weigh in with any definite pronouncements), but Columbia included some real clunkers on Disc 2. And as much as I love the duet with Ralph Stanley, this take of “The Lonesome River” has been available for nearly ten years. And do we really need two additional versions of “Mississippi” and “Dignity”?
Personally, I’m still waiting for the original complete Blood on the Tracks sessions.
Well, I’m comparing this against something like the Live 1966 bootleg, or the Rolling Thunder Review, where it completely blows you away on the first listen. This? Doesn’t do that, but it’s not like Dylan is unfamiliar with clunkers in his long career.