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 Great Stuff, but Some Important Songs are Missing Mar 16, 2010
I first heard some of the songs on this record years before the record was finally released. I think everybody who was into Dylan back then had. Some of them appeared on that first Dylan bootleg Great White Wonder, and more on the Troubled Troubadour boot. Still it was nice getting the real deal. But why oh why did they leave off "The Mighty Quinn" and "I Shall Be Released". That made absolutely now sense at all. However, putting on the wonderful "Going to Acapulco" which was a complete shocker, as no one I knew had ever heard it. That song clued us all into the fact that there was more stuff from these sessions out there and boy was there ever. If you look you can find scads of it.
However, that said, I must say that as much as I enjoy these sessions I prefer the work Dylan did with the band on Planet Waves. Recorded differently I know, it's just my preference. Still, this is a must have for any Dylan fan. Great Stuff on this record, there is, you won't be disappointed.
clear crisp classic Feb 08, 2010
Classic, but not often played, these tunes represent the most playful period of Dylan's work.
What can I say it was 1969 I was 14 and Dylan was jamming with The Band Jan 30, 2010
What can I say but "Bob you have never let me down". Anyone who enjoys Dylan for his talent for his lyrics and his style should own this recording.
It Ain't Goin' Nowhere Nov 29, 2009
This is one of my top 5 Bob Dylan records, and that says a LOT given a) the sheer breadth and quality of the man's recording career and b) the incomplete nature of this compilation. It is definitely the most fun album that Bob ever recorded, which is perhaps due to the fact that these songs were never meant for official release, something that has been mentioned here before. The style of the record is loose and informal and the songs are catchy, relatively short and upbeat. Some tracks don't have any drum accompaniment and sound very stripped down (Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread, Crash on the Levee, Clothesline Saga, etc.). Dylan's voice is unbridled but relaxed here and gives a lot of life and weight to these songs without taking away from their simplicity. As a fan of The Band, I was overjoyed to hear so many examples of their immense versatility--Manuel shines on piano and some truly amazing vocals on tracks such as "Long Distance Operator" and "Orange Juice Blues." Robertson had me smiling ear to ear the first time I heard him crashing around on drums for "Apple Suckling Tree," and "You Ain't Going Nowhere." And Hudson's organ is just beyond explanation. He really puts everything together. The Band's own songs are excellent too, whether or not they technically "belong" on this album. The mix of voices (Dylan, Danko, Manuel and Helm) create a texture and range that are not heard on other Dylan albums.
This is not a "concept" record nor is it a good example of a cohesive Dylan album. These are just lighthearted, warm, creative songs that really do sound like they came straight out of the artists' home. There is a casualness and an intimacy here that is lost in big studio productions like "Blonde on Blonde" which shares certain stylistic elements with "The Basement Tapes," but takes a lot more from horns, harmonica, etc. The lyrics are all classic Dylan, but you won't find any epics like "Sad Eyed Lady" or "Desolation Row" here--its mostly humorous stories and character studies on such interesting folks as "Tiny Montgomery," "Bessie Smith" and "Ruben Remus." It has been said that around this time, Dylan was writing about 10-15 songs per month, and you can just feel the creative peak that he was reaching here. This album really never gets old and it still feels fresh in its true Americana sincerity. Listening to it is like visiting old friends. I just wish that they would release the rest of the Basement Tape songs so that we can have a complete understanding of the true genius that manifested during the months spent at Big Pink. Some of my favorites here are: "Odds and Ends," "Orange Juice Blues," "Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread," "You Ain't Going Nowhere," "Open the Door, Richard" and "Nothing was Delivered."
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
MUCH Improved Sound....Beware, however...... Aug 23, 2009
....of cheap (in my case, Argentinian) South American imports being sold as the advertised Sony Legacy product. When I got mine, I noticed that the Sony logo looked weird and that the double jewel case seemed kind of cheap. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the product info was in Spanish and that the country of origin was Argentina. Although I doubt that the sound was negatively affected and the info in the booklet was in English, I noticed today at Barnes and Noble that the official domestic release is a digipac, which made me wonder if my copy was missing anything (like new photos, liner notes, etc.) Some of you may not care, but all things considered, I'd rather have the domestic US release, especially since that's what I thought I was buying.
P.S. JUST TO CLARIFY: This only applies to Amazon marketplace items, not if you buy it from Amazon direct. You might want to buy from them in this case to make sure you get the legitimate release. I wish I had....and I would be wary of buying all of the latest Dylan remastered releases from Marketplace vendors, especially if they are really cheap in price. Sometimes cheapest isn't always best....
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