There's an odd appeal to bootleg releases. Obviously intended for hardcore fans, bootlegs enable the listener to be a part of the creative process, not just the finished product, giving them that slightly-illegal feeling that they are listening to something they shouldn't be.
Bob Dylan's Tell Tale Signs, the eighth volume of his self-released Bootleg Series, certainly provides those emotions. The album starts with tracks from 1989's Oh Mercy album and ends with material from his most recent album, Modern Times. Cuts from Time Out of Mind, live performances and some soundtrack related material fill up the rest.
Beyond being a diverse showcase of Dylan's stylistic variety and lyrical genius, each track is a personal history lesson of the artist himself.
For example, the release includes two versions of "Mississippi," a track intended for 1997's Time Out of Mind but released later on Love and Theft.
Subtle differences between the tracks make for an interesting look into the creative process. Dylan ended up selling the song to Sheryl Crow, who used it on her album The Globe Sessions.
To capitalize on this historical aspect, Dylan's official Web site is offering a deluxe edition which includes a 150-page booklet, a bonus disc and a 7-inch vinyl recording, featuring the unreleased "Dreamin' of You" and a live version of "Ring Them Bells."
At such a high price ($129.00), it's only going to be a must-have for dedicated Dylan fans.
Live recordings, ranging from "The Girl on the Greenbriar Shore" performance in France to an appropriate recording of the harder rock song "High Water" in Niagara Falls, reminds Dylan fanatics that the "song and dance" man is still a crowd-pleaser.
Casual fans might not want to bother, but for those scavengers scouring for that last morsel of Dylan material, Tell Tale Signs features enough new material to keep listeners occupied for at least the next couple of weeks.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
