Expecting Rain

One easy way to flush out some information about the
apparent upcoming new album would be to persuade
Labrokes, Centrebet or someone else to offer betting odds
on the question. It could be framed this way, and I would
here include my own instinctive odds on release timing.
This is based on a $1 bet, so that odds of $2 means that
you would get your $1 bet back plus $2 if you won.
Those are "long" odds compared with $1.04, which means
you get your $1 back as well as four cents.

Question: Will a new Bob Dylan album containing original
studio recorded material be released before the following
dates (original material may include songs co-written by
Bob Dylan, or even original material written by someone else).

Before June 30: $1.80

After that date but before Sept 30: $1.65

After that date but before Dec 25: $1.43

After that date but before Dec 31, 2013: $1.15

I don't understand this, but it's going to be after June since he's not going to debut any new stuff during a festival tour.

Good point about the post June date Ms Parker.

Sorry, the reason that these odds would help to clarify
the situation regarding the release would be that anyone
with "inside information" would be tempted to place a
better that would result in a tidy profit.

For example, say you held a mid level job at Sony BMG
and you knew for sure that the intended release date
was September 11, 2012, then could anonymously
place a bet that ensures you win some money.

In the corporate world, this is called "insider trading" but
there is no law against this type of betting.

The bookmakers adjust their odds according to the flow
of money onto certain bets. As more money pours onto
one of the betting options, the odds become much shorter.

I think the odds are they'll tell us in time so we'll all pre-order it in any format we can get. I don't think it's gonna be your example date, that'd be pretty poor taste imo. Couple of weeks later or so.

Yes that was a poor choice of example date on my part.
Ms Parker, if you are able to amend that date (I cannot edit
any longer) then I would be grateful. It probably shows
disrespect to the famillies who lost loved ones 11 years ago.

But on that topic, one can't help wondering if something
significant will happen on the date of release, as it did on
Sept 11 with "Love & Theft". Perhaps St Kilda will finally
win the AFL Grand Final or maybe Sachin Tendulkar will
announce his retirement from Test cricket and leave
one billion people in mourning.

Nothing happened for MT, TTL or CITH, so.... it will just be a great day to be a Dylan fan.

Ah, well you say that Ms Parker.

But did you know that on the very day that
CITH (Christmas In The Heart for the uninitiated)
was released a horse called Zimmerman won race No 5 at
the Dimboola meeting in Victoria, Australia?

And that the horse was ridden by a jockey called
B. Obama?

And stranger still that the trainer was V. Putin?

Strange but quite possibly true.

I say - contact them and set it up! It can't hurt.

We have some insiders on ER no? Can they leak us some info.. come on give it up!!

Blink your eyes, it'll be out, and then the moaning will be unleashed in a fury about "this and that" and why it isn't "my" version of what Bob "should" be doing right now or why Bob's voice is shot or how horrible something is...and some of us will like it.

Not this time. This time the whole world will bow, and those of us who were into Dylan before this album will be showered with coolness, getting free drinks and sexual favors. Then again, maybe it will be more like what you said...

I like your premonition better.

Well ya but that's what happens to everyone's albums.

Good point. I'll sleep better now.

It's seems a complicated little set up, but it might just work.

Alternatively, I would suggest that everyone down the front at the forthcoming Hop Farm festival shout "When's the new one out, Bob?" Care should be taken not to shout this out during the Primal Scream set to avoid confusion.