Expecting Rain

Judge it on song content, what's been included and what's been left out, artwork, booklet & other info and overall enjoyment. Of course price matters as well so value for money should also be considered. Compare the de-luxe version with others in the series? I know some folks have had probs receiving their orders but hopefully the wait will be worthwhile.
I got my 2CD format of Trouble No More yesterday. This period isn't my favourite but I'm looking forward to hearing the live songs from Slow Train Coming. However, I played Tell Tale Signs through again a couple of days ago and would have thought that was hard to beat.

-Outtakes. I think it's a little below average. There was a lot more
from the SOL sessions that still lies on the cutting room floor. The
emphasis on the gospel material gives the boot focus, but to the
exclusion of a lot of great material. One extra cd could have fixed this.

-Live. Here it's above average. The concerts are passionate and there's
more of a dynamic than in most other periods.

-Artwork & presentation. It's stellar as usual. I treat the Trouble In Mind
book as a companion by extension, which works well. It's so dense, I'm
only 90 pages in.

Still, my expectation is that Bootleg 14 will surpass 13. This may become
the best in the series, considering Scorsese's charted documentary con-
tribution, the BOTT extras and tons of phenomenal concert recordings
with audio resolution superior to most of the the 1979-1981 live work.

While I really like this release. I still think they made many odd choices and left a lot more interesting stuff out.
For instance why do we need three versions Aint Gonna Go to Hell in three live renditions from 1980 in same arrangement? I'd think that the superior sound of Toronto would be enough to represent it. Same goes for a few other tunes. Why for example the very roomy and boomy rendition of may 16 1980 of I Believe in You? Is that really much better than other versions? The sound for sure isn't good on it.

For Slow Train it makes sense since its different versions for all (exept the two 1981 live renditions which are the same arrangement.

I was listening to Avignon today. It strange why they didn't include more from that gig. Most performances on there are better than whats been shosen for this release.

Anyway I'd rather have versions of some of the omitted tracks found on actual bootlegs or they would have included some of the songs already released on Bootleg series 1-3, Though those would not be new they would still represent the periods best songs and performances better.

As mentioned in another thread. It would be interesting to know more about the selection process. Especially for the live stuff. It seems clear that they had many tapes to choose from.

Better than most; up there with Royal Albert Hall, Tell Tale Signs and Basement Tapes, my favourites.

Got my Vinyl box Set some days ago and was slightly dissapointed because many of these soundboard recordings sound flat and lifeless to me. Don´t get me wrong, it´s not the music and his singing which is passionate and full of life. It lies in the nature of the recording. Then I got the deluxe set via legal download and the Toronto 80 and London 81 concerts are both sublime on all levels and regarding the fact that there are many more stellar concert recordings from 81 I wish they would have focused more on these (Oslo, New Orleans, Houston..etc.)

Don't know. Package still wondering around Sandbag/DHL/USPS desert.

40 years to keep the biblical theme going?

For me, its among the best. A ranking of my top 5, at this moment, might be:

1. Bootleg 1-3
2. Tell Tale Signs
3. Trouble No More
4. Another Self Portrait
5. Live 1966

It's in the top 3 for me.
Right now I want to put it in the #1 slot, but I haven't even finished listening to it yet. Earl's Court is still remaining. I'm listening to Toronto on repeat for a couple days before moving, or pressing on.

It's a real hard chore to rank BS 1-3, BS 8, and BS13 for me. Why rank them, when I can play them all on shuffle and infinite loop?

I wasn't after a ranking, I was just wondering how members generally compared it as a set to the previous rleases, especially given the price of the de-luxe package!

IMO opinion, the great thing about the Bootleg series, is that I can find something to love in each of them. Bob has covered so many genres over the years, and this series lets us see some of the best from each period. It will depend on my frame of mind which one I listen to at any given time. So far we have had 50 discs on unreleased gems to enjoy, What other artist could do this?. Also we know that there are still loads more to come.. If I could only pick one set to have though, it would be TTS

I think it's a fine value at $129 USD off Amazon.com, for example.

I already enjoyed this period of Bob's career, collecting the full concert tours from 1979-1981 (ok, so I also collect all the other full concert tours, too HA). But this period is one of my favorites, anyway.

I don't really regret purchasing at full MSRP because I wanted the San Diego show (legally), and had a $100 gift card that I applied to the purchase. So it hurt a lot less than it would for others. Plus I received my package on release day, unlike so many that are still waiting for delivery from BD.com.

The book and package is very nice. It is comparable to the BS11 and BS12 deluxe, I guess. I usually look at the books a couple times and don't know that I ever read one of them cover to cover [yet].

Musically, the BS13 deluxe package is great. You get 8 or 10 discs of music, plus a DVD with about an hour of concert footage. Previous deluxe packages had a max of 6 discs, and 3 discs back in BS8. The Amazon price for BS13 is about the same as it was for 10, 11, and 12 when they came out. And you are getting a lot more music and a DVD to go with it.

All in all, I think BS13 deluxe is a good value. Probably a better value than the previous deluxe sets.

The answer is hard to give, because it depends on your opinion on the gospel phase.
If you are very connected to this phase, you surely will rank it very high, because Bob's voice was good, he sang controlled but nevertheless emotional, the band did a great job.
If the Christian phase in your opinion is one ob Bob's greatest phases: You must have the BS13 de-luxe box. No doubt about this!
But if you agree with the journalist from the San Francisco Chronicle, who wrote in the 80s "Dylan has written some of the most banal and uninspired songs of his career for his Jesus phase.", you'll listen to it once (perhaps a little bit more often to the songs with a more earthly content) and hope that BS14 will surface soon.
And concerning the books of the deluxe-version: Who looks very often into such photo-albums?

Woah! Where's Basement Tapes? Scrapped for "Another Self Portrait"? And 66 at the bottom? Madness Guess it takes all kinds.

Well, I love the Basement Tapes, but the archival nature of it, which I do not dispute, makes it a difficult listen. And, 66. I already had that on a pretty clean bootleg, so, while I love that too, it was not a revelation.

Every release that you mention, in addition to the ones that I mention, are amazing. I don't think we differ on that, its just that my criteria might be different than yours, that's all.

Personally the "archival" nature of Basement Tapes is what makes it so great. Hearing these sometimes only sketches of songs is fascinating. It's like a work of art. It's not glossy or, obviously, over-produced, but raw and powrful. I get almost a religious feeling listening to them, like some lost bibilical verse (pun intended).
Fair enough, "Albert Hall" (sic) wasn't a surprise, but just to get it officially recognized as canonical was amazing. Glad to hear we're on the same page.

Listing "Another Self Portrait" is still not accounted for though. Just gonna let that hang there..?

You don't like Another Self Portrait, Anr Bjotk?

Does anyone?

It was (and still is) a much loved collection. It was a bit of a shock at the time. None of that stuff was even rumored to exist.

Er, yes! Another Self Portrait is filled with fantastic music! You don't like it?

Funny, I thought that was one of the best-received of the Bootleg Series.

I remember reading an article of a regular newspaper around the time Another self-portrait came out saying how Dylan´s holy grail had been found in some basement or attic of some past girlfriend, I believe. It was from the early 70s period. After I got the (yes!) amazing Another self-portrait record, I used to wonder if it came from those newly discovered tapes...

the 5 vinyl BS 1-3, which I have purchased 26 and a half years ago, was the best BS for a long time

from the last decade I have the big boxes for these four BS releases with its great packaging and books and stuff

Tell Tell Signs (which spans a long period of time, and is most valuable to me for all those numerous TOOM and Oh Mercy outtakes)
Another Self Portrait (surprisingly good stuff)
Basement Tapes (great to have, lots of cool nuggets there)
Trouble No More (which probably turns out to be the best Sony Music release during my lifetime)

I have the 8 CD version and i love the box set packaging,
Columbia have done well on the packaging.
The two live concerts selected are nowhere near the best
shows from either of the years they were recorded, but
the pristine sound is welcome.
The rehearsal takes of tracks we've all heard are interesting,
and i really enjoyed the faster version of 'Gotta Serve Somebody'.
I'd have liked the released 'Trouble In Mind' version included
as well, but hearing the other take was welcome.
The songs collectors of the 79/80/81 boots know,
''Aint Gonna Go To Hell For Anybody''.''Coverdown Pray Through'',
and ''Yonder Comes Sin'' i'd hoped that those had been
recorded in the studio, ''Aint Goin' To Hell...'' is a fine song,
dare i say commercial.
''Rise Again'' is the gold dust for me, i think it could be played
live now. Against the other bootleg releases its as good as
any of the others, it all depends on if you thought much of these albums
and religious shows in the first place, if you did enjoy them, its a good release.
It doesn't contain my favourite shows, or even any songs from my
favourite shows, but i don't mind there, it makes the actual
bootlegs all the more treasured.

I'm gonna rank 'em, 'cause I want to!

Top:
BS11 The Basement Tapes 1967
BS01-02-03: 1961-1991
BS13 Trouble No More 1978-1981
BS04 Live 1966 (+ the complete box, as far as this ranking goes)
BS08 Tell Tale Signs 1989-2006
BS00 Biograph/Side Tracks material [THIS COUNTS, DARN IT!]
BS05 Live 1975
BS12 The Cutting Edge 1965-66
BS10 Another Self Portrait 1967-1971
BS06 Live 1964
BS09 Witmarks 1962-64
BS07 No Direction Home 1959-66

But I love 'em all!

Its not just hanging there. I put it there because I love it. I don't think I need any further justification.

The Basement Tapes is the ultimate treasure trove that will probably never be beat, and 1-3 includes so many great songs because it had the entire vault to chose from so I place 13 under those two