Blood On The Tapes

The complete circulating outtakes from Blood On The Tracks sessions, taken from the best quality currently circulating sources available, which means that, for the most part, the recordings are in absolutely pristine quality. A couple of tracks, taken from the original acetate release, exhibit some vinyl surface noise, but even these recordings are still bright and crisp. Only one of the tracks comes over as slightly muddied and this is largely down to the superb quality of its neighbours rather than any substantial criticism of itself.
Superb recordings that have been scatteres across a variety of disperate releases. Brought together like this they form a formidable body. It's amazing that it hasn't been done before, (though fortunate too since Shelter From The Storm has only recently surfaced as an outtake), and already I can't imagine my Cd collection without it.
Blood On The Tracks is arguably Dylan's most supremely crafted album, and the outtakes provide insight into the development of the songs towards their final unsurpassable incarnations. On the whole I'd have to disagree with those who maitain that Dylan should have stuck to the original version of the album. It's swings and roundabouts but I'd have to side with the finer tuning of the ultimate release.
Nonetheless some of those rougher edges on the unreleased tracks have a barb or two that stick under the skin, the might not flow quite smoothly at times but it's captivating to hear the sharp edge of pain rising a little closer to the surface.
Have I said enough to convince you? Have I waxed lyrical enough? I can go on you know...

Columbus
CRAP 5 (5 5 5 5)