Bob Dylan - From The Heart Vol.3 (2002)

Bob Dylan's live appearances at New York City's Gaslight Café remain the stuff of legend. At his debut on September 6, 1961, he performed his first original compositions, "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues" and "Song to Woody," and upon returning in October 1962 he introduced the soon-to-be-classics "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," first staking his claim as the most influential songwriter of his generation. Recorded on reel-to-reel tape directly from the house PA system thanks to the efforts of folkie Dave Van Ronk's wife Terri Thal, the so-called "Gaslight Tapes" represent a definitive portrait of the young Dylan's remarkable creative evolution. The bootleg Documents of Bob Dylan, Vol. 3 assembles the brief but compelling 1961 set in its entirety, adding to the mix two songs from Dylan's July 2, 1962, gig at Montreal's Finjan Club. While traditionals like "He Was a Friend of Mine" and "Pretty Polly" dominate the proceedings, the two originals are most fascinating. "Talkin' Bear Mountain" underscores Dylan's wry wit and gift for satire, while "Song to Woody" proves a remarkably heartfelt and insightful tribute to the man whose music inspired his own life's work. Still, the brevity of the disc is frustrating. The Finjan Club songs are a generous addition, but it's a shame Magic Music chose to break up the show across two separate releases